Organizing Tips From An Unlikely Source & A Few Life Lessons From The Playground.
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Main Topics:  
Vanessa's Topic: Organizing Tips From A Toddler
Vanessa realized the lessons that we have been teaching our daughter since she was a toddler are also great lessons that adults can apply to their lives when it comes to getting and staying organized.  Here are the lessons/tips that were discussed:

Limit the number of toys (or projects) that you are playing with or working on. 

Too many projects gets overwhelming and cause you to loose focus.  Multi-tasking isn't all that great.  Having few toys or projects also makes for easier cleanup.


Clean up after yourself.

Make cleanup part of your project.  Whether you're baking in the kitchen or working on a craft project, part of the project should include cleaning up after yourself.  Don't let it all pile up to point where cleaning up your home is an all day affair!


Designate a spot for everything.

Try using the same concept that preschool or kindergarten classrooms use...create zones and homes for everything. By creating zones in your home and having "a place for everything and everything in its place," cleanup and finding things will be a heck of a lot easier!


Make cleanup easy.

Using open containers to store things is a key ingredient to having kids clean up after themselves. Same thing applies to adults. It's much easier to toss an item into a basket or bin than having to lift a lid.  Bins are great inside drawers, on shelves and in cabinets. Hooks are another great tool to use to hang up coats, backpacks, scarves, belts and purses.


Create rules and routines.

We've previously dedicated  1/2 a podcast to this very topic. Creating rules and routines helps establish expectations so that you and other family members know who, what, when and why certain tasks need to be done and how.  Knowing what is expected prevents you from wasting time, duplicating effort and trying to figure out who does what...which cuts down on bickering as well!


Limit the amount of stuff you own.

It’s pretty simple...the less stuff you have the less you have to clean and maintain. You can control the amount of things in your home by practicing the "one in, one out rule," editing your possessions regularly, controlling impulsive buying habits and thinking long and hard about how making a purchase might affect the harmony in your home.


Reward yourself.

If our daughter wants a snack or to go outside and play, we make a deal with her.  She'll get the treat if she cleans up first. Her motivation to clean up is all based off of that reward.  You can reward yourself too. Tackle your most important tasks...then treat yourself to a little reward like a movie, reading time or extra time running (yes...Vanessa loves to run).

Dan's Topic: Life Lessons Learned on the Playground
Flashback to Episode 5

LEARNING: "Knowledge makes everything simpler."
Do you capitalize on things we've already learned?
How do our kids learn life's lessons in today's fast-paced world?

Life Lessons Learned on the Playground.  For each, ask yourself two things:

Do I still use this lesson today?
How are today's kids learning these lessons?

Lessons:

SeeSaws or Teeter Totters: Teach us balance and leverage. Use Pareto's 80/20 Rule for leverage.


Swings: Teach us to take action, coordination, and how to harness & use momentum. Swings also teach us situational awareness, looking out for trouble, timing our actions.


Monkey Bars: Let go in order to make progress. Sometimes you have to stretch. You can't move forward without letting go of the past and the now and reaching for tomorrow.


Jungle Gym: How to meet a challenge, overcome fear, and enjoy the view. Be careful of others' fingers as they climb to the top with you.