Simply Enough

reuse

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

by 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 …

[Read more...] about How to Get Kids Organized for School – At the Beginning of Summer

7 Easy Ways to Get Organized for Back-to-School

by 15 Comments

Summer is coming to an end and many kids are already back to school. Articles fill your feed with items to buy for back-to-school." But what if you handled it differently this year and saved money? Families want to start the year off right. Organizing your school supplies can be a great way to signal the transition from summer to school. Just keep a few things in mind before you shop. Advertising Works Advertising works because billions of marketing dollars make it happen! Ads lure you into buying 64 brand new crayons and all those cute IKEA desks you had to have during the pandemic. Let's be real for a minute.  June-scissors work in August, right?  Crayons and pencils might be scattered but still create art, correct?  Kids are productive in different spaces, so do NOT force them into a desk. (I learned this from a homework expert years ago.) Before the ads convince you to buy, take an inventory of your supplies and consider what you really …

[Read more...] about 7 Easy Ways to Get Organized for Back-to-School

5 Effective Habits of Clutter-Free Families

by 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 …

[Read more...] about 5 Effective Habits of Clutter-Free Families

5 Easy Ways to Live More Sustainably

by 8 Comments

During the past 15 years, I have realized many benefits from living simply. This lifestyle delivers financial freedom, less waste and a desire to shop sustainably, just to name a few. [bctt tweet="“The most sustainable purchase is left on the shelf.” —Joshua Fields Millburn" username="simplyenoughamy"] Over time, I found that living simply and sustainable practices go hand-in-hand. It opened my eyes to how owning less means living more. To start, our family eliminated excess shopping and created a strong financial plan. We paid off $30K of debt, followed a budget, and saved aggressively. It was a turning point that prioritized experiences over stuff. In the years to come, travel brought us to peaceful ocean waves, still quiet of the mountains, and the majesty of our national parks. Having witnessed these treasures first hand, I turned my focus yet again, to preserving them and living more sustainably. Now, we take great care to purchase without plastic and consider an …

[Read more...] about 5 Easy Ways to Live More Sustainably