2010 May | Take Control Organizing

Memorial Day!

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Nikki in Home Organizing

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I hope you are all enjoying your extended weekend! We have been very busy with my to do list that I posted on Friday! Things are getting done, but as always they take longer than expected. My kids keep wanting to see what I am doing!

Due to the Holiday, TCO will taking a break from the Podcast this week. The next Podcast will be scheduled for Next Monday, June 7th! We are looking for ideas on topics, so if you have any questions or topics you would like to learn about, let me know! You can email directly at nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com, or go to the contact page on the website and send me a note! I would love to hear from you….

My next blog will be posted on Wednesday. Also this week, expect to see a new Vacation Packing Checklist! I am very excited to introduce this list to you and feel it will be very helpful no matter if you are packing for a weekend or a month! There will be a blog post specific to the checklist and how to use it!

As we work on our to do lists and hopefully having some fun in between, let’s not forget why we are celebrating the holiday, to honor all of those who we have loved and lost. We are thinking of you….

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and as always…. Happy Organizing!

Getting Ready For Summer!

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Nikki in Holiday Organizing

For the last couple of weeks we have focused on planning your summer vacation, packing and travel tips and coming soon is the new TCO packing tip and checklist! I love the change of seasons. It gives us a perfect opportunity to evaluate our homes, our lifestyles and adjust to the upcoming schedule changes.

This weekend is Memorial Day, and I plan on getting my home organized for the summer. We have a little under 3 weeks until both children are out of school. I am using this weekend as a jump start to getting our home organized!

Below are the items I hope to achieve over the weekend. My hope is you will be inspired by my list and find ideas where you can start your own list.

The more prepared and organized you are, the more in control you will feel!

The summer should be about making memories and having fun!

My list to do this weekend:

Go through kids closets and figure out what clothing fits and what needs to be donated. Make a list of items they need for the summer and how many. I like to be practical when shopping and buy only what they need.

Go through kids toys. Pack up toys that are not being played with but would like to keep. Donate toys the kids have outgrown. Deep clean and organize both bedrooms.

Go through outside toys, wash, and figure out what’s still good and what is not.

Go through art / craft supplies, get rid of anything old. Take inventory of what we have and make a list of items we need. Ask kids what kind of craft projects they would like to do this summer.

Research the web on different craft / art activities for the kiddos. My son loves word find puzzles and mazes, etc. There are several websites out there, where you can print these off for free. It’s a great thing to do during quiet time!

Confirm babysitting schedule for the summer

Review Camp Schedule for the summer and budget

Make a list of subjects my kids are interested in researching at the library this summer

On a side note, I also plan on going to the nursery and planting flowers in the front yard and doing some yard work. Oh yes, getting ready for the summer does mean there is work to do! However, once this stuff is done, the prize is having a great summer.

Recently, my heart has felt a little heavy that my kids are growing up so fast. I really want to take the summer months to just live in the moment. These summers go by so fast, our children grow up so fast. We can’t get these moments back, so I want to be sure we live them the best we can…

What do you to prepare for the summer? Please share your ideas and your to do list!

Happy Organizing!

Summer Reading at Barnes & Noble!

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Nikki in Back to School, Holiday Organizing, Home Organizing

In the last year and half I have had a great pleasure to watch my son learn how to read. Now finishing up his first grade year, it is amazing to me how well he reads and that he loves doing it! I am so proud every time I see him with a book!

As part of our summer, we make a point to go the library every week to two weeks. We love to check out new books, and most libraries have different activities going on throughout the summer… It’s fun to choose a topic and learn as much as we can about it. It’s a great and fun way to incorporate reading and learning into your summer months.

Recently I came across a program through Barnes & Noble and I thought it was a great way to encourage our young readers and wanted to pass it on..

Kids can read any 8 books and track them in a Passport to Summer Reading form, you can dowload this form on their website!

Kids then get to choose a FREE book from the list given, when they turn in the Passport to a Barnes & Noble.

Not a bad deal….

For more information check out www.barnesandnoble.com!

Ep 6: Vacation Packing and Travel Tips

Posted on May 24, 2010 by admin in Taking Control: The Organizing Podcast

Once you have your perfect vacation all planned out, you have the daunting task of packing ahead of you. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about how you can pack for the whole family without taking too much, and not sweat the forgetful syndrome once you leave the house!

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Setting Up Your Travel Notebook!

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Nikki in Holiday Organizing, Travel

In our podcast earlier this week, we talked about planning for your Summer Vacation! I talked briefly about a Travel Notebook.

In case you missed the podcast here is a brief summary of what a Travel Notebook is and how best to organize it!

What is a Travel Notebook? A travel notebook is where you keep all of your travel information, mostly paperwork for your upcoming trip. The point is to keep everything in one place.

Why is it important? If we are not organized with the paperwork, then often times, things get lost and it is very frustrating trying to find something. It takes up our time and increases our stress level! Two things you do not want to happen when trying to plan a fun filled vacation!

How do you organize a Travel Notebook? First, you need a few supplies. I suggest a small 3 ring binder, a paper hole puncher, dividers with pockets (The pockets are great for brochures). You may want to add a front pouch for pens, pencils and a small calculator. Divide the notebook into main categories for your tabs. I suggest; Budget, Tickets, Transportation, Maps, Hotel, Meals, Activities, Important Phone Numbers.

How to use the Notebook? As you go about planning for your trip and you come up with items you need to save, print offs from the computer etc, you place the items in the notebook where they need to go. Take the notebook with you on your trip and keep using it as a reference. This will save you time, money, and of course unwanted stress!

Enjoy and Happy Organizing!