It can be very frustrating to ask your child over and over again to complete their chores without them ever getting done. Sometimes it’s the result of a child not knowing how to organize and prioritize their time. Help your child develop these important skills by implementing a chore chart.

Chores might include taking out the garbage, doing the dishes, cleaning their room, yard work or putting laundry in the laundry room. After your child completes each chore, they can put a check mark on the chore chart. At the end of each week, it’s very inspiring for both parent and child to look at the chore chart and easily see that each designated job was completed. Just like our to do lists, your child will find great satisfaction in being able to check off each chore as it’s completed and take pride knowing they accomplished a set task or list of tasks. Once the child is more adept at completing each task and learns to recognize which ones should be completed first, additional ones can be added to the list.

Once you’ve sat down with your child and discussed and designed a chore chart, it’s time to discuss the rewards for accomplishing each task listed. Perhaps at your home you decide you will give a set sum for each task accomplished. If you should decide to grant your child some sort of monetary allowance, make sure it’s age appropriate and granted on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb is 50 cents per year of age. However, be firm about the allowance being an all or nothing reward. No allowance is given if the items on the list are only partially completed or if they haven’t been completed in a quality fashion. Teach your child early to strive to do it right the first time, and learn to save time in the process.

By helping your child to develop a sense of organization early on, you’ll equip them with an important skill that will help them succeed later in life.

As you begin the process of organizing your household, you may ask yourself what the best way is to motivate your family members to become and stay actively involved in the process. Each family member is unique and so is their method for organizing and prioritizing. But if you approach it from a coaching standpoint, it is possible to motivate your family to get on the organizational bandwagon.

First of all, remember that your family will get involved in the process for their own reasons, not necessarily just to please you. Help each family member pinpoint their own motivations for wanting to get organized. Maybe they are feeling less productive in school or at work, or they never seem to have enough social time because their time

Each of us has a strong suit when it comes to being organized. Find that about each family member and emphasize it. Take the opportunity to share your organizational strengths and tips, and ask them to do the same. Offer praise, not criticism.

Organizing isn’t about getting rid of things at all. It is about identifying what’s important to you and giving those things a reliable, consistent home. Don’t try to force your family member to get rid of their things, but to prioritize which things holds the most importance and to focus their organizational goals around that.

Finally, being organized is about being responsible. If your child or family member has worked hard to get organized and stay organized, recognize this feat and reward it. Perhaps you can come up with a family reward such as a new croquet set for the backyard that everyone can play, or purchasing three or four new board games the family can play together. And remember, the best teacher for your family is you, so lead by example. Maintain your personal organization systems and consistently strive to improve and find new ways to keep on top of the clutter so chaos doesn’t overrun your life. They’ll learn by your example.

Moving can be a stressful and expensive venture. With some planning and organization however, you can save yourself some money and valuable time.

Months prior to your move, sort through your belongings and get rid of those things you’re not using or really don’t need. Excess clothing, small appliances, kitchen utensils, and other household goods can either be donated or sold at a yard sale. But the less you have to deal with on moving day, the smoother things will go. Besides, paying shipping on things you don’t need only wastes your money.

Always get an onsite estimate. The relocation consultant will prepare an estimate in writing and submit it to you. They will be able to tell you how much moving supplies cost, and you can make arrangements to order them at this time. If you order too many, most moving companies will give you a refund on those supplies you don’t use.

Like many other industries, the moving industry has their busy and their slow seasons. The busy season for movers is during the summer. The beginning and the end of the month or end of the year holidays are extra busy for movers, also. The demand for moving equipment, vans, and personnel is heavy during these times, so try to plan your move during their slower periods.

If you decide to do your own packing, get packing supplies and start collecting strong boxes suitable for moving. Complete all packing by moving day. If your company is relocating you, find out what portion of your moving expense will be paid by your company. However, it’s important you understand your moving company’s policy regarding things that you’ve packed yourself. With some moving companies, they will not take responsibility for items they have not personally packed.

Obtain a written appraisal of antiques to verify their value. Do not retouch, wax or oil wood furniture before moving. Some products may soften the wood, making it vulnerable to imprinting from furniture pads.

Careful planning and some organized thought will pay big dividends in the end when your move is complete.

Moving can be a very stressful and nerve-wracking experience. But with some careful planning and by thinking ahead a little, you can make the process go a bit smoother.

Create a simple record keeping system. Whether it’s computer-generated or hand written, be very specific when recording things on this list.

You’ll probably need many more boxes thank you think, and having enough boxes will make your life easier. If you go through a moving company, keep in mind that any boxes you purchase but don’t use can be returned for a credit or refund. Have at least ten boxes set aside to use for last minute items on moving day, such as bedding, clothing, and cleaning supplies. You’ll need strong plastic packing tape to close up the boxes securely. Use unprinted newsprint or packing paper or bubble wrap to wrap and cushion household good. Again, you’ll need lots more supplies than you think, so get extra. Moving companies will be happy to deliver boxes ahead of your moving day.

Designate a color for each room in the new home, such as yellow for kitchen, orange for dining room and so forth. Apply colored stickers on the box near the box number. In your new home, place a matching sticker on the door to each room. This is a simple way for the movers to know where to put everything when they arrive.

Insist on keeping things together when you or the movers are packing boxes. Keep bookends with books, light bulbs with lamps, and extension cords with appliances. Small, loose parts can be attached to the item they belong to with tape or placed in small envelopes — to keep picture hooks with pictures, shelf brackets with a bookcase, a special wrench and bolts with the wall unit.

Anything you can pack ahead will save you time on moving day. If it’s summer, get your winter clothes out of the way. If you must clean your old place after moving out, put together a kit of basic cleaning supplies and rags. Moving companies will not move cleaning chemicals, so plan to transport those with you in your vehicle or give them to a neighbor or friend.

American driver spend on average about 15 hours in their car each and every week. With busy hectic schedules, our cars are quickly becoming our home on wheels, so it should be as no surprise that our cars can easily become infested with clutter. And just as we have a system in place at home, so should we in our car. An organized car keeps distractions at bay and essential items within easy reach.

Visor CD holders and passenger seat organizers are great items to have to keep your life in the front seat calm, cool and collected at all times. Each of these organizing tools keeps important items within easy reach, such as your water bottle, toll money, or map.

If a good portion of your time in the car involves hauling your children back and forth to daycare, on shopping excursions or to weekly activities, it’s likely that your backseat is a toy box on wheels. There are simple and affordable mesh nets that can be placed over the back of the front seats so that books, toys, and allowable snacks can be kept within easy reach. Encourage your children to place their items in these organizers when they are getting out of the car, and you’ll encourage them to learn how to pick up after themselves in your home as well.

Trunk organizers are a great storage tool for keeping those needed items from floating back and forth in the trunk during car rides, and provide a safe haven for your groceries to travel home in. Cargo nets can also be installed in the trunk to accomplish the same secure environment.

Lastly, keep your pooch safe and secure in the back by placing a dog divider in the back of your minivan or SUV. This keeps them safely contained in one area during the commute, thereby decreasing the likelihood of him bounding onto your lap and getting in your way during the drive. It also contains him in an enclosed area if he’s dirty from playing in the mud or water.

The holiday season can be a stressful and chaotic time. Between attending holiday parties, shopping, meal planning, baking, gift wrapping, and entertaining, there never seems to be enough time. But if you organize, schedule and plan properly, you might find you even have a little extra time to relax and recharge.

The should first sit down with your family at a meeting and find out what activities and parties they are involved in during the season. If there are rehearsals for the church pageant, choir practice, or volunteer work activities, make sure you incorporate them all into your family schedule. Be sure to factor in time off that you’ve taken during the holiday season so that if they need an extra set of hands to help out at the church’s bake sale, you’ll know at a glance whether or not you can help out.

That being said, the next step is to ensure you’re not spreading yourself or your family too thin. Don’t commit to more parties than you can attend, or be coaxed into hosting your own holiday event if you simply don’t have the time. Once you’ve established your schedule with your family, do not make any changes, additions, or revisions to it without consulting them first. If you’re stretched too thin, chances are they will be as well since you’ll be unavailable to them.

Successful holiday shopping involves careful and methodical planning. A concise and specific list can save you both time and money. Remember too, the season is about togetherness and the spirit of the season, and not about how much you maxed out your credit cards by. Stick to your list and you’ll stick within your budget guidelines as well.

Keep your holiday decorating simple and minimal. Ornate displays can quickly consume your valuable time. If you do choose to decorate big this season, make sure you’ve planned for it in advance and completed it before things kick into high gear such as parties, caroling and shopping.

Santa’s got his list of who’s naughty and who’s nice. Organize and plan wisely so that you won’t become stressed and end up on the wrong side of Santa’s list this year.

Now that you’re getting the knack for organizing your home and your life, maybe you find yourself in need of a little extra inspiration, some fresh ideas, or maybe would just like to connect with like-minded people like yourself. There are many different websites out there that provide a wealth of information, ideas and tips, as well as provide a place where people can go and share their own ideas, mistakes, and offer support to one another. A few of the most popular home organization websites are listed next.

Visit FLYlady.net for tips on how to conquer the clutter in your life and how to overcome the CHAOS factor, which stands for Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome. This group teaches you how to use an organizational journal and encourages you to shine your kitchen sink often. Followers are often referred to as FLYbabies, and the group is currently over 300,000 members strong. Visit this site at www.flylady.net.

Large comprehensive websites such as www.ivillage.com, www.msn.com, and www.yahoo.com all have a wealth of articles and advice available for you on many different topics to help your home and life run more smoothly. There are other groups out there that you can sign up for online to become a member of to chat with people, or there are various message boards available that you can post ideas, tips and suggestions on for other readers.

If you’re looking for websites that offer ingenious organizational and time-saving products, there are plenty of them to be found on the internet. Lillan Vernon, Harriet Carter, Rubbermaid and Kitchen-Plus.com all offer innovative and unique ideas for your home, office and car.

Various newsgroups and e-mail newsletters abound on the internet. Take some time and find a few of them that you have found to be useful, and subscribe to them so you’re always sure to get the latest time-saving tips and organizational ideas.

Every year, tons of material that could be recycled aren’t, and end up clogging our already overwhelmed dumps, waterways and roadsides. Most people think it’s a difficult undertaking to organize a recycling center at home. However, with some creativity and commitment, it can be easy to do. You’ll feel better about yourself doing your part to care for the environment as a result, too.

Find a convenient place in your home or apartment for the center. It doesn’t take much
room for your recyclables. The garages, a storage closet, corner of the kitchen, or under your kitchen sink all make great locations. Find and clearly label containers in which to store your recycled materials. Plastic buckets, storage containers or even trash cans work great depending on the amount of room you have available.

Get your family actively involved in the recycling process. Make sure they all are aware of what products can be recycled. Teach them the difference between the aluminum can bin and the tin can bin. While doing their weekly chores, teach them to be on the lookout for recyclable material lying around the house, and encourage them to place it in the proper storage bins.

Encourage them to come up with ideas for reducing the amount of recycled material that’s consumed by your household. Take them along with you to the recycling center in your neighborhood so they can witness the process firsthand. Show them how they can reuse recyclable materials in their own organizational efforts at home. Perhaps a large cardboard box can double as a bin for all their shoes, or a coffee can be repurposed as a penny bank.

And when they learn the money that can be both saved and earned from recycling and reusing products, they’ll have developed an environmentally healthy and thrifty habit for life.