One Successful Camping Trip!
July 21, 2010 by Nikki · 2 Comments
Our camping trip was a success! Thanks to our great friends who were so helpful and patient with us! Our kids had a great time and loved every minute of it! We camped at the beach on the Oregon Coast. Every time we make a trip to the beach and I am always reminded of the beautiful country we live in! If you haven’t seen the Oregon Coast, I highly recommend it!
Thank you to everyone for the great camping tips… There were so many of them we took advantage of. Camping is really fun but it is a lot of work to prepare for, no doubt about it!
One thing I learned very quickly is if you like to camp, it’s best to be organized! I plan on creating a camping checklist for the next time we go and save it on my computer, that seems to be the only way to go, in order to make sure you do not forget anything! For this trip I used my friends, which was a great help! Her extra tip was to include a pen and a pad of paper while you are on your trip. As you think of items you forget, wish you had, or items that are broken write it down now rather than later! You eliminate the chance of forgetting. Good idea!
Here are some of the best tips I used and some lessons I learned!
- Plan your menu – although I did not actually prepare and freeze our meals, which by the way I think is a great idea, I did plan and pre-cut everything, and made a list of all the ingredients to make the meals, that way I did not forget anything. It was such a great relief to know exactly what we were eating for each meal and have everything we needed.
- I clearly understand the need for a towel or mat at the opening of the tent. I wasn’t as strict as I should have been with the kids shoes, most of our bedding got very dirty… ooops!
- Bring extra blankets – Especially if you are at the Oregon Coast! It gets chilly at night!
- Wear sunscreen on your face, neck and ears – It was kind of cold so I didn’t think about putting sunscreen on, I was fully covered, except for my face, ears, and neck… and guess what, I woke up Sunday morning, very red!
- One tip was to make sure all of our equipment worked before we left… we did and realized we picked up the wrong tent from my sister, so we had to go back and pick up the right one… I am so glad we checked first!! However, we did not check one of the air mattresses and did get to the campsite and realized there was a hole in the mattress. Our camping neighbors were kind enough to lend us a patch! Thank goodness!
- For the first time, I tried a peanut butter cup on my S’more instead of the standard chocolate bar, I must say… this is a new favorite now!
It helped to go camping for the first time with a family who knew what they were doing! I feel now that we have the first outing behind us, the next time it won’t take so long to pack and prepare. I want to come up with the checklist for our family and keep all the camping gear together in the garage, so it’s easy to load and unload. It was nice to have separate bins for snack food, one for dishes, one for first aide, etc. Having the items categorized and in separate containers made looking for the items easier.
I think with the right system and practice, we can get this down to a science…
We will be going again and probably soon, as my son said on Saturday, “This is the best day ever!”… It makes your heart smile when you know your children are having such a great time and will remember these days for a very long time!
Happy Organizing!
Camping-I Need Your Help!
July 9, 2010 by Nikki · 5 Comments
We Are Going Camping!
One thing you may or may not have noticed is I do not write anything about Camping. I am not a camper. My idea of camping is in a hotel. I would never survive on Survivor! I know this about myself and I am not afraid to admit it! I have lots of questions about camping. I have in my mind it could be a really good time or a complete disaster!
I have a husband and 2 kids who think it’s going to be the best time ever!
So when our friends asked us to join them on their camping trip to the coast, of course the answer had to be YES! I am willing to give camping a try! My sister and her family have done a lot of camping in the past, so we will be borrowing their tent and other camping supplies, which honestly, I am not sure what it all consists of…
This is where I need your help! I may not write about camping but I do write a lot about Organization… I want to learn how to organize myself and my family for this camping trip… So, I am asking you, if you have any great tips, ideas, suggestions, ANYTHING.. Please share… I want to be prepared for this adventure. I plan on using the tips from my readers for a future blog post… Then I can honestly write about Camping!
Share your knowledge!
You can either respond on the comments page or send me an email at nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com! I would love to hear from you!
Thank you! I so much appreciate the help!
Happy Organizing!
Summer Fun Activities!
June 12, 2010 by Nikki · 1 Comment
The summer fun continues! There are so many great resources on the web to plan for your summer, I keep finding great articles, tips, and ideas to share!
Starting with my guest blog post for The Confident Mom about different Traveling Tips when traveling with kids. If you have ever been on a road trip longer than just a few minutes, you know it’s best to be prepared. If you are flying anywhere, it’s almost a must, if you want to have a stress-free trip getting to your destination! It’s a checklist of sort to help prepare for the journey! The more prepared you are the better! Click here to read article in full.
A new product, which the Confident Mom just came out with this week, is a Summer Calendar, Surviving Summer with the kids. I just bought mine today, and I am very excited to use some of the great ideas she has provided! It is 3 months worth of great activities to do with the kids, links to websites to help do the activities, recipes and more! What a great resource, especially when you get stuck and are not sure what to do for the day! Check it out!
Other resources from the web this week that I thought were a worth a mention:
DLTK- Growing Together - A great website with different activities for the kids, summer coloring pages, summer crafts, summer games and puzzles and more!
Activities For Kids- There is so much on this website, you could spend hours on it.. Great printouts, great tips, recipes, you name it and this website probably has something about it!
If you have anything to share, please do, the more ideas the better! You can never have too many!
Happy Organizing!
The TCO Vacation Packing Checklist!
June 3, 2010 by Nikki · 1 Comment
Have you ever gone vacation and realized you forgot your swimsuit? I have! Or maybe you forgot a really important medication and had to scramble around trying to figure out who can overnight the medication? My husband has! It happens to even the most organized people, and it when it happens it’s stressful!
The best way to be organized for your vacation is to plan and be prepared! So many times when I was packing for a weekend get away or a week long vacation, I wished I had a checklist! At least one that wasn’t scribbled on a wrinkled piece of paper! Maybe if I had a thorough checklist we wouldn’t have forgotten the swimsuit and medication!
Since TCO has been developing different forms and checklists I knew right away a Vacation Checklist was going to be on the list! Head over to the Resources area to download now!
I understand we are all different and as much as I try to make this form as general as possible, it can’t possibly include everything for everybody. I have purposely left extra lines for you to add your own needs.
This form is a great start with the basic things we all need, and now, you no longer have to think about… Just check them off!
I hope you find the list as helpful as I do and you will be able to use it over and over again!
In addition to the NEW Vacation Checklist… Here are a few extra Packing Tips to remember when going on vacation!
Most of all, remember to have fun!!!
Vacation / Packing Tips
- Check the weather! Check out the weekly forecast before you leave and plan accordingly.
- If you have laundry facilities available to you, pack less!
- Bring clothing which is versatile and can go with many things.
- Plan your outfits day to day to eliminate excess packing.
- Before packing your suitcase, spread everything out on your bed, and make sure you didn’t forget anything.
- Roll your clothes in your suitcase, this will add more room.
- Bring an extra bag for gifts and mementos or make sure to leave enough room in your suitcase to bring home items.
- When packing, place heaviest items on the bottom and more fragile items towards the center.
- Make sure to pack lots of snacks, water and activities for your kids.
- If you have a black suitcase, be sure to put a bright colored ribbon.
- Place in your carry on bag the items you can not live without like medication, and an extra set of clothes.. just in case!
- As you are on your trip, consolidate suitcases when you can and designate one for the dirty clothes suitcase- you can also use large Ziploc bags for dirty clothes.
- Wear your bulkiest shoes while traveling.
How do you get your own Vacation Checklist? Towards the bottom of our Resource Page, you will see the sign up for all of Free Downloads! Click Here!
Happy Organizing!
Getting Ready For Summer!
May 28, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
For the last couple of weeks we have focused on planning your summer vacation, packing and travel tips and coming soon is the new TCO packing tip and checklist! I love the change of seasons. It gives us a perfect opportunity to evaluate our homes, our lifestyles and adjust to the upcoming schedule changes.
This weekend is Memorial Day, and I plan on getting my home organized for the summer. We have a little under 3 weeks until both children are out of school. I am using this weekend as a jump start to getting our home organized!
Below are the items I hope to achieve over the weekend. My hope is you will be inspired by my list and find ideas where you can start your own list.
The more prepared and organized you are, the more in control you will feel!
The summer should be about making memories and having fun!
My list to do this weekend:
- Go through kids closets and figure out what clothing fits and what needs to be donated. Make a list of items they need for the summer and how many. I like to be practical when shopping and buy only what they need.
- Go through kids toys. Pack up toys that are not being played with but would like to keep. Donate toys the kids have outgrown. Deep clean and organize both bedrooms.
- Go through outside toys, wash, and figure out what’s still good and what is not.
- Go through art / craft supplies, get rid of anything old. Take inventory of what we have and make a list of items we need. Ask kids what kind of craft projects they would like to do this summer.
- Research the web on different craft / art activities for the kiddos. My son loves word find puzzles and mazes, etc. There are several websites out there, where you can print these off for free. It’s a great thing to do during quiet time!
- Confirm babysitting schedule for the summer
- Review Camp Schedule for the summer and budget
- Make a list of subjects my kids are interested in researching at the library this summer
On a side note, I also plan on going to the nursery and planting flowers in the front yard and doing some yard work. Oh yes, getting ready for the summer does mean there is work to do! However, once this stuff is done, the prize is having a great summer.
Recently, my heart has felt a little heavy that my kids are growing up so fast. I really want to take the summer months to just live in the moment. These summers go by so fast, our children grow up so fast. We can’t get these moments back, so I want to be sure we live them the best we can…
What do you to prepare for the summer? Please share your ideas and your to do list!
Happy Organizing!
Setting Up Your Travel Notebook!
May 21, 2010 by Nikki · 2 Comments
In our podcast earlier this week, we talked about planning for your Summer Vacation! I talked briefly about a Travel Notebook.
In case you missed the podcast here is a brief summary of what a Travel Notebook is and how best to organize it!
What is a Travel Notebook? A travel notebook is where you keep all of your travel information, mostly paperwork for your upcoming trip. The point is to keep everything in one place.
Why is it important? If we are not organized with the paperwork, then often times, things get lost and it is very frustrating trying to find something. It takes up our time and increases our stress level! Two things you do not want to happen when trying to plan a fun filled vacation!
How do you organize a Travel Notebook? First, you need a few supplies. I suggest a small 3 ring binder, a paper hole puncher, dividers with pockets (The pockets are great for brochures). You may want to add a front pouch for pens, pencils and a small calculator. Divide the notebook into main categories for your tabs. I suggest; Budget, Tickets, Transportation, Maps, Hotel, Meals, Activities, Important Phone Numbers. 
How to use the Notebook? As you go about planning for your trip and you come up with items you need to save, print offs from the computer etc, you place the items in the notebook where they need to go. Take the notebook with you on your trip and keep using it as a reference. This will save you time, money, and of course unwanted stress!
Enjoy and Happy Organizing!
Organizing Your Summer!
May 20, 2010 by Nikki · 2 Comments
Summer 2010! 
I love the summer. I love the great weather, I especially love the sounds of summer. I have very distinct memories of summer when I was a child. I lived out in the country and I can still smell the mint fields, and the splash and clicking sounds of the sprinklers. I remember my mom’s awesome bbq hamburgers and pasta salad and the lazy days of playing in the sun! I hope I can bring the same kind of memories to my children as they grow up.
Planning for the summer can become overwhelming and a little stressful if you are not organized. I have a very simple system I use when planning out vacations and summer camps for the kids.
Here are a few tips to help you keep in order the events of the season, but also to remember to schedule those downtimes which really build the strong memories for ourselves and our children!
- Print out blank calendars for the months of June, July, August, and September. I simply do this with my calendar on my computer, however, there are several websites available where you can print blank calendars. Just google, Free Calendars and choose!
- Write down all of your pre-planned trips. I am visual person and I like to see when things start and when they end. Note important dates, like holidays, birthdays, last day of school, etc.
- Set a limit and budget on summer camps. These can become very expensive. Know your budget and plan accordingly. Ask your children what is most important to them. You may find events overlapping with each other, decide what is most important. You can’t do everything all the time.
- Schedule Free Days! Not every day or week has to be planned. Schedule days where you are just playing outside in the sprinkler and side walk chalk! Make the lazy days of summer a reality and take a step back and just watch and play with your kids!
- We set up a quiet time every day after lunch. This is downtime for the whole family. The kids know this is their time to play by themselves quietly!
- Have one library day every week or every other week. Make reading and learning a priority. Decide on a subject and research it with your kids at the library. Find a fun craft to do at home that relates to the research. Make it fun!
Happy Organizing!
Spring Clean Your Car!
May 12, 2010 by Nikki · 3 Comments
A year ago I wrote a blog post on how to clean out your car… I think this is a great reminder as we go into summer. Here is a repost of the article…. Enjoy!
With children in tow or maybe you work out of your car, our cars can sometimes be and is a dumping ground for many things! If I don’t make a conscious effort to keep my car clean, then in a matter of days it can become filled with baseballs, toys, books, garbage etc! I have come up with some tips and tricks on how to Organize your car and maintain it! It’s not magic, it does take time, but I find it is well worth it!
Car Organizing Tips: 
1. Ask yourself, what needs to be in your car? This is especially important if you do a lot of work out of your car. What office supplies needs to be in there, if you have kids, what essentials need to be in your car.
2. Evaluate your current system in organizing your car. What do you struggle to find? Keep this in mind when figuring out where items are going to go.
3. Take everything out of your car and separate into piles. 1) Stuff you use all the time, 2) Things you use occasionally, 3) Things you need in an emergency. Anything left over gets placed outside of the car.
4. Clean your car inside and out. Start your organizing project with a clean slate.
5. Place like items together. Go through your piles and place them where they make the most sense in your car. For example; emergency kits can be placed in the back of the car, hand santizer and tissues should be in the front console.
6. How many CD’s do you need in your car? Start up a new rule with yourself, if you add 3 new CD’s, make sure to take 3 out.
7. Try to keep items off of the floor.
8. Look into Car Organizers- they have great solutions for over the seat and the trunk of cars. These are great storage solutions for keeping like items together and in one place.
9. Keep an extra tote bag to carry items from car to home.
10. Create a new rule – if you carry something into the car – you must carry it out.
11. Have a trash bag in the car and empty it regularly.
12. Make a monthly appointment to clean your car.
Happy Organizing!
Taking Control – The Home Organizing Podcast
April 22, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
TCO is going to iTunes!
I am so excited to announce, Taking Control- The Home Organizing Podcast! 
We have been working on this idea for some time now and it is finally a reality! In today’s busy world we don’t always have time to read a blog post or do the research necessary to do to tackle a project. Now there’s a different way to get the same great information! Subscribe to TCO’s podcast through iTunes and all you have to do is listen to your iPod! At your convenience, put on the ear phones and take a listen while your doing the dishes, the laundry, or when your stuck in traffic!
Every week you will get a new episode tackling some kind of project or question! The best news yet…. I want to gear these podcasts to what you need! So if you have an idea for a show, or need some tips on a project, email me, and let me know… Who knows, it may just be the next topic!
What to expect from Taking Control:
- A lively conversation with Pete Wright and myself… Who is Pete Wright? Pete is the Producer of the show and more importantly the face behind my website. I consider him a partner in my business and a huge influence in developing and telling the story of Take Control Organizing!
- Tips, tricks, and solutions to your everyday organizing issues
- One new episode per week
- Each episode will range anywhere from 10 minutes to 25 minutes (I know you don’t have a lot of time and I want to use it wisely)
- You get an insider look at how I work with clients and get to know me!
- A whole lot of fun mixed in with great education!
I hope you join me in my journey into podcast land! It should be a lot of fun and I look forward to tackling your issues. If you have an idea, send me a note on my contact page, or email – nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com.
You can catch the first episode now… The Office Closet!
Happy Organizing!
“Home Sweet Home”
March 29, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
We are back from a busy fun filled Spring Break! We went swimming, we played at the bouncy house, played pickle ball for the first time, watched the Blind Side (great movie by the way) ate too much junk food, and had many laughs!
Some of my favorite memories will be of my 4 year old daughter declaring her love for Mrs. Buttercup, (Suppose to be Mrs.Butterworth – we had a lot of french toast over the break!) Hearing the laughs from the bedroom between her and her older brother, and listening to their intense discussion about dinosaurs! To see how excited each child was when getting new coloring books for the car ride.
We went to an arcade and my daughter wanted so badly to play the hook game where you pick up a stuff animal. She loves stuff animals! I let her a play a couple of times, and then told her no more, it was just a waste of money. After more begging, I said OK one more time… And yes, one more time, meant she actually got the stuff animal… I couldn’t believe it! She was so excited! And my whole theory of it being a waste of money is well basically non existent… Now what do I say the next time she wants to play?
I love vacation. There is peace and a sense of renewal when you are able to get away from your normal routine. I always come back home being more motivated and inspired to work on projects that maybe I have been neglecting.
But once I am home, I realize how much I love being at home. I love the routine and the structure of our lives.
Vacation is good… but there is nothing like being at home!
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