I know January is all about the resolutions, but to be honest, September is more of a fresh start for me: The holidays give time to recharge and actually a little head space to think about what needs to be done in the upcoming term and keep the family ticking along! I am the first to admit that organisation isn’t my strongest point, and this academic year, I have come up with a few ways to keep life a little more organised.
Bullet Journal
This is something I have been using a while, and if you dive into Pinterest, people really do go to town with them! I am not particularly artistic, so I keep mine simple, but each week, I draw out my diary and my to-do list, carrying over tasks if needs be to the next week. Also, as a freelancer, I have to keep on top of my invoicing, so I have created a couple of pages just for invoicing which has made sorting my tax bill a whole lot easier!
Blackboard
This is something I invested in last year for the children after my daughter forgetting things for 123876 time, we had to make changes! Right next to the front door, there is a blackboard with sections for each day and what activity they have on. As they leave the door, they look at it and then can check they have their PE kits, violins, dance kit etc, so hopefully it minimises forgotten items!
Bookmarking Useful Websites
My husband and I are quite good dividing household tasks, but I am the one who tends to be on top of administration for the children. Therefore, to save time I have bookmarked all the websites I go to regularly – their schools, dance classes etc. A useful website I have bookmarked is Contact numbers. It’s essentially a website which finds the number for the exact department you need, such as child benefit customer services, instead of hanging on the ‘phone constantly pressing numbers and eventually getting cut off, you can now find the exact number you need, which is a great time saver!
Phone calendar – sync school diaries
Someone recently gave me this life hack and I actually think they should be knighted! Most school calendars are now designed so you can save them into your phone diary meaning, boom, all important dates saved. Never miss a parents evening (guilty), sports day or inset day again!
Huge declutter
Tidy home, tidy mind … or something like that …
At the start of the academic year, we have a massive clear out with several trips to the charity shop and the tip. Getting the house sorted and giving everything a home, just seems to set the right tone for the start of the academic year. How long this lasts is of course, a different matter …
Do share your tips for a more organised school year, I’d love to hear them!
This post is written in collaboration, but all words are my own,
