There is nothing worse than waking up to last nights dishes in the sink, grime still on the stove and the weekend paper scattered on the table with last weeks mail. That is no way to start the day! Cut yourself some slack and make this simple change in your routine to get yourself on the right track!

After dinner take the time to do the dishes and shine your sink! FlyLady teaches that simple routines will help you rid your house of clutter and I totally agree! Take that extra time before bed each night to clear off the table and the counters and put everything in its place.

If you want to take things a step further make sure you have things ready for the next day like laying out the lunch boxes in order to make lunches or cereal bowls for breakfast. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up to a clean kitchen all prepared to begin a new day?

When I had my first son I was an avid scrapbooker and loved putting together a page with all of its intricate details. Now that I am a mom of three and a small business owner I am lucky to get a picture printed out never mind the intricate scrapbook. Over the years I have learned a great way to keep track of those special memories.

Every month I upload my photos to a photo storage and sharing site like Shutterfly or Snapfish. Not only are your photos safe, secure and sharable, but while you are in the system you can also create a digital scrapbook with your photos. When you are done uploading your photos for the month simply create a few photo pages and at the end of the year you will have a memory book ready to print!

What is your favorite way to keep memories?

Do you have clothes folded in a corner waiting to be mended but you never get around to it? Perhaps you don’t have time or maybe you just haven’t made it easy enough to get the sewing done. Get those clothes mended now by creating an easy sewing kit!

First you will need a decorative box… something that can sit out and not scream sewing supplies! Then, gather the basic necessities like scissors, needles, common colors of thread and a few patches. Keep a small plastic bag to hold extra buttons and a mint tin is great for storing loose needles.

The one thing that hinders us most when making repairs is not having all the supplies readily available. Keep your “sew easy” box out so the next time you need to mend a hole you can get it done right away. Better yet, make an extra kit for the laundry room so you can make a quick repair as you find it coming out of the laundry!

The back-to-school season is one of the most exciting times of the year, but it can also be quite stressful. VolunteerSpot teamed up with Mabel’s Labels to create a downloadable “Getting Organized Checklist” to help you remember the season’s to-dos!

Just download, print and place on the refrigerator to feel more organized today.

What’s Volunteer Spot? It’s an online community that enables ANYONE to quickly mobilize and coordinate volunteers in their community through FREE online sign-up forms and volunteer scheduling. Feel free to explore their site while you’re there!