21 Fun Ways to Teach Kids Organization in their Rooms

6 Kids Organization Room Ideas

1.  In a boy’s room, put a basketball hoop over a laundry basket for slam-dunking dirty clothes.
2. Place a two-compartment hamper in your kid’s room so he or she can sort light clothes from dark clothes as they undress.
3. String a clothesline in your child’s room and have your child clothespin his or her favorite artwork.
4. Hang a fish net from the ceiling to store stuffed animals, dolls, or action figures.
5. Add a bookshelf and help your child organize their books.
6. Buy the kids their own alarm clocks and teach them how to get up on time.

15 Kids Room Organization Ideas from Our Blogger Friends

1. DIY Kids Bedside Table with Book Storage
2. DIY Kids Chalkboard Bookshelf
3. Frugal Tips for Organizing Kids Rooms
4. How to Create an Organized Kids Closet
5. Our Playroom Reveal: Black and White and Toys all Over!
6. Back to School Organization Ideas
7. Beautiful Lego Storage
8. DIY Toy Storage Bench
9. 5 Ways to Organize Your Playroom
10. DIY Costume Closet
11. Must Try Storage Bin Ideas
12. Cool Bedrooms for Teen Boys
13. Toy Storage Ideas
14. How to Build a Closet Loft
15. How to Make and Install Pallet Bookshelves

Try these Kids Closet Organization Tips Too!

Declutter

Remove everything out of the closet and sort into piles. Get rid of items that your child does not wear or is not likely to use. Make sure to be ruthless here. The worn out ones can be thrown away and the better ones can be donated.

Install a Few Hooks

If there are some items that your kid wears all the time or uses regularly, there is no reason to keep it out of reach or sight. Instead, install a few hooks on the side so that your little one can grab those things and go. On the contrary, if there are things like off-season clothes and accessories that you don’t want your child to have easy access of, go ahead and put them out of reach like on the top shelf.

Hang Clothes in Pairs

Instead of hanging a single piece of clothing, consider matching up your child’s outfits on every hanger. Not only will it help young kids make independent clothing choices, it will also free up a lot of valuable closet space.

Lower the Clothing Bar

Reaching high clothing bars can be a trouble for little ones. So, consider remounting them to within their reach. Alternatively, a step stool inside the closet is a great idea for kids who need extra height to reach their clothing.

Use Boxes and Baskets

Incorporate boxes and baskets of various shapes and sizes for additional storage space. They make a great storage system for toys, folded clothes, and shoes. Irrespective of your shelving options, there is sure to be something to fit. Thrift and dollar stores are usually great places to find such items on cheap.

There are numerous ways to help your child organize, be creative and see which one’s they like!

For more kids organization on Stagetecture, click here.

Have you thought about a cleaning chart? What I find is the hardest part about keeping a home clean with multiple people is for everyone to do “their part”! In my household of two teenage sons, a 5 year old daughter, a husband and a cat, it always seems like no one wants to take responsibility for cleaning up! I’m sure this is true with college roommates, and anyone else who has to share a living space with other people. Take a look at our home organization ideas on Pinterest here!

How a Cleaning Chart may Keep Your Household Sane

A cleaning chart or roster can be an essential ingredient of a happy household. If you’ve ever lived in a share house, and been forced to put up with a filthy housemate, then you’ve already had a taste of the types of problems that cleaning rosters are intended to solve. They can be great for homes where there are lots of people and lots of cleaning tasks to do, and they also work well for busy people or anyone else who wants to make keeping the house clean a little bit easier. In its simplest form, a cleaning roster is a high level schedule of regular household cleaning tasks.

How To Make Your Cleaning Chart

Start by making a master list of all the cleaning chores that need to be done.  You may want to brainstorm the list first, and then go over the house considering each room to see what you might have missed.

The next step involves organizing these tasks into those that must be done daily, a couple of times per week, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and yearly.  To get you started, here are some examples of tasks that might be in these categories:

Cleaning Chart Daily:

Dishes, cleaning floors and other surfaces, and putting away paperwork;

Cleaning Chart Every few days:

Laundry (depending on how many people are in your household), mopping, and vacuuming;

Weekly:

Vacuuming (if your house doesn’t accumulate much dust), dusting, and general cleaning in areas that don’t get much use;

Monthly:

Ceiling fans and light fixtures, walls, windows, air vents, and deep vacuuming in nooks and crannies;

Cleaning Chart Seasonally:

Outdoor areas, HVAC units, windows, and appliances;

Yearly:

Spring cleaning, and other deep out-of-the-way cleaning that you only do once a year, such as attics and basements.

Note: Don’t just copy the cleaning roster above!  Well, actually you can if you want… but you’ll find it much more beneficial to design one of your own that is tailored to the needs of your household.

Designate Tasks

Next, decide how many people are available to do which cleaning tasks.  Create a rotation so that nobody has to do one particular job every time.  Make sure you take into account what each person can and can’t do.  Some things might be impossible or dangerous for little kids, and you should be careful about assigning too many tasks to family members who work long hours.  Try to get everyone involved in cleaning and remember that kids who do some housework tend to have higher levels of responsibility, maturity, and self-esteem.

Molly Maid has some great cleaning charts for kids, adults, and more, here.

Create Your Chart

The best way to create your cleaning roster is using the computer.  In fact, you can download roster templates from various websites that allow you to shortcut the process a little.  Or, almost equally as easily, you can make your own using a simple program like Microsoft Excel.  Start by recording each of your family member’s work or school schedule, and then start assigning tasks to the available time accordingly.  It might be a good idea to choose times of the day for certain tasks.  For example, general tidying up is a daily task that works well just before bed.

If it’s the first time, you may also want to allow for some flexibility; pay attention to what works well and what doesn’t, and then be prepared to go back and make some changes later.

Need help in creating a cleaning chart? Spending for Less has some great ideas!

Cleaning Chart for the Entire Family:

Perhaps the biggest challenge is getting everyone to follow the cleaning roster!  In order to overcome this difficulty, you may want to post it in a place where it will be easily seen, like the refrigerator.  Also, if you find that it’s tough to get the kids to do their work then it’s worth considering creating a rewards system.  For example, if all of the tasks are completed by the end of the week, then they get a prize or treat. This sort of technique can be quite motivational; you’ll find that rewarding them for doing their cleaning works much better than punishing them for NOT doing it.

If you’re battling against a super messy house and you haven’t tried a cleaning roster before then give it a shot. If you get it right, then it can generate great results.

This article was written on behalf of Housework Heroes. Get in touch to learn about their cleaning franchise opportunities, or if you want some further reading, then take a look at their article on eco cleaning tips.

For more home cleaning tips on Stagetecture, click here.

How do you have your kids help out with holiday decorations? I love to use my daughter’s crafts and let them double as Christmas decor. Christmas kids crafts are perfect for winter break too! Help them not get bored even after Christmas is over, these kids crafts are great ideas. Take a look at these kids crafts and our blogger friends who have a good selection of crafts that you will enjoy giving to your kids, and will enjoy bringing them out for years to come… even more!

18 Easy Christmas Kids Crafts to Keep Them Busy

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1. Candy Cane Mice

It’s the kids who will be doing the nibbling when these sweet mice are around. A combination of two Christmas icons — mice and candy canes — these tiny fabric creatures, with their red-and-white-striped tails, make fitting favors at a holiday dinner or delightful gifts for children to give to friends and relatives. How to make craft.

2. Pipe-cleaner Snowflake Ornament

Need a fun, easy-to-make project that will keep the kids busy? All you need to create these ornaments are wire cutters, needle-nose pliers (both for adults’ use only), and pipe cleaners. They make great gifts for teachers, to adorn presents, or to hang from your tree. How to make craft.

3. Old Toy Christmas Tree Ornaments

Thanksgiving Hosting: Perfect First Thanksgiving Tips

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Choose Fool-proof Recipes

After the number of guests is finalized, you should make decisions about what you want to cook and how much you will need. Make sure to know about possible allergies or health conditions of your guest, so you can make informed decisions. After that, ask yourself about what you have experience with and what you are comfortable cooking.

Now it’s time to choose your menu. Stick to a few dishes, you really don’t have to do it all. If you want, ask for help from your guests or family; they could bring a dessert or wine, or a side. Just make sure to know about it early on, so you can plan accordingly. When choosing your dishes and recipes, read them first, check the rating if available and scan through reviews.

Choose only recipes that are fool-prove, with easy to follow directions and that all ingredients can be found fairly easy, preferably at only a couple of places. Ideally, choose recipes you have cooked before or if you have time, make a test-run. Also, make sure you have all necessary equipment at your disposal. But don’t be shy on buying desserts or fresh appetizers from a store if you want. Just make sure that the majority of things served are made by you. The dessert is also really important since it closes the meal and leaves a lasting impression.

Decide on a strategy and stick to it

Now that you have your recipes, work out a strategy and time plan that you will stick to. Of course there should be room for some adjustments if necessary. Make at least two lists of things you need: one for things you can buy several days before Thanksgiving (plates, pantry items, decorations, beverages etc.) and one for things you will need to buy just a couple of days before Thanksgiving (e.g. fresh fruits and vegetables).

Plan your grocery trips carefully, so you save on time and money. Also, make a day – to –day to-do-list where you can write down what needs to get done each day the week before Thanksgiving. Plan ahead for the turkey to thaw (it needs about a full day for each 4 pounds of turkey) and cook ahead of time whenever possible; many things can be frozen or kept in the fridge until it’s time to serve them, just remember to thaw or warm them up in time.

Also, plan in time to clean the house, decorate it and clean and prepare your tableware. If you are awaiting overnight guests, prepare the guestroom at least a week ahead. Check at a glance everything the day before Thanksgiving to ensure everything is in order. Don’t forget your porch or entrance; it’s often the first impression that makes all the difference.

Shop Burlap and Succulents for Thanksgiving Dinnerware, aprons, recipe binders and more!

Think about the flow of Thanksgiving Day

Imagine how the big Day should go, how it should start, where your guest should be at the beginning or where they should take a seat. Make sure to have enough sitting opportunities and spread out serving tables with appetizers and drinks if needed. If you have many guests and want to have a buffet, think about where you will place foods, drinks and tableware.

Also, don’t forget to plan in entertaining details, like music or games for small guests. Write down any details, which will make sure you won’t forget anything and no chaos will be created on the big day. And make sure to have something planned for after the dinner is over, like a late coffee, tea or hot cocoaserving and have some boxes ready if anyone wants to take some leftovers with them.

Don’t leave too many things for the Last Moment

Set the table even days ahead if you can, fold napkins a week before and prepare your decorations sooner than later. Prepare a cleaning kit, so you can attend any emergency cleaning on Thanksgiving without being ashamed of that dirty mop. Wash vegetables and fruits you will need on Thanksgiving days before, strain them or wipe them dry and store them in airtight containers or zip-lock bags in the refrigerator.

Cut foods if possible into the pieces you need and store them until needed. Also make sure everything works and is in good condition. You don’t want to be needing the microwave just to find out it doesn’t work for some reason a few hours before your guests arrive.

Keep control over your First Thanksgiving Day

On the big Day, stick to your plan. Get an early start. Check all rooms and settings for a last time and make any corrections. Prepare your dishes and drinks. Ask your closest friend or family member to help if you need, there is no shame in that! Also, if possible make sure someone is in charge of looking after your guests, if everyone has a drink or if the music needs to be louder.

Bring gifts for the host or hostess!

One last thing to remember is to seek advice from experienced Thanksgiving hosts like your mom or an aunt… there is always something to be learned from the generations before us! So go ahead and follow these tips and it’s sure that your Thanksgiving hosting will be a full success. And of course never forget to have fun and be in a good mood on this special day! After all, the meal is not that important, if you have good times, laughter and fun with your loved ones to remember!

For more Thanksgiving entertaining tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Easy Fall Decorating Tips for your Home

To help you get started, we traveled back in time on Stagetecture to bring you the best and easiest fall decorating ideas. Take a look!

Add Autumn Floral Arrangements

A vase of happy fall seasonal flowers such as sunflowers or colorful fall foliage can instantly enliven any room. It will help to create a beautiful and elegant atmosphere and bring in lots of energy. Colors like yellows, reds, oranges, and purples are perfect for the autumn season Just make sure to keep the blooms fresh by changing the water every few days and removing the leaves below the water level.

Decorate with wallpaper in the bathroom

The bathroom is the best place to experiment when it comes to using wallpaper. As there aren’t many furniture pieces and colors in this area, busy wallpapers really seem to work. However, try to choose fall themed prints and colors such as leaves, harvest and more. Also, opt for quality wallpapers to ensure easy removal after the season.

Fall decorating tips: update with candles and scents  

While candles look great any time of the year, they are just perfect decorative pieces for colder months as they suggest light and warmth both the things that nature does not offer during this season. Team it up with colorful scented potpourri, pine cones, and seed pods to create a vibrant focal point. Pick scents like pumpkin, cinnamon, or apple to provide a seasonal touch. However, make sure to stick with one or maximum two aromas at a time to avoid mixing of fragrances.

Use literary accents for Fall decorating

Decorating for fall cannot get easier than this. Simply cut out F, A,L, and L out of craft paper and get it framed or tied in a string. Pick autumn inspired colors for craft papers to really get the feel of the season.

Finally, it’s time to bid adieu to warmer months. So, get started, use these fall decorating ideas and fill your home with scents and sights of the season. The best part is it’s easy, inexpensive, and fun. Have more interesting ideas to share? We are hearing through comments.

For more fall decorating tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Sunday Brunch: Warm Cinnamon Scone Recipe

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Yield: 8 scones.

Scone Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup cold butter
1 large tart apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey

TOPPING:

2 teaspoons wheat germ
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Scone Recipe Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the apple, milk and honey; add to dry ingredients just until moistened.

2. Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently 5-6 times. Gently pat dough into a 9-in. circle, about 1/2 in thick. Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle over dough. Cut into eight wedges.

3. Separate wedges and place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Whether you want to serve this warm scones recipe for your next Sunday brunch or you freeze them and enjoy them at a later date, they will always be delicious! We also love eating them with warm strawberry preserves! Who can resist an easy pastry that makes your entire home smell lovely? Looking for more scone recipes on Stagetecture? Take a look at this scone recipe.

Want to Know How to Make Scones from the pros?

Alton Brown of the Food Network has a great and simple scone recipe. Learn how to make scones with his simple directions. The best 50 Scone cookbook is a great resource if you’re looking for more delicious recipes.

For more brunch recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Typically, sunflowers are very easy to grow. They require minimal maintenance. You just need to sow the seeds in your garden, sprinkle some amount of water every day and thin the sunflower seedlings as they start to sprout. But sunflowers differ in their varieties. Knowing which variety fits you provides additional reasons to awaken your garden with gorgeous yellow throughout the spring and summer.

Gardening Tips: Choosing The Right Sunflower To Grow

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The Farmers Almanac gives you a good overview of how to grow sunflowers too!

Here are some tips on choosing the right sunflower to grow in your garden:

Varieties of Sunflowers: Teddy bear, Elf or Junior

This sunflower variety is great for a garden with limited space. This type doesn’t require too much space as they are typically smaller than any sunflower variety.

Sunflower Gardening: Solar Flare

This is a dazzling flame-type sunflower. The vibrant colors of this type will truly dazzle and impress anyone who can see it. You can get sunflower seedlings and seeds here.

For Sunflower Gardening books, look at these helpful resources:

How to Grow Sunflowers

Sunflower Gardening Book

Two of the Harlows or Lemon Queen

If you want to see multi-branching sunflower type, this is your best choice. This type is also good for homes with limited garden space.

How to Grow Strawberry Blonde Hybrid Sunflowers

If you aim for uniqueness, this is it! The Strawberry Blonde Hybrid is considered as the first rose-pink sunflower. Now, isn’t that unique? This type is exceptional in beauty and rarity.

Chianti Hybrid

This is another hybrid sunflower variety. It is not your typical yellow sunflower. The Chianti Hybrid sunflower an eye-catching wine-red velvet petals with spotted gold. These are gorgeous for decorating your home or for giving in a lush bouquet.

Try looking at sunflower gardening inspiration before growing your own.

Sunflower Gardening: Fantasia Mix

Make your fantasy come to display with this extraordinary array of flower colors. This type provides a fancy look in your garden.

When it comes to your home garden, you don’t settle for anything less. Plant your sunflower of choice and see how it electrifies the beauty of your garden.

For more gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Greenhouses are a great way to achieve optimal surroundings around your plants, as well as keep your plants from being chewed up by animals and pesky insects that would normally be found outside in the open air.

You Tube Video – How to Build a Greenhouse

Hobby Greenhouse Building & Construction Planning 101

Owning a hobby greenhouse is probably every gardening enthusiast’s dream. This is because greenhouses allow you to grow the kind of plants that you want at any time of the year under controlled conditions.

• But before you rush into constructing one, here are some very important points that you need to determine first before starting anything and if you get stuck read additional green building plans.

If gardening really is your hobby, then it is best to invest in the biggest greenhouse that you can find.

1. It may be an expensive initial investment yes, but it will be more costly to get a smaller spaced greenhouse and have it expanded later.
2. Most of the time, you are bound to fill up your greenhouse space in no time at all so it’s best to utilize what space that you have rather than invest in more costly expansions in the future.

Build a Greenhouse: Heating and ventilation requirements

This is probably one of the most important parts of a greenhouse.

1. The real essence of greenhouses is the ability to grow plants at a controlled condition and this can only be done through proper heating and ventilation systems.
2. There are actually a number of heating systems available in the market – from the natural gas, electric, gas and propane heating.
3. It is just a matter of your budget and the availability of these heating systems in your area.
4. One of the most convenient systems to use is the electric system but can be a problem during blackouts and power shortages.

Siding materials for your Greenhouse

The kind of siding materials you use is very important because this will affect the amount of sunlight penetrating into your greenhouse during the day.

1. As much as possible, you would like to have the most amount of sunlight into your greenhouses because it is essential for plant life.
2. The best siding option here would be glass. Aside from light diffusion, insulation is also an important factor.
3. Siding materials should be able to keep your greenhouses well insulated and prevent too much temperature fluctuation, which could damage or even kill your plants.

Greenhouse Framing Ideas

Frames should be strong enough to support your entire structure during harsh weathers – from heat, rain or snow.

• The choice of framing materials will depend in the kind of siding you use. Use stronger frames for heavier sidings.
• Wood is great aesthetic-wise but PVC and aluminum frames are mode durable and requires less maintenance.

There are actually hobby greenhouse kits available in the market.

• They come complete with materials and instructions and with pre-measured materials so make sure that the kits you buy fit your space.
• This can save you the hassle of buying and selecting materials one by one. But if you want a more customized greenhouse and love the work, then by all means, go the other way and start your greenhouse from scratch.

Aside from these, you also need to keep in mind that some areas may require local building permits for greenhouse constructions so check if your local government requires them or not before starting the work.

Love to garden? You may like this Container Gardening post too!

For more DIY Saturday‘s on Stagetecture, click here.

How to Make a Ham and Cheese Quiche Recipe

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Spinach Quiche Recipe:

Would you like a variation on your favorite Quiche Lorraine Recipe? Try adding 5-6 fresh chopped spinach leaves or 1 frozen box of spinach cooked, and drained and added to the recipe below. You will love the addition!

Total Time:  1 hr. 25 min.

Ham and Cheese Quiche Ingredients:

2 (9-inch) Deep Dish Frozen Pie Crusts

12 ounces chopped cooked ham

1 small finely chopped onion

½ teaspoon of vinegar

1/8 teaspoon of dried tarragon

1 tablespoon of finely chopped green bell pepper

1 pinch of garlic powder

1 (4.5 oz) of drained, chopped canned mushroom

1 pinch of ground nutmeg

6 eggs

1 pinch of dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of heavy cream

8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Quiche Recipe Directions:

1)      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and pre-bake the 2 pie crusts for 10 min.  When the pie crusts are done take them out and set them aside.

2)      Get out a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onion, and mushroom until the onions are soft and translucent. When that occurs to remove the skillet away from the heat and set aside on a cool burner.

3)      Take out a large bowl, mix the eggs and cream together, then stir in the shredded Jack and Swiss cheese, chopped ham and saute vegetables, vinegar and season with the tarragon, garlic powder, nutmeg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Begin to divide and evenly fill the 2 pre-baked pie crusts.

4)      Place the pie crusts into the preheated oven and let it bake for 55-60 min, or until the filing is set and the pie crusts are golden brown.

For more quiche recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Creative Ways to Save Money on Outdoor Furniture

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Save money on outdoor furniture at yard sales

Whether you’re checking ads in your local paper, sifting through items on Craigslist, or using a yard-sale app like Rumgr to find private citizens selling outdoor furniture in your area, this tactic could help you to find amazing deals on the pieces you want for your outdoor space. Sure they might be slightly used, but sometimes you can get them for the fabulous price of “you haul” (read: free). And even if you have to shell out a few bucks to paint pieces or buy new cushions you’ll still save a ton over brand new furniture.

Sample sales can find you deals on patio furniture

Many women rush to sample sales for their favorite fashion designers, but have no idea that furniture stores frequently pull the same stunt in an effort to clear out floor samples and replace them with new stock. So check in with your local patio furniture store to see if and when they are hosting sample sales. The pieces may have a little wear and tear from the showroom, but you’ll pay a fraction of the cost for virtually unused furnishings.

Discount warehouse stores

You may be aware that you can find many home goods at discount stores like Target and Wal-Mart, but you may not have realized that this often includes outdoor furniture. Besides the fact that you can get an entire outdoor setup at a great price, you may also have the option to buy items piecemeal so that you don’t have to overspend for items you don’t want and you can replace a piece that is damaged without having to buy the whole set again.

Online outlets for outdoor furniture

The internet offers a plethora of opportunities to save on just about any product you can think of, outdoor furniture included. And if you can find Cabelas promo codes for your hunting gear it’s a good bet that you can scope out online coupon codes for patio-furniture e-tailers. At the very least you’re bound to find sale items that aren’t in stores and even observe lower prices in general.

Looking for spring outdoor furniture? These outdoor furniture tips can help.

Outdoor Furniture Maintenance Tips:

You maintain your car through regular inspections, your home through regular cleaning, and even your body with a daily vitamin courtesy of coupon codes for Puritans Pride. So why wouldn’t you maintain your outdoor furniture? If you leave it exposed to the elements year-round then you shouldn’t be surprised when you have to replace it. Instead, keep it handy during the times of year when you actually use it and then cover it or move it into the garage the rest of the year. This will save you the time and expense of buying new items every summer.

For more outdoor living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.