Roundup: 2012 Planners

If you haven't noticed, 2012 is literally* just around the corner. If you're like me, it's hard to find the perfect planner, so I found a few functional and cute options from Etsy.

2012 Planner Printable from JudesDesigns

Speech Communication Textbook turned 2012 Planner from Second Edition

Satin Ribbon Woven Planner from Pria Vanda

* There is no way I'll ever be able to use that word without thinking of Rob Lowe on Parks & Rec! (Now for some eye candy and humor.)

S

Roundup: Organizers Kids will Love (and Use!)

Keeping things organized in a visually pleasing, easy-to-understand way will help kids stay organized. Here are a few great organizing solutions for kids:

A shared boys closet from iHeart Organizing

In this closet (shared by two boys) Jen at iHeart Organizing put images on bins using her Silhouette so her littlest boy would know where things are.

Playroom lego storage from iHeart Organizing

Once again, Jen had a great idea when she used Ikea's trofast to organize her boys' legos. The boys decided to sort them by color. Jen made the labels with her Silhouette.

A well-styled and well-organized kids closet from HGTV

This closet is beautiful to look at, and I'm sure, to use. The bins at top can hold out of season clothes and hand me downs. The middle bins can hold items you use a bit more often than the clothes above it (diapers, wipes, creams, etc. would work well here). You can achieve this result by buying shelving and brackets from a home improvement store, the four-cube expedit from Ikea with the drawer inserts and bins (here and here). The bright bins on a neutral background make the closet look clean and crisp.  

Raising Organized Kids

On a chilly fall afternoon, Claire and I walked into the house. She had her coat; I had my coat and purse. As she took off her coat, I asked if she could hand it to me.

"Nooo," she said in the drawn out whining way that's mostly cute but a little annoying.

Then she did what I thought was the most amazing thing. She walked to the coat tree and tried to hang up her coat. I was equally amazed and proud.

If I had a child-sized coat tree,

I wouldn't have this problem.

Coat tree found here.

That event got me thinking about how to raise an organized kid. Obviously, modeling good behavior is a start, but it isn't enough to build a strong foundation.

• Making it easier to be organized is a good start. Claire knows she's supposed to hang up her coat, but without a hook low enough, she can't do it.
• Making rules regarding toys will limit that big mess. Limit how many toys your kids have and clean them out routinely. Only allow them to play with one thing at a time and teach them to put it away before moving on to another toy.
• Establish a good daily routine. Good sleep and a full belly will help your little one remember what to do. 
• Have your kids do routine chores that can teach them why it's good to be organized. They might also be less likely to make a mess if they know they'll have to clean it up. 
• Get kids involved with the process of organizing and organize the things they use in their own way. 

Claire's continuing to learn how to clean up and keep things organized. She has a lot to learn, but we'll work on it together.

Do you have any tips for raising organized kids?

On Wednesday I'll post some organizers kids will love to use.