The school season is here and it’s that time to get prepared for another year of studies and more everyday routine for the students at home. Parents always need ways to make everyone’s life easier getting kids dressed, breakfast ready and backpacks packed with lunches, and snacks on time.

Kids also need a good declutter and re-organization of their clothing and shoes so that they can get ready quickly and easily. Here are my organizing hacks for back to school that will be sure to help you :

Kids clothing and shoe organization
Kids grow out of their clothing and shoes quickly, so this is a great time to make sure what they have in their wardrobe still fits. It’s time to take out all the items that no longer fit and have worn out or have holes. Then you can shop for any items that your child needs more of for their size now. Here’s how to make getting ready easier:

1. Plan ahead and choose the outfit to wear the night before and place the outfit on a labelled “Wear to School” on a shelf, basket or hanging rack for quick dress up the next day.

2. You can also plan ahead and do all the outfits for Monday to Friday on Sunday if you want to be really prepared. Then you can use a closet organizer that hangs or baskets for each day of the week and place the outfits inside.

​Lunch boxes, bottles and food storage
For easy food prep every day, you want to create a drawer that contains all the reusable water and juice bottles and food storage for easy lunch and snack packing.

1. Designate a zone for each child and label according to name and items, like bottles, lunch boxes, reusable snack bags and lunch bags.
2. Store bottles in a vertical storage like a magazine holder or a mini wine rack.
3. Make sure all the food storage like bento containers are stacked and easy to grab.

Work and artwork file folder
Kids always bring home so much paper from school from forms to artwork and worksheets.
Have an expandable file folder for each student, so you can easily drop in the items and store them for their memories. Files can be divided by their grades.

Hope these ideas help make your child's school year easier to manage! Hope you all enjoy this new school year to all students and parents.

Sponsored post by Busy Kid.

It’s easier to just let kids be kids and not bother them with household chores, but every parent knows that doing chores is an essential ingredient to raising capable, independent, and responsible children.

If you’ve been struggling to get your kids to do chores, you’re not alone. A lot of parents are going through the same thing, but know that it’s not an impossible feat.

You’ll have more success in making your kids do chores if you avoid these mistakes:
 
1. Failing to Assign Age-Appropriate Chores
 
Parents are aware of the role that chores play in teaching their kids about responsibility, but sometimes have a hard time convincing them. This is often because they overestimate or underestimate their children’s abilities.

Children tend to lose interest in things that are too hard or too easy for them. As parents, you need to know how to assess your kid’s capabilities and give them responsibilities appropriate for their ages. You can download a kids chore app to help you identify and assign age-appropriate chores for your children.
 
2. Not Having a Chore Routine
 
Many parents end up doing all the work themselves because they either don’t have time to remind their children to do their assigned tasks or teach them how to do them properly.

The easiest way to remedy this is to adopt a chore routine. Give your kids the same daily chores and then gradually add or move on to more difficult responsibilities as they get older. Remember that practice makes perfect. If they do the same things every day, they’ll master it in time.
 
3. Paying for Every Chore
 
While there’s nothing wrong with rewarding your children for their efforts, they should understand that they don’t get paid for every little thing they do. When you create a home culture where everything merits a reward, soon enough you won’t get them to do anything unless you give them something in return.

If your kids want to earn extra money, they can take on jobs that are over and above their daily tasks. You can transfer the payments to a kids debit card and take the opportunity to teach them how to save and invest.

4. Waiting Until They’re Older

Your kids are not too young to start doing chores. There are plenty of tasks that even toddlers are completely capable of doing like putting their toys away, throwing dirty clothes in the hamper, and helping fix their beds.

Small kids are actually more eager to help out around the house. The younger you start giving your children responsibilities, the easier it will be to develop the habit.
 
5. Criticizing Your Children’s Efforts
 
In the grand scheme of things, making toddlers and preschoolers do chores can be more trouble than they’re worth. But it’s important to let them do it anyway. The same goes for older children who are starting to learn and take on new responsibilities.
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Even if you’re not satisfied with the quality of their work, don’t criticize your children’s efforts or show your disappointment. When they do something right, compliment them. And when they make mistakes, demonstrate the right way to do it.
 
6. Yelling at Them When They Resist or Complain
 
A lot of parents lose their cool when their children resist or complain about doing chores. No matter how frustrated you are, yelling at them will do you any good. Remember that chores will always be a battle of will.

On some days, it can be a challenge to get your kids to do anything. When this happens and you feel your pressure rising, take a step back and calm yourself down. The last thing you want is for your children to associate chores with anger and negativity.
 
7. Failing to Explain the Purpose
 
At some point, your kids will begin to question why they have to do chores when they could be doing something fun instead.

Make sure your children know why it’s important for them to work and contribute as members of the family. Understanding how the things they’re doing now can benefit them, especially when they’re older, might motivate them to help out more.
​

Have you organized all of your papers and created a system that allows you to find what you need when you need it? How about your family members, have they all organized their papers as well? It's important that it is easy for people to search for documents in cases of emergency, but also when it comes to important life situations. If something were to happen to you, would your family be able to search for the necessary documents in order to help in times of distress? Usually people are not prepared and it can be an unnecessary burden for those you love.

Paper is not the most fun to organize, but its good to paper shred and recycle what is no longer useful and free up more space. When I did my paper organizing when I first did the KonMari Method, I really dreaded it and the experience did not spark joy. However, after I finished going through all my papers I was really happy to be able to let go of my filing cabinet and free up more space in my home. Let's first start with paper organizing:

Physical Paper Organizing
You can start paper organizing by dividing all your papers into three main categories:

• Act Now Papers
• Temporary Papers
• Keep Forever Papers

Act Now: Bills, Letters, Forms, and anything that needs immediate attention and to be dealt with soon.

Temporary Papers: Car Reminders, Warranties (with no life-time), Receipts (in case you plan to return or exchange),resumes, tax documents (only keep for a certain amount of years), memberships, and anything that you just need for a limited time (until you deal with it) and not forever.

Keep Forever Papers: Will, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Life Insurance, Mortgage, Property documents, anything considered legal documents of importance.

Once you have divided everything into these three categories, you should use the following to organize them:

Act Now: Magazine file box or tray
​

Once you have your papers in order, you can maintain the in-coming papers by inserting them into one of the three categories. Sometimes you may have more papers that will not fit into just one folder, so you can use multiple folders and keeping related papers together. Always label categories of papers and name of owner so that you can easily find what you need. Remember to deal with your papers right away so that the clutter is contained and you can find what you need when you need it.

Once you have your papers in order, you will want to move on to digital organizing of your files and documents. You can also create similar categories within your laptop/computer files, so you can easily create your three folders and use sub categories of folders within those main three. You also want to have digital files of your papers, mainly important documents, so that you can easily find them in case of a fire, water damage or any lost documents due to natural catastrophes. 

Once you have organized all of your digital files and documents, you can organize your important documents so that they are safe and easy to find, but not just for yourself for your entire family. Imagine being able to retrieve important documents easily virtually from anywhere you are in times of need. There are actually three categories to organize your important digital documents into, they are:

1. Legal Documents: Social Security Cards, Marriage Certificates, Wills, Birth Certificates, Passports, Power of Attorneys, Estate Plans and Trusts.
2. Medical Documents: Vaccination Records, Medication Records, Health Benefits, Doctors Info.
3. Financial Documents: Investments, Banking Info., Pay Stubs, Bills, Tax Documents, Loans, Retirement Plans

You can also check out this app called Addmin, its a Swiss made mobile application that simplifies the centralization of your administrative documents in digital format, organizes them automatically and allows you to process them where and when you want, in complete security. Click on this link to learn more: https://addmin.com/en/about

Are you ready to get all the paper organized now? Hopefully these tips can get you started for more paper clarity both physically and digitally. If you need support and guidance on getting this done, feel free to contact me and book an appointment for a virtual or in-person session to help you declutter and organize your papers.

We are all spending more and more time at home, and its important that we invest in ourselves and our space. If you're like me at all, this pandemic has been spent watching a lot of Netflix, so I rounded up a few home improvement tips based on my favourite Netflix shows. Check out these organization and design tips for a few of the most frequented spots in your home!

The Bedroom

Our bedrooms are our sanctuaries. Introduce calmness and happiness to your bedroom by decluttering and enhancing the design with these ideas. 

Organize: Follow the KonMari Method to tidy up your room! Ask yourself if every item has a place and discard if it does not spark joy. Take a moment to feel grateful for each item, and you will feel happier and lighter as a result.

Watch Marie Kondo on Netflix or contact me for a virtual KonMari coaching session.
Design: Natural light makes such a difference when it comes to your mood and health. Do not obstruct windows in your bedroom so you can enhance all the benefits of natural light. 

The homes on Grand Designs always take advantage of natural light. 

The Office
A lot of us have been working from home for quite some time now, and I find its helpful to give my work space a refresh every now and then. I like to utilize vertical space when organizing, and its also fun and easy to add new art to keep me in a good mood.

Organize: Hanging hooks, shelves, or pegboards expands your organization space and helps keep clutter off your desk. Less clutter will help you be more productive.

Watch Tiny House Nation for more vertical storage inspiration!

Design: Rotate out the art or decor around your work space. You can buy something new or just switch around the pieces you have in your house! Art in the home can help reduce stress and make you feel more positive. 

Get inspired by Bobby Berk and his home designs on Queer Eye.

The Bathroom
Lets be honest, everyone spends a good amount of time in the bathroom. Follow these tips inspired by The Home Edit and Selling Sunset for organizing and designing a bathroom you are happy to spend time in.

Organize: Streamline your everyday routine by creating systems in your bathroom. Group items by categories like makeup, dental hygiene, or showertime. Or if you share a bathroom, organize a station for you, your spouse, your kids, and any other family members like in my bathroom declutter!

Tune into Get Organized with The Home Edit to watch Clea and Joanna create organizing systems to your hearts content.

Design: Go for relaxation and spa-like qualities in your bathroom design. We are so often rushed in our everyday routines, our bathrooms should be a calm place to practice important self-care.

Aside from the drama, Selling Sunset features fabulous homes with luxurious bathrooms to inspire your own!

I hope you enjoyed these tips for improving and investing in a happier home! Throw on one of these Netflix shows for entertainment as you declutter or redesign. For more inspiration from these shows, see the visual courtesy of The Zebra below! 

4. Make time for self-care .
​
This is especially important when it comes to taking care of our own personal well-being and mental health. After deep cleaning and switching things up, relax and do some meditation or yoga, take a warm bath, read a book, and disconnect from screens from time to time to avoid the latest news and anxiety. If you have family, spend time with each other and play board games, cook a meal or bake something together and do some diy or craft activities. This gift of time is really something we have all been blessed with despite the virus.
​

I hope these ideas help you out with things you can do around the home. Remember to stay positive, stay at home and believe that this time will pass over and we will get through this. There is always a silver lining to everything negative that happens in life... and being able to stay home and have quality time with the ones we love but also for those who live alone, this will give you a chance to relax, reflect and connect with people you haven’t been able to in a long time.

​Take care everyone.

As a Certified KonMari and Home Organizing Consultant, I help people to simplify their homes and get organized, but also to learn to be mindful when doing the process with me. Even though I've done the KonMari Method in my own home last January 2017, I still need to let go of items in my home every year that have expired. As we all know, not everything we use lasts forever when it comes to products that we use in the bathroom. So I decided to start the new year by doing a good bathroom declutter, to make sure that what I still have is good to use for myself and my family.
​

What I love about the KonMari Method is that it has taught me how to realize and be aware of everything that I am using in my life, if it’s serving me and sparking joy (of course). It has also made my life so much easier, as I am able to quickly tidy and clean every area of my home with no wasted time. So my counters including my bathroom counter is clear of things and clutter so I can easily wipe down the counter top after using. As you can see I don’t leave anything except for soap on my sink.

I live at home with a family of four (including myself) and that’s made up of my husband, 9 yrs. old son and my mom who is retired. Everything you see in the bathroom is what we all use, my mom has products in her bedroom but the rest of us only have what you see in my bathroom. The photo above shows how the underneath of my sink looks like. Under the sink I have bathroom cleaning products on the right side, and personal bathroom products on the left side.

Here’s where the rest of my family’s bathroom products are in a standing cabinet unit. My products for taking a bath and shower are placed outside of my shower, so that I can remove water and can clean the inside of the shower easily. I know this is not always possible for every bathroom space (or necessary) but this helps us to avoid mildew from growing inside. Even though we have already simplified our things, we will discover what is still good to use with the declutter and KonMari process.

Basically when you start doing your bathroom komono (miscellaneous) declutter, you need to remove everything out so you can see how much you have, and then you can start going through all of the items. Be sure to check for expiry dates on the back of bottles or boxes and most things even though they spark joy, are no longer good to use. Sometimes you will see a small image of a container on the back of a product with the amount of months it will last after opening it. If you can’t remember when you opened the product or purchased it, most likely it’s already old. Products that expire are not good to use after the due date, as they won’t be of good to your skin, body or health. Our skin can absorb things very easily, and we don’t want to use products that will be harmful to our well-being. Also, remember that the money spent for these products should not stop you from letting go...they have already served you when you purchased it. Once you go through all of your items, you will return and organize them back according to the following: face care, skin care, hair care, hair tools, dental care, first aid, medical, feminine products and cleaning supplies.

Here is how our cabinets look after the declutter and I have grouped similar items together and created homes so that we can find things easily. My husband has the top shelf with just a few items to the left, the right side is our first-aid and medical supplies. The second shelf is all of my stuff which includes daily skin care, hair care and body care. The third shelf contains our cotton pads, q-tips, and hairbrushes. The fourth shelf has our tooth brushes, tooth paste and our family face wash that my husband, son and mom use. The fifth shelf has hair tools, my mom’s hair and body care. Finally the last shelf has extra bath sponges, containers for travel, bars of soap and feminine products.

The image above shows everything that has expired or is practically empty and all of this filled one shopping bag. I will dispose of the items properly emptying out ingredients and recycling the containers that can be placed in the blue bin. Then you should take inventory of what you need to replace so you can purchase what you need. The KonMari Method helps you to be a conscious consumer and then you become smarter at shopping and no more mindless purchases or wasting money. After this process, I discovered I needed to replace my skincare for my daily use including face wash, moisturizer and toner. I want to invest in good quality products that are good for my skin and my health.

I decided to invest in a minimalist luxury skincare brand that is locally made in Toronto, Canada and it’s called Graydon. As I get older, I also want to take better care of my aging skin and I think it’s so important to use products made of good for you ingredients. Graydon Skin Care products are all made of plant based ingredients of superfoods and extracts which I love. I will be trying this out for the first time to see if it will make a difference to my skin. I have suffered from acne growing up, and even as an adult in my thirties I still have some breakouts on my neck and chin especially in the winter. I’m going to show you all a before and after of my skin as well to show you the benefits of investing in your skin and yourself.

Here’s a photo of myself with no makeup and cleansed with Graydon’s Blue Majik® foam face wash and Konjac sponge. The Blue Majik® ingredient is actually blue-green algae, which is rich in minerals and protein building amino acids, and vitamins to slow down signs of aging, and will improve skin texture and firmness. After, I sprayed some Face Food Mineral Mist, which hydrates and locks in moisture while also protecting my skin from free radicals and environmental pollution. Then I used Graydon’s Full Moon serum (combats signs of aging) and Super Food serum (brightens, hydrates and nourishes skin) mixed together like a skin care smoothie and applied gently on my face. Followed by Berry Rich probiotic face and eye cream, and then finally Green Cream phyto-retinol clarifying complex cream on my chin and neck area only. Stay tuned in a month as I share my results after one month of using Graydon plant powered skin care.

You can check out my videos for my bathroom declutter
​below, and also my new daily regimen using my new Graydon skincare.

Will you be starting your bathroom declutter for this year? If you haven't done it in a long time perhaps the time is now. Then you can start to invest in yourself and start using good products that will both benefit your face, body and well-being.

​After my bathroom declutter, I noticed that I needed a new skincare line and take care of my skin with the right products. Invest in yourself and your well-being!

When you start living in a clutter-free and organized home after doing the KonMari Method, or even just living with fewer things, it makes cleaning your home so much easier. It’s so important to create a healthy environment in your own home so that the air you breathe is safe and you can avoid getting sick. I have always cleaned my own home, but as life gets busier I can only make time to clean countertops, wash dishes, sweep the kitchen and living room floors, and take out the trash and recycling on a daily, regular basis. However, general cleaning including dusting, vacuuming, and washing the floors, does not happen as often as I would like it to be. Being a busy parent living an entrepreneurial lifestyle, cleaning does not always make the top of my priority list. Did you know that 25% of Torontonians spend about an hour cleaning their homes each week? Only 33% of Torontonians pay for regular weekly house cleaning. Also, women find that household chores are their second-biggest daily stress (just after finances), and for men household chores are last on the list! Even though my house is in order, I am the main person doing the majority of the cleaning at home, which can be frustrating at times. Almost half (45%) of Torontonians feel the cleanliness of their homes has been the source of conflict in their relationship. So I decided to experience a professional cleaning service so that I can make better use of my time and have some self-care, by having an expert take care of things while I work during the day.

I discovered Adèle House Cleaning, a professional house cleaning service based in Toronto, as well as Montreal. Adèle uses a unique online booking system, with technology that caters to today’s busy clients like myself. I really like that you can easily book and pay for their services online, up to 24 hours in advance, and there’s even flexible and commitment-free appointments for people looking for one-time or continuous services. It was really important for me that the cleaning company I chose to use works with healthy natural products for the health and well-being of my family, and I was happy to know that Adèle uses eco-friendly ECOLOGO® certified products which means it has the highest international environmental certification, and that gives me peace of mind. The Adèle cleaning Pros are thoroughly trained and insured, so you know you are getting trustworthy and reliable people working in your home.

When my appointment was confirmed, I realized that I didn’t enter the correct date that I wanted, so I quickly sent a message through their online chat and submitted my message. However I was able to figure out when checking my dashboard that I could easily edit and change the dates on my own, and it was quick to fix to change the date and get a confirmation instantly. I was relieved that I didn’t have to get on the phone to waste time to change this. I received an email notification to inform me of the change and also of when my Adèle cleaning expert would be available to come that day. You also get notification reminders of your appointment and your Adèle cleaning Pro will contact you via text message to let you know exactly what time they will arrive. It really feels like the Airbnb of cleaning services which I like.

On the day of the scheduled cleaning service, I decided to welcome the Adèle cleaning expert on arrival. When she arrived at my doorstep, she was really friendly and I instantly felt comfortable having her in my home. I showed her around my house and then provided my vacuum for her to use throughout the house, as this is required for them to do the work. Then I decided to work outside of home at a local cafe so that I could focus on my work and let her clean and work her magic! When I returned after 4 hours, she was just about finished and then she had me inspect the home before she left. I quickly noticed right away an incredible change in my home; it felt like the time when I first moved into my house almost nine years ago! Everything was shining, from my toaster, to the fridge, the faucets and mirrors (even the toilet!), which I haven’t seen shine and sparkle in so long. Everything felt so brand new and it was such a difference to see and even feel. I could even sense from breathing that my home was no longer dusty.

Getting a professional cleaning is like a whole new level of cleaning that I think I can’t even make my home sparkle in the same way. One thing to note is that the cleaning service is actually not a deep cleaning that does scouring or scrubbing down the inside of your oven or shower and it does not include tidying the "things"you have. Even though deep cleaning is not part of the service, you really feel and see the difference with getting your home a really good refresh. Click here: https://www.adelehousecleaning.com/house-cleaning-services/) to check out what’s included in the service. After my cleaning was complete, Adèle sent me an email for a cool meal box for three free meals delivered to my home so I don’t have to worry about cooking and I can save even more time, such a nice surprise! I would definitely consider using this service again, and to me it really felt like self-care for both my time and my home and is definitely worth the investment to experience.

If your interested to have the Adèle cleaning experience, visit https://www.adelehousecleaning.com/ and use my promo code Michele30 for $30 off your first cleaning (only valid for first-time users).

Lately people have been asking me if I know how I can help them start a digital declutter and get organized, and to be honest I have to admit that I am not totally decluttered in my own digital world. I think I haven't pushed myself to do a real digital declutter because it doesn't bother me since it's not physical and around me to see all the time. However, not being diligent in deleting files, especially image files, has caused me issues when my computer is slow or I run out of space on my phone when I'm travelling especially when I want to take more photos. I think this is definitely something that affects everyone in this digital age, so I decided to finally push myself to start a digital declutter and share how you can start doing this too. Here are a few ways you can get started with your digital declutter:

First off the only way to know how much you are sinking in digital clutter is to check how many files you have overall. I decided to start with the files I have on my laptop instead of my smart phone device, as my laptop is much older and gets slower to use the more I have huge files on my computer. It's good to get some real numbers to understand how much digital clutter you are dealing with. So here's the number of files that I am currently dealing with so you can see:

Images: 7, 148 (OMG!)
Documents: 776
PDF Docs: 523
Videos/Movies: 246
Spreadsheets: 160
Presentations: 19

All I can say is damn, I'm a digital image hoarder! I do love photography and I have to really learn to go through my images and choose what I still need. I have transferred all of the images I have taken with a DSLR as well as all the smart phone devices I ever had since 2010. I have managed to let go of many printed photos and negatives in the physical world, but it seems there is just so much more digital images that I’ve accumulated with being able to take many good quality photos with my own handheld devices.

You should start the process with the folders containing the least amount of files to sort and delete, and then work your way to the most. I started to go through the "Documents" folder of my laptop which were all mixed up with files of work I have done for clients in my past marketing freelance work, and then everything else I have worked on in the past five years. The documents I have are mixed with files of resumes and cover letters, invoices, bills, receipts, confirmations, and only some files already in their proper folders. There are so many files just on their own in no "home" and just living in the "documents" section. I was very happy to delete the files of cover letters to the many jobs I had applied to (and never got the job), when I was laid off from my last corporate job back in 2015...it felt really good and so satisfying to let those all go! It's amazing how far I have come since that time. I created 25 folders to organize all my files, (not sure if that is too much but for now it helps me). Then I created one folder called "All Folders" on my desktop screen to store all those folders into, so visually they are hidden away in their new master home.

Doing this digital declutter process will not be complete in one day, it takes time just like doing the KonMari Method in your home. I have spent approximately three hours just going through my documents and downloaded files, and I am no where near being done. If you start to get frustrated, then it's time to take a break, breathe and leave it for another day. For me it really helped me to create the folders (homes) to organize and sort through the files. As I was sorting, I could already identify which files could be deleted and let them go right away. I definitely felt the frustration when I realized how many more files I had to go through, and I reminded myself that this will not get done in a day. Take time to do this once a week, or every other week and you will get through it all.

In the KonMari Method, the Sentimental category is last for a reason and it should be the same for digital decluttering. I was able to place images in folders as I went through my downloaded files, but I know that I will have to do little by little every once in a while through my 7, 148 digital images! I know that's a lot to admit, but it's something I will work on as I am not yet a digital minimalist but I'm working on it. I have so many images that are a mix of personal and business (most are personal) and imagine if I had printed all of these images out that would be insane to go through physically. I think that is an important thing to ask yourself when doing your joy checks with digital images, does it spark joy enough for you to print? If not then let it go...I'm gonna try that.

Just when I thought I only had to deal with my laptop files, I realize that emails are another huge digital thing to go through. I have three email accounts that I use, two personal and one for business. The reason I have two personal emails is because I still have one of my very first email accounts using "Hotmail"...and admitting that must have aged me! If I sign up for anything I like to use my Hotmail account, but also I have some friends and relatives who only know this email so I use it to keep in touch. The email declutter is also another lengthy process so remember that this takes time too. Create folders to organize your emails and treat this like the paper category of the KonMari Method when you deal with incoming mail...only have emails in your in-box that are for "immediate attention", then create a "pending/temporary" folder, then finally you can have a "keep forever" folder for those really important emails. Remember to un-subscribe to mailing lists that are no longer of interest to you, and only stay subscribed to emails that add value to your life so that you can take control of what comes in.

Once I finally have my laptop files and emails decluttered, organized and in their homes, I will move on to decluttering my phone. I would start with checking what apps are being used and not used at all, then delete what has never been used and then you can organize what apps are left on your phone. Always make sure you are only keeping apps that add value to your life of course. I have organized my phone using the colour folder app way of organization, and I have to say it has worked well for me. You just have to get familiar with what colour your apps are that are frequently used, so you can find and open them easily. I know I have my app situation under control, but again I have many images on my phone so I will tackle that more. I will do a little everyday, and I usually like to do this if I have no data or wifi and travelling on the subway train or just commuting in general. I have to remind myself to control the amount of photos I decide to take with my phone and if they are really worth keeping memories of.

I hope this gives you a good idea of how to get your digital declutter started. Then you can start to be more mindful of what images or files you decide to keep in your laptop or phone and get it under control. I will share a part-two of this blog about my life after doing my digital de-clutter once it is fully complete...I wonder how long it will take me? So stay tuned.

Summer is always hard to let go of especially if you live in a place with four seasons, it really doesn't last long enough. When September comes, it's that time again for parents with school aged kids to get back into routine again. As a mom to an eight year old boy going into grade four, I want to make life even easier for my son and myself when adjusting back to school. I'm sure there were many kids who felt some anxiety returning, it's just like adults going back to work after a much needed vacation...it's totally normal and I have to admit I felt it a bit too.

I wanted to share some tips at home that can make life easier when getting ready for school everyday and extra curricular activities for the kids.

When kids get home and unwind it's best to empty their backpacks right away and place items in their temporary homes until they get packed again in their bags. You will know if your child has any homework, or forms to fill, if their lunch and snacks have been eaten and of course if anything is missing! You can create a temporary home either in the entry way, mudroom, or the bedroom all depending on the space you have. You can even place a magazine vertical box or rack for your child's papers that need immediate attention in this area you designate as well. You really don't want to find a wet towel or bathing suit in their backpack from the time they went swimming, all wet and stinky!

When preparing what food to bring to school, get your kids involved in helping out with picking what snacks or lunch they would like to have. Create a snack station and make it easy for your kids to reach items in your pantry or the fridge and get your kids to help you out with packing their daily food. It will be good for kids to get use to preparing things the day before, or in the morning and gain some independence, and overall will make life less hectic everyday. This will allow you to enjoy your mornings having breakfast with your family.

Having lunches placed in a bento box that include a variety of healthy and tasty items to eat will make lunch time more enjoyable for your kids, but are also so much easier to prepare and it's a win-win for both parents and kids. There are so many combinations of meals you can do in bento boxes from pasta, wraps, deli meats, cheeses, vegetables and fruits, hummus and dips with crisps (crackers, chips, pretzels) and more. Just simply drop the food items into the box and they look nicely presentable and fun for kids to eat up. Your child will be sure to come home from school with lunch and snacks all eaten (or most of it) and you can feel good that it's always going to be a good meal. If your too tired to prepare the night before, take a day to wash and cut up veggies and fruit in advance and have them in containers ready to place in the bento box. I know some fruits like apples or avocado will brown in advance so leave those fruits for the day of.

It's important to have reminders for everyone when it comes to things that are happening in and outside of school. Keep your schedule and upcoming plans organized so that everyone is aware and prepared for things to come. There's a great calendar app called FamCal:Shared Family Calendar and family members can all be included to share the calendar with upcoming activities, tasks, shopping lists and events. If you are not digital savvy, you can always have a printed calendar in the kitchen where everyone can see what's going on, you just need to be sure to remember to write on it.

We all know that in order to do work properly you need to work in a peaceful space that is clutter-free no matter what age. Make sure that your child can do homework or study with no distractions and it's best to avoid doing homework in the living room and in front of a TV. Get your child to either work from a desk in their bedroom, or use the dining table and have school supplies ready to use so that it's easy to get the work started. Have your child choose the school items that spark joy so that they want to work with these tools and then have them show gratitude to what no longer brings them joy and let it go. An area that sparks joy to work in will help your child to focus on what he or she needs to do. The same goes for a good spot for reading, you can either choose the same spot or create a reading nook for that time to practice reading.

Have you tried the KonMari Method with your child? I have done this with my son when he was only 6 yrs. old and then he did it again (on his own) a year later when he was 7 yrs. old. Now he has a streamlined wardrobe (and bedroom) with everything that sparks joy and it's easy for him to pick out his own outfits to wear everyday. If your child is still too young to try the method out that's ok, make it easy by having their outfits for the week all prepared on the Sunday before the week starts. You can have the outfits ready in a hanging closet organizer with days of the week labelled on each compartment, then your child doesn't need to even think just get the outfit, put it on and go. Remember if your child likes to pick out what to wear on their own, be sure to let them choose their own outfits to avoid any issues getting ready.

Here's my son and I on the first day of school, he's a big Naruto fan with his leaf village headband. This time he let me pick his outfit for the first day, but he had no issue with what I chose cause everything sparks joy! I usually let him pick out his own outfits everyday.

There you have it, some of my tips to help with life back to school more simple everyday!

​This blog is not a sponsored post.

When it comes to spring cleaning, it's important to deal with the tidying part first (of course) before cleaning, because it will make cleaning much easier. As the tidying guru Marie Kondo says "Tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature." In Canada (and most countries located much north of the equator), spring cleaning is the transition from winter to spring and preparing the home for enjoying outdoors.

Here are some tips that I have that you can use to get your spring cleaning started:

• When removing tarp or covers from your outdoor furniture or central air/air conditioner, be sure to spray them down first to remove the dirt and then fold them into the smallest rectangles and place them in a clear container vertically, so that they all live together in your shed or garage.