Memory Boxes for Sale!

Are you overwhelmed with your child's school paperwork, artwork, and keepsakes? If so, you're not alone!! And now is the perfect time to deal with it, as the end of the school year is quickly approaching.

Years ago, I made these memory boxes for my kids:

And now, I'd like to offer the same service to you!
I am excited to announce that I am now selling memory box kits, that come fully assembled and ready to use! For $100, you will receive:

-12x20" split lid Rubbermaid file box

-15 hanging file folders (expand up to 3.5 inches!)

-15 custom labels (Birth-12th grade)

-14 "All About Me" coversheets
-A customized nameplate for your child
-A list of tips on how to organize your memory box

I have researched a bazillion types of hanging folders and file boxes, and I can assure you, that these are the BEST quality! Like I said, I have been using them for my own kids for years and they have really held up well.

Each memory box comes with 14 "All About Me" coversheets, and they are just the cutest :) They contain questions to ask your child on each last day of school, starting at Pre-K and going up to 12th grade. There is a spot to put a picture, and it's so fun to look back and reminisce on each school year! Once completed, put each coversheet as the first piece in the corresponding folder.

Take my word for it, it is SO nice to have all of your kids school artwork and keepsakes in one place!

For a complete list of options for the nameplates, be sure to check my Facebook page and look at the "Photos" and then click on "Albums." There is an album titled "Completed Memory Boxes" that you can browse, as well as a "Memory Box - Options" album.

*Comment below or message me today
to order your memory box!*

Click here to print the order form. Memory boxes will be delivered within 4-5 days; payment required at delivery.

My Craft Room Transformation

I wanted to show you more than just another "before & after" picture in today's post. Mostly because these are pictures of a transformation that is near & dear to my heart.....

 I feel very fortunate to have this space in our house. It was originally built as a sunroom, but we have turned it into an office / craft room. Both the kids and I love to do crafts, scrapbook, color, etc. and it's so nice to have a spot for that! 

When we moved in 3+ years ago, this room was being used as an art studio. Hence, the paint-splattered concrete floors. I told my husband I could live with the awful floors.....temporarily. Finally, a few months ago, we got new flooring & baseboards and it made such a difference! Not to mention the two "new to us" tables, as well as clearing a LOT of clutter.

My craft table got revamped, I bought a larger tray to corral my supplies, and I moved the kids' school / memorabilia boxes into the basement:

 

The kids' craft table got upgraded from a card table to a table set I found online & refinished:

 

 And voila! A transformed craft room.

And obviously, this transformation didn't take place in a 4 hour period. This one happened over time, and sometimes, that's just how it is. I'm very happy with the finished product, and I love that I took my time figuring out exactly what I wanted / needed in there to make it function properly for our family. 

Let me know if you have a space in your home I can help transform!

Back-to-School Series: Organizing Kids' Artwork

For the last post in my "Back-to-School" series this month, I wanted to touch on a subject that I've covered before......dealing with the oodles of artwork & papers your kids bring home from school.

 

Did you just cringe?!

 

Yes, it can be overwhelming, and it's hard to know

1). Where to put it and

2.) What to keep!

 

(And no, the answer to #2 is not "All of it!")

 

Please click here to read a previous post about organizing artwork and

creating memory boxes for your children.

And if you still feel overwhelmed, please contact me for an appointment; I'd love to help! :)

Reader Space: Organizing Kids' Artwork

A reader asked for help when it came to organizing & storing her son's artwork. And because he's only 2, you KNOW he is bringing home a masterpiece with handprints or doodles every.single.day!!

 

As a mom of two kids (age 5 & 7), I can sympathize. Luckily, there are oodles of ideas out there and here are a few of my favorites:

-Create a "brag board" (made out of an bulletin board, cork tiles, etc) for each child. These could hang in either a playroom or kitchen. Only place items on these boards that your child is *super* proud to show you. So... you might be changing them out every day :) But if they are tacked up with a pushpin, no big deal, right?!



{Source}

 

-A similar idea is to either make a DIY "Masterpiece" board like the one shown below, or hang a magnetic strip (from IKEA) with just a few favorite pieces displayed.

(This would also but cute done with clipboards or cork tiles).

{Source}

Again, these two ideas are mainly for "favorite" pieces. So what do you do with the other 105,834 pieces of artwork that come home with your child!? Well, if you want to get fancy, here are two options that I adore:

-You can purchase a collage made from your child's artwork! See the Etsy listing here.



Please look at how cute this is! It could easily
serve as artwork on the wall in your child's room.

 -Through www.plumprint.com, you can have your child's artwork turned into a coffee table book!!

......But, I must get back to my reader's original question :) 

She asked about two solutions - to hang a few favorite art pieces in frames, and then file the rest. To that I say: Bravo! That is exactly what I do, and it's been a great system for me so far.
In fact, here are pictures of my kids' "brag boards" in our playroom:

 



(I covered the backing of each frame with burlap, took out the glass, and hot-glued a clip}

 

....And our craft room:

 

...And then my daughter has a display in her bedroom, because she colors & draws 24/7:


{I got the frames at Michael's when they were on sale}

Those 3 places are where I display their most favorite pieces, as soon as they bring them home.

With the rest, I put into a double wall pocket, similar to the one shown here.

{This one is from IKEA, but there are other cute options at
Target, Amazon, Pottery Barn, and Hobby Lobby}

 

At the end of each week, I go through the wall pockets, and do an initial purge. (Again, I keep things that the kids seemed really proud of, or ones that demonstrated a new skill, like writing their name or perfectly their addition facts). Then, I file the "keepers" in a tub like the one shown below. 
(I purchased 2" expandable hanging file folders, and designated one for each grade. And I made the labels using Microsoft Word.)

 

{I found both the file boxes & hanging files at Office Max}

 

At the end of the year, the folder will be overflowing, so you will have to do a second purge. Believe me, at the end of the year, not every single thing with a handprint will deem necessary to keep. And....I'm gonna say it.....you have my permission to throw away some of your kids' artwork!! It does NOT make you a bad parent to do so. Most likely, they will never know the difference anyway :)

 

So, Becca, I hope that answers your question and that you can find a good solution for your son's endless supply of artwork. I would love to see what you come up with.

Good luck!