5 Things to De-clutter Before School Starts!

The start of the school year is fast approaching and while it's been lovely to spend quality family time together, I know in our family we're all going stir-crazy and really looking forward to the new term!

Before we get there, I am definitely feeling the urge to organise the house so we can hopefully keep the transition to school as stress-free as possible. 

Before I start any project it makes me feel better to write a list (classic procrastination technique!) so here goes, my top 5 areas that need to be de-cluttered and reorganised before the end of the school holidays:

1. The Tupperware Drawer

Every school has different expectations for school lunches and it might be worth sussing out what's the norm at your school. At the school that my son is going to this year, they have multiple eating breaks and also snack times where they eat at their desks. Apparently, this means that multiple containers are necessary. We have heaps of small containers, but seemingly not as many lids, so this is priority number one. Nothing is as frustrating as looking for missing lids! Same goes for waterbottles- matching them all up ahead of time will give me a chance to ditch the odds and ends and replace them with things that actually match. 

2. The Pantry and Freezer

Before I go crazy buying, baking and freezing school lunchbox snacks, our food storage needs a re-think. I'd love to have a specific spot in the pantry for snacks so when I write the shopping list it's easier to see what we have already. I would also like a dedicated place in the freezer for frozen muffins and slices because often things that go in our freezer end up at the back and never come out, which is super annoying when you've gone to the effort of actually cooking! 

3. The Entrance Hall

We have an entrance hall in our house with a 'shoe shelf', bag hooks and a sideboard for keys, coins and phones. This sounds great in theory, but actually, it quickly turns into a dumping ground for all of the random crap that comes into the house. Before I set it up with a spot for a backpack, school shoes and hat, it needs a deep clean (and maybe it's time to cull that shoe collection!). 

4. The Car

This might seem over the top, but school holiday activities have been tough on our poor little car and nothing makes you feel more like a proper, in control adult like a clean vehicle. I have a feeling that there's a treasure trove of hats, socks and shoes under the back seats and maybe even some of that missing Tupperware, so before school starts a full clean, inside and out, is on the list.

5. The Wardrobe

For the first time in my son's life, we're making room for a school uniform. I really want to encourage him to be independent and get himself dressed and ready for school. To make it easier for him we need to go through his stuff together, sell or donate the clothes he's grown out of and make one drawer a dedicated school uniform section. He hasn't tried on his new uniform yet, so I'd love him to do that before the first day so we have a chance to exchange ill-fitting items and wash the rest, ready to wear. Then we need to go through and make sure his socks are paired, his underwear is passable and he's not missing any important items. 

This is my first time as a primary school parent, so I'm SURE I'm missing some things- feel free to shoot me a comment if you have any awesome tips!