I know the suspense is just killing you all, you are wondering what came in the package right? Well remember my call out to all of you crafty people out there asking if anyone would take my left over jean scraps and turn them into something useful? Well here it is...
Kristin over at Grace Violet took the challenge on and the results were so much better than I ever imagined! I sent her my son's leg pieces and this is what was waiting for me in the mail when I got home from our trip...
I cannot get over how cute this turned out! This is the perfect size for my daughter and she will love carrying around all of her girly stuff in it. Actually she will probably carry around her brother's army men, but I like to tell myself she will be into girly stuff one day.
Isn't it adorable? I just can't stop looking at it. Thanks so much Kristin!
If you want to make one of these beautiful buckets for yourself, you can find the complete tutorial here. I love Krisitn's idea of filling one with nursery needs for a baby shower.
"My Stuff" Bucket
Find Fun Ways To Get The Kids Cleaning
Curb summertime boredom by finding fun ways to get the kids cleaning. Don't seek perfection. Let them try their own way of doing things and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Letting my son swiffer while riding his motorcycle works for me! It's not perfect but he is finding enjoyment in cleaning. (I wish I had one to ride while mopping floors.)
*Update (later in the day)
I just remembered these pictures of my daughter helping unload the dishwasher. One of her favorite things to do. Yes she is holding a knife in one of the pictures. (It's only a butter knife!) Now I remember once upon a time with my first child, there would have been no way this overly cautious mother would have let that boy go near a knife. He might have poked his eye out! Now as long as my daughter, my sweet third child, is not trying to burn the house down it's all good.
Now obviously, she can't even see over the drawer to get the utensils in the right place, but they are making it to the drawer which means one less step for me!
New Life For Old Jeans + Challenge
School is officially out for summer! My son's last day of first grade was on Thursday. It seems like he just started Kindergarten yesterday. I am so enjoying these early years with my children!
My son has a "dress code" at school which basically consists of plain jeans/slacks or shorts and polos or collared shirts for the boys.
He was pretty rough on his jeans this year, which is typical for the average 7 year old. But, why only the right knee? Maybe he really leans on one knee and walks like that all day, it wouldn't surprise me. Once his jeans get a whole they are downgraded to play pants. He comes home and changes into these before he goes outside. So, here I am with 3 pairs of wholly jeans.
To kick off the summer I decided to cut off the jeans at the knees and turn them into play shorts. We bought him new shorts for school this year so I hope that he will still be able to wear them at the beginning of the next school year. I told him his play pants are for outside and if we go out in public he can wear his nice shorts. :) That sounds like we're a couple of country bumpkins doesn't it?
Here is my dilemma, I am left with 6 pant legs. Previously I would have thrown these out without a second glance. Now, I am trying to become a little more conscious of things I contribute to the landfill. It is useful, sturdy fabric but what do you make with them? I am not crafty like some of my bloggy friends out there.
I found this organizer as an option which would be a great idea for kids or craft supplies. Or maybe some little bags to organize the contents of your purse?
So what do you think? What would you use this fabric for?
It might take me a while to find time to tackle this project on my own so let's have some fun with this. If there is anyone up for the challenge I would be willing to send my "legs" to you so you can work your magic. You can use your crafty skills to make something USEFUL with them and send it back to me. I will pay for shipping and any materials you use to complete the project. (within reason). If you are up for the challenge, leave a comment and if more than one person signs up I will pick one at random. The completed project and all the details will be featured here when completed.
PB Kids: Rolling Canvas Bin
The newest Pottery Barn Kids catalog was waiting for me in the mail yesterday. They have new canvas storage bins that come in red, blue and orange. The bins are collapsible and look quite sturdy. I wonder how they would hold up with my little rough and tumblers. For $44 I would hope the bins would live through ordinary rough housing.
Pictured on the bottom of the bins are wooden trays on casters. The trays are another $29. I think it is a great idea to have rolling storage for the little ones (unless you have stairs) and it would make clean up time a breeze. I don't know if your kids are like mine but for some reason it is nearly impossible to get them to bring the bin to the mess. They have to pick up one or two toys at a time and bring the mess to the bin. It is a slow and agonizing process, but in their minds it is much easier than picking up the larger bin. They'll catch on one day but in the mean time maybe wheels will help.
I don't know if I would pay the extra $29 for the trays but this could be a nice DIY project.
Product Review - Hecht Of An Organizer
For the past couple of months I have had the pleasure of trying out the Hecht of an Organizer. I waited to review this one because I wanted to give it a good test run to see how well it has worked for us.
First let me give you a proper introduction. The Hecht of an Organizer was created to be a portable office that could go with you. The organizer consists of two polyester covers that slide over all sides of a cardboard box. You do not see the box at all, it is completely covered. The cover is sturdy, water resistant and machine washable. The cover has 18 pockets to store all of those loose items like pens, scissors, tape, keys, etc. The organizer comes assembled with the box, you do nothing but start using it.
For portability there are two carrying handles with Velcro tabs that you can unfasten when not in use.
Personally, I did not use it for it's office on the go capabilities. I found a need for it at my house and it has worked wonders. I use it as sort of a command central. I have a file tote with hanging file folders for each family member. When the mail comes in, it gets separated into each person's file folder. (after the junk is tossed of course!) When my oldest son gets home from school we go through his papers and he "downloads" all of the keepers into his file folder.
I keep all of my son's homework needs in the organizer so he can easily find them all in one place. Right now we have paper, pencils, crayons, glue, pencil sharpener, calculator, and post-its stored in the pockets. Oh, and daughter's hair bow clipped to a pocket. The pockets are great to keep everything organized and in its place for easy access. He does not have to rummage around to find what he needs to complete his homework. We keep the organizer on our kitchen counter and when guests come over all we have to do is tuck it in a cabinet below to clear off the space.
I had intended to also try the organizer as a car caddy for the kids and their toys, books, ect. My daughter leaned on the organizer one day and I saw the box start to buckle under her. I really don't think it would have held up to my little ruffians in the car. But the good news is that if you register your organizer replacement boxes are available "for years to come."
Extra bonus here! If you are all about helping the environment, and who's not, Linda Hecht the creator of the Hecht of an Organizer received the Green Award at this years LA Organizing Awards ceremony for Most-Eco Friendly Organizing Product. Way to go Linda! Not only was the organizer designed to be super durable and very portable, it was also designed to "help support the environment by facilitating the use of recycled cardboard boxes, and the use of new boxes made from renewable material."
For $35.00 this organizer is top notch and I would definitely give it two thumbs up!
Knee Wall Spaces
Last week's stair storage ideas reminded me of another common under used "potentially fabulous" space in the home. Knee walls! In our next home we would really like to have all of the bedrooms downstairs and have one room upstairs for an office. All of the houses we looked at have the "bonus room" with the knee walls.
This space is a lot like the staircase in that you could build in storage and have it recessed into the wall, much like this home office.
If you are lacking closet space which most of these types of rooms do, you can build in cabinets and drawers to use as a wardrobe.
In this kid's room kitchen cabinets are repurposed and built into the wall. This is beautiful and provides plenty of storage. By using glass drawer fronts you can see the contents and add a little color to the space. Hanging clothes in them wouldn't work for long but for babies and toddlers, not a bad idea. What a great idea for a home office as well.
If we do end up with an office that has knee walls I would probably line our two desks along one wall and use the other wall for storage. I could fit a couple of bookshelves along the wall but I just love the "built in" look. The only con to a built in is that it is a more permanent option.
Do you have a knee wall in your room(s)? I would love to see how you use this space in your home or office. Feel free to send links in the comment sections or email me pictures of your spaces and I will feature them here. Thanks so much for all of your ideas!
[photos from top to bottom: 1,2) Taunton Home's New Built-Ins Idea Book 3,4) Better Homes & Gardens
Storing Art Supplies
Last week Mamabug commented on my finding time post asking what I store my children's art supplies in. Instead of trying to explain in the comments section here are a few pictures...
I found these glass containers at Belk's, a local department store, 2 years ago. It was one of those boxed and already wrapped "presents" stacked near the front door at Christmas time. They were on sale so I couldn't resist. The jars provide easy access for the kids and they are able to see through the container to find what they need. Very quick and easy to clean up as well!
I keep paper on stacking letter trays right next to the jars.
Crayons, chalk, scissors, glue, markers etc., are stored in this drawer unit I found at Target several years back. The size is perfect to store all of the things I can let my kids handle themselves. I keep the messier art supplies that need assistance in a clear bin in the closet. I could go one step further and label the outside of the little drawers but so far the kids are pretty good about putting everything in the right space. The drawers can be removed and they don't usually take all of them out at once.
Target no longer carries the drawer unit I have but the Fira mini chest from Ikea is the next best thing. Not only does it have more drawers but you can decorate this one yourself.
I also keep coloring books and crayons in the kitchen for those moments when mom and dad are trying to complete whole sentences without interuption.
Related Posts:
Finding Time
With two kids running around during the day it is hard to find time to tackle some of the business tasks I need to take care of during "normal" working hours.
I have an art table set up in my office for the kids to work at. If I need 30 minutes to myself I give them free time to make whatever they want. They love experimenting with new designs and textures and of course, who can make the biggest mess. But they have so much fun!
Right this very second my daughter is sleeping and my son is gluing away! I haven't heard a peep out of him for 10 minutes now. Works for me! Now, time to get back to work!
Related Posts: Kid Craft
Organizing Children's Books
Once again it is time to tackle an organizing question for "Ask the Organizer"."Do you have any suggestions on how to keep books organized -so they are not all over the place?"
To help answer this question I decided to tackle the task in my own home as well.
My two boys share a room and I keep most of the books on a shelf in their room. The shelf was full and needed a little organizing so I took all of the books off and sorted them out. First, I set aside the books that were torn beyond repair. Some were board books from when my oldest was a baby. Then I made a pile to be donated. These were books that never quite made the cut and got pretty lonely. It is time to pass them on to someone that will enjoy them.
I then tried to group them by categories such as general stories, dinosaurs, bible stories, Dr. Seuss, Curious George, etc.
Any board books that could be salvaged were collected and put in a box to go in my daughter's room. 
I also took out any books that belonged to my oldest son such as readers and chapter books and moved them to a higher shelf in the playroom. He loves having a special shelf that the other two cannot reach. 
This is an after shot of the shelf in the boy's room. It was completely full when I started. Now there is room for growth.
We always had books migrating downstairs so I gave them a cabinet of their own which was in need of a little help as well. I sorted, purged and relocated what was necessary and this it what it looks like now...
Often my kids like pulling all of the books out and looking through them but putting them away is their least favorite thing to do, of course! By keeping the selection to a manageable size I notice it becomes a lot less overwhelming for the little ones to put them away.
Another option for keeping book clutter at bay is to store half of the books away and when the kids are ready for something new simply rotate the selection and it will be like taking a trip to the bookstore in their own home.
If your children cannot yet read the spines of the books sort them by categories and store them in baskets on a bookshelf. Your child can take out a basket and flip through the books to see which one he wants or just sit with that "category" of interest until he is ready to put them away.
Keep it simple but still provide an area where they can explore books and start a love of reading.
As always, If you have an organizing question feel free to email me or leave a comment.
Fun Baskets For Kids
I received the new Pottery Barn Kids catalog in the mail today. I thumbed through it while my son was doing homework and I came across these adorable rattan baskets. While they are not very practical to use in bulk due to the shape, they would add a nice touch to a kids room or playroom while providing a little extra storage.
If you don't have kids but have a thing for turtles or elephants you can use the baskets yourself. If you have a beachy theme going on the turtles would be quite useful to store magazines or books by your favorite comfy chair.
The elephant basket brought back some memories for me. I grew up with this rattan elephant table and I remember setting up barbies all around it pretending they were visiting some far off place.
I asked my mom about the table and she said it was a "had to have" item from her teenage years and my grandparents bought it for her. It stuck around for many years and we can't recall whatever happened to it. Perhaps a yard sale. I know it was still around in the early 90's. Let me tell ya, rattan holds up great! That poor elephant took a lot of abuse and always looked the same.
[elephant table: via Style Court]
Galvanized Tubs For Storing Toys
Look at this fabulous idea for the playroom over at Nesting Place. She used galvanized tubs to store her children's toys.
Think of all the options for labeling the bins! Stencils, hang tags, picture labels. You wouldn't have to worry about the kids breaking these either. I know my plastic tubs cannot withstand the weight of my 3 year old.
Flickr Group: Pretty Organized
I could get lost in these pictures forever. Today is our second installment of Flickr Group photos. I hope the photos I have shared with you so far are inspiring you to tackle the clutter. I know I am getting some great ideas myself.
The group I am going to share with you today has over 2000 pictures posted and 1715 members. I am going to split this one up into two days. Today I will share some inspiring spaces. Tomorrow I will show pictures of new creative storage ideas I came across in this group. Welcome to the Flickr group....
Here we have Gail's craft shelf. A place for everything and everything in its place. I find the colors very soothing. She has more pictures in the group so go check them out.
This is where Moline keeps her embroidery supplies. I love to see people go beyond boxes and baskets and trying different containers like mini suitcases and hat boxes.
I think I may have to just do a whole post on Chez Larsson. I posted one of her pictures from Organization is for Squares yesterday. I am drawn to her pictures. I love the simplicity of it all. The best way I can describe her home is organization meets art. Every nook in her home is artfully organized.
I am not brave enough to have open shelves in my playroom. I'm not even worried about the older two it is my one year old who would surely scale to the top and pull everything down in her path. I am hoping the doors will deter my little angel for now. Molly, however has done a great job with the toy storage. I'm sure it always stays this beautiful as well. ;)
What a cheery kitchen! I love the open shelving and if you look close you can see the drawers are even labeled!
I have had so much fun with this little project so far. This post really could go on forever and ever. There were so many great pictures it was hard to pick only a few. Remember, I will be back tomorrow with a few creative storage ideas from Pretty Organized.
Meanwhile, if you have any pictures to share of your own organized spaces, please feel free to share.
Related Posts:
Kid Craft
Design Mom posted some great tips yesterday about crafting with kids. She also leaves a list of links with craft projects she has previously posted on with instructions. Here are a few of my favorite tips she offered:
My kids like gluing anything and everything to paper. I have a small box we keep the finished art in and I go through it when it starts getting full. I try writing on the back who made it and when. Before throwing it away I take a picture so I can eventually make a book out of their art. One day I'm sure they will look back and laugh at the little masterpieces that once made them so proud.DM - "You don’t have to keep it forever. Crafts are often 3-D and can quickly accumulate and take up lots of space. Not everything your child makes is a masterpiece. Say goodbye to some old crafts when new crafts come into your life — before you start resenting crafts in general. Much of the value of crafts is in the making."
DM - "Admit to yourself it’s going to be messy. If that stresses you out, cover surfaces with newsprint or butcher paper to catch bits of paper and glitter and drops of glue. Use materials (adhesive, markers, etc.) that are washable. Then relax. If you get paint on your hands, it’s okay. If your child gets marker on her shirt, it will wash. When you’re finished, roll up the newsprint and discard the mess easily."
Initially the mess did get to me but I got over it real quick when I saw how much fun they had crafting. I made a little art area for the kids in my office. When they are done I wipe down the table with a baby wipe and everything usually comes right off.
Thanks Design Mom for the wonderful tips and craft ideas!
More Than Just Shoe Storage
I thought I would share a handy little product with you. When organizing we are always looking for more space right? Well you might not have an abundance of space but most of you do have doors. An over door shoe organizer is a great product to help you get a quick organizing fix. Get creative in the uses you can find for them.
Obviously the transparent would be the best choice if you need to see the contents but these shoe organizers do come in different colors and in canvas or cotton. You can get artistic with labels if you can't see what is in the pockets.
With little ones at home I am always finding new uses for the shoe organizers. I have never actually used them for shoes. Here we have one hanging in our coat closet for hats and gloves. For our family of five this works great. The kids can easily find their gloves and PUT THEM BACK. No lost gloves or hats.
My daughter is now old enough to get into any drawer in the house. I learned with my son that this is not a good combination in the bathroom. (I once found him sucking on a tube of toothpaste. Don't worry I asked the doctor how much is too much and he didn't have enough to do harm.) Now, I keep most of the toiletries in a shoe organizer on the linen closet door. I keep my things in the top pockets and I leave a few pockets open on the bottom for her toys. She stays busy putting things in and taking them out while Mommy gets ready. Another sanity saver!
Design Mom posted about inexpensive ways to organize your wrapping paper, an article that was featured in Organize Magazine. Another great use for a shoe organizer.
The possibilities are endless. You can use them for storing small toys in the playroom, spices in the kitchen or even office supplies in a small office. Get creative with the organizing products you already may have at home. Try new things and make sure you come back and tell me what works for you.
Organized Playroom
We tackled the playroom today and it is done. It took us 2 hours to get it all done. If it were me alone it would have taken an hour at the most. A little playing went on of course, since the boys were helping. I am very proud of my 6 year old. He did a great job. He was trashing and donating left and right. My 2 year old was in charge of putting things away that already had a home. He did an awesome job as well.
First we took everything out of the cabinet and lined it all up on the floor. 
Your loving the Dukes of Hazzard and ET lunch boxes right?
This was a fun little project to do with the kids. I let them make all of the decisions. My oldest came to the realization that he really does not play with all of his toys. His favorite is his collection of army guys. If he only had those to play with he would be perfectly happy. Give my 2 year old son a box of matchbox cars and he is set. They really are happy with the simplest of things.
Thanks Organizing Junkie for the Challenge!
Children's Artwork
"What do I do with the artwork my kids bring home?" I hear this question asked the most from my clients that have school aged children. I have several options but first I must say this...
You don't have to keep it ALL! Most of the time it is we, the parents, that are more sentimental about the works of art that our little Picasso's bring home. Take action before the piles take over! Keep only your favorites.
Sit down with your school aged children and work with them to pick out some of their favorites and get rid of the rest. Explain to them what you are doing and why. "Let's sit down and go through some of your art from last year. We need to pick out your favorites to make room for your new art." For the preschool aged children feel free to do this on your own, keeping a few of your favorites.
OK, now on to the storage part...
Yes, I know that is a pizza box. It's getting late and I am hungry. No really, a pizza box is a great (and did I mention cheap) way to store all of your kid art. Just go to your local pizza place and ask to buy a couple of boxes from them. If you are a regular like myself they may just give them to you. What's even better is that you can store the artwork by size... small, medium, or large. Label your child's name on the outside of the box with your handy little labeler. (we will talk about labelers later)
If you want to display Junior's art then the Li'l DaVinci art frame may be just right for you. (No, plastering the art all over the refrigerator is not an option here.) These frames come in sizes 81/2" x 11" and 12" x 18". They can store 50-100 pieces of art. When Junior brings a new piece of art home you just slip it in front of the frame. When the frame gets full you know it is time to purge.
Here is another option from Pottery Barn Teen. This three-box panel frame flips out so you can quickly change things around and add new pictures. However, it does not come with the storage capabilities as the Li'l DaVinvi frame.
I previously posted about using job ticket holders to create your own little art gallery. Once, again a cheap and quick way to show of some artwork.
Last but not least, while I was writing this I popped over to Jeri's wonderful sight and saw that she has posted a few great options herself. Go check it out!
Clever Display of Art
I'm always looking for clever ways to display my children's art. As featured in Blueprint Magazine, job ticket holders can be used instead of frames to hold artwork. Once a new masterpiece comes in it is super easy to change it out, giving you an instantly updated art gallery. A City of Storage
They are so beautiful! But, you may be wondering what they are. Cabinet, Closet, Bookshelf, Toy Box? The answer is, YES. All of the above. I would line a whole wall in the playroom with them. Never mind, I would put them in my office. How great would it be to see these everyday? 
Now for the bad news, the Kast van een Huis is produced in the Netherlands. It doesn't look like they are shipped to the United States but it may be worth an email. Please let me know if you see anything like this here.
Customizable Toy Boxes
I would love to organize a playroom using these lovely boxes. You choose your color, or shape. Need doors? No problem they have it all. They even have a closet configuration for the little ones.
I first read about the Via Toy Boxes at Design Mom blog. So far this is one of my favorite blogs to visit and she has great guest bloggers that add to the experience.
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