Tuesday Tip...Back to School

We are headed back to school. Here are some tips I use to keep things going smoothly in the morning.

1. Prep as much as you can the night before. Homework is done and in the backpack.
2. Put all coats, shoes and backpacks by the door.
3. Pack lunches the night before.
4. Get clothes ready the night before.
*Sign any papers or put anything that is needed in the backpack the night before (book orders, library books, etc).

I also put a checklist on the laundry room door (this it the door leading to the garage). It makes things go so much smoother in the morning and helps my children remember to check and make sure they have everything! I also list which days are library and which days are PE so they make sure they have the right materials/shoes.

Pretty much in the morning my children have to get dressed, eat, comb their hair and brush their teeth. That's more than enough most days :)

For some reason time is warped in the morning at my house. Anytime I am in a rush everything takes twenty times longer! Rather than running around like a crazy lady, I do things the night before and have a pleasant morning!

Tuesday Tip...Dryer Sheets

I found this tip on a budget board from Melissa. If you get cooked food stuck on a pan, let it soak with a dryer sheet. Sure enough, shortly after I found out about this tip, I managed to get cooked rice stuck to a pot. I let a dryer sheet soak in the pan for about fifteen minutes, and it cleaned up so easily! I never would have guessed a dryer sheet could clean up a cooking mess!

I then googled to see what else you could do with a dryer sheet…

From keeping shoes from getting too smelly to removing static from a tv screen, dryer sheets are not just for the dryer. Dryer sheets also are a great way to pick up pet hair and keep thread from tangling while sewing. Packing a dryer sheet in your luggage will keep your traveling clothes smelling fresh.

Terrific Tip Tuesday...Pencil Boxes

Pencil boxes are great organizers at a great price. Right now you can pick them up for around fifty cents!

Stock up...before they run out! Okay, I’m being kind of dramatic, but you wouldn’t believe how many uses a pencil box has. These are great for organizing children’s art supplies, but they are also great for organizing lots of other things. Feel free to comment and add to my list!
Here’s my list so far:
Colored pencils/markers/crayons/scissors/glue
Rubber bands
Post-it Notes (my mom stocks up on these and they fit great inside)
USB Cables/chargers
Paper Clips
Jewelry
Hair accessories
Stamps
Small envelopes
Spools of thread
Mementos (hotel room cards, concert tickets, etc) I have a weird obsession with hotel room cards, and I hate throwing them away, so this is perfect!
Make-up