Extreme Organization School Year: Back to School Readiness Week 3

Updated 6/24/2020: Back to school readiness launched in the summer of 2019. Since the 2019-2020 school year, many things have changed but the prep is still the same with some minor adjustments! These extreme organization suggestions are recommendations that really help if you will still have to do remote learning.

Guys we are nearing the halfway make of the Back to Scholl Readiness series.  Believe it or not, most of the work is already done. 

If you are new to the series here is the break down of what we covered so far.

• The introduction includes the free printable checklist
• Week# 1: Plan it out includes free printable monthly, weekly, and daily planners and important date reminders
• Week #2: Get Organized the basics included free printable shopping lists templates

Now we begin week #3 the week of extreme organization.  This is the icing on the cake that will keep you organized the whole school year. 

The things I am about to mention are just recommendations. These are things that help me stay on track if I maintain them.  These recommendations either save me time, money, stress or all the above.

Extreme Organization Recommendation #1: Build A Command Center

A place where you can keep your entire family informed of what is going on without repeating yourself 100 times. It can also be a place where important notes, bills, assignments, and documents can go before they get lost.

I have 2 command centers in my house.  One for business one for family.

All you need to do is find a wall you and your family will see every day without fail.  It can be the wall when you first walk into your house, or in the main hallway.

Then you need a calendar. I prefer dry erase because is easy to make changes to and esthetically pleasing.

You may also want to add a mail holder, pen holder, some cork boards for business cards and take-out menus, key holder, clipboard or note board for quick notes and reminders. 

Components to an Efficient Command Center

1. Dry Erase Calendar
2. Folder Holder
3. Mail Holder
4. Key Holder
5. Pencil Holder and More
6. Cork Boards
7. Chalk Message Board
8. Clip Board for Check Lists
9. Dry Erase Markers
10. Dry Erase Cleaner Set
11. Chalk Pencils

The trick to a command center makes it work for you.  Design it so that you are not lost looking for things or wondering where you need to be at a certain time or date.  This command center is your life board.  It truly is a life changer and saver.

It takes me a matter of minutes every month the make changes to the calendar and truly keeps my family on the same page. Remember the Calendar and working out your school year schedule with it? That is a great baseline and then schedule everything around that calendar.

Extreme Organization Recommendation #2: Create a System For A Full Week of School Day Clothes

A simple outfit ready system save a lot of stress in the morning chaos.

This can be a pre-built system you just hang up in the closet, or bins you lay on their side on the upper shelf in the closet, or something as simple as dividers in a dresser drawer.

Options for Weekly Clothes Organizers

1. Hanger Ring Dividers: Great for kids that are going to have every outfit hung up and ready to go comes in multiple colors and designs
2. Labels Hanging Clothes Bags: Great option for kids that are going to have every outfit hung up and ready to go. Comes in girl pink no longer can I find the link for the boy blue.
3. Hanger Labels: The most simple and great option for kids that are going to have every outfit hung up and ready to go.
4. Simple Fabric Bins: These can be filled with everything your little one will need to get ready from shoes and socks to their clothes and hair accessories.
5. Hanging 7-day organizers: These are great for little ones with limited closet space but you still want to get organized. In each space depending on the size of your child, you can place shoes, clothes and even hair accessories in the spaces.

Whatever you choose laying out a weeks’ worth of clothing on Sunday as you are folding the laundry will save you the headache of “I have nothing to wear,” or “I don’t know what to wear.”

If your kids are old enough or just want to help allow them to be involved it is never too early to gain independence in the self-care department.

Extreme Organization Recommendation #3: A Good Old Fashion Alarm Clock

This is a trick I learned in my early 20’s.  I was working 2 jobs, one day shift one night shift, and most days I did not want to get out of bed.

Types of Alarm Clocks

1. Simple double bell alarm clock for a classic look
2. Digital LED Clock with 6 Color Switch and FM Radio for Bedrooms – Multiple Nature Sounds Sunset Simulation & Touch Control – with Snooze Function for Heavy Sleepers
3. Sunrise Alarm Clock, Wake Up Light with 6 Nature Sounds, FM Radio, Color Light, Bedside Sunrise Simulator
4. Ready to Rise, Children’s Trainer, Alarm Clock, Night Light, and Sleep Sounds Machine
5. Projection Alarm Clocks for Bedrooms with Weather Station, Wireless Indoor Outdoor Thermometer, Temperature Humidity Monitor Gauge Hygrometer

Yes, cell phones are great they are multifunctional, but a great age-appropriate alarm clock placed across the room is a great way to get your kids out of bed and get going for the day.

Plus no worries of the phone dying because the kiddo fell asleep playing games on it or texting their friends before plugging it in.

Extreme Organization Recommendation #4: Chore List

No one likes that day of the week that you spend all day cleaning.  No one! Having a well-thought-out well-organized chore list can have you spending as little as 20-30 minutes a day cleaning (depending on the size of your house). This makes your house guest-ready every day, reducing the stress of when someone comes to visit.

Extreme Organization Recommendation #5: Meal Plan

Make it simple. The main reason we end up in the drive-through line is that we just don’t have the time or energy to spend in the kitchen. Spending 5 minutes planning and 30 minutes prepping will eliminate that for a full week.

This is one I sense you are cringing at. Who has time to cook? Right?

Well in the upcoming weeks I will be sharing some amazing one pot, skillet, sheet pan dishes, and we can’t forget instant pot and crockpot meals. But! For now, let’s focus on planning.

Did you know to spend 5 minutes planning your week’s meals and only 30 minutes of prep work a week will help eliminate the overwhelming feeling to go to the drive-through?

True! Really!

Bonus! Planning your meals will also save you money!

Now when it comes to planning, you don’t have to be specific. You can even switch the meals in the middle of the week if want.

When I struggle with the “Well, I don’t know what I will want” feeling. I make some marinades in Mason jars, place the lid on and put them in the fridge. Prep the veggies.  Take out whatever meats I bought for the week and place them in a container, in case of leaks, and in the fridge, they will hang out. Then when I wake up and I think to myself “Spicy food sounds good tonight,” I then pour my pre-made spicy marinade on either chicken, pork, or beef (whatever I pulled out for the week), seal the bag of meat, place it back in the fridge, and it is ready to cook when I get home.

The thing is meal planning is only as difficult as you make it.  So, make it simple!

Extreme Organized is What Remote Learning Needs

If you lived through the last half of the 2019-2020 school year you know what it takes to do remote learning with your kids.

I do have a strong belief that the more organized you are during hard time the more you will accomplish with less stress, frustration, or feeling overwhelmed.

So, if you want to have an amazing year, implement some of these small changes. I promise they make all the difference!

All Posts for Back to School Readiness

• Back to School Readiness: Introduction
  • Get your checklist
• Back to School Readiness Week #1: Plan it out
  • We talk about getting that calendar ready and organized for the year so you don’t overbook yourself or spread yourself too thin.
    • Calendar print out included
• Back to School Readiness Week #2: Basic Organizing
  • We talk about cleaning out the house of things you no longer need and ways to save money on school supplies and clothing
    • Detailed shopping list print out included
• Back to School Readiness Week #3: Extreme Organization
  • This week is optional. We talk about ways extra ways to get your life and house organized from building a command station in the house to meal planning even talking about getting your kids up and a week’s worth of clothing organized.
    • Meal Plan, Chore List, Design a Command Center print out included
• Back to School Readiness Week #4: Morning Vs Night
  • We talk about routines and things you can do to get your kids involved and organized.
    • A How to Create your own kid’s routine sheet step by step tutorial is included.
• Back to School Readiness Week #5: Home Ready
  • We talk about getting your home organized and ready. Whether it be for remote learning or homework there should always be a spot for school work and school supplies. Plus simple ways to make home-packed lunches easy.
    • Get some creative and delicious lunch recipes in this post
• Back to School Readiness Week #6: The Busy Cooks Guide
  • Who has time to cook!?! These one-pot one pan wonders are a mom’s dream come true.
    • Get all the simple delicious weeknight meal recipes in this post
• Back to School Readiness Week #7: School Ready
  • We talk final steps into the planning. Things you may have overlooked and missed.
    • Checklist printout included in this post
• Back to School Readiness: Conclusion
  • Here I share some tips and tricks to make the beginning and end of the school year special even if you can’t be there.
• SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL READINESS ARTICLE: The importance of staying on track with remote learning
  • This post is coming soon. I wanted to reach out to your parents on why even though remote learning is no walk in the park and our kids may be equally frustrated it is something WE HAVE TO DO.