I have been making summer plans now for several weeks, shuffling schedules around to fit all of our activities in. It can be an organizing feat of its own. We have an annual trip we take to my Grandfather’s house for a few days. Other than that our summer is a free for all.

The first thing I do is research local camps and vacation bible schools to see which ones would fit our children’s needs. Of course I have to cross off those that require us to be in two places at once. I still haven’t figured out how to do that yet! I look for activities that will be enriching and teach them something new. For instance archery is on the list for my oldest son. I want them to be able to try new things without making a huge commitment.

This year we will visit a few more family members within driving distance. With gas prices so high, we are fortunate enough that we have family close enough where it will only take a tank or two of gas, and we still get to visit a new state.

The rest of the summer will be one big staycation! This year I think we will have a few themes like nature, crafts and visiting some local historical spots. It’s time to bring out things we don’t usually have time to do during the school year and try something new! Here are a few other ideas you may want to check out.

What is your family’s favorite “staycation” activity?

A recent organizing job has had me working on a 13 year old girl’s room. Which has had me thinking about those organizing transitions from toddler-hood to teen and all that happens in between. Girls have more obvious changes, from baby dolls to Barbies, then posters of their latest heartthrob. In some cases it gets all meshed in one room with no clear sense of who this emerging teenager is.

In this case that is where I came in. Mom wanted to give her daughter an organized room but wanted a third party opinion. The daughter was right at that age where she held some things dear to her but it was obvious that some things were making their ways into nooks, corners and crannies to get hidden, so to speak. She wanted to have certain things out but not where everyone could see it.

As I talked to her about some of the memorabilia she slowly took things off the shelves and said she would be fine with storing them for safe keeping. When I came back with an example of what her new room and furniture would look like, all of the child-like stuff quickly disappeared. She was ecstatic about a new “teen” room and it made it easier to let some of the little stuff go.

It was hard for her at first and she did store a lot which brings me to this conclusion. It is so important to have our kids part of the organizing process through each of these stages so they start learning to let go a little. You don’t have to clear out the memories completely but make it a regular thing so it is not so emotional when they get older. After all when she goes off to college, guess where those boxes are staying?

Every parent has their own variation of how they handle chores around the house, we have even talked about chores here at the Mabelhood in the past.  There is no right or wrong way to do it, but I firmly believe the children should help do SOMETHING.

I’ve gone into homes where the mom rattles off her to do list and clutter issues while falling apart at the seams. Then I ask “What are the kids doing to help?” Ahh, Well, MMM… has too often been the answer. Why do mom’s feel like they have to do it all by themselves? Granted it is best to start kids young so chores become part of their daily lives, but if they aren’t doing chores yet, start now!

But here comes the big question, to pay or not to pay? I understand allowances but I have never used them. Our 11 year old just started getting paid for certain tasks but that is more of a money management teaching tool for us. He has normal chores he must do. All of the kids do. WE ARE A TEAM. There are certain things we have to do in the house so that it doesn’t fall apart or trash and dirty dishes don’t pile up to the sky. Can you imagine if I said, nah I don’t feel like washing the clothes…EVER. I certainly don’t get paid to do them if anything Mom and Dad have to pay for the water and detergent to wash the clothes. We pay to do our chores! My kids look at me quizzical when I say that, probably scaring them out of adulthood all together.

In our home, an age appropriate chore is given to each child. We even have them “graduate” to the next thing, then they all rotate up a chore. They actually get excited about it until they realize the next chore is just as dull as the last. But it gets done and they learn what it means to be part of a team. It’s not about standing over them and hounding them to get it done but working next to them and providing a good example.

I love the idea of intricate chore charts, reward systems and pay rates for chores. I just prefer to keep it simple.

So, what about you Mabelhood readers… Do you use chore charts? And how would you answer the Pay or Not to Pay Question?

April is Earth Month so what better time to talk about ways to get organized while staying green! I often look for ways to re-use items around the house or go treasure hunting at thrift stores for a few interesting finds.

This week I thought I would give you a few ideas to start with. I hope you will share some of your ideas as well!

1. Turn an old door into a desk.
2. Use a window as a bulletin board.
3. A picture frame turned jewelry organizer.
4. Ice trays storage for tiny craft supplies.
5. Rain gutters into bookshelves!

Last but not least my favorite re-use in our home is an old card catalog (shown above) we saved from a library that was switching over to a computer system. We refinished it and nurtured it back to health and now it stores a little bit of everything from the kid’s crayons, to batteries and yes, even our stash of Mabel’s Labels! I had a client once who had a card catalog next to her kitchen that stored her utensils and other kitchen items because she only had one drawer in the kitchen. Great thinking! Can you think outside the box and come up with a few more organizing ideas for common household items?

I cannot tell you how excited I am about Mabel’s Labels new Mom and Dad Label Pack! You know why? We need to keep up with stuff too! And how fun it is to have our own style of labels. Loving the bacon for Dad!

My husband has already gotten into my stash of labels, cutting off the first name and leaving our last so he can put them on things at work. Sometimes things just tend to get up and walk away around there. Or how about your water bottle at the gym, he has one on there too.

We go to many gatherings where multiple people bring food and at the end of the party your casserole dish looks like mine, EXCEPT for my label.  So it makes perfect sense to have some just for us Mom’s and Dad’s! Not only would these make great Mother’s and Father’s day gifts but surely a few friends at work would love their very own labels for the stuff they lose!

There are many uses for labels. Games, dishes and platters you bring to gatherings. Poolside goodies, perhaps? Where would you use your Mom or Dad label?