Organizing - Milwaukee,WI

I've started recycling art work that isn't her best... and file away those that are in my filing cabinet. Her best of the best, we hang up for a month before filing.

I have a HUGE pantry, size of a small room and on the top shelf, I keep a carboard banker box (get them at office supply store).

Everytime my daughter cleans out her binder or something is school related, needs to be saved and not returned to school, it goes in the box. At the end of the year, i sort through the box, pitch most everything except for things she might need the next year (math tables, etc) and sentimental items.

Then I relable the box for the next year and start over. I've done this since K and i'm pretty sure I've used the same box all along.

I have keep sake containers, big rubbermaid totes for the kids things. The kids are all grown but it is fun to go back and look through their papers and little clothes. I didn't keep everything, just some fun things like when they started writing stories. My daughter ended every paper with "that's all I have to say, good bye" but her spelling is what is so fun to go back and look at. She spelled dresses as dressis. We spent a whole afternoon last week going through that box and laughing at not only the things she did but cards from my grandmother to her with remarks like the easter card with a bunny on the front, she wrote "do you think that bunny looks a little scary?" and the year her 4th birthday fell on Easter, the Easter bunny brought her a special present and a card. I am not sure who signed the card, it wasn't me and I had forgotten all about it until we seen the card.

Not much help on the organizing but letting you know how important these things are and not just photo copies of them. There is something about holding something that you held and did back when you were small that you won't get from holding a picture of it. When my son died last summer, his box became more then just memories, it is all I have left of him, so please keep what you want and not just photo copy it.

I try to implement a lot of the suggestions here, but still have trouble finding the time to keep up with putting away all the keepsakes! I have large artwork portfolios for each kid for their artwork, keepsake boxes for each kid for their medals and such, binders for each kid for their special school papers, school scrapbooks for their report cards, awards, etc, photo boxes for the photos until I have time to put them in scrapbooks! That's the theory but I struggle with labeling it all, and I think I have too many places I am trying to store it all in. But I do have a couple suggestions that I didn't see mentioned here that work well for me. I labled a binder "(Last Name) Family Activity Book". That is where I store the information sheets for future reference like class schedules, teacher and coach contact information, the class party helper list, student passwords, sports schedules, etc. I put school related in first and extracurricular last. I paper punch those and store them in the binder for as long as needed for future reference even though I put the dates on the calendar as soon as I get them. Shorter term stuff like information for next week's field trip or the monthly church newsletter get throwed in the pocket in the front of the binder and then I just pitch what's done and over periodically. I sign permission slips and forms immediately and put them right back in the their backpacks. School library books come out at homework time and then put right back in their backpacks. As for a calendar, I use the free calendar on Google. Love it! My husband can access it on computer while at work so he can see what the heck is going on tonight! It saves all that writing because you can set up each event to carry over weekly, monthly, yearly (birthdays), etc! I print four copies for each month - one for the office, one for the fridge, and one for each kid's room so they can see what's going on too. I can't wait to try some of the other suggestions here!

we put library books in a basket in the living room so they don't get mixed in with our books. both public library books and school library books. then when it's time to return them we know where to look.

I have a small plastic tote box on the far top of my bakers rack that gets school papers thrown in each day. the big art projects on the large paper stack up right next to the box. At the end of the school year I go through it all and throw away most of it. I keep any special writing projects, a few special art projects etc for each year and file in a hanging file in a tub for that child. Most 3 dimensional projects I photogragh while still in good condition and then let the kids play with it until it is destroyed. I have only kept a few of the the 3 dimensional things but will keep more when they start to come home with things made of clay and not just construction paper. I think at the end of the school years my goal is to only have one tub of school papers, art projects etc for each child.

I haven't done this yet but plan to do a scrap book or three ring binder with sheet protectors for certificates, awards, report cards etc. These are special and should have a place all their own.

I have a three ring binder for the school calendar, lunch menus and any other papers with information i need to refer back to.

Homework get clipped to the refridgerator with a magnetic clip so that we can all see what needs to be done that week. my kids are still pretty young so still get weekly homework not daily.

I agree with another post you received about flylady.net. She is awesome and has tons of good suggestions and routines for getting organized. lots of ideas to get your kids involved as well.

Good luck.

The best tip I heard for artwork is to take a picture of it, then get rid of it. You will always "have it", but won't have to store it. You can then later put it into a scrap book, or photo album, but it won't take up space. ;)

T.
Barefoot Books Ambassador
www.ReadandGrow.com

#1 I find hanging file folders in a latching box easiest for papers i need to keep. I don't love the magazine holders.

#2 Each kid gets an expandable file folder about 3 inches deep for their save stuff.

#3 My camera, i use that to take picts of the 3 dimenial ART we keep the real thing for week and then just keep the picture.

#4 set aside 2 minutes a day or 10 mins every Sunday or what ever but make a routine of going through tossing and straightening up.

#5 Gotta love flylady.net You can't organize clutter you just have to get rid of it.

good luck!!!

I can't believe the amount of art work and sheets of paper one kindergarten brings home.
So I have learned that if I "recycle" too soon, the kids get very upset and heartbroken, so now I keep a stack of papers from the week and on the weekend I go through it and toss anything that isn't a "special art project". I have a regular plastic bin that I store all "special art projects" after they have been on display for awhile.
For important papers that need to be filled out and returned to school go in a giant magnetic clip on the refrigerator.
For fyi/info sheets sent home from school - I have a large plastic folder for each child that I slip them in right away.

Good Luck - I know it can be very overwelming!!

Hanging file folders.

I keep stuff we like in a box for one year. After the year is over, we clean out the box. Keep only your most favorite of those things (like 1 per quarter, or when kids get older an especially good paper or whatever). The sentimental stuff is good, but only if it's not so much that it'd get boring to look through, right?
This school year, so far I only have 2 things that I know I'll keep of my son's art. One just made us all laugh out loud, and we even made copies and mailed them to grandparents and my best friend. It's just a matter of comparing things and "qualifying" them, and tossing the rest. I DO like that idea of taking photos of things though.

For the library books, make a special library tote bag. The books are stored in the bag. That way you have something to carry them in for the trips back and forth and nothing gets left behind.

As for art projects, you can only keep so many. I had a door designated for kids pictures, and I would change them out. I also have a rubbermaid tote for those items that were just too special to throw out. You can also take pictures of the projects and toss the originals.

You'll be AMAZED, but life will continue on as always if you THROW SOME (MOST) STUFF AWAY!

(I am not an especially organized person, but I have learned to purge from time to time)

I understand the paper jam, I've got three kids, when they were younger each one bringing home everyday the most God Almighty Important papers and art work and such.

Like someone else suggested, I have a large pantry, had a box full of school/kid related stuff. Had a CRAZY moment and put the whole damn box in the garbage. Never looked back. Life went on. It gave me strength.

K, but now my second son is a JR in HS and getting a thousand college things everyday. Last WEEK, just last WEEK, I went in the pantry and chucked all the stuff the FIRST kid (who is a freshman at college) got. Scary.

:)

I throw most stuff away/recycle. I have a couple of areas with magnets for hanging things, but will clear it off or tell my daughter to replace old with new... I keep a 3 ring binder to put especially cute things, and have given my daughter a box that she can store whatever special things she wants (usually things I want to recycle but she doesn't) and I have taken pictures of stuff, then jut organize the photo files by month/year. Its all still crazy! lol Best of luck!