Back to School | How I Plan & Organize

August 21, 2023

Hi friend! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I got some much needed sleep, but 6am is still coming too quick! It’s always an adjustment when school first starts, right?!

Thank you SO much for your feedback on my new blog update. I’m loving the look and functionality, including this new SHOP page, that shares all my favorites.

If you click on my HOME DECOR page, you’ll see links to everything in my home. Simply click the room you’re interested in.

I had some issues with the links in my last email – the new Loft Fall Fashion post, but they are fixed now! I also should have the most recent post at the top of my home page.

Back to School | How I Plan & Organize

New Schedules

One of the first things I do at the start of the school year is get all the important dates on the calendar. This is no easy task because there are so many things to input. And, I must say, try as I might to have EVERYTHING calendared and organized, things STILL fall through the cracks! It happens!

For my calendar planning, I start with the main school calendar, which lists all the holidays, days off, early dismissal, grading periods, etc.

Then, I do a deeper dive and note class parties, special dress days, Field Day, picture day, conferences, etc.

There’s also things like sports (practices & games), exam tutoring, and high school open houses and tours.

Of course, dental and doctor visits, birthdays, and trips get marked down too.

All of this goes into the CALENDAR APP on my phone.

PRO TIP: The important thing is to review every week so you know what’s coming up. I generally do this on Sunday afternoons, when I plan out my week for work as well.

Command Center

I set up a command center in our kitchen this year so that we can all easily see the calendar and schedule. There seems to be more things going on with my daughter in 2nd grade and my son in 8th. It’s his last year before high school and there’s a lot to prepare for with that.

It took me awhile to figure out where it would be most useful, without being visually annoying, so I put it inside our pantry. My kids are both in there often, so we’ll all be able to see it easily.

I considered putting it inside one of our kitchen cabinet doors, but the calendars were too large. You can see our kitchen tour here.

I’m trying out using a dry erase monthly calendar and weekly calendar. I’m embarrassed to admit how much time I spent searching for these! I wanted the perfect style and found these on Amazon.

I used adhesive velcro dots to attach the calendars and acrylic bin to the door. Inside the bin is a paper calendar and paper copies of schedules, school menu, birthday party invites, etc.

Outfit Planning

Another thing that helps mornings run smoother is laying out my outfit the night before. Usually, it’s just my workout clothes, but even that is better than trying to decide in the morning.

For my 2nd grader, I started laying out her clothes for the week using a hanging organizer. It helps me make sure everything is clean and here when we need it. I also labeled each slot with the day of the week, since she wears different things on different days. The organizer is nice because it hangs right in her closet and there’s also side pockets for accessories.

Meal Planning

The pace of school is faster than our leisurely summer days, so it’s more important to be on my meal planning game. Don’t be fooled, I’m not cooking from scratch every night, probably only a couple nights a week.

Other days, it’s leftovers or more ‘assembly’ type stuff like air fried chicken nuggets with steamed veggies and fruit or frozen meatballs heated up to add to spaghetti.

Things like Walmart+ with grocery delivery straight to your door and HelloFresh also come very handy.

The Omaha Steaks are another thing that I’ve found relatively easy to make. With ready-to-go sides, you just pop those into the oven. I also learned how to use my grill, but I’m also good with the cast iron pan for steaks and burgers. It feels like a treat when we eat this food!

Fridge Organization

I shared last week our updated pantry organization, and next up was the fridge.

Here’s the messy BEFORE:

and the more organized AFTER:

I bought some clear bins to use as organizers and also to help make dinners easier. I like to put all of the fridge items that I’ll need for a meal into one pull out organizer. Little things like that make dinner creation simpler.

SUNDAY AGENDA

A Sunday well spent gives the best chances for a smooth week. Here are the things I like to have done by Sunday evening:

• Meal plan & grocery shop
• Laundry done & put away
• Plan kids schedule for the week
• Plan work schedule for the week
• Clothes laid out for next day

If I can get those things done, we’re doing great! I feel like we’re entering Monday on the right track! I’m curious if you do these things and how you prep for the week. Let me know in the comments!

Now let’s go kick Monday’s booty!