Tag Archives: clothes

It’s heeeeeeeere . . . Back to School!

Wow!  Where has this summer gone? It’s hard to believe, but some schools have already started and several start in the next couple of weeks.

Although I don’t have any children in the back-to-school range, a few of my clients do.  I’ve experienced, through them, how getting everyone ready to head back into the classroom adds an extra layer of anxiety and stress to the last few lazy days of summer.    Below are some quick and easy tips to get you started and make the transition a little smoother.

But, before we get into the nitty-gritty of back-to-school strategies, I’d love to share some of my favorite commercials.  (Note:  I do not endorse any retailer for shopping purposes, however, I do love their commercials!)

Target’s “Rock It” is pretty fun.

Walmart’s “Let’s Get It Started” is heartwarming.

2017 Walmart Super Hero commercial makes me smile every time I saw it.

Vintage Staples “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a fun twist on a Christmas classic.

Vintage Walmart College Dorm Set-Up may bring a tear to your eye.

School Supplies:

    1. Get a copy of the school’s supply list.  I was able to find the school supply list for my local middle school online within just 30 seconds.  Doing a web search should result in a list similar to this (I searched “Lake Stevens School supply list”).  I also found a well-organized file of school supply lists at my local Staples, so check with your local retailers.
    2. Once you have the list, shop at home.  Chances are, you will have a good number of the supplies already on hand.  There’s no need to purchase a full set of supplies every year.
    3. If you have supplies you aren’t using (or don’t foresee using in the near future), donate them to a school or to a local Boys and Girls Club.  I’m certain they will be put to better use than taking up space in your home.
  2. Clothes:
    1. Check with your school to see if there are dress codes that need to be followed. If so, ensure that you and your student reads and understands them prior to embarking on the clothes shopping adventure.  I can’t imagine much more frustrating than finding out your son/daughter have clothes they love, but can’t wear to school.
    2. Depending on the age of your student, you will more than likely need to go shopping with them.   Although it may be simpler to just do the shopping on your own, having your child with you may be more efficient.  If you shop with your child, you will ensure the clothes fit properly, they feel good wearing them, and they are something they like and will wear.  So many of my clients spend inordinate amounts of time shopping/returning/shopping/returning.  The added stress and time generally isn’t worth it.
  3. Classes:  Hopefully at this point, classes have been signed up for.  If not, get in touch with the school to set an appointment to register as soon as possible.  This has been especially troublesome for first-year college students.
  4. Extra-curricular activities:  Have all extra-curricular activities been signed up for?  Has the appropriate equipment been arranged for?  If not, now’s the time to start working through that process.
  5. Transportation:  Most of my clients work at least part-time out of the home, so arranging transportation for any after-school activities is critical.
  6. Health requirements:  Does the school require specific health tests or immunizations?  Again, a quick online search led to this information for our local school district.
  7. Daily schedules:  Because our student’s days are generally less structured during the summer, some habits may have developed that need to be changed in order to be successful when school starts.  Now’s the time to start adjusting to getting up earlier, scheduling study time, and creating a new routine for getting to bed on time.

Changes in schedules tend to add a little stress to our lives, but some excellent pre-planning goes a long way to making the transition just a little easier!

Cindy Jobs, COC, ACC

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Back To School Prep

We’ve had quite the beautiful summer here in the Puget Sound area, but the recent addition of back-to-school commercials reminds me that summer is coming to an end.

Side note:  I do not have any preferences about where to shop, but I have to say the Walmart Super Hero commercial makes me smile every time I see it.

Although I don’t have any children in the back-to-school range, some of my clients do.  I’ve experienced, through them, how getting everyone ready to head back into the classroom adds an extra layer of anxiety and stress to the last few lazy days of summer.    Here are some tips to get you started and make the transition a little smoother.

School Supplies:

    1. Get a copy of the school’s supply list.  I was able to find the school supply list for my local middle school on-line within just 30 seconds.  Doing a web search should result in a list similar to this (I searched “Lake Stevens School supply list”).  I also found a well-organized file of school supply lists at my local Staples, so check with your local retailers.
    2. Once you have the list, shop at home.  Chances are, you will have a good number of the supplies already on hand.  There’s no need to purchase a full set of supplies every year.
    3. If you have supplies you aren’t using (or don’t foresee using in the near future), donate them to a school or to a local Boys and Girls Club.  I’m certain they will be put to better use than taking up space in your home.
  2. Clothes:
    1. Check with your school to see if there are dress codes that need to be followed. If so, ensure that you and your student reads and understands them prior to embarking on the clothes shopping adventure.  I can’t imagine much more frustrating than finding out your son/daughter have clothes they love, but can’t wear to school.
    2. Depending on the age of your student, you will more than likely need to go shopping with them.   Note I said “with them.”  Although it may be simpler to just do the shopping on your own, having your child with you may be more efficient.  If you shop with your child, you will ensure the clothes fit properly, they feel good in them, and are something they like and will wear.  So many of my clients spend inordinate amounts of time shopping/returning/shopping/returning.  The added stress and time generally isn’t worth it.
  3. Classes:  Hopefully at this point, classes have been signed up for.  If not, get in touch with the school to set an appointment to register as soon as possible.
  4. Extra-curricular activities:  Have all extra-curricular activities been signed up for?  Has the appropriate equipment been arranged for?  If not, now’s the time to start working through that process.
  5. Transportation:  Most of my clients work at least part-time out of the home, so arranging transportation for any after-school activities is critical.
  6. Health requirements:  Does the school require specific health tests or immunizations?  Again, a quick on-line search led to this information for our local school district.
  7. Daily schedules:  Because our student’s days are generally less structured during the summer, some habits may have developed that need to be changed in order to be successful when school starts.  Now’s the time to start adjusting to getting up earlier, scheduling study time, and creating a new routine for getting to bed on time.

Changes in schedules tend to add a little stress to our lives, but some excellent pre-planning goes a long way to making the transition just a little easier!

Simple Tips For Heading Back To School

Pixabay Back To SchoolYikes!  I keep seeing advertising for back-to-school preparations.  Where, oh where, has the summer gone?

Getting everyone ready for school adds another level of anxiety and stress to the last few summer days.    Here are some tips to get you started and make the transition a little smoother.

  1.  School Supplies:
    1. Get a copy of the school’s supply list.  I was able to find the school supply list for my local middle school on-line within just 30 seconds.  Doing a web search should result in a list similar to this (I searched “Lake Stevens School supply list”).  Local retailers may have these lists also.
    2. Once you have the list, shop at home.  Chances are, you will have a good number of the supplies already on hand.  There’s no need to purchase a full set of supplies every year.
    3. If you have supplies you aren’t using (or don’t foresee using in the near future), donate them to the school or to a local Boys and Girls Club.  I’m certain they will be put to better use than taking up space in your home.
  2. Clothes:
    1. Check with you local school to see if there are dress codes that need to be followed. If so, ensure that your student reads and understands them prior to embarking on the clothes shopping adventure.
    2. Depending on the age of your student, you will more than likely need to go shopping with them.   Note I said “with them.”  Although it may be simpler to just do the shopping on your own, having your child with you may be more efficient.  If you shop with your child, you will ensure the clothes fit properly, they feel good on them, and are something they like and will wear.
  3. Classes:  Hopefully at this point, classes have been signed up for.  If not, get in touch with the school to set an appointment to register as soon as possible.
  4. Extra-curricular activities:  Have all extra-curricular activities been signed up for?  Has the appropriate equipment been arranged for?  If not, now’s the time to start working through that process.
  5. Transportation:  Most of my clients work at least part-time out of the home, so arranging transportation for any after-school activities is critical.
  6. Health requirements:  Does the school require specific health tests or immunizations?  Again, a quick on-line search led to this information for our local school district.

Changes in schedules tend to add a little stress to our lives, but some excellent pre-planning goes a long way to making the transition just a little easier!

 

Seasonal Closet Swap: A Closet Full Of Nothing To Wear?

Closet Closets can be a huge headache or a great source of joy.  Simplifying by downsizing and organizing can turn our closets from frustrating to functional.

How many times do we stand in front of our completely full closets and say “I can’t find a thing to wear!”?

The change of seasons gives us the perfect opportunity to take stock of our closets.   When it’s time to move the winter things out (thankfully) and the summer things in (happily), take a few extra minutes to critically analyze each piece of clothing.

Ask yourself:

  1. Do I love it and feel great when I wear it? Does it project the image I want people to have of me? (Love it?)
  2. Did I use it this season or can I use it next season? (Use it?)
  3. Am I keeping it because I feel guilty about spending money on something I really don’t use? Unfortunately, keeping a bad purchase doesn’t make it a better purchase. (Guilty purchase?)

If your answer is “yes” to #1 and #2, and “no” to #3 about everything in your closet, then you’re in good shape.   If you can’t, then it’s time to take a serious look at reducing the items in your closet.

Because apparel items are so personal, sometimes it’s hard for us to be critical about what we should keep or get rid of.  For this project, enlist the help of an honest and trusted friend to help you.

Use the following roadmap to help you de-clutter your closet, giving yourself a bit of breathing room.

  1. Carve out enough time to go through the entire process.
  2. If possible, purchase enough of the same style of hangers (plastic, wood, flocked, etc.) as you possibly can. Having all your apparel hanging at the same level will make it easier for your eye to focus on the item, not the disarray.  You may want to also invest in multi-tiered hangers if you have multiple pairs of pants that you know you will be keeping.  Pants on multi-tiered hangers take up much less space than if they are hung individually. If you are also hanging skirts, each style of hanger also comes in a clip version for this purpose.
  3. Set up six boxes, bags, or staging areas:
    1. KEEP: For items you are planning on keeping in your closet.
    2. THROW: For items that are worn out, stained, etc.
    3. GIVE: For items to give to people you personally know.
    4. DONATE: For items in good repair that can be donated to a local charity.
    5. ALTERNATE SIZE: For items that you love and will fit into within the next 6 months. Date the box/bag with a review date.
    6. SEASONAL: For items you love, but won’t wear for several months.
  4. Take everything out of the closet. Yes, everything.  Even if you know you are keeping it you will (hopefully) be moving it to the new, uniform hanger style.
  5. Sort your apparel by type: Work vs. Casual.  Then fine-tune the sort by style or color:  short sleeve vs. long sleeve, etc.; black, white, color, etc.
  6. Touch every piece of clothing and ask yourself the three questions mentioned earlier: Love it? Use it? Guilty purchase?
  7. Put the items you want to keep away on the new hangers and place them back in the closet in groupings that make sense to you: work; casual; sleeve length; color; etc.
  8. Process the THROW/GIVE/DONATE/ALTERNATE SIZE/SEASONAL boxes, moving them to their appropriate new home.

Being organized reduces stress and saves time and money.  This is never more true than in our closets where we need to create space for all the aspects of our lives from work to recreation.  Plus, our closet is one of the first areas we see in the morning.  Getting the organization right here will set you off on the right foot for the rest of the day!