The Neat Sheet
September / October 2010 
 
 
That's Neat! Organizing
617.905.7762
www.ThatsNeatOrganizing.com
In This Issue
Kindergarten Inspired Organizing
Summer Success
Especially for Parents: Homework Clipboard
Refer a Friend and Save!
Join Our Mailing List 
Greetings!      
 
Happy Fall! September means the transition from summer to fall, and for many, it's back to school. See below for some Kindergarten inspired organizing tips, and especially for parents: check out a great idea for storing homework papers.
 
That's Neat! has been busy this summer and we just had to share a few wonderful client success stories.
 
August also marked the first anniversary of our blog and Facebook page. Please "like" us and you won't miss an update! 
 
Best,
Elizabeth
Everything I Needed To Know About Organizing I Learned in Kindergarten
kindergaratenA kindergarten classroom provides a great model for organizing! Try these kindergarten-inspired organizing tips:
  • Create zones. A kindergarten classroom clearly defines the space for different activities. Try it at home: Use zones in your kitchen for key activities like making coffee, baking or food prep. Create a zone for reading in your living room or one for your crafts.
  • Label everything. Kindergarten classrooms use words and pictures to identify where things belong or what activity happens in a space. Try it at home: Clearly label the boxes/bins stored in your attic or basement. Label cables for easy identification.
  • Signal a transition. Kindergartners need to clean up before they go to another activity, and teachers often count or sing a song to signal the transition. Try it at home: Find your own song to put on the iPod for clean up time, or set a timer for five minutes and see how much you can put away before the buzzer. And be sure to put things from one activity away before starting something new!
  • Use a cubby. In school cubbies provide children with a specific place to put their things. Try it at home: To avoid bags and shoes spreading all over floor, have a designated place to put your things when you get home. Some benches have built in cubbies, providing both seating and storage. You can also use stackable crates in a closet to create more space to "stash" what you need before you dash out the door. 
 This article is adapted from one that originally appeared in the Arlington Family Connection Newsletter.
Summer Success
We just had to share some of our great client success stories this summer:  
  • Over the course of 2 months we helped a client organize and purge her papers. She has gone from using a 4-drawer file cabinet, 6 boxes, overstuffed bookshelves, and various piles of papers to....one desktop file for active projects, one file for paid bills, and 4 clear boxes for archives. And best of all, she is maintaining the system and already has plans to purge the archives again next year.  
  • We helped a client dig out her desk and found a missing $10,000 check!  
  • With another client we completed the organization of all areas of her home, including closets, the office, bedroom, bathroom and even the fridge! She writes, "I am thrilled to be at this final point in organizing my entire place. I know I will feel so much more comfortable and happy in my home..."
Especially For Parents: Homework Clipboard
While visiting my friend Kim last Spring, I spied bright colored, personalized clipboards on her kitchen counter, one for each of her boys. This plastic clipboard had a back compartment that opened up, like this one or this personalized one.
 
The boys used the clipboards for their homework: current assignments on the outside, completed ones inside. What is brilliant about this idea is that the clipboards are portable: they can be used at the kitchen counter, in the car, or while waiting for appointments and activities.
 
I'm going to try out this idea for my daughter this year. If you have an idea to share, just email me.
Refer a Friend and Save!
Refer a friend to That's Neat! Organizing and if they become a client, you'll get 15% off an Initial Consult or hands-on organizing session. Contact That's Neat! Organizing today to get started.