5 Things You Can Do Now: For An Easy Transition Back to School (or any new season)
Hot summer days often melt away the strict schedules we enforce during the rest of the year. However, as we near the start of school again, there comes the need for a few of my favorite things: order, organization, everyone in the household operating on a similar schedule. I’ll share a few things I like to do to prep. I’ve found when the house and schedule are tidy- life just functions so much smoother!
Pantry
It makes my little heart pitter patter when everything is neatly tucked in it’s spot, labels are all facing out, and the overall uniformity of the small room salutes me each time I enter.
However, if you’re anything like me, the pantry needs touch-ups every now and then. About once a year, around this time, I like to remove items from one shelf at a time and give the surface a good wipe down. I like doing this by way of one shelf because I can start and stop quickly if my babes need me. Additionally, the project feels so much easier to tackle rather than removal of every single item at once.
During this process, I also try to consolidate like-food items and remove excess storage containers (i.e. a box of crackers with only 1 sleeve left). I also try to re-stock my larger containers with foods we use frequently like oats, rice, flour, etc. This way everything is plumb full by the start of the school year.
I’ve created an area in the pantry that is home for lunch-making-foods. The big kids know right where to go when it’s time for them to pack their lunches for the next day. Charlotte is 6 and Jensen is 4 and they are both well versed in what’s an appropriate (parent approved) lunch and what is not. We trust them to make good choices and I’m usually right there while they compile their food if they have any questions.
Refrigerator
This one is an easy fix with immediate gratification. Remove everything from fridge. Group like objects on counters. Toss expired food (although if you know me well, I let most things linger a touch longer than the printed dates). Wipe down surfaces of interior and exterior of fridge.
Side note: any time I’ve had stainless steel refrigerators, I take 5 seconds to spot clean the exterior as soon as I see marks throughout the day. A freshly cleaned stainless exterior is oddly satisfying. Currently we’re rocking a white exterior fridge so I rarely need to clean the outside.
Double side note: when we remodel I think I will upgrade our appliances but stay with the white. I love the continuation from all the white cabinetry. Plus I won’t drive myself nuts with all the stainless steel cleaning.
Back to organizing- once the interior is dry, begin replacing food. Gather items that are nearly empty and find ways to use quickly. Dedicate a shelf or drawer for like items such as fresh produce, dairy, etc. I prefer to keep my jarred items together especially since I use them frequently in cooking. Having them in one zone allows me to mindlessly grab them while I’m prepping meals.
How to KEEP the fridge neat and tighty? Leave one area as blank as possible to place leftovers that can be easily seen and consumed quickly. Voila!
Kids’ clothes
I’ll be honest- keeping my kids’ clothing looking nice, staying organized, and fitting properly is a sacrifice of my abundant love for them. It has gotten easier as Charlotte & Jentz get older and aren’t dashing through clothing sizes as often as Baby Maximus. Having sweet little Max in the mix is worth every minute I spend switching out his wardrobe. But it does take time & effort on this mama’s part 😉
We live in an area with 4 distinct seasons which is awesome. I have chosen to keep everything from winter coats to summer swimsuits accessible all year so I am not pulling out clothing each time the weather changes. Rather, I prefer re-organizing one main time every year. And that time is now, during summer months before school starts back up again.
We’re blessed to have a closet for all three kids. I leave a space available in each closet to set aside clothing they’ve out grown. Charlotte’s clothes, I typically sell to fund new purchases for their wardrobes. Jensen’s clothes are boxed & labeled awaiting Maximus. And my precious baby’s items are sold or given away. I should also add, although I switch out clothing one main time a year, I shop for them year round. When I happen to walk by kids clothing at a store, I generally take a peak in the hopes of supplementing what they have for the coming seasons and years. If I spot a great find for the right price, I gladly store it for later.
I have some staple pieces I prefer each child own: snow jacket, light jacket, jeans & church clothes. Add in nice attire for school and play and that sums up their wardrobe. This seems like the right time to say Charlotte practically lives in dresses of varying degrees of formality- these are always on my list to watch for when I’m out and about. It is not uncommon for her to change into her 3rd, 4th or 7th dress of the day! Princess knows what she likes and I am holding onto these years like gold before she wants a say in new purchases that are made for her clothing. As of now she drools over everything I buy. And that’s just the way I like it 🙂
As I am prepping for the fall, I go through each child’s attire and first remove anything that is too small. Those items get washed and dealt like I stated above. Then I fill their closets with clothes I’ve been storing for their particular size. This is when I can really tell if we’re lean in an area or two. If that is the case, I first try to purchase from used local shops or families then I move to online sources.
I will add that I do not use my kids’ dressers for their everyday clothing. This is where I put the items they haven’t grown into yet. I do so because it’s difficult to see what is in a drawer and, I can only imagine the unhealthy amount of daily stuffing & cramming that would take place if these units were the prime spot for clothing.
The Laundry Room
What a giant blessing it is to have a space for laundry! Let’s chat about ways to keep it a blessing-
Stick with a routine that works for you. Don’t have one you love? Try something new for a couple weeks and see how it goes. For example, knock it all out one day a week. Or, one load every morning. If it doesn’t suite your fancy, tweak it and try for another short period until you’ve got a system that keeps bedding fresh and bodies dressed!
I’ll be honest, I’ve gone a little rogue in the ways of traditional laundering. Each night, I have the kids bring their dirty clothes into the laundry room. I do the same with Daniel’s, Baby Max’, and my own clothes. Directly in the machine or hamper- I guide where the items should land depending on what’s happening in the laundry schedule. This diamond of a system helps eliminate a wandering mama in search for dirty treasures come laundry day.
I do linens on Saturdays but everything else gets done on an as-needed basis. At this point I prefer it although I can see in the near future I may try designating lights/darks/towels days.
Schedule
I prefer to keep a tight schedule going during the summer. This helps the mini troops know what to expect and they function so well in the same flow every day. Morning routines are the same all the way to the FAB bedtime process. The only variables are what we do on any given day but generally each weekday flows the same.
M-W-F I make steel cut oats for breakfast. T-Th it’s plain, organic yogurt with toppings of their choice. The big kids get to dish themselves which is extra handy if Max is needing more assistance from his mommy at any given moment. Charlotte & Jentz are very independent in the mornings ~ I’ve worked hard to get us here but it has been so worth it! We pray & eat together and they are each responsible for dishing, eating, and cleaning up their breakfast.
Afterward they each pack their lunches. During the school year this is done after dinner so they’re set and ready for morning.
Lunch is usually together outside. Max & I typically eat leftovers so I’m not making something from scratch although I do when necessary.
Dinner prep starts around 4pm but I’m considering starting it earlier in the day. It’s not my favorite meal to make especially when school is in session. I find that Charlotte needs extra attention late in the afternoon after a long day at school. I don’t prefer to be slaving over a stove when I could be spending quality time with my babes. That said, dinner is at 5:30pm. Daniel can’t always make it home to eat with us but he tries.
After dinner we clean up (kids have a few chores), they get ready for bed including shower, lay out outfits for morning, and we read a book together. During summer months we sometimes forgo story time and instead play outside as a fam.
The schedule I’ve created has been a work in progress and I’m constantly finding ways to make it more efficient and fun for everyone involved. My biggest struggle is the late afternoon – bedtime block. Occasionally there are meltdowns and I find myself torn between cooking, cleaning and the little one(s) that need my immediate attention. All in all this is what works for us. When it comes to our kids, I’ve found they function so well when they know exactly what to expect. And so does their mama!