A school binder is simply a must-have for any mom. If you don’t have one already, there’s no reason you can’t make one today. Even if it’s the middle of the school year, aren’t you tired of shuffling papers and losing permission slips? Here is your answer. And it takes WAY less than 30 minutes to make. You probably already have most of the supplies at home.

If you don’t have kids, you can still follow this same advice and create a home activity binder for your own activities, and I’ll even give you the categories, below.

• Don’t shop yet. First, gather the stack of papers from your kitchen counter and dining room table.
• Quickly sort them by child. If you have three kids, you should have three piles.
• Toss obsolete papers. That gift wrap sale they did in November? Yes, throw the order form out now.
• Now, take each pile one at a time, and sort that into categories. My categories for my preschooler and elementary child are:
  • Calendars
  • Contacts
  • Bus
  • Clubs
  • Class info

  

You might also have things like:

• Sports
• Music
• Scouts
• College prep
• Service hours
• Now you’ll need a binder that is 1-2″, and Durable Write-On Plastic Dividers with Pockets like these from Avery.

• Use your write-on tab pocket dividers to hold the categories you just created. The pocket dividers are the real magic, since you don’t need a three-ring hole punch to get paper clutter off your counter top.
• I also make liberal use of that inside pocket on the binder for ready reference things, like this clock we’re using for practicing telling time or extra homework I can bring out in a pinch.

This is not a memory or a keepsake binder. This is a resource binder. Things NOT to put in your binder:

• Completed homework
• Artwork
• Pictures
• Bills

If you are making a home activity binder for you (no kids), keep your categories relevant and current. Archives belong in a filing drawer. Of course, you can just as easily keep this in an electronic folder instead of a binder.

• Bills (I usually don’t recommend storing bills in something, but this can work for some people in the front pocket.)
• Rosters/neighborhood contact list
• Church newsletters or bulletins
• Committee work
• Township or city contact information

At the end of the year, you’ll have information all in one place that you can quickly sort through and toss. You’ll need that same binder for school next year, and you’ll be thankful for the write-on tabs then. It only takes a few minutes to update your school binder for mom for each new year.

Are you still struggling with paper and don’t have a school binder? Did you set one up today, in 30-minutes or less?

This post is part of my 31 days of 30-minute Organizing Projects. Be sure to subscribe for daily emails with projects you can complete in just a few minutes to start your New Year off right.

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