Don’t panic! Your summer joy does not have to fade into the daily monotony of slogging through piles of ‘stuff’ that leave you bewildered and confused. The first step - don't put it off a moment longer. Second, plan your strategy for "organizing". Third, break everything down into manageable steps.

Prioritize. Look at one area in your house that needs help. It is usually the 'dump it all' place. You know - the table in the the corner, the desk, the hall, the nook where things get dumped - like the junk drawer in the kitchen... except bigger. Just tackle one of those areas first. Get three good sized boxes or sturdy trash bags and label them KEEP IT, TOSS IT, and GIVE IT AWAY. Then start going through the area one item at a time. The rules are simple. Each item goes into one of those three containers. Commit to one hour a day. You'll have it done in less time than you think. Go with your first instinct when judging each thing you find. For instance, if you haven't used something in a year (or you can't remember the last time you saw it), then the choice is quickly narrowed down to the GIVE IT AWAY or TOSS IT receptacle. You'll be surprised how quickly those two fill up. When you are finally left with an area that you can work with, clean it, vacuum it, polish it. Take the KEEP IT pile and put those items away immediately where they belong. Then follow through immediately on the GIVE IT AWAY (to the local charity) and TOSS IT (into the trash) piles. This is the hard part - don't look back.

If you choose one area of your home to declutter each month, then eventually you'll have at least worked on all the major 'catch-all' areas in just a few months and if you keep it up, even sporadically, you can stop the inevitable build-up from becoming overwhelming. As you succeed in de-cluttering, you will find the motivation to become more organized. Perhaps you’ll want to build (or purchase) shelves or bins for storage, or find new uses for old storage areas now that you've reclaimed them. Find ideas at places like Home Depot or in magazines. Make sure that if your children are old enough, that they start decluttering their rooms and play areas regularly, using the same method. Designate one day every week for major chores and decluttering activities. Soon, it will become automatic and you'll have more time to enjoy your home and relax - even when it’s not summer.

This is just one tip for summertime organization strategies that will help you re-energized for the busyness that comes after Labor Day. Remember, start small and focused. Commit to a little time each day until the task is complete. When the hour is up, stop and go enjoy the rest of the day without giving your decluttering project another thought. Then go back to it tomorrow. You will see results, just give it a try.

For more help and strategies for life-management and organization you’ll find practical insights in the following articles in this issue of Home Educator’s Family Times. Take a look at Kathryn Stout’s article on page 7, “Healthy Hearted Juggling” as she shares her experience as a recovering work-aholic. Look over organizing guru, Cheryl Carter’s article on page 19, “What Am I Doing?” Want to plan a birthday party? Check out “5 Ways to Make Birthdays Memorable” on page 22. And if you want some old-fashioned encouragement and reminders on why you are homeschooling, read the Book Excerpt on page 16 “Homeschooling: A Wonderful Way of Life”. Then go climb into your hammock, grab that tall iced tea and just dream of those adventurous homeschool days ahead.

Need help with homeschooling issues? Visit Homeschool Support Network now.