Archive for ‘Students’ Category

See Your Way Clear: Organize With Transparent Sticky Notes

Posted on: September 16th, 2024 by Julie Bestry | 10 Comments


Longtime Paper Doll readers know that I’ve had a complex relationship with sticky notes. On the one hand, in the very first month of this blog, all the way back in 2007, I railed against writing things on random pieces of loose paper in Stay Far From Floozies: Avoiding the Loose Paper Trap.

On the other hand, over the years I’ve broadened my approach. It’s not the sticky notes, per se, personified by 3M’s Post-it® Notes, that left me chagrined, but the act of writing things you want to remember on any visible piece of paper, without rhyme, reason, or organizational process. To that end, I’ve shared a wide variety of pro-sticky note posts, including:

So, let me be perfectly clear: stickies have have a place in organizing — as long as they’re used intentionally, mindfully, and not randomly.

With all this in mind, today’s Paper Doll post explores another intriguing sticky note option reminiscent of the novelty we discussed back in 2012 when I looked a different transparent office supply solution, in Paper Doll Rolls the Highlight Reel: Removable Highlighter Tape. 

BENEFITS AND USES OF TRANSPARENT STICKY NOTES

When it comes to organizing thoughts and information, I want the benefits of transparent sticky notes to crystal clear. 

In case you’ve never seen a transparent sticky note, think of it as combining the functions of tracing paper and sticky notes.

Transparent sticky notes — which, to be fair, I generally more translucent or slightly “frosted” than entirely transparent — offer several benefits that distinguish them from traditional opaque ones, especially for organizing and annotating. Additionally, the notes (though not the writing) are waterproof and are generally more durable than traditional sticky notes. 

Having trouble envisioning how they work? Take a peek:

Academic Uses

Transparent sticky notes are ideal for students at all levels, but particularly in high school and college, especially when studying texts where annotations are helpful or even necessary but the page or document must not be permanently altered.

Transparent sticky notes allow students to scribble questions, ideas, connections, and thoughts directly over content. The notes can be applied, easily removed or repositioned, and (if carefully stored) applied again later.

  • Overlay Text or Drawings Without Obscuring What’s Beneath

Transparent sticky notes allow you to place and affix notes directly over text or diagrams without covering the printed content.

This is particularly useful for annotating books and textbooks, source documents, or presentations where you want to preserve visibility of the original material. 

Science textbooks often include complex illustrations of plants, processes, or anatomical design. Students can learn a few elements at a time, add explanatory text to the overlaid sticky notes, remove the note to test themselves, and create new ones for different elements.

  • Highlight and Emphasize Information

By placing a transparent sticky note over a portion of text or an image, you can use a highlighter or writing implement to highlight, annotate, or draw attention to specific details without making permanent marks on the original material.

You can  use a highlighter directly on a clear transparent sticky note; tinted translucent notes let you both color code concepts or categories and serve the same accenting purpose as a traditional highlighter.

Teachers can write comments pointing to specific areas of a student’s work while not damaging the masterwork, and tutors can add explanatory guidance to notes and then remove them when coaching students to remember what was on them.

Students using printed textbooks can highlight or annotate content, remove and re-affix the notes for studying and self-testing, and then re-sell the practically pristine textbook to the college bookstore after the final exam! (Yes, I know college students primarily use digital textbooks now, but they still read many novels and auxiliary books and use workbooks in traditional formats.)

  • Copy content to paste into notes

Remember how I said that transparent sticky notes work like a combination of a traditional sticky note and tracing paper? Trace directly from your text book and then affix what you’ve traced into your handwritten notes.

The hand-brain connection means that students will remember the material much better from the experience of hand-tracing than they might if they only photocopied an illustration or chart.

Organizational Uses

This is an organizing blog, after all, so we should look at the organizing advantages.

  • Layer for Enhanced Organization

You can layer transparent sticky notes on top of one another or over documents without losing sight of the information underneath. This can be useful in complex planning, when you want to group ideas visually without obscuring the main content.

Again, students can use layering for studying illustrations or maps, adding their notes and layering different types of content on top of the original material, with layer upon layer adding more nuance and detailed information. (I’m reminded of my 9th grade Social Studies class where, when faced with a blank mimeographed map of Africa, we had to learn (and later fill in on subsequent weeks), the country names, then the capitals, then the colonial influences, and the top exported product. I could have really used transparent notes, but regular Post-it® Notes hadn’t made it to our school supplies yet!)

  • Reorganize Ideas Easily

One of the great benefits of traditional sticky notes is that you can move them around, but again, transparent/translucent sticky notes augment that benefit. They allow for more flexible, real-time organization of thoughts, whether they’re used on a document or handout, the page of a textbook or workbook, or even on a large-format item like a map, poster, or whiteboard.

Improve Every Stage of a Project

When you work (or study) in a creative field, your work often has many iterations. Having an overlay for things that aren’t (yet) perfect gives you flexibility to be creative without fear of losing a creative draft or burst of genius.

  • Clear the Way for Creative Work

Transparent sticky notes can help for artists, designers, and creators who need to annotate their thoughts without hiding underlying sketches or design elements. Create temporary markups and adjustments without altering the original work.

Musicians might create an overlay with the conductor’s suggestions written on an angle, above or below the measures, bars, and notes.

  • Collaborate and Brainstorm

In collaborative environments — picture a Mad Men-style creative team or a garage band figuring out how different instruments and vocals might come together — transparent sticky notes enable participants to add thoughts or ideas on top of shared content, whether on a design, blueprint, or lyric sheet.

The ability to make changes without altering the original fosters more flexible brainstorming sessions without fear of losing track of the original document or a sequence or flow of ideas.

Who else might use transparent sticky notes?

The unique properties make transparent sticky notes a versatile option in various context. In addition to traditional students and teachers in an academic setting, who else might use these notes?

  • Authors — Most authors now edit galley copies of their books digitally, directly in PDF files. However, editing that way isn’t always comfortable. Writers might choose to make notes (on clean copies of their galleys or even printed drafts) and then highlight changes on transparent stickies.  
  • Memoirists — Reading your own handwritten journals to help document the history of your thoughts and actions? You probably don’t want your 2024 handwritten notes directly on the pages of your circa-1981 Snoopy diary, but overlaying transparent sticky notes helps the you in the present engage with the you of the past.
  • Researchers — When faced with a variety of primary sources that can’t be doodled upon (or when you don’t have access to a copy machine but would prefer to handwrite your notes layered over a document), a transparent note can help you make a deeper connection between your thoughts and the original work than taking notes on a computer or pad of paper.
  • Book reviewers — Whether you review books professionally or just for Amazon or Goodreads, it’s helpful to have your contemporaneous thoughts while reading and your highlighted quotes at the ready. If you find marking up books to be almost sacrilegious, transparent stickies are a great option.
  • Cooks — Some people take recipes in cookbooks as gospel; others like to “doctor” things up. If you were experimenting as you went, you might not want each changed variable to be written onto the original recipe, but you’d still want to track the changes you made until (or even after) you achieved delicious perfection. TheKitchn blog post This Mind-Blowing BookTok Trend Will Change the Way You Use Your Cookbooks is a bit hyperbolic but does show the use case in action.
  • Attorneys — Boilerplate contracts are in computers, and paralegals make the revisions digitally as instructed. But most lawyers can be seen reviewing photocopies of contracts and mocking them up with revisions. Transparent sticky notes would let them see the original contract language, highlight relevant passages, and make revisions; similarly, they might use transparent notes to help them accent points in transcribed depositions and testimony they want to refer to in court.
  • Spiritual adherents — Whether you participate in some kind of formal Bible study or just like reading holy texts from any of a variety of comparative religions, you probably don’t want to scribble your thoughts in the (or any) “Good Book.” Use transparent sticky notes to highlight and annotate questions, feelings, or motivational elements.
  • Crafters — Whether you’re trying to map colors for a needlepoint project or adjust the measurements on a pattern, writing directly on the instructions or designs can get messy, especially if you need to revise your notes. A transparent overlay lets you adjust without the mess.

How might you use a transparent or translucent sticky note?

CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY TRANSPARENT STICKY NOTES

While transparent sticky notes offer many benefits, they do have some downsides to consider.

Potential for Residue

Some brands of transparent sticky notes might leave a slight residue, especially if left on delicate surfaces for an extended period. (Bibles and textbooks from before the1950s tend to have pages that are as thin as tissue paper.)

Obviously, this varies depending on the quality of the adhesive used, and higher-end (and honestly, brand-name) versions will typically avoid this problem. If the book or document you’re using is delicate, test it on a back page, like in the glossary or index.

Adhesive Strength

Transparent sticky notes may not be adhere as strongly as traditional opaque sticky notes, particularly on rougher surfaces. Unlike the recycled paper of traditional sticky notes, the slightly slick material used to make transparent sticky notes makes the notes more durable but the adhesive may be less durable. This means they might peel off more easily, especially on surfaces that aren’t perfectly smooth or when the notes are repositioned (or applied, removed, and re-applied) multiple times. Again, test them. 

Writing Challenges

Depending on the material, certain pens and markers may not write as well on transparent sticky notes. This can limit their functionality (compared to traditional paper-based sticky notes) if you (like Paper Doll) prefer one specific type of pen. Again, brand-name versions are likely to allow a greater variety of pen use; Post-it® shows multiple examples of workable writing implements.

Less Absorbent Surface

Unlike paper sticky notes, which easily absorb ink, transparent sticky notes are usually made from plasticky or filmy material, like stiff, glossy tracing paper. This can cause ink to smear or take longer to dry.

Most of the TikTok videos I found on the topic are in agreement that mechanical pencils, ball-point pens, and markers work best, and that water-based highlighters and pens are the least effective. If you use markers or gel pens, especially if you also intend to highlight what you’ve written, be sure to let the ink dry thoroughly before touching or highlighting.

Limited Color Options

While some transparent sticky notes come in pastels and neons, they usually lack the range of vibrant colors available with opaque sticky notes, especially the myriad Post-it® colors. This can limit your ability to color-code effectively when organizing ideas. You can easily find colorful options, but perhaps not your preferred color schemes.

Glare and Reflection

Due to their transparent nature, this kind of sticky note may glare under certain lighting conditions, making them more difficult to read or see clearly in brighter environments or on glossy surfaces.

Cost

Transparent sticky notes, whether brand name Post-it® versions or generic, tend to be slightly more expensive than their opaque counterparts, so if you’re on a budget or need a lot of them, the cost could be a drawback. 

If you’re using these sticky notes for creative, academic, or professional purposes where clear visibility is key, these downsides may be manageable. However, for heavy-duty or everyday use, traditional sticky notes are usually going to be more practical.

VARIETIES OF TRANSPARENT STICKY NOTES

According to the website, Post-it® Transparent Notes come in 7 varieties, all with 36 notes per pad (though I was able to find an additional 10-pack of the clear version at Staples.com for a whopping $26.46)! 

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All measure 2 7/8″ x 2 7/8″. Note, this is slightly smaller than traditional Post-it® Notes, which are generally 3-inch squares.

In terms of shopping, I should caution that it’s difficult to find all versions manufactured by 3M, though Staples, Amazon, and Walmart each seem to dependably have at least two versions in stock at any given time.

3M also references online availability at Quill, OfficeSupply.com, Maxwell’s, and Strobel’s Supply, though the latter two only carry 24-packs, priced in the hundreds of dollars.

ALTERNATIVE BRANDS OF TRANSPARENT STICKY NOTES

While Post-it® brand is clearly the gold standard for sticky notes, they are definitely not the only game in town, though it’s unlikely you’ll be able to locate many non-3M branded transparent sticky notes in person unless you are shopping at quirky or high-end specialty stationery/office supply stores in larger cities. 

Office Depot has its own brand of translucent sticky notes, about $3 for a pack of 50 notes, in clear, as well as yellow, orange, pink, and an assorted pack of 12 pads in all colors for $14.39.

If you’re happening by The Container Store, they also have a proprietary brand, $4.99 for a stack of 36 clear notes. 

However, a quick search of Google or Amazon will yield a bounty of options, and if you put “transparent sticky note” into the search at TikTok, you’ll find a number of offers.

Be prepared to have patience. I got excited about the prospect of lined, transparent sticky notes. However, when I went to Stationery Pal‘s website and actually searched for “transparent sticky notes lined,” I was rewarded with some lovely pastel transparent sticky notes, but none were lined. When I tried the same search string but in a different order, I finally got what I was seeking.

In addition to their 2″ x 3″ and 3″ x 3″ pastel-colored “shimmering” translucent sticky notes priced ridiculously low (like $.60 to $1.40 for 50-note pads), they do have blue, green, orange, and pink neon-colored lined, translucent sticky notes. For example, the neon pink, translucent sticky note pads are 3″ square, lined, and $.60/50-note pad, plus shipping.  

(I’ve yet to figure out how TikTok Shop advertisers and companies like Temu and Shein can afford to price their products so low. Caveat emptor.)

In general, my inclination is to shop online with Amazon, as I’m generally happy with their customer service. A quick Googling of “transparent sticky notes” yields more than 100 pages of offerings, from plain, clear, 3″-square sticky notes from known brands like Redi-Tag with four 50-note pads for $4.99 to the puzzlingly unpronounceable Brsbock‘s four 50-note 4″ x 6″ transparent sticky notes for $9.99.

Another “unknown” brand on Amazon, Gueevin, offers “extra large jumbo” 8 1/2″ x 11″ translucent sticky note sheets, 100 for $15.99.

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Colorful options — if you are openminded about the colors you want — are widely available. I’m transfixed by the LinQuick’s pastel transparent notes. They’re billed as “Candy Color”; a twelve-pack of six assorted colors, 50-notes per pad, costs $7.99.
 

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When I first began researching this topic, I was delighted to find an online store called Rose Colored Daze had a collection of Neon Tabbed translucent sticky notes in three difference sizes, ranging from $4.50to $14.50 for ten-note stacks. Imagine a combination of a sticky note, tracing paper, and indexing tabs!

Sadly, all versions are currently sold out, though they do have a number of other varieties of 50-note pads of translucent sticky notes:

Personally, I find round sticky notes to be inefficient; wouldn’t you want to maximize your surface area? Still, if you have a desire for a round, translucent sticky note, Amazon has oodles, such as these Sabary 1.75″ circular notes, which come in five different color schemes for $6.49 for 500 notes.

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So, there’s no need to obscure your ideas — transparent sticky notes will let your thoughts shine through and make the concepts you’re trying to learn less opaque. (So endeth this “clearly” punny post.) 

 

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may get a small remuneration (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking through to the resulting pages. The opinions, as always, are my own. (Seriously, who else would claim them?)

Paper Doll Explores New & Nifty Office and School Supplies

Posted on: September 4th, 2023 by Julie Bestry | 13 Comments

There’s something about the start of September that makes many of us hearken back to our youth and the rich potential of a fistful of new school supplies. Cast your mind back and I bet you can recall your favorite crayon. Mine was periwinkle, more for the funny name than the demure hue. (As you might imagine from my wordy posts, and as Paper Mommy will quickly confirm, I’ve never exactly been demure.)

It doesn’t matter whether you’re in kindergarten or graduate school; it doesn’t matter whether you’re being forced to return to the office after a few years of remote work or ready to embark on setting up your own home-based workspace, there’s something powerfully motivating about new office supplies and decor to help you get and stay organized and enthused.

The point of today’s post is not to encourage you to purchase clutter and pile unnecessary items up around your workspace; nor is it to give you lists of supplies you and/or your tiny humans already have. Rather, it’s an opportunity for you to see the potential of your space in a new way and consider what features or colors might boost your enthusiasm.

STICKY NODES

Post-it® Notes are fun and colorful, but they’re not entirely environmentally friendly, even when recyclable. Dry-erase (and wet-erase) boards are better for the planet, but they’re usually drab white and lacking delight. 

Meet Sticky Nodes — the best of both worlds — they’re dry-erase sticky notes! 

Sticky Nodes are:

  • Erasable — Write with dry- or wet-erase markers, then wipe (or spritz and wipe) to start fresh. 
  • Restickable — Affix Sticky Nodes to any smooth surface, reposition at will, and they won’t leave a mark. Sticky Nodes use a unique “smooth-stick,” adhesive-ree technology, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your paint job.
  • Reusable — Re-use face of the Sticky Node by erasing with a dry-erase marker or a damp cloth; re-use the whole Node by moving it to where it’s needed, over and over again.

Around the office, at school, or in your home, put them on file cabinets or walls, whiteboards or chalkboards, mirrors or windows.

Capture and organize your genius thoughts, scribble notes, brainstorm on your own or with your need, or mix-and-match to help you study or tech. At home, post the WiFi password of the day draw a comic to greet your tiny human at the end of the school day. Your kids can keep track of weekly schedule items in their lockers, and at the office, you can make clear when you’re available to be bothered or to be left alone. Stick Nodes have all the same uses as sticky notes, but you don’t have to fill your trash can.

Sticky Nodes come in three colors: blue, yellow, or green, and in three (unicolor) package options: 5 Sticky Nodes for $28, 10 for $49, or 20 for $84, and include a two-year limited warranty. Orders over $75 ship for free in the US. (Note: Sticky Nodes doesn’t accept returns, except when covered under the warranty.)

Personally, I’d like to see them add more colors to the line-up. (Periwinkle, anyone?) Additionally, it would be nice if they had mix-and-match packs; for example, if you got the ten-pack, you might prefer 5 blue, three green, and two yellow rather than an entire batch of blue.

If you’d like to try Sticky Nodes, they offer a sample kit, which includes one yellow node and one black fine-tip marker for $12, shipped for free in the US! (At that price, it might be more affordable just to get a 5-pack!)

No offense to Sticky Node, but Paper Mommy‘s drawings are better!

Sticky Nodes also recommends and sells fine-point Expo-branded dry- and wet-erase markers (scroll down at that link) but you can also easily find these at any big-box store or Amazon. Pick a wide-enough array of colored markers so that you can color-code your Sticky Nodes for your own purposes. Assign a color to each kid in your family, or give a color to each daily task or task-group (to do, to eat, to wear, to read, etc.). 

POPPIN’ FRESH!

Some products are just motivationally magical, and Poppin’s line of office furniture and supplies accomplishes this through color (and high-quality).

Poppin’s desk collection includes monitor risers, stackers, letter trays, organizer caddies, desk-drawer organizers, mixed-use organizers, accessory trays, file sorters, and two of my favorites for stand-up organizing style, 9.75″L x 12.25″H x 3.75″D magazine file boxes ($21):

and 12.25″L x 9.75″H x 3.75″D lacquer-like file boxes ($26):

I’m also always amused by the 6.25″L x 2.8″W x 1.25″H Softie Grip Grass doohickey ($16.50), designed to hold pens, cards, and the random fiddly things on your desk.

The desk organizing color scheme includes white, blush, dark gray, aqua, slate blue, sage, and sky, with some products available in fewer colors.

But as cool as their desktop products are, I always seem to covet Poppin’s wall organizing products. Here’s a little video to introduce you to the variety of options in their Small Space Organization Collection, designed to make use of vertical space.

As noted in the video, products in the line can be affixed to the walls with adhesive or mounted (using screws), and some of the products are magnetic and can be used to attach the to metal items (like filing cabinets) or to other products in the line. Poppin has:

  • wall shelves ($25), measuring 3.25″W x 4″H x 12.5″D, in blush, dark grey, slate blue, and white

  • wall pockets ($25), measuring 12.5″W x 7″H x 2.5″D, in blush, dark grey, slate blue, and white

  • wall cups ($14.50), measuring 4.5″W x 4.5″H x 2″D, in white, blush, dark grey, and slate blue

Each of the above products in the line are made of sturdy plastic polystyrene with a matte finish and come with removable adhesive strips, magnets, and screws for mounting. The removable adhesive strips hold up to 2 pounds; the magnets hold up to 1 pounds, and screws hold up to 15 pounds.

Poppin also makes dark grey fabric pinboards in two sizes, a 12.5″L x 12.5″W x 0.5″D square ($29) and a 25″W x 12″H jumbo version ($55).

And, of course, they have a variety of pretty pushpins in assorted colors. But what I like best about Poppin’s “small space” line for making good use of vertical space is a product (actually three) they barely promote. There’s the white magnetic dry erase board ($26), measuring 12.5″W x 12.5″H x 0.5″D. But let’s face it, a plain white dry-erase board, even a magnetic one, isn’t that much to write home about.

But two other versions, with the same measurements and at the same price, up the ante. There’s the lined White Magnetic To-Do Dry-Erase Board:

and the lined White Magnetic Weekly Dry Erase Board, pre-printed with the days of the week.

Of course, Poppin has pretty magnetic holders for the dry-erase pens and matching-color magnets. 

Can’t you see these doing triple-duty at home, work, or in a dorm room?

TIKTOK MADE ME BUY IT

OK, TikTok didn’t actually make buy anything, but that’s what the voiceovers on so many of the little “advertainment” videos say. But TikTok did help me find two intriguing products. 

PrintRGo

The first nifty office/school supply I saw recently kept appearing in my TikTok feed. It’s a tiny printer, and while I’m not the kind to push gadgets, I immediately saw the appeal of the PrintRGo thermal pocket printer. (Make sure you use the menu in the top right corner to switch from UK to US pricing.)

The use case may seem narrow, but if you’ve ever taken a biology course and had to label parts of a cell — and remember that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell — or an studied for anatomy class where you had to learn a complex series of muscles, you know that you learn by spaced repetition and visual support.

Free-hand drawing and labeling is a pain, as is making copies. This little 3.4″ × 3.5″ × 1.6″ printer uses no ink, so you never have to wait for the ink to dry; instead, it uses adhesive-backed thermal paper to print at a maximum resolution of 203 DPI. (It does double-duty, so it also works some fun magic as a low-resolution photo printer and a label printer.)

Unfortunately, TikTok videos don’t embed particularly well, but this link will give you an idea of how the PrintRGo works.

In each box, you get a PrintRGo printer, charging cable, one roll of thermal paper, and a user’s manual. PrintRGo works via Bluetooth using the Phomemo app, and functions Android and IOS devices. It’s wireless, so you just pair it with your phone (just as with other Bluetooth devices like a Fitbit or keyboard) and you’re ready to print!

Take a photo with your phone, use the app to print it from your PrintRGo, and it thermal prints to sticker paper (at a speed of 10mm per second), and once you have your little masterpiece, printouts can adhere to your notebook or study cards.

Full-price for the PrintRGo is $78, but it’s currently selling at the official website for $48.

If you’re not comfortable purchasing from a TikTok advertiser, Amazon has a number of similarly adorable options that seem to work on the same principle, using the same Phomemo app. One version is the Phomemo M02 Pocket Printer ($49.99).

Bookmate

The other TikTok school/office supply that caught my attention disappeared from my feed (as often happens) when I fat-fingered (fat-thumbed?) the corner of my phone. No matter, because my fabulous friend and colleague Hazel Thornton independently sent it to me in a private TikTok message with a note, “New product for a blog post?” Indeed, it is!

Bookmate from AchieversMust appears to be designed primarily for teachers and students, but really anyone who reads and tends to annotate, take notes, or mark pages for followup will find it useful for reducing clutter. Bookmate combines one magnetic case (which holds sticky tape flags for marking pages and pen loops so you always have a writing tool or highlighter handy) and a magnetic base.

The case allows for you to refill the sticky flags, and you can use any standard tape flags to refill the Max or Pro cases, or purchase the same specific colors from AchieversMust. (You can only refill the Lite version with their tape flags. FYI.)

You put the magnetic base inside the front of your book or notebook and the magnetic case (with your tape flags and pens) sticks to the front. (The company claims the magnet is strong enough to adhere through a hardcover book, but I’m a twinge dubious.)

Some photos show users hanging glasses or sunglasses from an outer loop. Again, TikTok videos are wackadoodle when it comes to embedding, but you can see Bookmate in action on the Instagram page.There are three versions of the Bookmate:

  • Max — has four pen loops (two on each side) and a 200-count of flags in ten different colors, for $39.95
  • Pro — has four pen loops (two on the left, two on the right) (two on each side) and a 100-count of flags in six different colors, for $33.95
  • Lite — has two pen loops (one on each side) and an 80-count of 2 different tape flags, for $19.95

They offer free shipping on all orders above $60. Also, from now through September 10, 2023, you can buy two at 10% off each or buy 3 at 25% off each. (There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.)

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

I remember visiting my father’s law office when I was a child, and I noticed that every attorney’s desk had a serious-looking leather desk pad. As a student in the 80s, my real work desk was wherever I found myself — a library study carrel, my bed, a random table in an empty classroom. By the time I started working in television, the closest anyone seemed to get to a desk pad was a giant desk calendar.

Nowadays, nobody is using a desk pad for blotting a fountain pen, but desk protectors are back in style. I was roaming through a big box store this weekend, looking for a lightning cable to use in my rental car (as mine is still in my stolen, damaged, recovered, and still-not-repaired Kia), when I noticed a stack of what looked like miniature yoga mats.

It turns out they were oversized desktop mouse pads. The one that caught my eye was a 35″ x 16″ pink, flowered, onn.-brand (yes, it’s “onn.”) XL Desktop Mouse Mat with an anti-slip base. The style is called Surf. (It also comes in grey and rainbow-stripes.)

And it was only $9.88!

It’s been a long time since I looked for a mouse pad or a desk mat, so I was surprised and delighted by how many products, marketed as either oversized mouse pads or desk pads, were available to brighten up the work space.

Yes, the real purpose is to give you a larger space to roll your mouse while keeping your glass or wooden desktop free of scratches, spills, dust, stains, and all matter of the detritus that ends up crumbly and sticky and yuckified on your desk. But why not feel like you’re basking luxury while doing homework or eking out a living?

First, I found this Bubm Desk Pad Protector Office Desk Mat made of faux leather. It comes in three sizes: 23.6″ x 13.8″, 31.5″ x15.7″, or 35.4″ x 17″. The description stated that it was “waterproof and easy to clean, made of heavy-duty, durable PU leather,” and cleaning it is allegedly as easy as wiping with a damp cloth. Particularly nifty is that it’s reversible, so the version I picked, below, labeled “purple”  

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is actually light pink on one side and a mauve-y purple on the other. It comes in ten other versions with both soothing and oh-so-bright color combinations.

The price of the one above is $13.99, though other color combinations are about a dollar less.

Even if you only peruse Amazon, you’ll find a wide of color schemes to fit your workspace mood and decor, from the perky (one has a neon-themed scribble of “Good vibes only”) to more muted options like the one above. To close out, let’s look at French Koko’s 36″ x 16.5″ Floral Dream desk mat.

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Isn’t that more inspiring than office grey, army green, or whatever your arms are resting on at your desk right now?

Do you find yourself looking for a refresh this time of year? Do you wish you were starting the year with a bouquet of freshly sharpened crayons? Are any of the above options appealing for you, or have you found a new favorite while you’ve shopped for school or office supplies lately? Please share your thoughts below.

Happy September!

Organize Back-to-School Savings: Tax-Free Holidays & Discount Codes

Posted on: July 25th, 2022 by Julie Bestry | 12 Comments

Photo by Kelli Tungay on Unsplash

Finances are tight these days. (Let’s be real — when aren’t they?) Inflation is frustrating our bank balances, and corporations are reaping record profits, frustrating our sense of fairness and propriety. Energy costs are surging just as it’s ridiculously hot in most of North America (and elsewhere). And while gas prices have dropped 40-straight-days as of the writing of this post, it’s not like that makes it any more delightful to pay at the pump.

And now, shockingly, it’s time to start thinking about organizing for back-to-school shopping.

Depending on where you live, you’re either nodding or looking shocked; if it’s the latter, it’s because you live, like I did when I grew up in Buffalo, New York, where kids don’t go back to school until after Labor Day. So for you, talking about back-to-school in July is like putting up Christmas decorations right after Halloween. (Oy. Never mind.)

The point is, there’s something going on right about now that can help you organize your financial resources for the back-to-school period.

ORGANIZE YOUR FINANCES WITH TAX-FREE HOLIDAYS

Throughout the year, many states have tax-free holiday weekends or weeks, and they are usually clustered in these mid-summer weeks to coincide with the back-to-school season for the southern states, where students return to school in early August, rather than post-Labor Day.

These states generally allow retailers to sell clothing and footwear, school supplies, computers, and sometimes backpacks, books, and other “tangible personal property” without charging sales tax. In my state, that’s a savings of 9.25%. Combine that with various 10%-off to 40%-off sales, and that’s a great opportunity to stock up on necessities. 

Seventeen states scheduled back-to-school tax-free holiday weekends or weeks in 2022. If your state is not listed below, consider clicking on the name of your nearest state to be directed to that state’s official tax-free holiday page. 

Note: Alabama’s tax-free holiday period has already occurred (July 15-17, 2022, and generally starts on the third Friday in July and ends at midnight on the following Sunday); watch the Alabama Department of Revenue website for 2023’s schedule.

Arkansas (August 6-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100); clothing accessories and equipment (up to $50); school and academic art supplies; scholastic instructional materials (including, but not limited to books) (no dollar limit)

Connecticut (August 21-27, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100)

Florida (various tax-free dates — see below)
May 14-August 14, 2022: children’s books
July 25-August 7, 2022: Clothing, footwear, and accessories (up to $100); school supplies (up to $50); learning aids and jigsaw puzzles (up to $30); computers and accessories for personal/non-commercial use (up to $1500).
Note: this overlaps with a year-long tax-free Florida holiday on baby/children’s clothing, shoes, and diapers, from July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023.

Illinois (August 5-14, 2022)
Reduced tax rate to 1.25%: Clothing and school supplies (up to $125) 

Iowa (August 5-6, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100)

Maryland (August 14-20, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing & footwear (up to $100)

Mississippi (July 29-30, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing & footwear (up to $100)

Missouri (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $100); computers/peripherals (up to $1,500); software (up to $350); graphing calculators (up to $150); school supplies (up to $50)

New Mexico (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100); desktop or laptop computers, tablets or notebooks (up to $1,000); computer peripherals/hardware (up to $500); school supplies (up to $30)

Ohio (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $75); school supplies (up to $20)

Oklahoma (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100)

South Carolina (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and shoes (no limit); school supplies (no limit); backpacks (no limit); computers, printers, peripherals, and software (no limit)

Tennessee (July 29-31, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $100); school and art supplies (up to $100); desktop, laptop, and tablet computers (up to $1,500)

Texas (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing and accessories; footwear; school supplies; and backpacks (each up to $100)

Virginia (August 5-7, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing, accessories, and footwear (up to $100); school supplies (up to $20)

West Virginia (August 5-8, 2022)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $125 limit); accessories, and footwear (up to $100); school supplies (up to $20)

In most cases, retailers should abide by the discounts or tax-free status whether the purchases are made at brick & mortar stores, online, or by phone.

However, so that you don’t experience any surprises, be sure to double-check that the online/phone venues from which you order understand your state’s tax holiday regulations. (In case you’re wondering, yes, Amazon participates in state sales tax holidays as long as you purchase the products exempted during your state’s tax holiday. And no, I have no idea how Amazon’s computers work that magic. I still haven’t figured out how Kohl’s magically makes my receipt so much less than I’m always expecting!)

Photo by Pixabay 

Tax-free holiday tips:

  • The price limits above generally refer to the price-per-item cost, not your entire purchase. If the per-item limit is $100 and your entire bill for clothing comes to $250, but no one item is more than $100, you’re golden.
  • Make a list of what each family member needs before you get to the store. (Check with your school to see if a grade-appropriate supply list has been posted online. If your school does not provide a list prior to the start of the school year, consider an online supply list organized by grade level.) It’s tempting to buy anything that seems like a bargain, but acquiring what you don’t need just because it’s a “deal” is the fast track to clutter.
  • Set a budget for each shopping category so that you’re not tempted to go hog-wild, and consider what each of your students might need vs. what you can keep in a central home school supply area for all to share. 
  • Shopping with smaller children may stress you (and your kids) out, so consider trading shopping and babysitting time with a friend or split babysitter costs while you and your friend hunt for bargains together.
  • Let older children participate — use it as an opportunity to practice math skills (“How much is this shirt if it’s marked as 15% off?”) and encourage them in finding good deals on high-quality products. The more responsible they are, perhaps reward them with the amount by which they came in under budget to apply toward something fun.
  • Remember to keep your receipts in case you need to return something; note each retailer’s return policy. Again, this is a great opportunity to teach financial and organizing skills. Show them how you calculated your budget and checked the purchases against the bottom line. Have tweens and teens help you take note of return policy dates and file receipts pending any possible returns.
  • Remember that tax-free holidays aren’t just for kids! In most cases, there’s a $100 limit on clothing and shoes for any age person. After all, a shirt a 15-year-old can wear might just as easily be worn by a 30-year-old, and there’s very little way to differentiate school supplies from office supplies. (What do you mean grownups aren’t supposed to use unicorn stickers and fuzzy troll pencil toppers?)
  • I’m going to say this a second time — set a budget. And stick to it. The point of saving money is to have more of it, not to buy more of what you don’t necessarily need. Focus on needs, then surprise and delight yourself and your kids with a few wants, as well.

And as long as we’re talking about saving money, here are a few discounts of which you might want to take advantage, as long as you’re doing the back-to-school thing.

Bixbee

Nobody likes sales emails, but I have to admit it. Once I learned of Bixbee a few years ago, I became obsessed with their cool kid products, which include backbacks, lunchboxes, sleeping bags, and kids’ accessories.

Bixbee, maker of ergonomically-smart backpacks built with the anatomy of tiny humans in mind, has some products that will charm your kids (and their spines) and keep clutter at bay.

Also, if your kids’ backpacks or lunchboxes are super-cool and fun, they’re less likely to leave them on the bus, or in their gym lockers, or just lose them altogether, which means you won’t have to make duplicate purchases…which means you save money. Whoohoo!

Bixbee also has delightful luggage and duffels for ease of traveling, rain boots and T-shirts, water bottles and just a whole bunch of kid-friendly goofiness.

You didn’t ask me, but of course I have favorites, like the Sparkalicious Ruby Raspberry Butterflyer Backpack

and the Monkey Backpack and the matching Monkey Lunchbox:

Bixbee is having a back-to-school sale. Get 25% off any purchase with the code BACK2SCHOOL but hurry, because this discount code expires on Wednesday, July 27, 2022!

Bixbee is also offering free Standard Shipping (for US customers only) on all orders over $60.00 and a FREE folder and stickers with every backpack order! (Who doesn’t love stickers?)

Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®

If you’ve been a reader of the Paper Doll blog for a while, then you know that professional organizer Leslie Josel of Order Out of Chaos, is a colleague, friend, and fellow Cornell University alum. And I love every darned thing this smarty-skirt does!

(For more about Leslie, you can read Paper Doll Peeks Behind the Curtain with Superstar Coach, Author & Speaker Leslie Josel. Go. Read. Come back. We’ll wait.)

Paper Doll with Leslie Josel, © 2017 Best Results Organizing

I’ve written many, many times about Leslie’s Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®. The central concept behind the planner is the need to better enable students to “see” time and all of the related obligations. If you’re brand new to the Academic Planner, you can start here:

The Academic Planner has even won the 2018, 2020, and 2022 Family Choice Award!

 The spiral-bound 2022-2023 Academic Planner comes in two sizes: letter-sized planner with  after-school planning (8 1/2″ x 11″) and smaller personal-sized with all-day planning (8 1/4″ x 8 1/2″), both for $19.99. Based on an academic year calendar, the planners run July through June. 

Four styles of planners in each size

The letter-sized planners with after-school planning come in LimeLight, Pretty In Pink, Blues Brothers, and WhiteOut. The interior pages measure 7” x 11”, offering up more than the typical space for writing down assignments and activities. It has 7 subject boxes and after-school planning capabilities starting at 2p.m., and is ideal for elementary, middle, and high school students and those that are virtual learning or homeschooled.

The smaller, personal-sized planner with all-day planning come in Men in Black, Purple Rain, Yellow Submarine, and AquaMan. They have 6 subject boxes and all-day planning capabilities, starting at 8:00am. These work well for high school, college, and homeschool students and even adults!

Introductory Pages

The front pages, measuring the same size as the front and rear cover of the planner, include:

  • a contact information section so a lost planner can be easily returned
  • a class schedule (subject, period, instructor, room #, days) to quickly acclimate students for the new year (and give a fellow student, armed with the contact info, an easy way to find the owner at the right classroom and return a lost planner)
  • a Welcome Letter from Leslie to parents
  • a detailed set of Planner Pointers, providing excellent guiding tips for making smart use of the planner. (My favorite? Writing “No Homework” if none was assigned so the student never has to wonder if he or she just forgot to write something down.)
  • a two-page Planner Use Guide, showing the planner in action — noting assignments, reminders (“Get permission slips signed!”), after-school activities and previews for the next week
  • a Study Planning Guide to help prepare for tests and quizzes
  • a sample Project Planning Guide to help plan long-term assignments
  • a two-page School Year at a Glance

Planner Pages

On the first and last (extra-sturdy) full-sized, the Academic Planner has a vertical index page that peeks out from behind (and to the left and right) of the actual planner pages. This index page means that students record their class subjects only once. Then everything on the upper calendar sections of the planner pages lines up with the appropriate class subjects, course by course, horizontally (with days of the week arrayed, vertically) across a two-page layout. 

The next row in the smaller planner is for To-Do items by day. In the letter-sized planners, the left and right front pages provide hourly slots from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. for students to log after school activities and obligations, like clubs, athletic practice, rehearsals, and jobs.

Other Features

  • At the start of each month, there’s a left-side full-page monthly calendar with space to note major events, holidays, and vacations, and adequately plan longer-term projects.
  • The right-side Notes page facing the calendar offers up ample room for planning, notes, and the kinds of serious thoughts only people between 12 and 18 can understand.
  • There’s a clear poly pocket at the rear of the planner for safely keeping notes, permission slips, and other documents too small for a student’s binder.
  • There are oodles of extras, like a library of printouts, downloads, videos, and “how-tos”, as well as downloadable resources like Project and Study Planning Guides, Time Trackers, Homework Checklists, Planner Pointers, Study Skills Videos. 
  • A bonus Academic Planner Accessories Pack (sold separately, for $10.99) includes a plastic page marker that clips into the spiral binding, so it’s easy to find the current week in the planner, a set of monthly tabs, and a really bright, sunny set of useful stickers.

Whew! That was a lot. To really do justice to the 2022-2023 Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®, take a detailed walk-through with Leslie herself. It’s like having a private coaching session!

And since this post is about saving money for back-to-school, use the promo code PLANNER20 at checkout to get 20% off any academic planners you purchase directly from the Order Out of Chaos website. This promo code expires September 30, 2022. 

(If you prefer to order through Amazon, the 8 1/2″ x11″ planner and 8 1/2″ x 8 1/4″ planner sell for the same price.)

Enjoy your summer, but remember that a little planning and organizing now can make back-to-school shopping less costly, less stressful, and a bit more sunny!

And, just a reminder if you missed my last post, Paper Doll on Planning & Prioritizing for Leadership, we’re only one week into the free, 3-week, The Leader’s Asset interview series. You can still register and catch my interview this Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may get a small remuneration (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking through to the resulting pages. The opinions, as always, are my own. (Seriously, who else would claim them?)

Vibrant and Vertical: Organizing Paper for Back-to-School

Posted on: August 23rd, 2021 by Julie Bestry | 22 Comments

What time is it? (No, this isn’t a follow-up to my Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? 5 Strategies to Cope With Pandemic Time Dilation from May 2020, though that may be worth a visit — for all of us.)

It’s Back-to-School Time! (If you said “Howdy Doody Time,” thanks for playing our Boomer Edition!)

THE ASPIRATIONAL PROMISE OF NEW SCHOOL SUPPLIES

After almost 18 months of weirdness and boondoggles, kerfuffles and plague-related malarkey, time has little meaning. But really and truly, it’s back-to-school time. And reminders are everywhere. Leaving aside the specific anxieties of returning to school in this (oh, man, I’m going to say it) unprecedented era, the new school year (whether you’re 5 and entering kindergarten or 55 and going back to finish a degree) holds both panic and potential. We may joke about it, but this tweet holds so much truth!

Yes, friends, Mead is still making those Trapper Keepers, the basis for so many our searches for perfect organizing systems in adulthood. Be honest, if you could find something that reflected your personality and offered the flexibility a three-ring binder, hole-punched two-pocket folders, a clipboard, and a Velcro closure, wouldn’t you carry it? Or drive it? Or marry it? (Just me?)

Mead's Trapper Keepers—If you could find something that reflected your personality and offered the flexibility a three-ring binder, hole-punched two-pocket folders, a clipboard, and a Velcro closure, wouldn't you carry it?… Share on X

Personally, I always liked those back-to-school days, at least the ones in August, a full month before we Western New Yorkers went back. (Here in the Southeast, kids have been back at school a few weeks in 90° heat. Oy.) August was prime aspirational time. It was the back-to-school issue of Seventeen Magazine, with everything wool and plaid and new.

Our schools didn’t provide lists of what was required for class until the first day of school, but that didn’t mean I was willing to wait. I loved this time of year, and dragged Paper Mommy into the void — I mean, into the school sales. And I vehemently insisted on getting everything all-new every year, even these:

(You know you had them. You know that you probably have no recollection of how to bisect an angle and probably couldn’t figure out what to do with either the compass or the protractor right now, short of making a circle and then cringing when the point of the compass went skittering across the table, making that screechy noise.)

But anyway, do as I say, not as I did. Better yet, do as my colleague Amy Slenker posited in her excellent blog post, 7 Easy Ways to Get Organized for Back to School when she noted, “June scissors work in August, right?” Right!

Of course, as adults, we know that motivation can come in all shapes and sizes, and when the idea of sitting at our desks bring misery, a new set of never-before-used file folders and a snazzy new planner can ramp up our enthusiasm. Also right!

Somewhere in between buying all new everything (even though some things never left your cubby between September and June) and using the same-old, same-old, there’s a sweet spot. So today, we’re just going to look at a few things that might make back-to-school for students of all ages just a little more colorfully delightful.

OPT FOR WHAT’S VIBRANT AND VERTICAL

There’s lots of research showing that color can impact mood. Greens are calming, while reds are stimulating. Studies show that blue “encourages intellectual activity, reason, and logical thought.” Yellow is associated with happy moods, self-esteem and playfulness. While fashion designers may occasionally opt for greys and blacks to convey sophistication, unless your student is a goth (are there still goths?) adding a little vibrancy and color can open up some opportunities, motivationally-speaking.

Color grabs our attention, conveys meaning, and clarifies boundaries. It also just makes us happy. For example, what kind of feeling washes over you when you see this picture?

Optimism? Excitement for new beginnings? I took a new 64-box of Crayolas off to college with me in 1985, and I guarantee you I was not the only one!

In addition to the vibrancy of great colors, another boost for students, whether they’re in elementary school or grad school, is the advantage of the vertical hold. We’ve talked a LOT over the years about how vertical solutions aid in organizing, but the key is that when our resources stand attention, we pay attention to them and are less likely to let them get cluttered..

ORGANIZE PAPERS COLORFULLY

College students might appreciate something that keeps papers organized by class, fits squarely in a backpack, but can be displayed easily in a dorm room (their own, or their study-buddy’s) or an empty classroom.

For something both elegant and bright, the Smead Cascading Wall Organizer might be just the ticket.

A revamp of the the classic version, this colorful Gen 2 organizer can hang on the wall or anywhere from a nail, hook (you sent your kid to college with a variety pack of Command Hooks, right?) or even a hanger to reduce clutter on the desktop.

In durable, bright, and easy-to-clean polypropylene, the six colorful (yellow, orange, fuscia, green, blue, and purple) letter-size pockets can be removed to take to class, the library, or an extra-curricular meeting. (Each holds 50 sheets.)

Use the clear front pocket to show the current month’s calendar, a project timeline, or a photo of far-flung friends. There’s a 3-part hanger (use one loop or all three), and an elastic cord closure for putting it all together and stowing it away.

The whole thing is PVC-free and acid-free, and measures 14 1/4″ wide by 24″ high (when fully expanded). Available directly from Smead for $17.99, or you can find it on Amazon for $11.29.

There are two variations on the theme if these brights are too vibrant for you or your student. There’s a pastel version of the Cascading Wall Organizer (well, it’s translucent, but the folders are pastel), also $17.99 at Smead or $13.78 at Amazon:

as well as one with jewel tones for $13.99 (which is Paper Doll’s personal favorite, in case you were wondering).

The Container Store has a similar product, its Multi-Color Cascading 6-Pocket Letter File Wall Organizer Tote.

It measures 13 3/8″ wide by 10 1/2″ high, and when it’s not fully extended, it folds and collapses into a 1 1/2″ thick tote. Two snap closures open to reveal six cascading pockets (red, orange, yellow, green, teal, and dark blue) that hold letter-sized interior file folders (sold separately). You can label the tabbed pockets, and there’s both a handle for carrying the closed tote and a ring for hanging it for display.

If you like the idea of bright colors and poly folders but your older student already has a great desktop file system in place and doesn’t need to be mobile, consider Smead’s SuperTab® Poly File Folders. A box of 1/3-cut (left/middle/right) tabbed, letter-size poly folders come 18 per assorted pack, with three folders, each, in blue, green, orange, pink, purple, and yellow. The durable folders are acid-free and PVC-free for long lasting durability. (And nowadays, I’m a super-fan of poly, because you can wipe it down with a Clorox disinfecting wipe.)

Oversize SuperTabs have a 90% larger labeling area than standard file folders, allowing you to use larger text, larger labels, or more lines of description. Although their tabs are larger than traditional file folders, they’ll nonetheless fit traditional vertical file drawers. These cheery Smead SuperTab® Poly File Folders run $17.06 at Smead or $16.44 at Amazon.

A WARNING ABOUT COLOR-CODING

I should note, I often warn against the potential problem of color-coding files. When a client invests in traditional boxes of assorted colored file folders (or boxes in multiple, different colors), I tend to worry about the Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote, “Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

But wait, you might be thinking. Isn’t consistency the key to organizing?

When you color-code your folder system, it makes it easy to organize thematically. Green is biology (or family finances) and blue is literature (or insurance) and red is calculus (or medical records). But what happens when you need to make a new folder but run out of the color you need? For most people, this causes a breakdown in the system. Lacking the right folder, people often just stop filing!

But you see, Emerson’s entire quote is rarely given. It’s actually, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” 

But you are no fool! If lack of the right color is a problem for you or your student, just grab a different color folder and a Post-it! Note. Write a temporary label on the top, and stick it on the inside of the folder so that the label appears just about where a permanent label belongs. (Then go order a box of folders and get on with your day!)

HOMESCHOOL CHEER

If your student is 8 rather than 18, and you’re still doing the home-schooling thing this year (either because you’d planned it or because everyone got sent home a few days into the school year), you might want a colorful, vertical solution for making your home-school “classroom” feeling a little more official.

I like to borrow this trick from teachers who are tight on space in their classrooms or don’t have a base of operations. Scholastic’s File Organizer Pocket Chart lets you create a bright, vertical HQ for your home-schooling student’s worksheets, problem sets, instruction sheets, and other handouts.

 

Just as teacher would do in the classroom, you can use the ten sturdy pockets to hold letter-size file folders. The pocket chart is lightweight but made of durable nylon, and measures 14″ wide by 46 1/2″ high. There are three reinforced grommets at the top for hanging the chart on the wall or the back of a door. The pocket chart runs $15 on Amazon. 

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE WITH A POP OF COLOR

Colorful highlighting is a great way to make important points stand out. But have you or your student ever highlighted the wrong thing? It’s a bummer!

But did you know there are ERASABLE HIGHLIGHTERS? (I know! I can tell that you’re squealing, too!)

Crayola’s Take Note Erasable Highlighters let you highlight (or underline!) in six cheery colors (pink, orange, yellow, teal, blue, and purple). You can color-code your highlighting by class or use different colors for different types of information (yellow for the test, purple for a book report, etc.). And a set of six is only $5.99!

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BACKPACKS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR TINY HUMAN SMILE

It’s hard to believe, but when Paper Doll was in school, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, kids carried book bags rather than backpacks until late middle-school or high school, and even then, backpacks weren’t much of a fashion statement. They also weren’t much of a delight to wear or carry, as they lacked many dividers, pockets, or ways to keep things from falling to the bottom and papers were always getting smushed.

Nowadays, there’s a smorgasbord of backpack options, but I think the most child-pleasing ones are from Bixbee. They make their backpacks (and lunch boxes, duffels, luggage, and sleeping bags) with an eye to the special ergonomic needs of tiny humans so they can carry and organize all of their “stuff” without getting weighed down. 

The bright and hardy backpacks are designed for the little tykes’ unique measurements and aesthetic tastes. The medium/large backpacks weigh only two pounds and use “contoured, air-mesh, adjustable shoulder straps with a sliding sternum strap” to distribute the horizontal load. Each backpack has an interior padded pocket to carry and protect a laptop or tablet from drops or bumps.

But I just think their stuff is cute, and if your backpack is cute, you’re less likely to leave it behind on the bus or the playground. Right? (Well, I hope I’m right.) 

For example, the Firebird Flyer, with the fire-red rising phoenix on wings, comes in two sizes (one for pre-schoolers, one for the 5-7-year-olds). The smaller one is water-resistant, made of durable 600-denier polyester, and has a variety of features, including:

  • Padded topside carrying handle
  • Top flap zippered pocket offers quick access to small supplies
  • Front flap pocket holds small supplies or snack
  • 2 side pockets holds small water bottle
  • Contoured & padded adjustable shoulder straps
  • Padded back panel
  • Easy-to-grab beehive zip pulls
  • Detailed with reflective material for better visibility in low light
  • D-rings for clipping on their favorite accessories

The interior has an ID card holder under main flap, and the main compartment is large enough for a sweater (so hopefully it won’t be left behind on the playground), and two interior slip pockets for small school supplies. The pre-schooler size is $31.99; the larger one is $49.99. For more about Bixbee’s wide array of backpacks, they’ve got a few videos, starting with this one:

Colorful, vertical (and yet, with their innovative design, also horizontal), and totally cute.

 

This post wasn’t designed to be a complete resource on back-to-school items. Next week, we’ll look at some back-to-school essentials for managing time and tasks at all age levels.

And if you want a throwback to the 1980s while still getting a sense of some college dorm advice that’s apropos today, check out this post from the vault, Paper Doll & Real Simple Organize Dorm Rooms: SUPER-EXTENDED Edition.

 

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may get a small remuneration (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking through to the resulting pages. The opinions, as always, are my own. (Seriously, who else would claim them?) For more information regarding how Best Results Organizing handles affiliate links, please see the affiliate section of the site’s Privacy Policy.

Back-to-School Organizing News You Can Use: 3 Solutions to Save Time, Money, and Serenity

Posted on: July 7th, 2017 by Julie Bestry | 3 Comments

Wait, it was just Independence Day! Why are we talking about back-to-school organizing? In ye olden days, when I grew up in Buffalo, New York, where kids still don’t go back to school until after Labor Day, talking about back-to-school so soon after the 4th of July would be like stores putting up Christmas decorations right after Halloween. (Oh…right.)

But there’s a method to the madness. In many parts of the country, students go back to school in the middle of the summer. In my county in Tennessee, the public schools start on August 3rd, and mere miles from me in Georgia, students go back on the first of August. But even for kids going back to school in September, that’s only about eight weeks from now. Instead of rushing to get everything done, here’s a roundup of ways to organize your approach to the back-to-school season.

ORGANIZE YOUR ADHD STUDENT – FREE WEBINAR

Paper Doll‘s colleagues (and longtime friends), Michelle Cooper and Michelle Grey of Student Organizers of Atlanta will be presenting a free, live webinar entitled Practical Organization and Time Management Strategies for Middle and High Schoolers with ADHD on July 20, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET.

Presented as part of ADDitude Magazine‘s ongoing webinar series, the webinar will provide strategies for:

  • Managing the day-to-day organizational challenges facing students both inside and outside of the classroom
  • Understanding your child’s “thinking style” and finding organizing methods and tools that fit his or her style
  • Using organizational systems that will improve his or her chances of academic success
  • Collaborating with your child and the teachers to support his or her efforts at organization
  • Using products, books, and websites to ease the process of organization for your student

Register for the webinar and take it live, or you can use the replay link to watch (or rewatch) the webinar for free, any time up through next January 20, 2018.

Learn more about ADDitude and check out the other webinars in the series. If your child is heading to college, both of you might want to watch the webinar on July 11, 2017, entitled The College Transition Guide for Teens with ADHD.

ORGANIZE YOUR FINANCES – TAX-FREE HOLIDAYS

Over the four weekends from July 21 through August 13, sixteen states will be having tax-free holiday weekends. In general, these states allow retailers to sell clothing and footwear, school supplies, computers, and sometimes backpacks, books, and other “tangible personal property” without charging sales tax. In my state, that’s a savings of 9.25%. Combine that with various 10%-25%-off sales, and that’s a great opportunity to stock up on necessities.

Note: Some states, such as Georgia, have discontinued their tax-free holidays, so be sure to check out states adjacent to yours.

Click on the name of your nearest state to be directed to that state’s official tax-free holiday page.

Alabama (July 21-23, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $100), Computers (up to $750), School supplies (up to $50), Books (up to $30)

Arkansas (August 5-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100), Clothing accessories and equipment (up to $50), School and academic art supplies (no dollar limit)

Connecticut (August 20-26, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100)

Florida (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing, footwear, wallets, and bags (up to $60), School supplies (up to $15/item), Computers (up to $750)

Iowa (August 4-5, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100)

Louisiana (August 4-5, 2017)
Tax-free: Tangible Personal Property (3% tax rate up to $2,500; a 2% state sales tax exemption applies, so qualified purchases are subject to only 3% state sales tax)

Maryland (August 13-19, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing & footwear (up to $100)

Mississippi (July 28-29, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing & footwear (up to $100)

Missouri (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $100), Computers/peripherals (up to $1,500), Software (up to $350), Graphing calculators (up to $150), School supplies (up to $50)

New Mexico (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100), Computers, tablets, and e-readers (up to $1,000), Computer equipment (up to $500), Book bags and backpacks (up to $100 per item), maps and globes (up to $100 per item), Calculators (up to $200), School supplies (up to $30)

Ohio (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $75), School supplies (up to $20)

Oklahoma  (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing and footwear (up to $100)

South Carolina (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing (no limit) School supplies (no limit), Computers, printers, peripherals, and software (no limit)

Tennessee (July 28-30, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $100), School and art supplies (up to $100), Computers (up to $1,500)

Texas (August 11-13, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing, backpacks and school supplies (up to $100)

Virginia (August 4-6, 2017)
Tax-free: Clothing (up to $100), School supplies (up to $20), Energy Star products (up to $2,500) and a variety of hurricane-preparedness items.

Tax-free holiday tips:

  • The price limits generally refer to the price-per-item cost, not your entire purchase. However, if a store is placing limits on entire purchases and you have a large family, you might want to have your older, more responsible children stand in line and pay with cash.
  • Make a list of what each child needs before you get to the store. (Check with your school to see if a grade-appropriate list has been posted online.) It’s tempting to buy anything that seems like a bargain, but acquiring what you don’t need just because it’s a “deal” is the fast track to clutter.
  • Set a budget for each shopping category.
  • Shopping with smaller children will stress you (and your kids) out, so consider trading shopping and babysitting time with a friend or split babysitter costs while you and your friend hunt for bargains together. Let older children participate – use it as an opportunity to practice math skills (“How much is this shirt if it’s marked as 15% off?”) and encourage them in finding good deals on high-quality products. The more responsible they are, consider rewarding them with the amount by which they came in under budget to apply toward something fun.
  • Remember to keep your receipts in case you find that you need to return something; note each retailer’s return policy.

ORGANIZE YOUR STUDENT’S SCHEDULE – A NEW KIND OF PLANNER

As mentioned a few weeks back when I was talking about Time Timer, many people, especially students, can have trouble mastering the concept of the passing of time, which makes it difficult to properly plan academic and life tasks. When I was in middle and high school, almost nobody used a planner or a calendar. These were the days when Trapper Keepers were the height of organizational technology and pocket-sized assignment notebooks yielded the best option for academic time management. Somewhere during the <mumble mumble> intervening decades, schools started providing and/or requiring student planners to help keep up with homework assignments, projects, and tests.

These planners give students the opportunity to mark down what they must do. It’s not clear, however, that students get the time management skills and system-training they need to master the intricacies of juggling academics, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, and familial obligations, or learn when to complete it all. That’s where Leslie Josel comes in.

Professional organizer Leslie Josel of Order Out of Chaos, is not just a colleague and friend; she’s also a fellow Cornell University alum, so when I first heard about her product line for students, I paid particular attention.

Paper Doll with Leslie Josel, © 2017 Best Results Organizing

At first, Leslie’s organizing practice concentrated on working with chronically disorganized clients, people with ADHD, students with learning challenges, and clients with hoarding behaviors. Eventually, (like Michelle and Michelle, above), she expanded her offerings to include coaching services for both students and parents. In 2016, Leslie expanded her company’s product division and officially launched Products Designed With Students in Mind.

Leslie’s big idea was the Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®. The 2017-2018 Academic Planner comes in two sizes: letter-sized (8 1/2″ x 11″) and personal-sized (8 1/4″ x 8 1/2″), both for $18.99. Based on an academic year calendar, the planners run July through June. They’re spiral bound, but also three-hole punched to allow students to pop them right into their binders.

Each size is available in four styles of planners: Jamie (black), Riley (orange/blue), Taylor (white) and Paper Doll‘s personal favorite, Violet (pink/purple). The interior pages measure 7” x 11”, offering up more than the typical space for writing down assignments and activities.

Introductory Pages

The front pages, measuring the same size as the front and rear cover of the planner, include:

  • a contact information section so a lost planner can be easily returned
  • a class schedule (subject, period, instructor, room #, days) to quickly acclimate students for the new year (and give a fellow student, armed with the contact info, an easy way to find the owner at the right classroom and return a lost planner)
  • a Welcome Letter from Leslie to parents
  • a detailed set of Planner Pointers, providing excellent guiding tips for making smart use of the planner. (My favorite? Writing “No Homework” if none was assigned so the student never has to wonder if he or she just forgot to write something down.)
  • a two-page Planner Use Guide, showing the planner in action — noting assignments, reminders (“Get permission slips signed!”), after-school activities and previews for the next week
  • Homework Helpers, tips that could only come from a professional organizer experienced with helping students gain control of their work.
  • a sample Project Planning Guide to help plan long-term assignments (Students can download more guides for future projects.)
  • a two-page School Year at a Glance

Planner Pages

On the last (extra-sturdy) full-sized front page, the Academic Planner has a vertical index page that peeks out from behind (and to the left) of the actual planner pages. This index page means that students record their class subjects (in up to 7 subject boxes) only once. Then everything on the upper calendar sections of the planner pages lines up with the appropriate class subjects, course by course, horizontally (with days of the week arrayed, vertically) across a two-page layout. (You can download a sample planner page.)

The next row (in the personal-sized planner, only) is for To Do items.

Below that, there’s an hour-by-hour schedule from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Typical student planners only cover the academic day and don’t take into account post-school activities, like doctor’s appointments, tutoring, clubs, rehearsals, sports, and jobs. This planner provides oodles of space for all of those activities and recognizing conflicts (just like in the best calendar planners for adults). This really helps students see the forest and the trees of weekly time management.

Other Features

  • At the start of each month, there’s a left-side full-page monthly calendar with space to note major events, holidays, and vacations, and adequately plan longer-term projects.
  • The right-side Notes page facing the calendar offers up ample room for planning, notes, and the kinds of serious thoughts only people between 12 and 18 can understand.
  • There’s a clear poly pocket at the rear of the planner for safely keeping notes, permission slips, and other documents too small for a student’s binder.
  • A bonus Academic Planner Accessories Pack (sold separately, for $8.97) includes a plastic page marker that clips into the spiral binding, so it’s easy to find the current week in the planner, a set of monthly tabs, and a really bright, sunny set of useful stickers.

But of course, measurements, styles, and features don’t give credit to what the 2017-2018 Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management® can actually do to help students. For that, let’s go to the video!

Enjoy your summer, but remember that a little organizing now can make back-to-school the most wonderful time of the year!

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may get a small remuneration (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking through to the resulting pages. The opinions, as always, are my own. (Seriously, who else would claim them?)