The start of the school year can be overwhelming. Your kids are about to take on new schedules, new after-school activities and probably new slang. To help make the transition a bit easier, it can be helpful to prepare before the school year starts.

But that is often easier said than done. So what systems can you set up over the summer that will actually stay in place during the school year?

ack-to-school shopping is expected to reach a record $146.8 billion this year, driven in part by college spending that crossed $100 billion for the first time. Families with K-12 students plan to spend an average of $864 each. For parents sending a student to college, that number climbs to nearly $1,438.

The basics take care of themselves. What takes more thought are which products are worth spending money on that make the rest of the year easier. The ones that help establish a good sleep routine, make a shared room feel like somewhere worth being and turn the daily grind of school into something a little more manageable.

Whether your kids are entering kindergarten or starting their senior year of high school, the return to school at the end of summer break is a huge transition—for them, but also for you. There are things to buy (backpacks, notebooks, all the snacks) and do (health forms to complete, sports teams to sign up for). Plus, there are new routines to be established.

Many of us are tight on space inside our homes, especially the kitchen, where fitting every accessory and appliance can be difficult. Whether you're looking for a place to hold those pots and pans or simply to put garbage bags and Ziplocs, the area under the kitchen sink can easily become a catchall.

The classroom door can be the hardest place in the world for a 5-year-old, and for the parent watching from the other side. Tears, clinging and nervousness are familiar scenes at kindergarten drop-off, and understanding kindergarten separation anxiety can make the difference between a bumpy morning and one that builds a child’s confidence.

Child development experts say a calm, consistent routine is one of the strongest tools parents have. The way you say goodbye, and how you handle the wobble that follows, shapes how quickly your child settles into the school day.

Summer heat, long days, and a surplus of outdoor activities can take a toll on everything from beach towels to patio furniture. As the season winds down, there’s no reason to bring those unneeded or damaged items into the fall. “A home should reflect the season a person is actually in, not the one they’ve moved past,” says professional organizer Kimberly Savel-Turek.

A household that seems like it’s stuck in a constant state of disorganization isn’t always the product of laziness. In fact, it’s often a symptom of being chronically busy. Being too busy sucks away the energy and time you need to put things away, but also properly organize your belongings from the start.

Cutting corners on organizing to save time may make things look a little cleaner on the surface, but these poorly designed systems won’t be effective in the long term. Here are half a dozen bad organizing habits it’s time to break.

While professional organizers certainly know what to get rid of during a household clean out, they’re also experts on what to keep to ensure that you don’t experience regret or inconvenience down the line. Here, four pro organizers located throughout the South share six categories of items that you won’t want to part ways with the next time you’re looking to declutter.

If you know Dean Bell, you probably know him from The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, or his endless travel adventures with fiancée Caelynn Miller Keyes. But after speaking with him, one thing becomes obvious: the version of Dean today is a lot different than the guy viewers first met on television.He's still chasing adventure. He's just doing it with more intention.Partnering with Chevron this summer, Bell has spent plenty of time thinking about road trips, not just where you're going, but how you prepare for them. His approach isn't flashy. It's practical. And it's advice anyone can use before loading up the car.Road Trips Start Before You Leave the DrivewayBell admits he used to throw a bag in the car and leave.

Summer is in full swing, which means ‘tis the season for road trips! Whether you’re traveling across the state or have an epic cross-country road trip planned, keeping your car clutter-free makes the ride infinitely more enjoyable. Between empty water bottles on the floor and kids’ travel activities all over the back seats, clutter can quickly take over the entire vehicle. Not only can cause unwanted stains and odors, it can lead to serious frustration.

As the weather warms up and days become longer, we naturally want to spend more of our time outdoors. Between hosting backyard gatherings, planning vacations, and the kids being out of school, clutter has a way of building up throughout the home in the summer. Although you may associate deep cleaning and decluttering with spring, it's smart to have a list of seasonal cleaning tasks to complete throughout the year. It's a lot less overwhelming than doing everything at once, and by staying on top of it, you can help prevent things from piling up. Because July falls right in the middle of the year, it's a great time to clear out some space. As a bonus, summer is garage sale season, so you may be able to make a few extra dollars by selling what you no longer use.

Everyone’s home gets a little cluttered from time to time, but trying to tidy everything up can feel overwhelming. That’s why we asked experts for their recommendations—if anyone can get your house into shape, it’s a professional organizer. They shared some of their favorite storage solutions, including over-the-door shelves, drawer dividers, lazy Susans, and more. 

The refrigerator door is a very convenient place when it comes to kitchen storage. But, sadly, just because it's convenient doesn't mean it's the safest for some things you may be storing there. Because refrigerator doors are opened and closed so frequently, the temperature here fluctuates more often than you'd think. For some foods, these fluctuations can pose bacterial or spoilage risks. Knowing what to keep out of reach (literally) can help you enjoy fresher food for longer. Here are seven items an expert says you should never store in the refrigerator door, and what you can store there instead.

Picture this: You're a style editor living in New York City. You have more shoes than dollars in your bank account, enough denim to concern your loved ones and a steady stream of clothing, shoes and accessories arriving at your door for work. Then you move into a 330-square-foot studio apartment with no closet.

Linen closets are one of those spaces in the home that can become surprisingly cluttered. Before you know it, the shelves are overflowing with things that you don't necessarily need. Organizers say it's time to toss these linen closet items that are just taking up space.

Many people have a linen closet filled with "just in case" items, like mismatched sheet sets for the guest room, old towels you could use as cleaning rags, and random toiletry items like old sunscreens or half-full bottles of shampoo. But the truth is, if you never end up reaching for those items, they're just taking up space and making it harder to access the items you do actually need.

As the first buds of spring begin to peek through the lingering winter chill, the season becomes the perfect time for hosting.

But as you dive into spring cleaning, it may be worth updating your checklist. Even with pillows fluffed, sheets freshly made, and cozy linens ready for guests, you may be surprised by how many things should be tossed before company arrives. A survey by Decluttr and the National Association for Professional Organizers found that more than 50% of Americans struggle with clutter, while 78% say they don't know what to do with it or find it too overwhelming to tackle, allowing it to pile up in homes and offices.

Dropping off a few donation bags at the thrift store can feel invigorating. You just got rid of a pile of clutter, and suddenly, all that junk is not your problem anymore. However, many donated items never actually make it onto the sales floor. At best, they create additional disposal costs for already overwhelmed nonprofit organizations, and at worst, they pose major safety risks.

That does not necessarily mean those items belong in the trash, though. We asked professional organizers which donations thrift stores most commonly reject, along with the best ways to safely and responsibly get rid of them instead.

Summer is here, and it marks the perfect time to clear shelf space for new sunscreen, flip flops, sun hats, pool and lawn tools, and more. The beginning of summer is a great time to declutter, so we spoke to professional organizers about items people should toss at the start of summertime.

Start off your summer on a clutter-free, minimalist note by clearing out these eight items.

Decluttering your home is a great first step toward organizing your home, but it’s just that—the first step. It takes dedication to keep your home clutter-free, and one thing you can do to help is minimize how much you add to your space.

Easier said than done, right? That’s why we checked with a few home organizing pros for their list of everyday items we can all stop buying to help keep the clutter at bay.

Organizing your space before welcoming a new season can save you time and headaches down the line. This is particularly true of summer, when blazing hot temperatures can make finishing outdoor chores a sweaty challenge.

To help you get started, we checked with home organizing professionals for their list of outdoor items to declutter before summer.