ML Interest Tag: belonging

Write It Right: Commonly Misspelled Words to Master

by Erin Feher

So you thought that once you nailed the whole reading and writing thing you were in the clear, huh? Unfortunately, there are a host of confusing words that trip up even the most sentence-savvy adults. That’s why it’s best to learn them early (and often) to avoid forming bad grammar habits that are hard to unstick. Read on for a few of the most commonly confused words and helpful tips on how to remember to use them right (not write or rite), alright?

kid-writing
photo: Carissa Rogers via flickr

To vs. Too vs. Two

TO: preposition, toward
e.g. We are going to Disneyland!
TOO: adverb, also, or excessively
e.g. The kids ate too many doughnuts. OR We are going to the party, too.
TWO: noun and/or adjective; a number
e.g. Only two students did not turn in the assignment.

Their vs. There vs. They’re

THEIR: possessive form of they. (This word is extra tricky because it breaks the “i before e except after c” rule!)
e.g. Their house is at the end of the block.
THERE: indicates location (hint: think of “here and there”)
e.g. I left my bicycle over there.
THEY’RE: contraction for “they are”
e.g. They’re playing tennis today.

Principal vs. Principle

PRINCIPAL: adjective, most important; noun, a person who has authority
e.g. The principal ingredient in chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chips.
e.g. The principal of the school does the announcements each morning.
PRINCIPLE: noun, a general or fundamental truth
e.g. In class they had to learn the principle of gravity.

Complement vs. Compliment

COMPLEMENT: noun, something that completes; verb, to complete
e.g. A tall glass of milk complements a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.
COMPLIMENT: noun, praise; verb, to praise
e.g. The teacher complimented Rowan on his art project.

A lot vs. Alot vs. Allot

A LOT: (two words) many
e.g. I have a lot of boogers, mom.
ALOT (one word): Not a real word, so don’t use it!
e.g. No example! This is not a word!
ALLOT: verb, to divide or distribute or portion out.
e.g. Please allot one cracker per child.

Its vs. It’s

ITS: possessive pronoun; of or belonging to it
e.g. The baby will scream as soon as its mother walks out of the room.
IT’S: contraction for “it is”
e.g. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Feet vs. Feat

FEET: noun, the plural of foot meaning a measurement equalling 12 inches; also, a part of the human body that you stand on
e.g. How many feet have you grown since you were five-years-old? and: Look at those perfect little feet! 
FEAT: noun, an impressive act.
e.g. Getting the kids out the door in the morning is no small feat.

Alley vs. Ally

ALLEY: noun, a narrow back street
e.g. Pull the car around through the alley to load up the stroller.
ALLY: noun, a friend; also as a verb; to ally or join forces
e.g. The PTA is meant to be a parent’s in-school ally.

Bar vs. Barre

BAR: noun, a place where you get cocktails
e.g. It’s mom’s night out at the finest bar in town!
BARRE: noun; a handrail at hip height used to train in ballet, also adjective; describing a method of exercise that incorporates ballet strength and muscle training and is reputed to give you a great butt
e.g. Can we please hit the bar after tonight’s barre class?

Are there other words that often trip you up? Tell us your tricks to remember the right usage in the comments below! 

–Erin Feher & Amber Guetebier

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Science Has an Awesome Reason to Get Lost in a Good Book with Your Kid

by Shahrzad Warkentin

It’s not always easy to find time to just sit down and read a good book with your kids, but science shows that it can have some amazing benefits. According to research, getting lost in a book can boost your mental well-being in a variety of ways.

Whether you read books with your kids in bits and pieces or you just powered through the entire Harry Potter series in record speed, research shows that if you get caught up in a good story you are enjoying many great benefits, including pure enjoyment and relaxation. Beyond simply being an entertaining way to spend time, experts say reading can exercise your mind and make you more empathetic.

Photo: Amber Guetebier

“Stories allow us to feel connected with others and part of something bigger than ourselves,” Melanie Green, PhD, associate professor in the department of communication at University at Buffalo told NBC News BETTER. Green, who has studied the concept of getting lost in a good book, says that although it is typically high-quality writing that engages readers, ultimately the type of book that makes you feel swept away is subjective and different for every reader.

Reading can also help develop social skills. Green explains that reading gives you a sense of belonging and connection to others. It can also help you with real world interactions, explains Keith Oatley, PhD, professor emeritus in the department of applied psychology and human development at University of Toronto. “We get to enter the minds of these other people. And in doing that we understand other people better,” Oatley says.

A good book can also help melt away the stress of your day, which is why reading together at bedtime is such a great way to end the day. “People who are absorbed in a story world aren’t ruminating on their own personal concerns,” says Green.

It can also help get you relaxed for your own bedtime. If it’s been awhile since you’ve cracked open a book that wasn’t illustrated, join our Red Tricycle Book Club to get some good recommendations.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: zilaseger via Pixabay

RELATED STORIES:

12 Must-Read Books You’ll Love as Much as Your Kids Will

The Best Indie Bookstores for Kids in Every State (& D.C.!)

15 New Chapter Books to Add to Your Kid’s Stack

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

What Your Teen Can Teach You About Social Media

By Tyler Jacobson

If there’s one debate that refuses to die in my house, it’s the one on social media—is it a good or a bad thing?

Like most parents, I’m concerned that teens spend too much time on social media. It’s too distracting. Every time my teens are home, they seem to have their faces glued on their screens: swiping, typing, liking and commenting on their favorite social media sites. They seem oblivious to the world around them and I often find myself berating them for not being present in the moment. Additionally, I’m guilty of bemoaning the fact that most of their interactions happen via social media and not face to face with their friends.

Other than its addictive nature, I also fret about my teens’ safety on social media sites. I find myself worrying about them being approached by online predators or becoming victims of cyberbullying. I mean, who really knows who is behind those screens and what their intentions are?

Plus, it’s hard to ignore all those studies telling us how bad social media is for our mental health. Sure, we know that what is on social media is heavily curated but that doesn’t stop us from making unhealthy comparisons with the perfectly filtered lives we’re bombarded with. If we adults constantly fall into that trap, how much more vulnerable are our teens, considering how impressionable they are?

Different Sides of the Same Coin

Being a concerned parent, I brought up the issue with my teens and their response surprised me. They not only opened my eyes to the upside of social media but also gave me insight into just how differently adults and teens view it.

As you can tell from my concerns above, we adults mostly view social media with suspicion, especially where our teens are concerned.

However, teens see social media as an outlet of self-expression and it allows them to experiment and explore various ways of expressing themselves.

My teen son, for example, tells me that if it wasn’t for social media, he’d never have discovered his love for drawing. He shares his art with his friends and this gives him a sense of identity. He feels seen and he gets a sense of belonging by connecting with others who share his love for drawing and animation.

My teen daughter, on the other hand, is a selfie queen. What I see as narcissistic behavior is her own form of self-expression. As Taylor Fang, winner of the MIT youth essay contest on “What Adults are Missing about Technology” says, selfies aren’t just pictures, they are self-portraits that represent teens’ ideas of self. They’re important and meaningful modes of self-representation.

My teens also pointed out that using social media and communicating with people from different countries and backgrounds raises their awareness of the world around them. It helps them understand how the world works and gives them a chance to carve their niche.

So while we adults are busy highlighting the negatives of social media, our teens are using those platforms to discover and nurture their passions, build their identities and search for their creative selves. They have created communities based on common interests and have found countless ways of expressing themselves.

Finding the Middle Ground

Ever since my teens’ revelations on social media, I challenged myself to look at things differently and I encouraged them to use social media platforms more meaningfully. Instead of passively consuming what they come across on different sites, I challenged them to become active participants by initiating deep conversations online.

Nowadays they create their own content as well as share and invite discussions on social media. This makes their social media time more useful, engaging and productive.

As parents, maybe we can learn from our teenagers and acknowledge that there is so much more to social media than the negatives. Used productively, social media can be a powerful tool for connection, self-discovery, and self-expression

Tyler Jacobson is a happy husband, father of three, writer and outreach specialist with experience with organizations that help troubled teens and parents. His areas of focus include: parenting, social media, addiction, mental illness, and issues facing teenagers today.

 
Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Why Traditions are Worth Keeping

By Leslie Kuckler

Traditions are important because they impact our lives in such a positive way. The holiday season is a time full of traditions. At Thanksgiving we have special food we eat, we spend time with people and visit the places we know. Christmas is also full of customs with festivities, celebrations, decorations, treats and time with family.  Learn to see the good in keeping traditions and appreciate the happiness they bring to our lives.

What are Traditions?

Traditions are rituals, stories, beliefs, customs and routines that we share and pass on. They can be cultural, familial or religious and are unique to your family or tribe. It is the rituals, both big and small, that tend to create lasting memories. They are often more important than the physical gifts that we give and receive.

Some traditions will evolve and change over time and that is normal. Families blend together, people move and life situations change. Customs adapt to our lives as much as we adapt to the customs around us

Benefits of Traditions

Traditions are important in our lives and provide many benefits. We intentionally create and continue traditions because they provide a sense of belonging and meaning to our lives. Family rituals nurture connection and give us comfort. The special customs and rituals we have give us something to look forward to and something to hope for. They help us anticipate what is to come.

“Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world.”—Susan Lieberman

Traditions also provide a constant for us in an ever-changing and fast-paced life. In that way, they ground us. One of the most important rituals a family can do is eat dinner together (more on the benefits of family dinners here). Traditions remind us of who we are and where we belong. The memories attached to the rituals of our lives are strong and give us a feeling of connectedness to a time, place or person.

Why Traditions are Important

I urge you to make time for special traditions this holiday season. They often take time and maintenance and it is easy to decide the effort isn’t worth it. However, the effort truly is worth it! The benefits and impact of creating and maintaining traditions will more than outweigh the work involved. The joy and connectedness you feel will make you realize it is all worthwhile.

Favorite Holiday Traditions

Going into the last few weeks before Christmas I am going to try and pause my busy-ness to make time for baking our favorite cookies, sitting down and watching our yearly Christmas movies, filling the advent calendars, singing along to Christmas carols and joyfully attending the yearly concert and play.

One of my favorite family traditions is decorating our Christmas tree. Each year we get the tree set up with lights and garland. Then, a few days later, we decorate the tree with all of the special ornaments we’ve collected over the years. Our kids are given a special ornament that represents something special about their year….a place they visited, a sport they played or an interest they have. As we sit together around the tree and take the ornaments out, one by one, we talk and laugh about the story or memory attached to it.

Our tree is covered in mismatched but meaningful decorations and it tells such a story. Someday, when the kids are grown and in homes of their own, I may change the tradition and have a designer looking tree in our living room. But for now, nothing is more beautiful to me than this expression of our family.

A new tradition we’ve started in the last couple of years is to volunteer at a Christmas store for those in need. We donate and wrap gifts, help people shop and provide a beautiful and meaningful Christmas experience for those who need it the most. We now look forward to this day of serving each year and find so much joy in being a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Challenge for this Week:

What are some new traditions you can start? Maybe a tradition of serving others and volunteering together as a family? Is there something from your childhood that you remember with fondness that you want to start doing now? It is never too late to start a new tradition.

Need inspiration for new traditions? Try something from this list of fun holiday traditions and there are over 400 ideas for traditions for every season and time of the year in this book, “The Joy of Family Traditions”, by Jennifer Trainer Thompson”.

This post originally appeared on choosetoseegood.com.

I choose to see the good each day. I am a happily married mom of two teenagers who also works part-time. I write about my thoughts and observations of good thing. My goal is to inspire readers to find joy without changing their circumstances, but by merely changing their view. 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Chip & Joanna Gaines Announce Their New Project: A Hotel!

by Erica Loop

As reigning king and queen of their mini Magnolia empire, Chip and Joanna Gaines are adding one more project to their lengthy list accomplishments—hoteliers!

As if a crazy-popular HGTV show, magazine, slew of books, collab with Target, coffee shop and their own television network weren’t enough, now the Gaines family is opening a hotel.

On their Magnolia blog Joanna wrote of the hotel project, “Home matters. For Chip and me, there is nothing more valuable or essential to our well-being than the way our family feels when we are home.” The home design mogul added, “So when a project like the one we’re announcing today comes along, and it bridges what we’re most passionate about—home, hospitality, and restoration—we can’t help but go all-in.”

So what can you expect from the new Gaines hotel? According to Jo, “Home is a feeling, created by and for the people you love and share your life with; it’s a state of being known and loved just as you are. That is our dream for this hotel—that it would serve as an extension of the way we feel about our own home and all it represents to us, and that every guest who comes to stay would experience that same sense of belonging and community.”

The couple will renovate a historic 53,000 square-foot building in downtown Waco, Texas. The location is only a few blocks from the existing Magnolia Market at the Silos. While the duo haven’t announced a debut date yet, Joanna did reveal that the hotel is scheduled to open in 2021.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Joanna Gaines via Instagram 

 

RELATED STORIES

The Chip & Joanna Gaines’ Empire Is about to Expand, Again

Joanna Gaines Shares Her Secret to Getting Kids to Share Their Rooms

This Easy Joanna Gaines Design Hack Can Refresh a Whole Room in 5 Minutes

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

5 Awesome Ways to Be a G.I.R.L.!

by Jennifer Massoni Pardini
Partner Content

It’s a great time to be a girl! Our daughters have incredible role models in women at the top of their game, from the USWNT World Cup Champions to more women running for president than ever before. Raising tomorrow’s leaders means encouraging confidence, teaching life skills and exposing them to empowering programming as they grow. Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles—the largest girl-serving nonprofit in its area—knows what it takes to inspire girls in grades K-12 to be Go-getting, Innovating, Risk-Taking Leaders (a.k.a. G.I.R.L.s!). Read on for five ways being a Girl Scout will help your girl thrive.

1. She Will… Be Herself

Girls transform over their school years, and it’s critical that their self-esteem is cultivated and given opportunities to shine. In order to develop a strong sense of self, Girl Scouts acquaints girls with their “I will!” (rather than their “Can I?”) with girl-led programming for all grade levels, beginning with K-1 “Daisies,” grades 2-3 “Brownies,” and grades 4-5 “Juniors.” By trying and succeeding at something she might not have thought she could (like coding an app), confidence becomes a natural (and familiar) by-product.

2. She Will… Practice Positive Values

Girl Scouts is all about instilling the positive values needed to be a good person, a considerate friend and responsible citizen. This social-emotional learning (SEL) is a fantastic supplement to what girls learn in school, and Girl Scouts provides ample and age-appropriate settings where she can practice those values—as she camps out with her friends, tells her story in a creative way or thinks like a scientist on a nature walk.

3. She Will… Learn From Challenges

As Girl Scouts try new and different programming, they experience challenges as well as what it takes to overcome them. With Girl Scout Cookie goals, for instance, even the littlest CEOs learn how to make a sales pitch, describe flavors and answer questions about cost—and that perseverance pays off with added confidence and understanding. Not to mention the satisfying feeling of earning that next badge!

4. She Will… Make Lifelong Friends

As adults, it’s second nature to network and build connections that enrich our social and professional lives. Girl Scouts helps build that foundation for our daughters—giving them a sense of belonging across age ranges, cultures, and interests. As they program a robot or zip-line through the treetops, they are also forming invaluable friendships. Whether she becomes an architect, athlete, or artist, she is also a Girl Scout, a sister among a true sisterhood she can lean on in life.

5. She Will… Help Her Community

With lots of options for troops to pursue, girls continue to express their identities as they experience the outdoors, dial in STEAM skills, or select service opportunities. As young girls practice leadership in the program, they also have pathways to extend collaborative and critical-thinking skills to their community. On a Girl Scout Journey at any grade level, she can team up with friends to identify a problem, think up a sustainable solution and put a plan into action to make a difference!

Choose Girl Scouts for your G.I.R.L. The skills she learns today will help write the story of who she will be: a Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader. Join, volunteer, or support at girlscoutsla.org/join.

— Jennifer Massoni Pardini

all photos courtesy of Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

How to Keep Your Friends after Having a Baby

By Megan Flynn

If you’re anything like me, you assured yourself during your pregnancy that nothing would change between you and your friends once the baby arrived. And you definitely wouldn’t be like those other parents you know who totally ditched their friends post-child in order to replace them with a new set of parent friends. 

Flash forward to your new life as a parent and you might be finding that your pre-baby promise to yourself is easier said than done. Research tells us that maintaining your social circle is more critical than ever as a parent. Social isolation can lead to clinical depression in parents and “belonging to multiple social groups is a critical buffer.”* Simply stated: you need your closest friends in your life.

So how do you blend your new life as a parent with your pre-parent, childless friends—especially when getting child-free time can be a real challenge? 

Here are a few tips for blending your “parent life” with your “pre-parent life.” 

  1. Reach out to your friends. While you may want your friends to do the reaching out, the fact is you very well may be the one who needs to get in touch. Your friends may be worried about bothering you, assume you’re busy, or just busy with their own life events. Be the first to reach out and get some friend time on the books. 

  2. Let them into your “new parent life.” Your child-free friends don’t need to be separate from this new stage of your life. Involve them! (And if it turns out they don’t want to be there for you, you’ll quickly find out—and I’d suggest rethinking the friendship). Invite them to go places with you and the little one, invite them over to birthday parties and events with other parents/kids, and ask them for help. You don’t want them to cut you out, so you shouldn’t cut them out either. 

  3. Keep going out to coffee/brunch/lunch/dinner/happy hour. Chances are, this was one of your primary socializing methods pre-baby. After all, they say food tastes better with friends! It may seem overwhelming to dine out with your little one and child-free friend(s), but it doesn’t have to be. If the very idea of dining out with your little one in tow makes you want to hide under the covers, check out my post, “Tips for Dining Out With Your (Child-Free) Friends.” 

  4. Join the “serial socializing” bandwagon. The easier you can make everything in your life, the better, and building a routine helps with that. For us, “serial socializing” has been a gamechanger. We host a monthly Brunch & Board Games open house on the 3rd Sunday of each month. We issued a standing, recurring invitation and everyone is invited. If they can make it that month, great. If not, no worries. It’s helped us stay connected with our social circle and is a day we look forward to each month. 

  5. Carve out child-free time. I also encourage you to carve out time—even if it’s only once a month—to spend child-free time with friends. My husband and I alternate covering for one another a couple of evenings per month to make sure each of us gets solo time with our friends. 

  6. Host at home. In addition to the solo time, we also have found inviting our child-free friends over to hang with us in the evenings (after our kids are in bed) to be a great way to spend time with our mutual friends. We’ve had several amazing game nights on weekdays that run from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. and are completely child-free! 

I know it can sometimes feel like an insurmountable challenge to reconnect with friends in the craziness of life as a parent, but I promise it’s not —and even more importantly, I promise it’s worth it. 

Megan loves hiking with family, a good gin cocktail, and reading Llama Llama Red Pajama to her toddler on repeat. She lives in DC and is the co-founder of Highchair Society, a website & blog dedicated to helping parents have 5-star kid-friendly dining experiences. 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

This New Indie Song Will Be Your New Mom Tribe Anthem

by Erica Loop

Everyone needs to feel that super-special sense of belonging. The new song “My Tribe,” by Austin band The Mrs is all about that, and more. If you haven’t heard of this Austin, Texas all-women band, we’ve got the scoop on them and their fab new album.

The four-woman band The Mrs released their debut self-titled album in March of 2017. Their sophomore album, Five Minutes, was released in 2018. With plenty of empowering music, The Mrs is your next new fave, especially their track, “My Tribe.”

Along with the other tracks on Five Minutes, the song “My Tribe” is something that you’ll totally understand—and appreciate. While this is music for mamas (and dads too!), the lyrics of “My Tribe” are oh-so-perfect to use in some of your more serious parenting moments:

“It takes a village to help you win a fight / It takes a friend to show you wrong from right / Though they may not be perfect, they are always by your side / My tribe.”

You can download the Five Minutes album, as well as the “My Tribe” single, on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Google Play. Proceeds from the title track go towards The Kindness Campaign, a charity that helps to end bullying.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Courtesy of The Mrs

 

RELATED STORIES:

Mom’s Viral Post Perfectly Captures Everything Wrong with Mom-Shaming

This OG Mom Tribe Reveals Just How Important Mom Support Really Is

This Is What Every Mom Tribe Should Be Like

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Top 10 Expert Tips from LA’s Best Organizer

by Andie Huber

Believe it or not, there’s a National Organize Your Home day and LA’s best organizers: Joni Weiss and Kitt Fife, Co-Founders of Practically Perfect, exclusively dished to us on how to start tackling the clutter in your kid’s room (and how to prevent it from getting out of control ever again). Scroll through to see how you can get started, what to do when your big kids won’t back away from their baby blocks and when to call in the professionals.

photo: via Practically Perfect

1. The number one mistake parents make when they try to organize their kid’s room?

Practically Perfect: Making a system that’s too complicated for your kids to keep up with! Staying organized is all about maintenance and accountability and that means kiddos have to be able to pick up after themselves when playtime is over. It’s imperative to consider the age plus stage of your little ones when you consider which organizational system will work best for your play spaces!  

photo: via Practically Perfect

2. Should the kids be involved or should you do it yourself when they’re not around? 

Practically Perfect: This is a tricky one and there’s really no right or wrong answer here. The decision whether to include kids in the process depends entirely upon what your goals are. Is your goal to have a clean and organized space that you feel good in? Or is your goal to teach your kids the value of getting and staying organized? We’ve certainly worked in both ways, as each family is unique.  

3. What if the child refuses to discard or donate anything?

Practically Perfect: When a child has a difficult time letting go of items (which happens often, brace yourself for “that’s my favorite” or “I love that one” even if they haven’t played with it in years), it can be helpful to explain where the items are going. Letting your child know that the belongings are being passed along to a friend or neighbor or handed down to a younger family member can be more comforting than simply throwing them into a garbage bag. Also, involving your child in the decision about which charity to donate items to can be very special. Another helpful tip is to take photographs of the beloved items so that they won’t feel forgotten.

4. Favorite way to organize LEGO bricks?

Practically Perfect: They key is to organize LEGO bricks in a way that makes sense for your kiddos, based on how they play with the pieces. The easiest way is to dump them all into one tub so that they are all in one spot. But for the child who is in love with mini figures, a special container to store or display those might be ideal. If your child likes to choose pieces by color (or shape, or size) then store them that way, as long as your kiddos will be able and willing to maintain the system!

5. Favorite way to stash those stuffed lovelies?

Practically Perfect: The most important aspect of organizing stuffed animals is almost always to edit the collection, which seems to be continually multiplying! We like to keep it simple. Select a cute basket that matches the decor of your home and commit to owning only what can be stored in that basket.   

photo: via Amy Bartlam for Practically Perfect

6. We’re ready to start. What’s the first step?

Practically Perfect: Our client relationships begin with a consultation, during which we pinpoint organizational challenges and goals. We determine which systems are working well and which ones are not, and then we prioritize which space(s) should be tackled first. We ask a lot of questions! Once a project is underway, we ask even more questions. We do this to ensure that we’re creating systems that are reasonable for our clients to maintain. Practical is perfect! We work side-by-side with clients and/or independently of them, depending up upon the goals and scope of the project — and then we stay in a part of our clients’ lives as their families and lifestyles grow and change, to help them modify those systems over time. Once we have organized any space, every single belonging in that area will have a clear and obvious “home.”  

7. What do we do with all this stuff we don’t need anymore?

Practically Perfect: If our clients have a favorite charity, we make arrangements to have unwanted items donated to that charity. And if they do not, we suggest some various organizations that are near and dear to our own hearts. Some clients also pass items along to family, friends, neighbors. We donate and recycle whatever we can, shred anything confidential and then safely and properly dispose of anything that’s left.  

photo: via Practically Perfect

8. What happens next?

Our client relationships begin with a consultation, during which we pinpoint organizational challenges and goals.  We determine which systems are working well and which ones are not, and then we prioritize which space(s) should be tackled first. We ask a lot of questions! Once a project is underway, we ask even more questions. We do this to ensure that we’re creating systems that are reasonable for our clients to maintain. Practical is perfect! We work side-by-side with clients and/or independently of them, depending up upon the goals and scope of the project and then we stay in a part of our clients’ lives as their families and lifestyles grow and change, to help them modify those systems over time. Once we have organized any space, every single belonging in that area will have a clear and obvious “home.” 

9. Okay! The organizing is complete. What’s the best way to maintain it?

Practically Perfect: Staying organized is all about accountability. It helps to remember how good it feels to be organized and to commit yourself to making organization a priority in your day. Changing habits can be key. We encourage clients to abide by a “don’t put it down, put it away” mentality so that items don’t pile up over time. But for the items that do, we encourage carving out a small amount of time each day to place items back where they belong. And labeling can help! We offer maintenance programs for clients who are committed to staying organized, as well.  

10. Why and when should people call in a professional for help?

Practically Perfect: There are so many reasons! The first and most obvious is when it all seems overwhelming and you don’t know where or how to start. Other great reasons are: not having time to create or maintain organizing systems on your own and wanting to achieve a particular look and feel in your home that you aren’t sure how to attain.  

 

How do you keep the clutter in your home from taking over? Let us know in the comments below!

—Andie Huber

RELATED LINKS:

Donating Baby Gear & Kids Gear

Top 10 Free (or Super Cheap) Things to Do with Kids Under 5

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

After Kids’ Deaths, IKEA Recalls 29 Million Dressers & Chests

by Red Tricycle

June 28, 2016- IKEA is recalling 29 million chests and dressers in the United States following many injuries and three deaths caused by them tipping over.

The recall involves the chests and dressers belonging to IKEA’s Malm line.

Photo: Ikea

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has asked customers to immediately stop using any recalled chests and dressers that aren’t anchored to a wall and said they should contact IKEA for either a full refund or a wall-anchoring kit.

For further information, please visit ikea.com.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement