The key to #organization is regular maintenance, and nowhere is that more true than a child’s COVID-19–era remote learning space. Rolling carts can help kids #organize their paperwork, electronics and other supplies, professional organizer Wendy Buglio told The Boston Globe early in the pandemic: “A small rolling cart can be used to provide easy access during the school day, but can be tucked out of the way as needed.” Bins are a great option for keeping small items such as masks, chargers, pencils and pens from #cluttering the workspace.
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
Contain Distance Learning in a Dedicated Space
Thanks to a dramatic push to get people vaccinated against the #coronavirus, schools may be able to reopen in the fall. Until then, however, parents will continue to deal with the #clutter and #chaos of at-home learning — papers, screens and projects that ordinarily might be confined to the a classroom. Design your remote learning space to contain everything the child needs to learn, the Khan Academy suggests. Make sure that the workspace has good lighting, no distractions and is comfortable enough for extended sessions of screen-based study.
Create an Effective Remote Learning Area
COVID-19 has forced a lot of families to suddenly embrace remote learning. But even though it is largely performed on screens, remote learning can attract #clutter and will require a dedicated space to be effective. Organized by Heart says to start with the basics: Pick a desk or work surface that’s the right size and height for your children to stay focused; add a corkboard, clips or magnets so they can display their work; and add some easy-access storage space. Most importantly, “Keep things portable and easy to put away.”
Celebrate Earth Day This Week and Every Week
Earth Day 2021 is not just a day — it’s a three-day event. Arranged around the theme “Restore Our Earth,” the observance will offer thousands of affiliated events worldwide to increase awareness of climate change and other environmental issues.
Scheduled this week are a global youth and education summits, a virtual “We Shall Breathe” summit from the Hip Hop Caucus, and a live event with workshops, panel discussions and performances on official Earth Day itself, Thursday, April 22.
Global summits will be held virtually, making it easy to join even if pandemic restrictions are in place. Fans of the planet are invited to participate in cleanups, tree plantings, teach-ins and other activities nearby; locate one near you on this map.
You can make every day Earth Day by volunteering with, donating to and advocating on behalf of environmentally friendly organizations. But perhaps the best way to help the earth is to modify your behavior in order to shrink your impact on the environment.
If you can’t go totally vegan to reduce factory farming, for example, you could at least observe Meatless Mondays. You can pick up litter when you’re out for a walk. You can calculate your own carbon footprint and take steps to reduce and offset it.
Reusable shopping bags and bottles can cut your use of single-use plastics. Plastic waste has infiltrated every part of the earth’s ecosphere, and humans and animals are suffering ill effects from ingesting the chemicals they release.
The more that can be reused without going into landfills, streams and oceans, the better. That’s another good reason to #donate your used clothing (a major source of plastics in the water supply, by the way) and household items to ClothingDonations.org.
#Donated items can have a second life with new owners, not only saving on waste, but also eliminating an equivalent amount of new goods needing to be manufactured. Plus, the proceeds from resale go toward helping veterans nationwide.
The Organizing Blog encourages you to get involved in efforts to clean up and protect the environment in ways large and small this Earth Day and every other day of the year. The saying may be hackneyed, but it’s true: We only have one earth — let’s protect it.
Save More Money With Tax Credits
COVID-19 relief payments aren’t taxable, since they are essentially tax credits that the IRS awarded early. But there are other tax credits that can help lower your tax liability, the College Investor says. For example, you can claim up to $2,000 for adult educational expenses under the Lifelong Learning Credit, or use the American Opportunity Tax Credit to reduce liability as an undergraduate. And if you are a working parent of modest means, you may qualify for an Earned Income Tax credit of up to $6,660. #LastMinuteTaxTips