Today’s tip comes from many years of late-to-church experience.  If your family has a tendency to slide into the back row 10 minutes after the meeting starts – you may want to read on.

We have nine o’clock church each Sunday morning.  Now, if I were one of those Moms that spent Saturday night ironing white shirts and setting out shoes, that nine a.m. deadline probably wouldn’t be an issue for me.  But I’m not.  I love to squander my Saturday nights doing non-productive things like enjoying a late-night movies with my handsome husband.  The obvious result is a very sleepy Sunday morning where I hit the snooze button as many time as possible before crawling out of bed.  Consequently, I’ve had to come up with a few solutions to help my kids with get dressed for church in a hurry.  This one of my favorites…

I love to use these cheap pants hangers to hold church clothes.  Rather than keep all the elements of a church outfit in different places, I keep all the pieces together on one hanger.  In this case it’s my Son’s hanger – the clips hold his pants and shirt and the hook secures the belt and tie.  When Sunday morning rolls around he just grabs the entire hanger from the closet.  After church, he just snaps the clean stuff back on the hanger and tosses the rest in the dirty clothes (after I nag him a bit, of course).  I don’t have a picture but we use the same trick for the girls’ church outfits as well.

Trust me, if you’ve ever wasted time hunting down a clean pair of tights or searching for a belt under your son’s bed you should definitely give this easy trick a try.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Tackling Laundry Tip 5: What You Give is What You Get

I’m not sure how it happens but my big kids must peel off their clothes like you’d peel a wrapper off a candy bar.  Every time I fold laundry I end up with boatloads of jeans, t-shirts, and socks that are flipped inside out.  In my nicer-mom days I would take the time to flip them all right-side out while I was folding.  Now that I have 7 people to fold laundry for I have to be a little more savvy.  I save myself time by returning their clothes to their baskets exactly as they came.

Clothes fold just as neatly inside out as they do right-side out so why waste flipping them around?  Why not let your big kids (and husbands) do that work for themselves?  Trust me, once they know that clothes don’t magically appear perfectly in their drawers they’ll pay a little more attention to how they take them off.

I follow the same principle when it comes to socks.  I don’t flip them or match them.  I just toss them into their baskets and let them figure it out.  Every six months or so we dump out their sock drawers and pitch anything that’s missing a match.  It’s a simple system that saves me time and effort.  That makes it a keeper in my book.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Here are the links to the rest of the series…

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 1: Set a Schedule and Stick To It

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 2: Get the Right Equipment

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 3: Incentivize to Minimize

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 4: Hang Out Outside the Closet

Here’s the link to Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 3

Laundry Tackling Tip 4: Hang Out Outside the Closet

I used to dread hanging clothes.  It seemed to take forever and I didn’t like being cooped up in the closet.  As I mentioned before I like to watch Hulu on my laptop while I do laundry.  A few months ago it occurred to me that I could do most of the work outside the closet if I simply brought the hangers to the clothes rather than the other way around.

Now while I sort ‘Parent’ clothes I make a stack of shirts that need to be hung.  Then, I go to the closet, grab a bunch of empty hangers and bring them to the bed.  I slide the hangers into the shirts one at a time and stack them into ‘his’ and ‘hers’ piles.  When I’m through making piles I grab the entire stack of hangers and hook it on the closet rod.  Thankfully, Hulu’s commercial breaks are about 15 seconds which is about how much time it takes me to get from the bed to the closet and back.  Isn’t that handy?  Thank you Hulu for being so considerate of my laundry needs – now I never miss a moment of Modern Family or Lost.

Here’s one more cool laundry link for you.  Meredith over at the lovely site Penelope Loves Lists recommends ignoring your laundry all together as an organization strategy.  Check out her interesting approach here.   Just thought I’d pass it on.

Here are the links to the rest of the series…

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 1: Set a Schedule and Stick To It

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 2: Get the Right Equipment

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 3: Incentivize to Minimize

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 5: What You Give is What You Get

When it comes to caring for their clothes my kids are pretty lazy.  I’ve explained time and time again that jeans and pajamas can be worn a few times before being washed but it never seemed to sink in.  Each time I’d fold the laundry I’d find tons of jeans and pjs – most of which didn’t need to be washed.  To make matters worse when my kids cleaned their rooms they would often drop perfectly clean clothes into the hamper just to avoid putting them away.  Grrr!

To curb this problem I created an simple incentive system.  After I fold the kid laundry I make a quick count of jeans and pjs (I sort each kids pile into three piles according to their drawers – shirts, pants, and pjs – everything else gets tossed in their basket).  The kids with the lowest number of jeans and the lowest number of pjs get a 50 cent bonus added to their big board bank.  Any clothes I find that have not been worn that week cause a 50 cent deduction.  Within 2 weeks of trying this new system I found my kid laundry piles had gone down by almost half.  Regardless of what motivations you choose for your family, this simple solution is a great one to have in your laundry arsenal.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

I rarely hang kid clothes because I really like my drawer system.  If you’re a hanger-style Mom you should check out this cool trick from Apartment Therapy showing you how to hang 10 shirts in 10 seconds.

Here are the links to the rest of the series…

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 1: Set a Schedule and Stick To It

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 2: Get the Right Equipment

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 4: Hang Out Outside the Closet

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 5: What You Give is What You Get

You’ll spend countless hours of your life lugging, sorting, and folding laundry.  So why not get supplies that make the job a little easier?  These smart, stacking laundry baskets are among my favorites.  I usually fold laundry on the kitchen table or my bed but I hate constantly bending over to reach the clothes.  These cool baskets from WalMart solve that problem for me.  When the handles are folded in the baskets stack, allowing me to grab clothes from the top without any bending.  When the handles are out, the baskets nestle inside each other and tuck away neatly.  As an added bonus they also have wheels which makes moving my laundry (and my toddler on occasion) tons easier.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Looking for another great laundry link?  Check out this handy stain-fighting site.  Just plug in your specific stain and it will give you a host of home-based treatment options.  My favorite stain fighters?  Liquid Tide poured directly on the stain and generic Oxy Clean added to the load.  How about you? What laundry tools do you love?

Here are the links to the rest of the series…

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 1: Set a Schedule and Stick To It

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 3: Incentivize to Minimize

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 4: Hang Out Outside the Closet

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 5: What You Give is What You Get

Laundry Tackling Tip 1: Set a Schedule and Stick to It

Lots of Moms subscribe to the ‘do a load of laundry every day’ method but not me.  If fact, my project-minded personality finds this idea kind of depressing.  I like to be able to look at the empty baskets on laundry day and relish in the thought that I don’t have touch them for another week.  That being said, I also have seven people’s clothes, sheets, and towels to launder so doing it all on one day is out (my 12 year-old Kenmore dryer just can’t take that kind of stress).

At our house I tackle different laundry on different days and keep track of it on my iPhone calendar and Mom Game Plan chart.  On Monday I wash and fold parent laundry, Tuesday and Saturday I do kid laundry, and every other Wednesday I do linens.  Each of these groups of laundry has it’s own basket around the house so I don’t have to pre-sort anything – I just grab the basket and head to the laundry room. By keeping things separate during the washing phase I’m able to streamline the sorting/folding phase later which saves me tons of time over the course of the week.

Want to read another great solution for simpler sorting?  Check out this great post from OrgJunkie.  I thought it was brilliant!  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Here are the links to the rest of the series…

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 2: Get the Right Equipment

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 3: Incentivize to Minimize

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 4: Hang Out Outside the Closet

Tackling Laundry Mini-Tip 5: What You Give is What You Get

It’s Monday again.  Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web.  All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page last week so, if you haven’t had a chance yet, you should definitely check them out.  If you liked them as much as I did you should take a minute and let the content authors know!  Bloggers love comments – so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page or by following this link.  Here are the links from last week…

I Am Baker

Looking for a kid-friendly dessert for your big Easter dinner? Let you family munch on these gorgeous edible bird nests made from sugar cookie dough.

Life and All That Comes With It

I hate buying lace-up shoes for my kids because I feel like they slow down the getting-out-the-door process. Luckily, this savvy mom figured out a simple way to make any shoe lace-less. Brilliant!

Meadowbrook Farm

There’s nothing like a beautiful Spring day to make you wish you had a green thumb. Thankfully there are sites like this one to help inept beginners like me get started.  *If you’re into renovations you should comb through the archives of this blog.  Her charming DIY house and gorgeous garden are positively lovely.

I’ve used this trick for years now.  I came up with it when I had three kids under three and was desperate for a way to simplify the getting-out-the-door process.  Since the car seat goes everywhere the baby goes this simple solution has allowed me to make quick runs to the store or to pick up the big kids from activities without lugging a diaper bag all the time.

I’ve got a diaper and a small ziploc bag of wipes tucked into my toddler’s car seat lining too.  Granted, his seat stays in the car but my car is never far away so it’s a a great backup for diapering emergencies.  The same trick worked for my daughter when she was potty training too.  You moms that have been through the potty training process know how frustrating it is when your kids have accidents away from home.  The clean pair of underwear, wipes and pull-up that I used to keep in the lining of her booster seat saved me from many messy situations.  No matter where we were or how long we were away from home, I always knew I had a backup available.

It’s a simple idea that has saved me from tons of trouble.  If you’re a mom of little ones you should definitely give this simple trick a try.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Managing the Morning Mayhem

For most families, morning is the most chaotic time of the day.  In a very limited amount of time, we struggle to get everyone clean, dressed, fed, and ready for the day.  Add in permission slips to sign, checks to write, and lunches to make – you’re lucky to get out the door at all, much less on time.  Save yourself tons of stress this year by trying our a few of these helpful hints.

Clothes Control

Help your kids help themselves each morning by making them an under-bed clothes organizer.  Look for a large shallow container equipped with wheels at your local super-store.  Trim a large sheet of foam core poster board to create the dividers.  Secure the dividers with clear packing tape and label each section with a day of the week.  On laundry day, have your kids select their outfits from the week (complete with socks and underwear), store them in their organizer and slide the box under the bed.

Send Them Packing

Most mornings we’re in such a rush that we tend to take over our kids’ responsibilities.  We search for library books, track down tennis shoes, and pack lunches.  However, all these chores can be done by our kids if they’re given a reasonable amount of time.  The solution?  Start your a.m. in the p.m.  Designate a certain time each night as “family prep time.”  Help your family remember by setting the alarm on an inexpensive wristwatch and tucking it in a central location in the house (like on top of the TV or in a kitchen drawer).  When the alarm sounds, everyone is required to drop what he or she is doing and prepare for the next day by packing lunches, preparing backpacks, and setting out jackets and shoes.

Snack Central

A simple rolling cart with drawers can be key to keeping your sack lunch supplies and after-school snacks under control.  In the top drawer, stash your sandwich-making supplies such as bread, peanut butter, plastic utensils, and a box of zip-top bags.  Small zip-top bags filled with lunch snacks store neatly in the second drawer.  Reserve the bottom drawer for juice boxes and water bottles.  When it’s time to pack a lunch, simply wheel the cart out of your pantry or laundry room.  A cart with a solid top creates a conveniently low work surface that’s perfect for school age kids.

Picture-Perfect To Do Lists

“Did you remember to brush your teeth?”  This is just one of the many reminders parents shout out to their children each morning.  Motivate even young kids to establish their own morning routine by making an easy to-do list.  First, sit down with your child and determine his or her daily morning duties – i.e. making the bed, brushing teeth, fixing hair, etc.  Next, grab your camera and snap a photo of your child performing each task.  Print the photos and arrange them, in order, on the bedroom door or bathroom mirror.  Remind all your children to double-check their lists before they head down for breakfast.

*This post is an excerpt from an article published by Organize Magazine, Sept/Oct 2007, Volume 02, pg 42-49, authored by Maria Eckersley, photos by Lanola Kathleen Stone.

Snow pants didn’t make it onto my vacation packing list, so my kids resorted to jeans and coats when they ventured out into the snow.  They didn’t seem to mind having soggy, ice-cold legs but I hated watching them peel off their sopping jeans each day – not to mention all the extra laundry I was left with.  I wasn’t up for buying new gear, so I had to find a suitable alternative.  Luckily, I didn’t have to look far.  I found the solution in my mother-in-law’s kitchen drawer.

Granted, Glad Press ‘n Seal isn’t quite as durable as a pair of snow pants but when you’re in a pinch it does a great job.  I wrapped my kid’s lower legs with a long strip of press ‘n seal, making sure to cover everything from the tops of their shoes up to their knees.  Because it was press ‘n seal (not just regular plastic wrap), it adhered to itself really well and would stay in place.  In a matter of minutes, all three sets of legs were wrapped and they were ready for the snow.

Several hours and many snow angels later, their wrap was still in place.  Much to my surprise, It hadn’t shifted or sagged – even when wet.  It didn’t keep them perfectly dry, but it was a huge improvement from the previous day.

If you’ve got snow-loving kids and you want to save yourself the time and hassle of tracking down all their snow gear this winter, you might want to give this simple solution a shot.  It’s cheap, easy and as close as your kitchen drawer.   Just thought I’d pass it on.