As summer winds down, and the return to school approaches, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to getting the household back on track.
Thankfully, the space between being mildly overwhelmed and outright panicked is where Hazel Burton thrives.
A CPD Professional Organiser by trade, and founder of The Home Reset (a professional home organisation and decluttering business), Hazel works with clients who are looking to implement maintainable systems in their day to day lives.
Having recently worked with Vogue Williams, the mum of two says business is thriving, with more people than ever looking for professional assistance.
"I got set up in July 2022, and I honestly haven't stopped ever since," she tells me. "Ever since Vogue shared my page back in May, it's just exploded. She's an absolute pet."
As well as having an eye for potential storage opportunities and aesthetically pleasing containers, Hazel says that her work is fundamentally about establishing trust with her clients.
"I had a lady today who struggles with over-buying and has had treatment for that, and we really needed to go slowly with the de-clutter as she finds it quite difficult," she explains.
"But tomorrow I could be with a lady who is just really busy with a career, has too much stuff and not enough storage, and quickly needs to get systems in place."
Ahead of the back to school rush, the Dublin woman has shared some professional organising tips to get the 'hot spots' of the house ready for the breakfast rush, schoolbag dump, and homework mess.
The Kitchen
For most of us, the kitchen is the heart of the home, which means that it is one of the most diverse rooms in the house.
Is your family simply eating breakfast at the kitchen table or are they doing their hair, packing their schoolbags, throwing last-minute notes at you to sign - all while drinking their orange juice?
If that's the case, it might be time to rethink the layout of this busy space.
"Put systems in place for the habits you want your family to have," Hazel suggests.
Breakfast Station
Depending on the age of your children, Hazel suggests putting cereals at an accessible level so they can pour their own bowls in the morning. Alternatively, you could set up a breakfast station on the kitchen table, leaving out everything they will need to feed themselves before school.
Lunchbox Station:
Similar to the breakfast station, the lunchbox station could be something as simple as a drawer or cuboard that is filled with fruit and school-friendly snacks. This will make packing up lunchboxes quicker and easier for parents, or it could encourage older kids to pack their own meals for the day. This method will also alert you as to when goods need to be replenished.
Homework Station:
In the evenings, the breakfast table can be transformed into a homework station with just one small tweak. Hazel suggests filling an old shoebox with pens, pencils, rubbers, paper, labels, and all other necessary stationery. This can be popped down on the table every evening, keeping kids on track.
If your kitchen doesn't allow for this, Hazel recommends doing a de-clutter before the school year kicks off and finding a designated space where kids can set up every day.
Family Calendar:
Whether you update a whiteboard on a weekly basis or you write out your plans on a traditional paper calendar, this can be a lifesaver for forward-planning when it comes to divvying up jobs around the house. Knowing who is home and available for pick up on any given day, or noticing which days are getting a little too busy ahead of time, is a must.
Drop Zone:
When kids come home from school, it can look like a tornado has hit thanks to the school bags, gum shields, shoes, coats, jumpers, and stray lunchboxes that suddenly appear around the house.
To help keep things tidy, Hazel suggests a box or basket that can be placed in the hall, porch or under the stairs so kids can dump all of the above in one designated place. By making the drop zone a daily routine, the house will be (somewhat) orderly and it should reduce the panicked search for lost shoes in the morning.
If your kids are sporty, make sure there is a second box available to keep gym bags, runners, gum shields, water bottles and kneepads.
NB: A secondary drop zone for lunchboxes should be located in the kitchen to prevent any mouldy bread or hairy oranges from appearing.
Wardrobes:
Moving upstairs, Hazel says that now is the perfect time to look at switching over your wardrobes.
While adults can rotate their lighter knits in to replace their summer garb, children may need to let go of some items altogether depending on how quickly they're growing.
If something isn't going to fit next summer, there's no point storing it away. Instead, give the clothes new life by passing them on to younger cousins or to your local charity shop.
Now is also a great time to clear out space in drawers and wardrobes for school uniforms, PE gear, and plenty of clean socks. If your kids are old enough, they will be able to get themselves ready in the morning easily by knowing exactly where each item is kept.
For more information on The Home Reset, click here.
