4th, 5th & 6th Grade

I've yet to find a time of year that isn't busy! LOL But organization tips I can do! :)

1. We have a bag for everything -- swimming bag, schoolwork bag, lunch bag, library bag -- so whatever we need to take on any given trip we can just grab and go. Like I keep all the "ready to return" library books in the bag so when we're on the way out the door I don't have to find them all.

2. For the kitchen I rely on our chalkboard. We used chalkboard paint on one "panel" of the pantry door and attached a little strip of molding along the bottom to hold the chalk. That's where the grocery list goes, and the list of what we're having for dinner that week.

3. Whatever needs doing first thing in the morning (getting dressed, finding shoes, etc.) I aim to set up before bedtime. So for instance DS has cubbies in his closet that he keeps stocked with whole outfits (instead of putting socks in the sock drawer and shirts in the shirt drawer), so in the morning he can grab one and get dressed without having to find anything. If I have to make a lunch for him (which is rare, but sometimes!) anything I can do the night before I will -- that's just about anything but actually assembling a sandwich, since it might get mushy in the fridge overnight. Since we homeschool, sometimes that "thing that needs doing first thing in the morning" is whatever the first lesson is, so the night before I make sure we have everything together for it. We generally start with science, so that might be experiment materials, or books, or drawing paper, or whatever. That way at least the morning starts off without any panic! :)

Erica

Being in the school routine HELPS keep us organized.

fighting hallway clutter: There's a place for everything, and everything needs to go in its place.

beating back the laundry: I buy enough school uniforms so that I only HAVE to wash once/week...if I get it done more often, all the better. I hang up clothes as soon as they are done and I leave towels/undies in clean baskets until the weekend as I usually have enough folded for a week.

keeping the kitchen organized and stocked: I do a Saturday morning grocery run. I rarely visit any stores during the week.

streamlining your home routines during this busy time: As I've stated before, being in the school routine organizes us, therefore the school routine streamlines itself.

I love your closet cubby idea! I do something similar for Aly for vacations...I put whole sets of clothes in large ziploc bags. Never thought to do it at home, too.

Alysha

We use a shoe-cubby thingy that hangs from the closet rod -- they're very reasonably priced, and just the right size! :)

Erica