One of my blog followers wanted to know how I store my kids’ lunch boxes.  After years of consistent drilling and nagging, my kids have become pretty good at putting their school gear away.  They come home, unpack their lunch boxes, and put them away in a small hallway closet near the kitchen.  Only one thing started bothering me about the routine…although they put them away, they didn’t end up in a neat condition.   No likey!

I decided to install Command hooks on the inside of the closet door for the lunch boxes.  I assigned one hook to each kid and attached a little label to identify the owner.

Now, the kids will be hanging their lunch boxes, not tossing them into the closet.

THIS I like!  Oh, the little things that make me happy.

Hooks are a great way to add storage capacity in places where there are otherwise limited options.  Who else shares my fondness of hooks?

I dread making lunches! Although I do not wish for my kids to grow up too fast, too soon, but it is with great anticipation that I look forward to the day when they will be independent enough to prepare their own lunches. Until then, I try to make the task of making five lunches every weekday a little less overwhelming by staying organized.

THE RIGHT TOOLS: If you have more than one school lunch to pack, consider colour coding the containers and lunch boxes to avoid confusion when packing lunches.  My littlest one starting Pre-K this year is getting pink, her favorite.

ONLY H2O: My kids drink water at school.  I do not buy juice boxes.  Each child has a water bottle and no one complains about the water only rule.

PRE-ARRANGED SNACKS: I have a variety of snacks prepared in my pantry and some in the fridge ready to go for the next day.  The struggle is always to have enough healthy snack varieties.  According to nutritionists, kids’ snacks, with the exception of cheese, should be no more than 200 calories per serving and contain no more than 8 grams of fat.

Some of the favorites in our house:

- fresh fruit or cut-up veggies

- dried mango

- yogurt

- cheese sticks

- lox (just plain)

- boiled egg whites

- roasted seaweed (from Trader Joe’s – my kids LOVE it)

- popcorn (Trader Joe’s makes wonderful pre-packaged popcorn snacks)

I hope to be baking a bit more of my own healthy muffins.  These days, I am sneaking flax meal into as many recipes as possible.  Here is a carrot zucchini muffin recipe that I think is terrific.  Throw in 3 table spoons of flax meal to add extra dietary fiber.  These muffins meet the nutritional requirements for healthy snacks too!

LUNCH STAPLES: At my kids’ school, only meat-free kosher meals are permitted.  Yes, it is an additional layer of complication to making lunches healthy!  Not mention, making them exciting to picky eaters.  There are two products we can’t live without and always have in our freezer: Morning Star Original Chicken Patties (they are actually imitation chicken protein) and Amy’s Pizza products.

In addition to the above, I try to make a batch of home-made macaroni and cheese every week.  It is helpful on those days when you are running late.  Every other week or so, I splurge on some sushi for the kids.  It is a good source of protein AND they love it.

LOVE NOTES: My kids love getting notes from me in their lunch boxes.  I have made a commitment to do more of that this school year.  I have prepared a bunch of little cards for easy writing in the morning.  No need for fancy.  Being sweet, funny, encouraging, loving, and supportive is what matters.

What are your tricks for making lunch preparation hassle-free?  I am also eager to learn about healthy lunches your kids eat.  Please share!

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OK, I must spill the beans.  I am NOT one of those moms who saves many or all of the wonderful pictures or projects that her children create during the school year or otherwise.  I edit things constantly; I do not save very much; I throw out and recycle things and each of my children is allowed just one bin to save all worthy papers, artwork, report cards, and other mementos.  One box in total, not per year.  All they got is one box each.

Do I feel guilty?  No.  Why am I telling you?  Because I highly recommend it.

You do not need to be as ruthless as me.  However, before the school year begins and the creative and not so creative papers avalanche into your home, establish systems to manage all kid-related paperwork.  Make your systems clear to your spouse, care takers, and your kiddies.

Some paper managing systems that I use include:

1.  Provide a plastic envelope to each kid for his or her graded work to return to you for review and signatures.  Teach your kids to compartmentalize early on.  It is not easy for them to pick up these routines, but be consistent.  As soon as they get some graded work back from a teacher, tell them to file it in the envelope.

2.  When kids come home, get them in the habit of depositing school notices, the envelope with graded work, and any other papers requiring your attention into an in-tray or some other container.  It will then be your responsibility to manage the contents and maintain order.

3.  In my kids’ school, when they return signed homework or tests back to the teacher, the teacher usually holds on to them until the end of term.  I LIKE that.  Less paper for you to save.  However, that might not be the case with your kids’ school.  Consider dedicating an accordion file or a binder per child to save graded work.  There is no reason for them to lug it around in their backpacks.  Save those graded items until the end of term, then recycle them with the exception of the very special projects.

4.  Display kids’ special work or achievements, but in moderation.  My girls have a bulletin board in their bedroom, where they can pin some lovely photos, certificates, or pictures they drew.  Also, in my office at work, I have a small wall with my kids’ notes to me and their art.  On the rare occasion that they come to visit, they love to see their work.  Do not plaster your home with kids’ work.  Instead, have dedicated areas for them to do so.

5.  Those special items that you and/or your child decide to save should be stored in a bin.  As I mentioned before, I have one for each child.  That’s it.  If and when it gets too full, the kid and I will sit down and sift through what there is and edit.

The organizing lessons here are that neither you nor your kids can or should keep everything. You can only save as much as fits into a FIXED space or container.  Teach your kids to hold onto special memories and experiences, not things.

Time flutters by and before I know it my kids will be heading back to school.  School is on my mind all the time these days and I know it is probably on your’s as well.  In the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing some organizing steps in anticipation of the first day of school. This is Back To School Part I.

First and foremost, you have got to get in command and establish a centre for your home operations.  Do you have a family command centre?  I do.  Let me give you a brief tour.

I have a small nook in my kitchen by the window with a wrap around counter.  I designated this space as my command centre.  I wish I had a spot to set up a small little desk here, but alas I make do with what I have and I am content.

1.  The yellow tray collects incoming school paperwork. Your command centre should have a spot where all school papers can land: field trip notices, graded homework requiring your signature, etc.  Collecting is one thing, sorting and taking action on the items collected is another story.  I deal with the tray contents regularly and at least once per week.

2.  The bulletin board holds important reminders of events, birthday parties, as well as a monthly calendar, and a weekly menu plan.  A part of being in command is always knowing the schedule and engaging in active planning for your family.  I like to plan the meals out for the whole week, purchase the ingredients, and cook some of the meals in advance.

3.  This ceramic pot is also in the command centre. It holds cellphone chargers, which get hidden when not in use.  Love that!

4.  I have a drawer in the nook, which has basic office essentials and a small binder with our emergency contact list, school phone lists, business cards for various home maintenance or repair vendors, blank shopping lists, and restaurant menus.

5.  My home management binder is portable.  It comes with me to work and comes back home to the command centre at the end of the day.  If I want to pay bills during a break at work or while I am waiting for an appointment, I can always do that on the go.  If there is something I want to add to my shopping list, I can accomplish that at any time of the day as well.

What are the essentials in your preparation for a hassle-free start of the new school year?  Are there any areas of back-to-school planning you would like me to cover in the next couple of weeks?

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