Back to School Organization

My friend Anna over at Take the Side Street made a blog post about year ago about lists.It is something she and I agree on (among other things). I make a list everyday, of things I want/need to accomplish. This is the way I stay organized with all the craziness of motherhood, entrepreneurship, sewing, woman-stylish type things and the maintenance of a home (please note I said home and not yard-because my yard is trashy) Anyway...I used to buy pretty notebooks to hold my lists. Depending on my mood and project I would use different color inks. I love lists....are you understanding my dedication here? Now I have an Ipad with the TO DO app as well as the Penultimate app that holds my lists. I can still make them all sorts of pretty colors, divide them by rooms, chores, whatever I want...I am giddy with joy just telling you about them. As I look at the screen on my Ipad I have 10 lists right now. (insert big cheesy grin here) with three more started (titles only). There is just something about crossing off things on my list that fills me with utter bliss...AHHHH.

Now I bet you are asking yourself what this really has to do with back to school. Well besides the endless school supplies for home and school we need to buy, there are school clothes or uniforms, school fees, special supplies and I like to deep clean and reorganize each room, just to give the kids a fresh start. All this may seem a bit overwhelming until you really break it down. I have 4 kids all in school this fall from a junior in high school to kindergarten.

Here is my list for each child:

Let's break this list down. Total Shirts are what each child has already in his or her closet. We have a day where we try on everything...and when I say everything....I mean everything. The girls won't balk at this much the boys are another story but it must be done. That way I know what fits. What doesn't fit gets an "X" on the tag, if it is too stained, ripped, or worn out it also gets an "X". Total up all your "X" shirts and put the number on your line. There is nothing more frustrating than those brand new clothes getting stains from summer fun, so hold onto these until your first day of laundry after school starts. Once school starts I go through the "X" shirts and decide if any can be worn as pajama shirts or donated to younger kids in my neighborhood. If they are too stained they get cut up and reused as rags, craft strips, or just trashed. If they get turned into PJ shirts I write "PJ" on the collar so my kids know to fold em up and wear them to bed instead of rehanging them in closet. It's good to also break down what shirts you have, tshirts, tops, tanks, etc so you know really what is there. A few years go (before I implemented this list) I bought my oldest some tissue tees from Target, not realizing she had no tanks to wear underneath them, and didn't find this out until 3 months into school.  Missing the whole Old Navy tank sale....grrrrr moment for my frugal self!

Once you work your way through the clothes you will have a very clear and defined shopping list. I don't know how many times I bought 4-5 skirts for my youngest daughter not realizing she still had 3-4 skirts that still fit her just fine, OR bought my oldest boy socks when he had 15 pairs. This also helps with sale items. I know that tshirt may be $2.99 but when the child already has 10 tshirts and no dress shirts, that $3 can easily go somewhere else.

We have a few second hand stores here that will buy gently used kids clothes. I love this for their dress pants and jeans. I round up all the out grown pants, some nicer tops, and any coats they have out grown and take them in. With the money I get in store credit I can turn around and buy new coats for my kids at about 1/2 the cost they go for retail. Another budget helper. But if you don't have that option, I promise there is someone in your community that would be grateful for a bag of gently used but still in good condition clothes. If not find a church or community center and see if they are interested. A lot of times they will come pick them up.

Now just work your way through the list.....noting what you need, what you already have, and if you need to repair anything to make it work.

I wish I had a great plan to save on shoes for kids. Second hand isn't too bad for church or dress shoes, but for everyday school shoes, you get what you pay for. I bought my oldest son shoes last Christmas from a big low cost fashion chain cause I wanted to payless (!) and well they lasted until St Patrick's Day, not great in my book. So I get an idea at the start of summer what they want and watch for those summer sales. I still buy pricey shoes but they last. My hope is to find them on sale. My only saving grace is my oldest's feet have stopped growing so we buy for her now as they wear out.

Next their rooms: my kids wash their own bedding so this is really the only time I take a look at their sheets and blankets to see if they are ripped, torn, worn out or thread bare. With back to college specials it's a great time to get sheet sets, comforters, really anything for kids room. Just check and even if you can't afford stuff now it's on your list of what's needed. So when a good coupon or sale comes along you can pick up what you need at a discount. More money saved.

Finally Other Stuff is where I write what we need. It folds up into a nice list and can stay in your purse to take out when you find a good deal.
Good Luck on your back to school organization and if you would like a copy of this document, send me a message and I will happily share. Happy Shopping.....