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Business Organizing, Getting Organized, Office Organizing, Organizing, Productivity, Small Business, Student Organizing, Time Management, Uncategorized admin Business Organizing, Getting Organized, Office Organizing, Organizing, Productivity, Small Business, Student Organizing, Time Management, Uncategorized admin

Tools for Time Management

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When our kiddos were in middle school, the house we lived in only had 2 bathrooms. Grooming had become a VERY important part of the morning routine for our daughter and son, then in middle school. Many a morning dispute arose over who had been in the bathroom too long. I quickly found a simple solution!  

 A few weeks later, my sister was visiting. I was in the kitchen when I heard her laughing and calling to me from the hallway. "

Sis, please tell me what an egg timer is doing in your bathroom!

" I explained that when that timer "dinged," each child knew their time was up: no arguing with one another; no arguing with me; the timer helped by giving an AUDIBLE BOUNDARY. More than ever today, people get lost in the amount of time they spend on projects. Clients and colleagues as well, admit they intended only to check their email, ended up logging onto FaceBook, which then led to someone's (then) interesting blog, and suddenly, they find they wasted almost their entire morning. At National Conference this spring in Ohio, one of my product favs was the Time Timer. Their tag line is "Make Every Moment Count."

The abstract concept of elapsed time is easy to see and understand with their graphic depiction

. This tool allows users to manage time more effectively in meetings, classrooms, therapy sessions, testing venues, at home and any other activities which require limits be set. There are different types of tools to fit any type of user: Some the size of a small alarm clock, large visuals for education, wrist watches, software apps for your computer and iphone -- endless possibilities. 

 Whether you choose a simple egg or kitchen timer or one of the many options that Time Timer has to offer, I challenge you to use a timer for just 1 week.

SEE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY SOAR!

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Back to School, Getting Organized, Organizing, Student Organizing admin Back to School, Getting Organized, Organizing, Student Organizing admin

Best back to school organizing tip?

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Back to school means shopping of all kinds. Kiddos grow fast and that can mean a variety of new purchases will be made some time in late summer to prepare for the school year. Clothes and shoes from the prior year have been outgrown.Typically, new backpacks, lunch bags or boxes, and school supplies must also be purchased. Depending on the number of students, this can make for quite a few shopping bags arriving into the family home. Before attempting to put any new purchases away, ALWAYS remember the ONE-IN / ONE-OUT RULE. For every new item purchased, one old one must go out! Before putting away those 4 new pairs of jeans and 1 pair of khakis for young Parker, Mom and Dad, remember to make certain that a total of 5 pairs of pants go OUT!Options:

  • can be handed down to a smaller sibling

  • can be given to a younger or smaller family or friend

  • can be donated

  • or if they are really stained, soiled or torn, simply thrown away

When young Parker has less clothing clutter to sort through and his room and clothing storage is kept simpler, he will be more likely to engage in the process of getting himself dressed and ready for school.Happy, calm mornings result in better relationships between parent and child. Parker is off to a good start and ready to be an engaging student!Mom and Dad, remember to apply this ONE-IN / ONE-OUT rule to your own purchases as well, throughout the year!

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Back to School, Dorm Room, Getting Organized, Organizing, Student Organizing admin Back to School, Dorm Room, Getting Organized, Organizing, Student Organizing admin

5 Must Haves for Your Kid's Dorm Room

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Whether you and your spouse are crying on one another's shoulder or HIGH-FIVING behind Junior's back, one way or another, you've got to embrace reality. Your baby is going off to college. It seems like just yesterday you just brought him home. My sister has always said she believes "the terrible teen years" are God's way of preparing parents' hearts so they don't literally break when kids DO go off to college.Face it, your kiddo needs to be ready for this new phase of life. Hopefully you've been doing much of the groundwork over the past 18 years, instilling morals and values. The rest is reminders and lists and such. One lesson I learned from my two and the entire process -- don't try to get TOO involved NOW (which was hard for me as a hands-on, generally organized Mom). Now is a time for them to work with their new roommate(s) on some problem-solving, explore their new environments, learn new rules and regs, and test their wings.That said, I'm sure Junior won't mind you helping him to "GEEK-UP HIS DORM ROOM" with some of the latest technology available as seen on CBS Early Show this morning:5 Gadgets to Geek-Up Your Kid's DormIf your student needs a little help, but perhaps is not particularly open to listening to Mom or Dad at this time in his life, consider working with a skilled Professional Organizer during this transition to provide him with all the tools he needs to get a good start!

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