children

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5 Simple steps to creating a school memory box

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5 Simple steps to creating a school memory box

I imagine all the mamas of school-aged kids would be nodding their heads in agreement when I say the amount of work that comes home from your child's school-life can be a little overwhelming! But it's also difficult to actually decide what to keep, and what to get rid of, when it comes to your child's wonderful creations.

When my 6 year old son (who has just started school this year) comes home with a new certificate, piece of writing, drawing, or painting, I feel incredibly proud of him, and he is so proud of himself. And that is something to be celebrated in life, right?! Which is why we have an art display in both our kids' rooms, and a cork-board for their certificates and awards.

However, I also knew that with each new keepsake that entered our home, I really needed to create some sort of streamlined system for sorting and storing it all. Something that would keep the paper piles at bay, while preserving the special memories, report cards, work, and achievements collected throughout the school years.

And that is how I decided that a School Memory Box was a must in our home! It's a system that I am already loving - both for the ease of setting it up, and maintaining it...  as long as you keep the word 'streamlined' in mind!

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3 guaranteed ways to stay on top of kids' papers {Q & A}

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3 guaranteed ways to stay on top of kids' papers {Q & A}

Being a primary school teacher, I know that A LOT of paperwork goes home to the parents of our beautiful small people on a daily basis, particularly at the start and end of the year.

But it wasn't until this year, when my son started his first year of school, that I got a taste of just HOW MUCH paperwork that actually entailed!!

Those first few weeks of school (along with the orientation sessions leading up to it) felt like we were inundated with forms, important information (don't LOSE it!), invitations to upcoming events, letters, parent homework... you name it, we received it! And trying to stay on top of it all became a little overwhelming.

So of course I did what I always do when I begin to feel overwhelmed - I worked on improving my organising systems! In this case, that meant getting our command centre up and running (along with our daily paperwork system); refining the household binder; and getting the kids' artwork into a better system. 

Today's Q & A episode answers a question specifically about this topic, and I'm detailing 3 guaranteed ways to stay on top of the kids' papers and artwork, that are working particularly well in our little abode...

15 simple ways to be more prepared for Christmas

15 simple ways to be more prepared for Christmas

Imagine heading into December feeling on top of all your tasks - from present buying, card writing, house cleaning and calendar planning. 

Imagine spending the month of December focusing instead on the joy of Christmas with your family - decorating the tree, visiting the neighbourhood lights, attending parties and get-togethers, and enjoying your family's unique Christmas traditions.

With a little over 1 month til Christmas, now is the perfect time to start planning and getting organised so the chaos and stress of the busy season doesn't completely take over your life. Who's with me?

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How I set up 2 new bedrooms in just 3 days

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How I set up 2 new bedrooms in just 3 days

When we moved into our newly renovated house, after 7 months living with my parents while the build was in progress, one of the first areas I wanted to get organised and ready were the kids' bedrooms. I knew that moving was enough of an upheaval and uncertain time for them, so I really wanted them to feel settled and happy in our new home from the get-go. Today I'm sharing how I set up both their bedrooms - decluttered, organised and decorated - over the course of 3 days...

How to take back control of your disorganised car

How to take back control of your disorganised car

When life is chaotic and you're going through a particularly busy time, one area that can really suffer is the state of your car. Our cars can often become like a 'second home', but you get to be a bit less rigid about trying to keep it immaculate. This means things get thrown in, mess accumulates quickly and it starts to become a dumping zone that you promise yourself you'll 'get to later'. Can you relate? It's definitely what's been happening with us these last few months! Living through a home renovation has meant our family car has become a lot more disorganised (#revolting) than usual, so today I'm showing how I took back control of the family car... and how you easily can too!

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Super simple ideas for organising toys

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Super simple ideas for organising toys

 

Getting the toy clutter under control is a daily task that most mothers are probably familiar with. Some days this can be more challenging than others, depending on what activities your kids have been getting stuck into! Setting up great workable systems for keeping toys organised involves several key factors:

  • kids need to be able to easily find what they need
  • they should be able to find toys independently (you're trying to avoid the 'Mum, I can't find my ...' dilemma!)
  • toys should be categorized so everyone know where everything belongs
  • pack-up time should be fairly easy