Back To School Organization

     Today marks the last day of our Christmas holidays, meaning that school is back in full-force tomorrow. After a relaxing two weeks I can honestly say that I am heading back to school refreshed and ready to go!

     I didn't realize it at the time, but I was definitely feeling exhausted when Christmas hit. Teaching is a profession that isn't done when the day ends at 4:00pm and I think that it can be difficult to find a balance (especially in that first year when you're trying to "do it all"). This break has allowed me to take a step back from the classroom and focus on myself... my family... my life. It has also allowed me to work on some of the organizational aspects that I've determined I was lacking before!

     Over the past week I have been focusing on organizing certain aspects of my life in order to cut down on some of the stress that is bound to occur once I am in the routine again. Here are two of the main things I've been working on:

1 ) Organizing My Closet into Outfits
- Rather than have my closet organized by type of item, I
  began organizing my closet by full work outfits (complete with
  accessories).
- Now I just need to grab a hanger and know that I'm ready
  to go for the day!

2 ) Pre-Planning Meals
- The other day I spent 4 hours preparing over 30 meals that
  I've frozen and will only need to throw in the crockpot. Don't
  get me wrong, I love cooking, but I am beyond excited to know
  that supper will be ready when we get home! Plus, spending
  four hours of prep for a month of meals works so well for me.
- If you're interested in this idea, I was inspired by this post by
  Katie and even got some neat recipes from her.

crockpot cooking, crockpot freezer cooking, prepare marinades before you freeze meat
Sauces & spices for over 30 recipes prepped & ready to add meat & veggies!
crockpot cooking, crockpot freezer cooking, prepare marinades before you freeze meat
Once all the ingredients are in then it is off to the freezer!

     Hopefully these two things will help keep me organized going back into the school-year! What tips/tricks do you recommend in regards to at-home or at-school organization??

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