What's the Deal: Tips for organizing back to school paperwork, supplies and clutter

Alicia Vitarelli Image
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Tips for organizing back to school paperwork, supplies and clutter
Back-to-school hacks on What's the Deal with Alicia Vitarelli on Action News at 4:30 p.m., October 3, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With the kids back in school, the house can get just a tad bit cluttered with anything from papers to school supplies to artwork.

So we turned to an organizing expert Rose Miller, the founder of Rose Knows Where It Goes, to help you streamline and declutter.

The key to organizing it all is about knowing where it goes.

Every family member gets a folder and every Sunday, revisit the stack and purge

"The stuff you get from back to school night, important dates, assignments..." said Rose.

Now to the school supplies that clutter kitchen drawers, consider a caddy.

"So this is everything they would have to resource when doing their homework and it looks nice and neat and tidy," said Rose.

And there's always the overflow such as books, small backpacks and other random items, Rose says to tuck it all together in a small storage ottoman, which also doubles as a chair.

And how about the handmade mementos that are hard to part with?

"Two things you ask yourself: Why am I keeping it and who am I keeping it for?" asks Rose.

For the special accolades, awards, or art, she says to create one special space.

"In our playroom we have a clothesline that goes across the wall celebrates Luke and Logan's wonderful achievements and artwork," said Rose.

Also, display a picture frame with a piece of work your little one chooses to show off, kind of like a rotating art gallery.

Then, file the very best in a clear bin, one per child, and a folder for each grade.

"For example, papers and report cards, letters to Santa, at Thanksgiving you write what you are thankful for..." suggests Rose.

Consider these bins their archives - a specially curated version of their story.

Rose also shared two fun apps, Artkive and Shutterfly, where you can take pictures of the artwork and create books at the end of the year.

ONLINE:

http://roseknowswhereitgoes.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RoseKnowsWhereItGoes/

http://artkive.com/

https://www.shutterfly.com

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