Wire Hangars as Baby Clothing HangersDon't waste money on baby hangars. Just bend wire ones!
Use Your Digital Camera to Preserve KeepsakesIf you have children, you probably have boxes and scrapbooks of things your children made in school that you are keeping. Have you ever wished you had a better way to keep these treasures?
School Lunch ChartTo better organize our mornings, we decided that it would be best to have the kids pre-plan their lunches for the week. I bought a dry erase board that had the days of the week on it.
Store Baby Socks In Egg CartonBaby's little socks fit perfectly into the bottom of an egg carton. When they are rolled up, they fit like little eggs!
Use a Lazy Susan for CrayonsI use a lazy Susan type revolving plate to organize crayons. On the plate, I put small plastic boxes used to store paper clips, only without the lids. Each box is a different color.
Hanging Net for Stuffed AnimalsWhen my daughter was young and had many stuffed animals. I did several things with them. My solution was to use a "fish" net hung from the ceiling, that I kept all her stuffed animals in.
Store Crayons In Baby Wipe ContainerI run a day care and we put all crayons in an old baby wipe container. We also have one with markers, and one with colored pencils.
Makeup Organizer for CrayonsI solved my daughter's problem of too many crayons, ink pens, and colored pencils by giving her a makeup organizer. This organizer has three zippered pockets, and folds into a square with a handle.
Use a 3-Ring Binder to Store ArtworkA lot of the great artwork my kids bring home is on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. This makes it easy to store and protect them. I bought a 3-ring binder and a package of page protectors.
Hanging Stuffed Animals In A HammockI have put two cup hooks in the corner of the room, as far apart as you want your hammock to stretch. I then hung a pretty color of nylon net (about 2 yards) to make a hammock. All the animals sleep there!
Use Refrigerator For Magnetic Toy StorageThe outside of the refrigerator makes a great Bakugan play area. Bakugans stick to the refrigerator with their magnets. You can line them up, battle them, and make them climb up the refrigerator.
Binder for Saving School KeepsakesMy daughter came up with the best idea to save her 2 1/2 year old twin boys artwork! They do some kind of art project nearly every day, and the papers were really beginning to pile up at home!
Storing Children's CDs and DVDsAre you finding you have too many DVDs and not enough places to store them? I did. So I purchased several three ring binders, plastic sheet protectors, and DVD envelopes.
Pringles Can Backpack OrganizerHow many times has your child come home with precious art work smashed or torn from being stuffed inside a backpack? Let your child make a backpack organizer out of a used Pringles can.
Toy Wagon for Child's Shoe StorageA small child's wagon, either metal or plastic, makes for a great shoe storage container by a front or back door, or even in the child's bedroom.
Organizing Toy Cars and TrainsFirst go to any discount store and purchase see through fishing tackle type boxes of various sizes and place your child's toy trains, or hot wheel cars in them.
Hang Pegboard for Playroom OrganizationI was having trouble in my daughters' toy room. Their things were always on the floor. So I installed "peg board", as used in the garage, etc. I painted it purple and pink to match their room.
Uses for HampersPop open hampers are great for other things besides clothes. I love those new pop-open hampers that have a spring metal frame and nylon mesh construction.
Grandmother's Storage Area for Baby GoodsAs a grandmother I needed a storage area for disposable diapers, baby wipes and other items for my granddaughter. I found a hanging bed pockets holder which has Velcro tabs on it.
Having Bibs Ready to GoTo save myself from running around during feeding time, I secure bibs on the back of the highchair so that they are ready to go. I also string a small laundry bag for the dirty ones.
Hooks for BackpacksMy best back-to-school tip is to have a "spot" or hook for each child's backpack. That way it can easily be located in the morning when leaving and anything else that needs to go that morning can be set beside the backpack as a reminder.
Giving the Kids All the Family Names and NumbersI was getting vexed at the number of times my adult children, now living in their own homes, would call me for family information such as telephone numbers, cell numbers, work numbers, fax numbers, birthdates, wedding anniversaries and even correct spellings of our grandchildren's names.
Lists of Things to Do for KidsTo make your evening less hectic with the kids, try making out a list of things they need to do. At supper, make out the to do list.
Helping Kids Organizing Their Own ToysTo organize my girls smaller toys, I filled see through bins with the toys, took a picture with my digital camera of one or two of the items that were inside (for example) jewelry or little people.
Towel Bar at Changing TableNot only does it hold a change of clothes, so I don't have to lift him half changed off the pad and search through his dresser with a naked baby in my arms, but it also keep the clothes out of his reach and holds musical toys that delight him when he isn't in the mood for changing.
Recycling School PapersI recycle my children's school papers. I don't have room for them all. However, if I find a recipe or project idea on the Internet that I want to print out, I use those school papers. I get to keep them and not have them take up unnecessary space.
Organized Packing for CampWhen my son goes to camp in the summer I pack a set of clothes for each day, shorts, shirts, underwear, etc., in a large ziploc bag. He has everything in one place and can grab a bag on the way to the shower. It also saves on packing space.
Give the Kids a BriefcaseGive each child a cheap briefcase; you can often find these for next to nothing at Goodwill and consignment shops. A briefcase is better than a duffel bag or grocery bag because it limits the amount of stuff and makes a great personal desk.
