It’s back-to-school time and let’s be honest, the change in pace can be hectic. Whether you’re sending your kids off to school or heading back to school yourself, it’s the perfect time to get your home organized. Today, we're sharing 5 tips to make going back-to-school easier and more efficient, so you can put your energy towards enjoying the moment.
Organize Your Entryway
When leaving home in a rush, it’s easy for the entryway or mudroom to get cluttered. Prior to school starting, make sure to designated areas for shoes, jackets, and backpacks. If you don’t have designated storage areas, we love adding minimalistic bins for each member of the family to leave their belongings.
Plan Meals in Advance
It can feel daunting to stay on top of meal planning, especially during the hectic school year. To aid in creating a plan that doesn’t feel overwhelming, get your family involved in meal planning! Map out meals you and your family can make together. Not only will this help soften the workload, but it also creates fun memories.
Additionally, we love putting together breakfasts or snacks that are quick and on the go. One of our favorites is overnight oats. Simply assemble all the ingredients the night before and your family can enjoy them the next morning without cleanup or hassle.
Declutter Your Fridge/Pantry
We absolutely love the feeling of coming home from a long day of work or school to a fully stocked fridge. Unfortunately, there is one thing that can dampen our home chef creativity: a fridge or pantry overflowing with unwanted or disorganized food. Clear bins are the perfect accessory to bring order in your fridge or pantry, while still being able to see the items you have. Delegate certain bins to different types of food such as vegetables, fruits, sauces, nut butter, yogurt, boxed frozen items, bagged frozen items, etc. We love the price and functionality of these clear bins for our fridge and freezer.
Checkout out this blog post for 3 more easy tips to organize your fridge or pantry.
Upgrade Your Bathroom
There is nothing worse than the morning scramble of the entire family all getting ready at once. Now is the time to get your bathroom in order! Start by listing your morning routines to outfit a space that complements your lifestyle. Evaluate your needs for the space by asking questions like: who wakes up first, what should be quickly accessible on a daily basis? How many people need to use this space?
Once you have answered these questions, it’s time to get to work. This could mean having hooks for robes in the bathroom, baskets for towels and built in storage that keeps daily items handy but concealed. Some items are within reach, and others should be in closets for storage. This small step can make a big impact on the ease of your daily routine.
Plan Sustainably
When packing lunches or just living life on-the-go, it’s easy to stray towards single use items that create ease. If you already have plastic ziplocks or single use paper towels, that’s ok! Simply use what you have and once it’s gone, you can invest in sustainable items. Here are a few of our favorite swaps:
- Cotton produce bags in addition to switching to reusable bags at the store
- Silicone zip lock bags instead of single use ones
- Invest in a Soda Stream, this helps reduce waste from sparkling water cans
- Ditch your coffee filters and switch to using a fine mesh stainless steel filter
- Instead of using aluminum foil, use silicone mats
- Invest in refillable soaps, like Grove or Blueland
- Use the Dorai Dish Pad instead of paper towels and rags
