#24 Many Happy Returns

#24-Just like yesterday's tip from the 30 Things list, today I'm thinking inside the box.  Keep a basket in the car to hold all of the things that do not belong in your home and are on their way to some other location.  Make this basket their designated living space until they can be returned to their owners this way you'll have a prayer of having these items with you on the random day when you have a sleeping kid in your car and you have a few extra minutes to return things like library books, borrowed plates, dvd rentals, hand me downs, retail returns/receipts.  It also makes sense to keep things like coupons and vouchers in this basket.  You cannot save 20% at Bed, Bath and Beyond if the coupon is at home.

The trick to getting this basket to work for you is giving it a name.  We call ours the "Many Happy Returns Basket".  I call it that.  The kids call it that.  It always lives in the same place in my car.  The result of this consistent message is that when I have something that needs to go in it, I can simply say to one of my people (even the 3 year old) "Go stick this in the Many Happy Returns Basket," and she knows exactly where to put it.  I don't have to do it, explain to her how to do it or where to put it, it doesn't end up in a pile by the door that causes a walking hazard and I get to spend those minutes I would have spent taking it out to the car, doing something else.

My point.  Once again.  Think inside the box!  I'm trying to return minutes to your day by helping you get your people to work for you!