If you really want to impress a #minimalist #mom, help her #declutter and #organize for #Mother’s Day. She can choose the areas to target; the important part is that you help her edit the #stuff in that space down to the essentials and get rid of the rest. If you find any lightly used goods Mom no longer needs, consider holding a #garage or #tag sale and use the proceeds to take her out to dinner — or #donate that extra #junk to ClothingDonations.org by scheduling a #free #donation #pickup. A Mother’s Day #decluttering can keep Mom happy for weeks and months to come! #MothersDay
Tag: clear the clutter
The Gift of Your Time Is What Moms Want
The best thing to give #Mom on #Mother’s Day is your time. Take a bike ride together, visit other relatives, have a picnic in the park or go to a concert — getting out and doing something she likes is the best way to celebrate. Alternatively, take some to-dos off her plate by dedicating a day to #deep-cleaning her house or completing some handyman chores. “If it’s a big job, enlist the help of other family members or hire a service,” Today says. “While some folks don’t mind doing the work themselves, plenty would appreciate someone else doing the heavy lifting.” If you’re far away, don’t forget to call! #MothersDay
Give Mom a Journal to Record Her Memories
Want to know more about #Mom? One #Mother’s Day #gift that won’t take up much space and deliver mountains of memories is a journal. Journals such as Mom, I Want to Hear Your Story and Burn After Writing offer prompts to help Mom reflect on her own childhood and impart her knowledge, even if she isn’t a seasoned writer or storyteller. “Once mom starts filling out [a] journal book, you’ll be surprised by how much you don’t know about her life,” Wirecutter says. Another idea is a gift certificate for a framing service — which can cut the household #clutter by getting a few of those treasured family photos out of drawers and on display. #MothersDay
Give Mom a Gift That Won’t Create Clutter
Looking for the perfect #Mother’s Day #gift for the #mom who has everything — or maybe two of everything? Give a gift that won’t add to #clutter! These might include consumables such as chocolates, healthy snacks, wine and spirits, or a gourmet dinner in or out. Active moms might appreciate a fitness class, yoga session or massage; magazine subscriptions, apps and classes won’t add to the physical #stuff if you go all-digital. Better still, take mom on an excursion or make a #donation to a #charity in her name, Abundant Life With Less suggests. It’s the memories that matter most! #MothersDay
Get the Jump on Back-to-School Season
For kids and the college-bound, the lazy days of summer will soon come to an end. School starts as early as mid-August in many parts of the United States, so it’s goodbye to campouts and cookouts and swimming pools and pickup games, and back to the books.
Parents will want to take advantage of the many sales. Retailers are promoting back-to-school #deals earlier to tap the average $875 parents will spend this year to get each child outfitted in new clothes, computers and backpacks.
College students need even more to set them up for success: $1,365, according to the National Retail Federation, because they also need basic housewares such as sheets and minifridges. Whatever the student’s age, Good Housekeeping offers a guide to the things they might need.
You’ll want to get your students looking the part, from outfitting them in the latest styles (baggy jeans and leopard prints are back) to getting them a fresh haircut. (Great Clips is offering 24,000 free haircuts and a glossary of Gen Z slang to get parents up to speed.)
“It’s tough to keep up with the latest slang kids are using, but it is important because you can’t help your child succeed if you don’t really know what they want,” says former NSYNC singer Joey Fatone, who stars in a promo with his teenage daughter.
Parents who want to cut the #clutter will also want to prepare for the inevitable onslaught of student projects. Now’s a great time of year to work with your kids to #clean out #closets and make room for new #clothes, #organize a desk and #file last year’s school work.
Set aside any #clothing that still has some useful life in it and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Other parents appreciate the deals they can find at the #thrift stores supplied by those generous #donations, and #veterans benefit from the resale proceeds.
So (attempting Z slang here) don’t do back-to-school mid — gas up your kids for the new year. If your beige flag is organization, it’s a good time for you to cook. But start right away — letting kids start school unprepared is delulu!