As the days get shorter and darker, make your home a bright spot of joy. Fall is a great time for new beginnings. Seize the opportunity with these tips to begin organizing for the new season and the new school year. Use the last weeks of summer to take a close look at your summer items and determine which items should be kept and which can be donated. Purchase some of the inexpensive school supplies that line the store shelves to use for organizing your home. See-through storage bins and a few useful new office supplies can be bought for a song during the back-to-school shopping season. Use some of your newly purchased bins to store the items you plan to keep, being sure to number the bins and keep a list of the numbers, their contents and storage locations.

Create a permanent donation station in an out-of-the-way area of your home and train your family to accumulate all donations there. Set up regular monthly donation pickups to clear these items out.

When it comes to getting your kids ready for fall, planning is key. Help them make a smooth transition into the school year by helping them purchase a new planner, a lunchbox, a backpack and the basic school supplies they will need (stored in neat, clearly labeled bins or drawers). Another key to success is to set up a comfortable, quiet, study area for doing homework and reading. This can be in a bedroom, a corner of the family room or in a sitting room.

It may be helpful to set up a calendar, color-coded for each family member, posted in a visible location, listing all of the activities for the month. Another great habit is to prep and stage school items before going to bed. This includes: packing backpacks and gym/sports items for the next day, making lunches/snacks (or packing money) and picking out clothes. As a general rule, the more advanced planning your family can do before the school year begins, the less stress you will have.

Finally, if you find organizing your home and your time to be difficult or stressful, Everyday Organizing Solutions by Sherry can help. She provides sympathetic and nonjudgmental organizing, de-cluttering and time management services to residential and business clients. Sherry can help with projects for the home, workplace or for volunteer activities. She also specializes in helping female adults with ADD get their physical space/time management in order and with helping children and teens to get organized. Newly added services include personal coaching and help with making your work life more efficient and productive.

For more information, call Everyday Organizing Solutions by Sherry at 908-619-4561, email [email protected] or visit EverydayOrganizingSolutions.com. See CRG on page 54.