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Posts Tagged ‘organized’

It’s Back-to-School Time!

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Tips & Tricks

The Star-Telegram touts organization as the very best way to take stress off the school calendar. According to Faith P. Tennyson, their decluttering expert, organization should be a family event. Here are some of the best tips and tricks:

1. Label everything. Clothing, school supplies, etc. This way it won’t get mixed up with siblings’ or fellow students’ belongings. Try Mabel’s Labels.

2. Color code. Assign a color to each family member (or let them pick their favorite!) and buy their backpacks, lunch bags and other accessories in the assigned color.

3. Keep a family calendar. Tennyson suggests hanging a large wall calendar where everyone can see it, and getting into the habit of looking at it each evening to plan the next day. Try this Family Life Monthly Weekly calendar.

4. Keep the closet simple. Store your kids out-of-season clothes in bins so whatever they choose from their closet will be appropriate.

5. Play with the paper. When they come home with art work, have your child help choose their favorites to keep and store away. Other works of art can be recycled into cards for Grandma and Grandpa!

You can read more about back-to-school organization here.

Check back later this week for more on back-to-school! Share you own tips or tricks by leaving a comment below.

Tags: back to school, back to school tips, calendar, calendars, family calendar, family life monthly weekly, family organization, mom calendar, organization, organized, organizing, planning, planning calendar
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Make Plans For a Great Family Summer!

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

A lot of moms have mixed feelings about summer break for the kids. One one hand, there is relief from the daily grind of rushing to make lunches, rushing even more to feed the kids breakfast, and maximum rushing to drop them off at school on time! But with the relief, comes the stress of trying to fill 2 1/2 months of lazy summer days. Somehow, there’s more scheduling and juggling to do when the kids are not in school.

Reduce your stress by scheduling your summer in advance–and get the whole family involved!

- Gather brochures, schedules and information on anything that peaks your interest for summer activities. Look at community resources, day camps, sporting events, vacation brochures, library activity schedules, and children’s summer class schedules offered through the city.

- Consider your budget, already scheduled appointments, work schedules, and each child’s needs. Set apart mandatory activities and also give your children some choices. Let them choose an enrichment activity and a fun activity.

- Plan activities to do together as a family. (Check out our list below)

- Lay out your calendar and fill in the activities for the weeks ahead as a family. Our Monthly/Weekly organizing calendar can help you plan for the month and detail plan for each week. Let your kids fill in special events to give them special days to look forward to!

Need some fun ideas? Try one of these family activities:

Have a picnic in your backyard or at the park.
Go Fishing
Have a backyard camp out.
Plan a local vacation. Be a tourist in your own town!
Teach a cooking class to the the rest of the family.
Invite another family over for a movie night. (This would be a great “family movie night” classic to watch!)

Have you started making plans for the summer?

Tags: 2011, calendar, calendars, family calendar, Mom, mom calendar, mother, orange circle studio, organized, organizing, planning, planning calendar, summer, summer vacation, travel tips, vacation, wall calendar
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Meet the Artists: Caleb Gray

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Caleb Gray is the artist behind our “Do It All Mom” designs — Caleb’s work brought a creative look and a fresh perspective to our line of organizational mom products. We’re excited to be working with him, and even more excited to introduce him to all of you!

Mr. Caleb Gray has always had a wonderful imagination, and he discovered at a young age that his love for colorful characters and inventive stories could lead him down a great career path. Caleb went on to get a degree in Fine Arts, and later a job with the Disney animation studio in New York City. It wasn’t long before he realized that his art lends itself wonderfully to more than just books–you can now find Caleb’s artwork on gift products, greeting cards, scrap booking supplies, and of course our collection of Do It All Mom products.

Caleb’s designs really do a wonderful job combining the fun, retro vibe with the appeal of modern style. It’s about time products for busy Moms are as attractive as they are functional!

Most importantly, for Caleb, it’s all about creating delightful designs and products that will make people happy: “If my work can bring a sense of joy and engage the viewer with a smile, then it’s a success!”

Art Buyer Magazine featured Caleb in their Spring/Summer issue. Read the feature here.

Tags: family calendar, Mom, mom calendar, mother, organization, organized, planner, planners, planning, planning calendar, Studio Wall Calendar, wall calendar, Wall Calendars
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7 Gifts Your Mom Will Love

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! This year, get Mom a gift that will help her organize with style! Here are a few options that are sure to make this Mother’s Day a special one:

1. Garden Organization

We all know that it’s hard to go wrong with a dozen beautiful fresh flowers. But this year, help mom organize her gardening efforts and consider this cute outdoor herb garden from Terrain. It grows herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme, and basil; this will be a Mother’s Day gift that keeps on giving!

2. Photo Storage

We all know Moms like to show off baby pictures, snapshots from prom, etc. when they meet your friends and new boyfriends/girlfriends. Help Mom keep all those special memories sorted and easy to find with these cute photo storage boxes from Semikolon. They come in a variety of bright colors, include three repositionable dividers, and have a label holder on the front – make photo organization easy!

2. Organization for the Kitchen

For Mom’s that spend a lot of time grocery shopping, ordering from Take Out menus, and other meal-related activities, Knock Knock’s Plan-a-Meal Bundle would be a great gift. The bundle comes with two tear off pads and a three-ring binder for organizing menus and recipes.

3. Wall Organization

Mom’s can stay organized and spice up their wall decor with these great Tree Shelves from Ponti. These shelves can hold everything from books and magazines to purses and hats, and will help fight clutter in the living room and family room areas. They come in a variety of colors, so you can choose the perfect tree shelf that will complement Mom’s home decor.

4. Organization On the Go

This Bella Leather expandable tote is the perfect organization tool for Moms that do it all! It’s attractive and easy to carry anywhere, and the filing system in the interior is ideal for working moms who have a lot of things to keep in order. The leather handle is detachable, which makes the transition from on the go to in the office an easy one!

5. Calendar Organization

One of our products that we are extremely excited about is the Mom’s 24/7 Monthly/Weekly Calendar. The top portion is a regular monthly grid, and the bottom portion is a tear off, undated weekly pad. With this calendar, Moms will be able to easily track upcoming trips or vacations, and there’s a cute new design each month!

6. Stationery Organization

Treat Mom with this beautiful Vintage Paris letter set and Vinea Letter Holder from Paper Source. What a beautiful way for her keep her thank you notes, blank cards and other stationery staples organized!

7. Cosmetic Organization

This convenient Make Up Organizer will help Mom keep her vanity area organized and de-cluttered. She’ll love the different sections to hold all of her everyday cosmetics.

What are you planning to get your Mom this Mother’s Day?

Tags: calendar, Mom, mother, organization, organized, organizing
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How to Brighten Your Space on a Budget

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Whether it’s a cubicle, office, or room in your home, there’s no better time than spring to start brightening your space. You should feel inspired and rejuvenated by the places you inhabit –vibrant colors and pretty blooms chase away the doldrums even on rainy days.

It’s easier (and cheaper!) than you think…

1. Get it Together

You can’t expect to live well in any space without a little organization. Yeah, we know, organizing sounds like a bummer. But you can make it fun by using bright and lively organization tools, like these humorous Knock Knock file folders. Once everything has a spot, give your space a good scrubbing.. It’s important to feel like you’re starting from a fresh canvas. Then move to step 2.

2. Art from Anywhere

Adding artwork to your walls makes a big impact and if you’re creative, barely dents your bank account. Rummage through your favorite local second-hand store for vintage posters—you never know what you might find! You can also cut out images from your favorite calendar and pick up inexpensive frames from an arts and crafts store and voila! You’ve got fancy pictures on your walls, on a starving artist’s budget.

Looking for something a little more personal? Try having your favorite travel photos made into 8×10 or 11×14 prints (an 8×10 from Snapfish.com is just $2.99!). Then you have art, a memory, and a story waiting to be told…all on your wall!

3. Get Natural

Of course plants are easy on the eyes, but bringing nature into your space has many other benefits. Plants are shown to reduce stress, enhance attitudes, and improve air quality. Their continuous conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen will have you, and everyone around you, breathing easier.

Comment below with your own budget decorating tips!

(Photos Courtesy of Weheartit.com)

Tags: cubicle, office, organization, organized
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