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Ready to tackle your organizing projects and not sure where to start. We are giving you all the deets here today, follow these steps and you are sure to make some major progress on your organizing goals. Just remember you are only one person and can only do so much at a time so don't get down on yourself if things aren't going as quickly as you imagined. Stay with it and your future self will thank you!
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I know, I know. A professional organizer wanting to talk about labels. Shocker, right? What if I told you though, that Cricut labels and labels from my P-touch label maker aren’t my favorite labels? That might shock you. I mean don’t get me wrong, I do LOVE using the Cricut and my P-touch Label maker. I have labels from both in about every space of my home. As Professional Organizers, we label ALL THE THINGS. Why do we love labels so much? Is it because they make the bins look pretty or because it makes us feel more in control of where things go or are we just too lazy to look in the bins? Well, I guess being lazy isn’t too far off. That’s kind of why I love my house organized, I am too lazy to go look for things. If it is in the right spot, then I am not wasting time and energy rummaging through the drawers and cabinets looking for another lost item. As Professional Organizers, we love helping you simplify your life. By using labels, you can take the guesswork and effort out of putting things away. When we have labels, others in the household are more willing to help AND put it in the right spot.  So… what are my favorite types of labels? PICTURE LABELS! When my kids were small, years ago, I was not the fun mom. Every evening (ok sometimes more often), my kids had to clean up their toys. If they were big enough to dump the toys, they were big enough to help clean them up. I learned right away that it is hard for kids to remember where something goes if they can’t read the label. That’s when I started putting Picture Labels on all the bins. My oldest is 20, so this was back before I even knew label makers existed. I would take a picture of the toys in a bin or find an example online, write the word underneath and attach it to the pull handle of the bins. The picture paired with the word also helped them to learn to read. Once I discovered a laminator, I upgraded to laminating the picture card. This made the labels so much more durable. Once the kids could see what went inside, it was a game changer. They were a lot more willing to help and they learned independence and life skills along the way.
When my kids got old enough to be in school full time, I started working as a Paraprofessional at their school in California. This is where I really learned the value of a picture label, as well as a laminator and Velcro 😊. Not only did picture labels help kids put their toys away, but it helped them navigate life! I was blessed to be asked to work in a self-contained Autism classroom. Not only did my love of picture labels grow, but I fell in love with working with the kiddos as well. I learned so much in my 3 years there, about how a simple picture label (of all sorts) could help a child learn routines, communicate their wants and needs, READ, and yes even clean up their toys in the classroom. 😊 Over the years, before I found my dream job as an organizer, I have been fortunate to work in several different ESE classrooms, in 3 different states. No matter where I worked, whether it be in an Autism Classroom, EBD classroom, or 3 year old Preschool classroom, it was evident that picture labels and communication were an essential part of life. Next time you drive down the street, look around and notice how many “picture labels” of all sorts are EVERYWHERE.   I think I mastered my craft though, when I worked in a 3-year-old preschool classroom (talk about fun 😊). I volunteered to take on the role of making sure all the bins in the classroom had an updated picture label (shocker, huh?). I knew it helped some, but I really realized the value the label had when I was sick on a Monday. At the end of every week, we changed out the activities and toys in each center. I would then put out all the matching labels or make them over the weekend if we had new activities or just didn’t have a label to match. Well, one weekend I got sick and didn’t return to school until Tuesday. I was immediately told by my co-workers that the kids were so upset that the bins didn’t have their labels. One kid had even exclaimed “how are we supposed to know where to put anything! We need Ms. Sam back.” I then heard about the lack of labels again and again as the kids arrived at the classroom that morning. At the beginning of this school year I received an email asking me to share the file and template I had used, so that they could continue to use the same system. So, if you have a loved one that would benefit from picture labels, don’t hesitate to use them. I mean you can always call me to make some for you; picture labels are kinda my jam. It doesn’t matter what type of labels you use, just remember….LABEL.ALL.THE.THINGS. 😊
Did you have a chance to check out the article I was interviewed for in Parents Magazine Florida? If not check it out here and don't forget to check out some of the other great articles in the January issue.
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