School Tools to relieve the stress and add success!
It’s here! – Time for the kids to go back to school, or for the grown kids to leave for college. No matter what age you are, school can be overwhelming as well as exciting. We want to make organizing fun so we are sharing our tools to relieve the stress and add success.
1 – Even with today’s technology most of us still need paper. A Day Planner that suits the child is still vital for tracking all the information and actions. And check out the brilliance of disc bound notebooks. You can find out more here. You can also find cool accessories for them at Etsy.com. Just search for disc bound.
2 – Set up yourself up for success by getting the perfect backpack for you along with all the necessary tools. Watch the video below to see some of my favorite tools to go inside the backpack. Hint – those packs get heavy, so get one with wheels.
3 – We all have activities where we get lost in the zone. Our favorite tool for helping you stay on track in the TimeTimer. It answers the big question of how much time is left without having to calculate. And the section in red gets your attention so you stay focused.
Invitation to you – Choose one of the TIPS above and share your experience with me at info@clearsimple.com or www.facebook.com/clearsimple.com and we will give you a prize. we want you to get organized and have fun doing it.
You know that organizers can be obsessed with containers and bags. But when it comes to travel, having the right containers makes a huge difference. I want to share some of my favorite items and places to shop for the best selection of travel bags and more.
Note – Make sure to check out The Container Store’s short tips & videos for ideas to help you stay organized for travel.
1 – The Perfect Bag makes all the difference. You will need your roll on case but back packs are becoming very popular now for shorter travel. Check out this blog on Travel & Leisure for the best checked luggage.
I really like the Eagle Creek luggage. It is equipped with the 4 wheels for easy moving and great compartments and extra features. Eagle Creek has been around for a long time. The quality and warranty are excellent.
I’ve also come across a new line of luggage called Biaggi. Biaggi has travel bags that have zippers to enlarge or condense the size and can easily pack up into a small cube for storage. You can find both brands at The Container Store.
And, of course, there are the classic bags which cost more but they are fabulous! Since, I am traveling a lot more these days, I just updated my bags to a gorgeous Tumi set. I also recommend Briggs & Riley for high quality.
2 – Create your body care set with all your body essentials. By having these all ready to go, you will save time and have less stress both before and on your trip. Then, take 3 minutes when you get home to refill the containers so you are ready for the next trip.
3 – Another of my all-time favorites is the Eagle Creek Pack-it Folders. These cubes make it easy to pack your items, keep everything neatly together. Then I love how easy it is to lay them out (in a drawer or on a shelf) wherever I am staying so I have easy access.
4 – Don’t forget about your technology! You spent money on your tech stuff so you want to protect it. You also want easy access. You can find some great options here. A couple of my favorites are:
I hope these items and tips help you have a fun-filled and easy summer of travel! Stay tuned for a blog & video coming up where I will be showing all my travel gear.
Marla Dee – your guide to an organized and simpler life.
Travel can be stressful so enjoy our tips that help you simplify and organize all your trips!
I love to travel but used to get so stressed by all the preparation and unknowns. What if I need something different to wear? What if I can’t find my hotel information? How do I decide what to take on with me and what to pack? Over the last 5 years, I have used all the tips & tools below to radically reduce the stress and struggle. These tips are the SEE IT. MAP IT. & DO IT. steps for travel. Try them out and let me know what you think!
My invitation, sharing of my “bag lady” story and more…
Use Wunderlist – have a standard list for your different types of trips and then easily adjust for current trip. Yes a list makes a difference. You can even print the list so you can check the items off.
Use Last Pass for all your key & private information
Tripit stores all the trip details
Get AAA or similar service for travel troubles
Uber and Airbnb are some of our favorites
Get your TSA Precheck to save time every plan trip
Check out Costco Travel – especially for car rentals
Get an extra set of all electrical cords and chargers. Keep these packed and ready to go.
Have your body care items already on hand – refill after each trip. Use smart containers for your body care items.
Find the perfect tote or carry-on bag that can hold all you need and feel easy to carry.
Carry-on Essentials Kit ready to go in the perfect carry-on.
Medicines (get the small plastic medicine pouches)
Soft light sweater or jacket and socks
Toothbrush, wipes, body care & eye mask
Book to read or game to play
Easy water bottle like the collapsible water bottle
Gum and food snacks, including protein
Ear buds or head phones that you love
Safe holder for passport, id and credit cards (make a copy that stays home with an assigned person who can help). Use Last Pass to hold all the vital information.
The Power of One. Try taking one book, one notebook, one technology device, etc. Then decide one purpose (most important) for your trip. clearsimple.com/travelstuff/
Enjoy some of my favorite blogs for a fabulous summer. Whether you are playing hard, slowing down or just wanting to simplify, please take in the wise words of the guides below…
– Sit in my favorite garden chair and read every day, even if only for a bit. – Take a whole day to go for a hike in the mountains. – Once a week make a big cup of coffee, go to the park, and gaze at the sky. – Invite more people to enjoy simple meals by our pool
When our minimalist journey began over 4 years ago, I had no idea just how powerfully it would support my deep desire of keeping our summers about play and connection. During those 2 years, and 25 layers, of releasing of stuff (we moved through lots of emotion too), I had no idea how this would set us free to really experience life!
“I realized summer is an especially sacred time for me. It’s a time when I crave–and need–to slow way down. To embrace expanses of unscheduled time, to enjoy spontaneity, adventure, more time in nature and less time online. As delicious to me as homemade peach ice cream–I lap up spaciousness and big open creative windows where I get to sit with ideas, meditate on my life purpose and personal hopes and visions, integrate all I’ve learned from the past six months, explore new ways of being and reconnect with soulful friends for long hikes and late night swims in spring-fed waters. Summer is when I re-calibrate and am reminded of who I am and what I love.”
Your Guide Marla Dee. I love teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last.
My entire adult life I have fantasized about having a summer off. I have dreamed of open time to play, to be in nature, to be a kid again. This year my dream is coming true. At the age of 58, I have lots of open space on my calendar. And I know how fast the summer will fly by. So I am taking today to go through the See It and Map It steps for my summer. I invite you to do the same.
What did you long for most from your childhood summers?
For me, it was freedom. Delicious freedom from predictable schooldays. Freedom to lay in the sun, devour ice cream, and float for hours in a turquoise pool.
My summer longings have not changed much. A sun-drenched break from the routine sounds too good to be true, honestly. As a working mom, however, I know poolside paradise will elude me. Instead, the season will welcome busyness.
From where I sit, summer’s two major opponents are sky-high expectations and the pressure to “do it all.” Corporate socials and family get-togethers. Planning a picture-perfect getaway or entertaining kids from dawn ‘til dusk (and then some). Then there’s laundry and groceries and shouts of “who left the screen door open again?!”
The tension is palpable. Often times, our knee-jerk reaction is to purely survive. Sanity, money, rest—these are common sacrifices on the altar called Summer.
But believe it or not, a simpler more satisfying summer is within reach, regardless of our individual situations. The pursuit is straightforward and anyone can start today.
It boils down to pausing before the chaos and tuning into your desires.
Time for the SEE IT. MAP IT. & DO IT. Steps!
SEE IT:
If you could choose a word or theme for this summer, what would it be? My summer theme is Summer Sabbatical.
MAP IT:
Sit down with your loved ones and ask what do you most want to do for –
fun & play
travel & exploration
project time
relaxation & healing
My choice for fun is 2 motorcycle trips with my man Bob, for travel I am taking a road trip to my home town of Bozeman Montana for my 40 year high school reunion, for projects I am creating a family picture wall in our new home, and for relaxation I am sitting on our deck in the evenings to wind down and breathe in the sweet country air.
DO IT:
Now take your map it list and put those things on the calendar. Make them happen by putting them first.
