Preschool Planning & Filing System

Last week, I showed you the printable that I use for planning preschool activities with Andyroo. This week, I'm going to show you how I put the printable to work for me and the system I use to keep myself organized. It's ridiculously easy - and cheap!

This is a simple rubbermaid-type container that I've had sitting around for years - since high school, I think. It wasn't holding anything important (some old ugly scrapbooking paper, some page protectors, etc) so I threw out the unnecessary stuff and put it to good use!

Starting from the front, it contains:

1. An extra notebook for paper purposes. I don't have any filler paper, so if I need to add anything to the folders or write down ideas, I just use the notebook, tear it out, then put it in the appropriate folders.

2. A file folder with extra blank preschool planning pages and tabs. That way if I get an idea for another "unit" I can easily add it to my files.

3. Various 3-pronged pocket folders that hold all the ideas and plans that I've found that need a home. Each one is tabbed and marked so that I can easily see which folder it is when I open the box.

The folders that I purchased (for $0.05/ea during the back to school sales!!) have the whole ridge thing on the side. I had leftover sticky post-it tabs from my coupon binder that so I cut them down and stuck them in the middle.

As a plus, the tabs are erasable/rewritable, so if I ever need to change out what's in the folder, I can easily just change the tab. The tabs are also removable so I can easily move them around or take them off if the need ever arises.

Inside the folder, I have a planning sheet for each of the items written on the tab. So using the folder above, I have a sheet for: Into to the Alphabet, The Letter A, The Letter B, & the Letter C. I'm still accumulating stuff, but if I find something online that I want to print out or copy, I just slip it into a page protector that is behind each planning page.

I chose to add the page protectors so I wasn't always having to 3-hole punch everything and shuffle papers around to get it in the right place.

4. Various preschool (and older) workbooks that I've found. Keeping them in one place makes it handy to find when I need to pull them out.

5. Extra page protectors (you can't see them in this pic) for adding to the folders.

When we're going to be learning about something new, I can easily find the folder with all the information. Easy enough, right!? And super cheap (at least in my case) too!!! Yay!

Key & Coat Shelf

Hubs and I have been married for almost 5 years now and throughout that entire time, I've always meant to come up with some kind of coat rack. In our first apartment, we used the vacuum cleaner as our coat rack. The coats and jackets just got piled on top of the vacuume cleaner. Sad, huh!? In our apartment now, the high chair was used as a coat rack. Whenever we needed the high chair, I'd pile the coats ontop of the table for a while. The high chair is in storage now and the jackets are moved around to different chairs around the table depending on where we want to sit. Right now the jackets are hung up in our bedroom closet (so their not cluttered on the table and chairs) but it's going to be time to pull them out again. In fact, we already did on Saturday! It was rainy and yucky and about 55 degrees when we left the house. And since they're out, they need a home. One that isn't the table or chairs, preferably.
No longer will the coats ben shuffled around. No longer will the keys be lost in the mess on the table or buried at the bottom of my purse!

I found this little unfinished beauty at the D.I. We have another shelf much like this one (without the hooks though) above our couch that has our last name carved into it. When I saw this one with the heart on it, I knew it would be the perfect companion for our other lonely little shelf.

Two dollars. That's all she cost! Adding in the cost of the paint I used, this little project cost a total of $3.75! Yay for cheap!!

I used Dark Chocolate and Fawn from the Americana Paint line. As a side note, I was NOT at all happy with the coverage of the Dark Chocolate. It took about 4 coats and almost the whole bottle of paint to get good coverage. I've use Americana and have always been happy with the way it covers (so much better than the super, super cheap stuff). I don't know if they've reformulated or if it was just this colors. Anyway, back to the project.

So, I slathered on the Dark Chocolate until she was good and covered. Then did some dry brushing with the fawn to add a little more of a textured look. You can't really see it in the picture though.

It now hangs right by our door, all decorated and pretty. Once I get some of my fall decor stuff done, I'll be switching these things out and putting some of it here on this shelf.

Thanks to all the fabulous bloggers out there who take the time and effort to host these spectacular parties!! We're linking up here:


Mondays:
Just Something I Whipped Up, Craftastic Monday, Turquoise Lovin', Making the World Cuter Mondays, Making Mondays Marvelous, Creative Me Mondays

Tuesdays:
Get You Craft On, Tuesday Confessional, Who's Got Glam, Ta-Da Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesdays, Take a Look Tuesdays, Show Me What You Got

Wednesdays:
Whatever Goes Wednesday, Idea Sharing Wednesday, What I Made Wednesday, DIY Under $5, Woot Woot Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Lil' Luna Link Party, Hoo's Got Talent

Thursdays:
Strut Your Stuff, DIY Diva Thursdays, Hookin' Up With House of Hepworths, Get Your Brag On

Fridays:
Frugal Friday, Creative-ly U, Feature Yourself Friday, PityParty, Look At Me

Saturdays/Sundays:
Lovely Little Linkup, Weekend Wander

Preschool Planner Printable

We're kind of in a tough spot right now. I really think Andyroo would benefit from preschool, but we don't have the money for it and I don't want to commit to a program (that someone else is doing) and then have to back out in a few (*fingers crossed*) months when Hubs gets a job. I don't want to leave someone high and dry with the loss of income or something that like that.

So, instead of sending him out for preschool, I've been looking for options and ideas for doing preschool for him here at home. I've found TONS and TONS of resources (which I'll do another post on later) and I'm trying to kind of narrow down what I want to do. There's so much information out there that it's a little overwhelming. My head starts spinning just thinking about all the possibilities. I can handle the head-spinning if I have a place to organize myself - something where I can write down everything and reference it later.

And that's where my new printable comes into play.

It's nothing fancy and colorful (I'd end up printing in B&W anyway), but it gets the job done. And I'm really happy with this method. I have plenty of space to write and different catories to utilize. And no "dates" to make me feel locked in. Afterall, what if I really don't want to talk about birds one day? What if I want to skip ahead or just skip it all together. It must be something about calendars, but i always wind up feeling like a failure if I didn't accomplish something that was written on the calendar. So no dates - though if you prefer, you could write it into either of the top two spaces, or anywhere else on the page.

Before I created this, I was using a calendar to map out exactly what we were going to do when. It was just a printed monthly calendar. Writing so tiny I can barely read it is not my idea of easy. And it was so cluttered that I just stopped using it. It didn't have any really pertinent information so I still had to go lookup things elsewhere. I was able to write 2 or 3 words about the activity or idea and then either a book or website abbreviation. I need more than that! Needless to say, that method only lasted a couple of weeks before I stopped using it.

Want to use this for your own preschool ideas? Of course you do! Just click here to download the PDF file from google docs. If you do use it, let me know what you think - any improvements or changes that need to be made?

Next week, I'll be showing you the filing system I actually use for all of our preschool stuff. Be sure to come back and check it out!

Recycled Magnetic Organizers

One of the things that drives me nuts is having piles of paper scattered around the kitchen counter and tables. We have a small apartment, so I try my hardest to keep things put away and uncluttered. (No comments from those of you who have seen my house at it's not-so-great moments!) I would love the ability to set up a whole functional (and pretty) station or desk to keep myself organized. I just don't have the space for that, so I came up with this instead.

Want to know what I used?

That's right! A Pringles container and a couple of empty boxes!!! I had everything on hand, so this project was completely free. Free is awesome!

This project is pretty self-explanatory. Pick a couple of boxes. I used some fruit snack boxes because they were big enough to fit full-sized piece of paper. I contemplated using a couple of smaller boxes, but just stuck with 2 fruit snack boxes and the Pringles can.

The Pringles can cuts down easily with just a serrated kitchen knife.

Pick some paper and mod podge it onto your boxes.

Attach some magnets. Initially I used hot glue, but the magnets kept falling off, so I pulled out my trusty E600 which worked like a charm. I used 2 magnets on the can and 4 on each of the boxes. I didn't want them sliding around on the fridge.

I also used my Silhouette to cut out some vinyl labels. You could easily print labels or use stickers. One box is for things that I need to file and the other is for things that need my attention or that I don't want to lose. I think they might have looked a little better if I had put the vinyl on a solid piece of paper then glued it onto the boxes, but this will work for now!

Thanks to all the fabulous bloggers out there who take the time and effort to host these spectacular parties!! We're linking up here:


Mondays:
Just Something I Whipped Up, Craftastic Monday, Turquoise Lovin', Making the World Cuter Mondays, Making Mondays Marvelous, Creative Me Mondays

Tuesdays:
Get You Craft On, Tuesday Confessional, Who's Got Glam, Ta-Da Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesdays, Take a Look Tuesdays, Show Me What You Got

Wednesdays:
Whatever Goes Wednesday, Idea Sharing Wednesday, What I Made Wednesday, DIY Under $5, Woot Woot Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Lil' Luna Link Party, Hoo's Got Talent

Thursdays:
Strut Your Stuff, DIY Diva Thursdays, Hookin' Up With House of Hepworths, Get Your Brag On

Fridays:
Frugal Friday, Creative-ly U, Feature Yourself Friday, PityParty, Look At Me

Saturdays/Sundays:
Lovely Little Linkup, Weekend Wander

Free Calendar Printable

One of the thinks that I think is crucial to running a household is a good calendar or scheduling system. We all have our own ways and preferences and we use what works best for us, but I thought I'd share what works for me!

After high school, I worked as a nanny for a family in Connecticut and I was in love with her calendaring system. She had a gigantic wall calendar and used a different color pen/marker for each family member. I thought it was pretty genius!I tucked that method away for future use - and I used that system after Hubs and I first got married. But for newlyweds, it was a little bit overkill. I loved the large spaces and the color coding though.

The apartment we're in now has amazing cabinet space, but not a lot of wall space. Which means my gigantic calendar is out, for now. Someday! About 3 year ago, I found an awesome "mommy" calendar on clearance at Borders. It had loads of room to write and a space for each member of the family. Something like this...

Source


It's hard to see, but can you see the spaces on the left hand side for family member's names? I LOVED THAT! The next year, I searched and waited for the same kind of calendar to go on sale but I never was able to find it. I needed a calendar though, so I created my own!

It has the spaces on the left for out names and space to write more than one word. I can customize it for whatever month I need and then print it out. You could even print it out and then get it spiral bound for easy hanging or reference. It prints as two pages .The picture above is the first page. On the second page, there are another 3 weeks worth of spaces and a space for notes.

Want to try it out? Click here to download your own!

When you print it out, you'll be able to better see that there's a small line above each of the weeks to write the date.

If you do use it, let me know. I'd love to hear what you think! I'd also love to hear what you use for a calendar or scheduling system!

Craft Organization for the Space-Impaired

Last week I showed you how I solved my space vs. ribbon storage dilemma and I thought this week I would show you my whole craft storage solution.

As I've said before, we live in a small basement apartment and we don't have a lot of storage space. For the last few years, my storage space has looked something like this...

What a mess. And this is in our bedroom!! Not very soothing or welcoming.

Across from our bed we have this awesome, but unsightly, storage space. On the very left (behind the printer) is where I've kept my scrapbook items (most of which are never used). The white drawers were just added around Valentine's Day. They held some of my sewing supplies. The rest of my crafting stuff was stuffed in random bags and shoved wherever it would fit. Pretty horrendous, right?

But not anymore! Here's what I've done to solve my problem!

About a month ago, Staples had a sale on the drawers (the black ones you see pictured), so I picked up 2 more of those. I liked the idea of stacked drawers because I have plenty of space to go up, but no so much to go out. At $10 a piece, they were well worth it!

My plan is to put some vinyl labels on them, but my machine totally screwed up the cutting process and I was out of black vinyl. Then I was out of transfer tape. And so it still hasn't been done.

You've already seen my ribbon storage solution, but here it is again. Simply put, ribbon on dowels in a plastic container.

The scrapbook mess has been eliminated from behind the printer and is accessible now. The paper is in two of the drawers. Another two drawers are filled with fabric. I imagine that one day I'll need to implement a better system, but for a new a couples drawers works for me. Another drawers holds my Silhouette accessories and vinyls. One drawer is dedicated to adhesives and glues and then the rest of the drawers are filled with other sewing notions and supplies.

I found these handy drawer dividers to go in some of the drawers. This particular drawer holds my buttons, sewing notions, and ribbon cuts.

Also in our bedroom is the desk where I keep my Silhouette out and available for easy access. Don't mind the stack of CDs - remember how we're short on space?

Next to the desk is a hanging file holder. I just put this up the other day, so there isn't much in it, but I'm planning to use it for business, primary secretary, and preschool stuff. I'll eventually put on some labels.

Also, I think my favorite part is the caddy. Not only is it pink (which is quickly becoming my favorite color since I'm surrounded by boy stuff), but I can come into my craft storage area, fill up my caddy, and easily take everything I need to my workspace (usually the dining room table). One trip and I have everything I need. No more multiple trips because I can't fit everything in my arms.

So what do you think? Do you have any tips for organizing when you're space-impaired like I am?





We're linking up with these super awesome parties:


Whatever Goes Wednesday, Idea Sharing Wednseday, What I Made Wednesday, Creative-ly U, Feature Yourself Friday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Frugal Friday, DIY Under $5, Lovely Little Linkup, Craftastic Monday, Woot Woot Wednesday, Strut Your Stuff, Our House of Joyful Noise, Get You Craft On, Wow Me Wednesday 

Ribbon Storage for the Space-Impaired

This inspiration for this idea comes from my sister-in-law's mother's ribbon storage. I really, really, really, wish I had the insane amount of ribbon and crafting supplies she does. Instead I saw her ribbon storage idea and tucked it away for future use. I'm also space-impaired. There's no room for shelves or walls of ribbon. However, I've finally acquired enough ribbon to justify moving from a large ziploc bag to this...

This is one of the easiest things I've ever done. You'll need a rubbermaid container (preferably clear and with a lid), a few dowels (depending on how many rows of ribbon you can get into your container - size needed will also depend on your container), a glue gun, and your ribbon. You'll also want a marker to make marks on the container. If you're using dowels that aren't precut, you'll need something to trim them also. I just used a serrated kitchen knife.

The first thing you want to do is figure out how many rows of ribbon you think you can fit in your container. This will depend on the size of spools and the size container you have. Do some playing around and make sure you can comfortably fit your ribbon spools in the way you think you can. I chose to make the bottom two dowels for wider ribbon, one of the top ones for 5/8" and 7/8" ribbon, and the other top one for anything smaller.

After you know how many dowels you want to put in and how many spools you think you can fit on each dowel, you'll need to start warming up your hot glue gun. This works best if you don't have any glue in it you just need the heat) but if there's already glue in it, you should be able to easily pull the glue stick out after it's warmed up a bit. If there is only a little bit of glue left in it, you could just squeeze all the glue out or just be sure not to push the trigger as you're doing this.

Start with the slots for the dowels. Take your hot glue gun and melt a hole through the plastic big enough to comfortably fit your dowel. You don't want it to be too snug or too loose, for obvious reasons. For my needs, pushing to entirety of the metal part of the glue gun through made the perfect size hold for the dowels.

Do the same on the other side so that your dowel has 2 holes to sit in.

Repeat the process for as many dowels as you need in your container.

With the dowels still in their holes, you want to make holes on the main sides of the container for your ribbon to be pulled through. Again, figure out how many spools of ribbon you plan to have on each dowel. You might consider separating them by size, for this purpose. That way you can have all your 3/8" ribbon on one dowel and all your 5/8" on another - so your holes are spaced evenly and so you don't ever have to struggle to make ribbon fit on the dowels. But that just might be my OCD side coming through.

Before you make your holes in the main side, you'll want to mark where you want the holes. I used a permanent marker to give myself and estimate as to where to put the holes.

Then, using the same heating technique, make holes in the sides for the ribbon to slide through.

Pull your dowels out, load them up, then put them back in. As you put the dowels in, you'll want to go through and pull the ribbons through the holes. If some of them don't want to stay, you can just use a small piece of tape to keep the ribbon on the outside of the container. This is what I did for the smaller ribbon, especially the slippery satin stuff.

Here you can kind of see how the smaller ones are taped down.

If you're worried about ribbon or the dowels sliding back and forth, then wrap some rubber bands around the ends of the dowel or next to the spools of ribbon to keep them from going anywhere. I put rubber bands on each side of each dowel (except the one that doesn't have any ribbon. I'm still growing into my container).

I also wrapped some ribbon arouund next to the ribbon on the dowels that aren't filled up. Then the ribbon isn't sliding back and forth across the dowel.

And there you have it! Easily accessible ribbon storage for the space-impaired. I can easily pull it out and put it away when necessary. All I have to do is pull the ribbon through and cut off what I need.

We're linking up with these super awesome parties:


Whatever Goes Wednesday, Idea Sharing Wednseday, What I Made Wednesday, Creative-ly U, Feature Yourself Friday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Frugal Friday, DIY Under $5, Lovely Little Linkup, Craftastic Monday, Woot Woot Wednesday, Strut Your Stuff, Our House of Joyful Noise, Get You Craft On, Wow Me Wednesday, Weekend Wander