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How to Get Kids Organized for School – At the Beginning of Summer

June 9, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

Summer has arrived! Time for flip-flops and swimming suits. The last thing you're thinking about is how to get organized for school. That's months away, right? Meanwhile, the backpacks are tossed on the floor with papers and lunch boxes still inside. The contents are left to decompose. Perhaps you have piles like this scattered all over your house? In August, articles will fill your feed about how to "get kids organized for school." But what if you did something about it now? And saved time and money. Advertising Works Soon, back-to-school sales will flood the aisles of local stores. Advertising hits you at every turn. The advertisements convince you that your children need a brand new box of 24 sharpened pencils, colorful scissors, cute erasers, and a box of fresh crayons. (I do love new crayons.) But I'm pretty sure the June scissors will still work in August. So before these ads beckon to you like a siren, why not spend a little time unloading the backpacks and …

5 Easy Technology Solutions to Go Paperless

April 14, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 2 Comments

Paper clutter is the #1 challenges families tell me that they face every day. Junk mail, kid's art, catalogs, and more. But after establishing a Paper Filing System for our family, I can safely say that we live 90% paperless. And we leverage technology to support this goal. If you get control of the paper, the paperless part is easy. Sign up to receive my FREE Paper Filing System Technology options are overwhelming and it's hard to know how to choose the right one. But it's more important to establish your routine and less about the tool itself. Here are my 5 "go-to" tools to help you get started on the road to Paperless Living. 1. Evernote I started using Evernote over 10 years ago. I love that the information syncs to all devices. My Evernote tab stays open all the time. The addition of the Web Clipper on my web browser allows me to clip webpages and save them to relevant notebooks such as Business, Recipes, Family, etc. Eventually, it's easy to …

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Books and Read More

January 6, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 7 Comments

Over the years, getting rid of books generates the most passionate discussions. I wonder if people fear they might lose the knowledge gained from a book if they give it away? There is a strong sentimental attachment to books, especially the ones we get lost in. I have no idea what happened during the days I read Water for Elephants. I felt this way about The Great Alone, Small Great Things, The Nightingale, Half-Broke Horses, Educated, Refugee, The Harry Potter Series and so many more! Reading is good. Owning is the problem. There was a time when I read less and bought more. But I renewed my interest in reading when I purged nearly all of them. I felt a weight lifted. And was free to read new titles. I even joined a book club and set an annual reading goal in Goodreads. At any given time, I am reading 4 books. One non-fiction, one devotional, one personal development and one on audible. The best part...I take them everywhere on my Kindle, Kindle …

Why I Stopped Organizing Legos

September 22, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 11 Comments

When my son was young, a fellow mom asked how I organized his Legos? I paused and said, "I don't." Being clutter-free does not mean perfection. Toys were not neatly stowed every night, certainly not Legos. I learned pretty quickly that organizing Legos was unnecessary. In our house, we love Legos. The benefits far outweighed the clutter and our loose organization system worked well. The LEGO Group The LEGO Group makes a high quality, fair trade product. My son would request a special set for Christmas or his birthday from his grandparents. Legos are what I call a "work-horse" toy because they stand the test of time. They also encourage friends and siblings to play together. But I learned that the more toys my son had to clean up, the less he played. And the fewer toys he had, the more he would play. With Legos, he was creative and content. He played with mini-figures from Marvel and Harry Potter at the same time. Sometimes all in one body. We did not stress …

Why You Need A Landing Spot Right Now

July 1, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 2 Comments

Perhaps you attempted to leave the house today, but couldn't find your keys. And then ran back inside for your phone. Finally, you were set to drive away and remembered a package to mail or an item to return. At last!! You're in the school kiss-n-ride line but your son isn't wearing shoes. :) Sound familiar? If so, you need a landing spot, right now. Did you know in your lifetime, you will spend a total of 3,680 hours (153 days) searching for misplaced items? And on average, you lose up to 9 items every day—or 198,743 in a lifetime. (The Daily Mail) Let's stop the madness. Before decluttering, I was late for everything and struggled to get out of the door. Times have changed since I got the volume under control and set up a landing spot. This simple habit helps me feel more organized and starts the day off right! So, let's add some hours back to your life too. Exit Strategy Identify which door you use to exit the house. Is it the front door or through …

5 Effective Habits of Clutter-Free Families

May 6, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 10 Comments

Fighting clutter can feel like a losing battle. After all, there are 300,000 items in the average American home. But decluttering is more about habits than ones ability to get organized. My first piece of advice for clutter-free living is to stop shopping. Stop the inflow. Consider a Shopping Moratorium for 30 days. Experimenting with less reveals how little we really need. Living with less also creates a peaceful sanctuary in our homes. A calm environment at the end of a workday and a place where our eyes can rest, clutter-free from distractions. If you'd like to calm the chaos in your home, start with these 5 habits. Protect Flat Surfaces Flat surfaces attract clutter. And clutter attracts more clutter. The largest flat surface in your home is the floor. Don’t mistake it for storage. Adopt the habit that only furniture belongs on the floor. Pick up trash when it falls. If you have hardwood floors keep a dust mop handy for a quick sweep. Go through the mail outside by …

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