Stash boxes - a great way to contain the clutter

In an ideal mothering world, I'd never pick up after my kids. They would feel responsible for their own messes and clean them up without my assistance. But let's face it, sometimes it's exhausting to enforce the "pick up after yourself" rule throughout the day. I created these "stash boxes" to give me an alternative to the constant nagging.

I really do believe that kids should be responsible for their own stuff, but I hate tripping over toys. With a stash box, I have a way to get the stuff out of my way while still enforcing the "pick up after yourself" rule. I've got one of these boxes (I bought them at Target for $9) just inside the door of every bedroom. Their purpose is to hold all the misc. items from around the house. The kids are responsible for emptying their stash box when it starts to get full and/or on the weekend when they do their Saturday jobs.

It's also very handy for my kids when they're cleaning around the house. They're each responsible for tidying up various rooms in the house throughout the week. Before stash boxes, I would often hear "but I didn't get this out why should I have to put it away?" in a lovely whining tone. Now they know that they can just take all the clutter from the room and distribute it to the various owner's stash boxes. It speeds up the cleaning time for them and forces the original mess maker to do most of the cleaning.

I have loved these stash boxes. We use them constantly. I imagine they'll be a staple at our house for years. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Pottery Barn art boards for a fraction of the price!

I always loved those art boards you see in the Pottery Barn Kids magazine. They're so simple and useful. However, at $30 each they were a little out of my range. Consequently, I decided to make my own.

I bought a pre-painted white, 8-foot piece of molding from Home Depot. I cut it into three equal sections and painted each with acrylic paint (I did two coats). Then I sprayed them with clear gloss to protect the finish.

I bought big magnetic clips from WalMart and popped out the magnets. Next, I used a very short screw to attach the clips to the board. I imagine you could also leave the magnets in and use a very strong super glue to attach them. I used 3M's 'command adhesive' picture hangers to attach them to the wall (you can find those at WalMart too, in hardware next to the hooks).

For about $12 I made three of these handy little art boards and it they were finished in less than a day. My kids love having a place to stash their latest pieces and I love having my fridge back. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Help your kids get their own shoes on with easy arrows

We all love the easy on/off shoes. However, no matter how much velcro and stretch they put into them, the hardest part is usually figuring out which is which.

I found this bright idea in Family Fun magazine. A mom contributor recommended putting arrows inside to help your kids figure it out for themselves.

I found a magic marker and did this to all my 3 year old's shoes. I can't believe the difference. She grabs her shoes out of the shoe basket, points the arrows together and then gets them on all by herself. This is a bright idea I'm sure I'll hang on to.

An easy-access weekly planner for your kids

During the morning rush to get the kids off to school, I found myself checking multiple papers to find out what was happening that day. Did we need to pack library books or p.e. shoes? Is it a hot lunch day or do I need to pack a lunch? Does she need to bring her girl scout vest or ballet shoes? Some things were on the calendar and some were tacked up on the fridge. I felt like I was wasting time that I couldn't spare, so I created this weekly planner to help my first grader manage her own schedule.

It's a very simple velcro system. On it I list the days of the week Monday through Saturday. I created icons in MS Word for each of my daughter's usual activities and color coded the titles for easy sorting. Under each day, I've added a strip of velcro that can hold three icons. The first icon shows what's happening at school that day (art, library, pe, music, computer). The second icon shows what type of lunch she's having (cold or hot). The third icon shows reminders and afterschool activities (test, homework, afterschool activity, etc.). I added a few extra dots of velcro down the right side to store the unused icons.

Usually, on Sunday night at family council we'll gather all the various calendars and reminders and my daughter will arrange the icons on her chart. As a side note, she'll also use this chart to help her know what clothes to put in her clothes organizer that I posted last week(http://meckmom.blogspot.com/2006/03/under-bed-daily-clothes-organizer.html). For example, on p.e. days she knows she can't pick a skirt and on brownie scout days she'll add her vest to the outfit for that day.

We post this "planner" on the fridge so she can see it each morning when she's getting dressed and packing her backpack. It has made a huge difference in our morning routine. I'll also use it throughout the week when her teacher sends home reminders and other info. I think this one will stick with us for several years. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Liven up St. Patrick's day with this fun tradition

St. Patrick's day was always a little dull at our house. We usually do the green pancakes and such, but I wanted something a little more fun for my kids to look forward to in March.

One year my oldest daughter fell asleep on one of those green beaded necklaces. When she woke up on St. Patrick's Day, she had a strange green marking on her belly. She didn't realize what had happened, so I told her that a lucky leprechaun must have snuck into her room late at night and left her his good luck mark. I told her the mark was very special because it promised an entire year of good luck. She was thrilled. Whenever she was nervous or scared during the following year I reminded her of the mark and she'd get a sudden burst of courage.

We had so much fun with it, that I've made it a St. Patrick's Day tradition. Each year, I sneak into their rooms at night and draw a tiny green clover somewhere on their bodies. When they wake up on St. Patrick's Day, they search for their mark and then rush in to tell me all about the great luck they'll have that year. It's an quick and easy way to brighten up an otherwise uneventful holiday. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Under-bed daily clothes organizer

This is not a novel idea, just a new twist on an old one. I really wanted my kids to be able to get themselves dressed in the morning, but found the current systems were not designed to be kid-friendly, they were designed to look nice in perfect magazine closets. I created this system as a handy alternative.

I bought a rolling under-bed wrapping paper box from WalMart. I created the dividers by trimming a sheet of white foam core posterboard and then attached them with clear packing tape. I also covered the edges with clear packing tape to add durability. I printed the labels onto white cardstock and then attached them with clear laminating film.

On laundry day, I sort the kids clothes into baskets. They pick the shirt, underwear and socks they want to wear each day and I help them find the pants to match. Whatever is left in the basket gets put away in their drawers and the bin rolls back under their bed.

It's great because it's completely kid friendly. Nothing has to be neatly folded and it's all within reach for even the smallest arms.

A simple, effective method for organizing your spices

I'm too cheap to buy one of those fancy tiered spice shelves and too busy to take the time to alphabatize. However, I hate digging through the cupboard to find the spice I need. I created these little bins to shorten my search time.

First off, I used a magic marker to write the first letter of the spice on it's lid. Then, I divided the spices into 2 groups (A-K and L-Z). I bought these cheap containers at Wal-Mart and labeled them with a magic marker.

Now, when I need a spice I just pull the whole bin onto the counter and find the first letter. Usually I can find any give spice within a few seconds. It's not perfection, but it's tons easier than maintaining a full alphabetical system and takes much less room in my cupboard. Plus, when I'm done, I just toss the spice back into the bin and put it back in the cupboard. Anything that allows for a quicker clean-up is a keeper on my list.

The easiest lables ever

I'm big on labeling. When things aren't labeled, I end up being the only one that can put things away. Consequently, it also means I'm the one everyone runs to when they can't find something. Labels, especially for my kid's stuff, make everyone else responsible for their own stuff.

My two youngest can't read yet, so I needed a method of labeling that would be easy for them too. I used my digital camera to take some pictures of their toys. I printed them out in wallet size and then laminated them. I stuck them to the containers with Velcro so that I could swap them out as the contents change over the years.

They're so easy to make and even easier for my kids to use. I've got these all over my kids rooms, the toy room, the job chart and the craft boxes.