Works for Me Wednesday

What do you do with a child who is easily frustrated? What about the child who frequently falls back on the phrase, "I can't!" What about a child who just won't try?

Not that I, you know, have children like that.

OK, that was a joke. I have at least, let me count them, yep, four children who occasionally get frustrated or feel incapable.

And then I am frustrated when one of them says (or shouts, depending on the child. Yes, we have some "yellers" among us) "I can't."

I used to say things like, "Don't say 'can't'" or "How will you know unless you try?"

My children were unmoved by such things. So I stopped saying them. Mostly.

Now, when my kids are just about to reach that point or even after they say, "I can't," I remind them of our new saying. (And this is particularly necessary right now with one child who shall go unnamed for the purposes of this discussion.)

Our new statement is: "I haven't learned how to do this yet."

So, when one of my daughters is frustrated that things are just not quite working the way she thinks they ought to, or if she hasn't perfected a desired skill or accomplishment, a little reminder from me is all it takes.

"I haven't learned to do this yet" sounds so much more optimistic than a wailed, "I can't do it!"

Changing the terms works for us. So, next time you're tempted to throw up your hands and cry, "I can't!" Try to say, "I haven't learned how to do this yet." It might improve your day. Math worksheets, new kitchen skills, a craft project requiring finer motor skills... "I haven't learned to do this yet," could apply to any of the above.

(Little side note: Don't miss the MyMemories Giveaway going on now. Entries are low so you have an excellent chance to win some valuable software!)

This post will be linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

In Which Tigger Hits a Major Milestone

Yeah, I know, I posted this picture just the other day. But Tigger is wearing this shirt again today (it's her fave, don't you know) so I'm reusing the picture.

Tigger finished all the phonics lessons in this book today:
Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading.

That's right - with the completion of the word Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious (that is the last lesson in the book), I now have two official readers.

So you can imagine the excitement around here today. Tigger then asked, "Can I still read to you every day? And can I choose the book?"

Of course I told her she could. I asked what her first choice would be and she said, "Probably Go Dog, Go, because that's my favorite."

Sounds good to me.

You know what else sounds good to me?

Starting this girl in the phonics book:

'Cause she is ready. And whatever Polly & Tigger can do, Sweet Pea must do. So I suspect our phonics guide will not be shelved very long. If you're wondering how to teach your child to read, I highly recommend this book. It's inexpensive, there are no pictures, and, most important of all, it works. I have two happy daughters that prove it.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday over at We are That Family.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any action taken with these links could result in compensation for me. As always, I encourage you to check your library or Paperback Swap first - these books are worth it! Opinions are my own and you must read at your own discretion.

Our New School System

Want to see how I've revolutionized our school day? It's not work boxes (no room!) or a better schedule (I need my sleep) It's these little things that cost me less than $5 each at the Big Box Store (affiliate link):

(Note: these are a little different from the ones I bought. Ours have an envelope type pocket on the bottom of each page and plastic binding)

This is primarily for Polly's benefit but of course I made one for Tigger and Sweet Pea too. Each of their required subjects has a pocket and in that pocket I put all the necessary work for that week. If a subject uses worksheets, those go in the pocket. If it doesn't, then I write out the assignments on a 3x5 card and put it in the envelope pocket. Anything else that goes along with the lessons (and fits in this folder) goes in too - things like flashcards, blank index cards, magnet letters, Latin c.d., etc.

This system is designed to give Polly a little more control over her school day. She can see very quickly what has to be done for the entire week. She can decide that she wants to do two math lessons, or none. She can finish her Latin assignments all at once or spread it out over five days. Many subjects she still needs my help to complete, but it is her responsibility to come find me and see if it's a good time to do that subject. The only other rule is that all the work must be completed by Saturday night. (Two reasons for this: no school on Sundays & I need time to load the folder for the new week of school)

We've only just started our second week of school, but so far it's working very well. Polly likes having the control and I like being able to work with Tigger without Polly interrupting asking for help. (Sweet Pea interrupting is another problem entirely!)

Tigger's folder is very similar but she doesn't have control over when we do each subject. Still, she likes having a folder just like her sister's. Her folder primarily helps me see how we're doing, since it would be too easy to ignore her academics and focus on the more pressing 4th grade matters.

And Sweet Pea's folder is packed with coloring pages, alphabet games and cards, number magnets, a small chalkboard, and a list of ideas for other things to keep her busy. She likes to be right with us while we work. Which is sometimes Quite Nice and sometimes a Bother, but that's life with Sweet Pea anyway.

Similar products (affiliate links):
It's working for us! Check out other things that work over at We are That Family.

WFMW - A Thrift Store Tip

O.K, so this may not fit Shannon's theme for today (greatest hits) but it's something I've been meaning to share for awhile now.

Who likes to shop at thrift stores? (Me! Me!) My favorite local thrift store does not...prepare yourself...have dressing rooms. That is correct, you cannot try on your finds before buying them.

Except we do. Shirts are easy, as are dresses, because you just slip them on over your clothes. Pants and some skirts, not so much. But I won't buy things I'm not sure of.

So here's what we do: put on the largest, widest, longest skirt you can find off the thrift store racks. Now you can slip in and out of whatever you need to, and still be, ahem, covered. It works for me! Because, you know, who wants to spend $1.00 on something that doesn't fit? I kid, I kid.

WFMW - I'm Bored Jar

My daughters own roughly 56,000 toys, give or take a Polly Pocket or two. Most things are artistically and miraculously organized in their room which is, sadly, the size of a large closet.

Somehow, despite the evidence of more things to do than could possibly be done in a week, the cries of "We're bored" were echoing around Chez Us. You can imagine how well such a statement went over with me.

So I made up a jar. I sacrificed a piece of my scrapbooking paper to decorate a small canister. I made small cards (something like tickets) to fill the jar. Each card has something to do. Each toy is individually listed on its own card.

I also included small chores, some exercises (jumping jacks, TKD stretches, etc), art projects (coloring books, Color Wonder, draw a specific thing, watercolors), some special things (Mom reads a story, 15 minutes computer time, play with measuring cups & beans, and so on).

This is really working for us. The girls take turns drawing things out of the jar. The rule is they have to at least attempt to play or do what that card says.

The side benefit of this is that they are reminded of things they haven't played with for awhile. And another rule is that each thing must be properly put away before they draw out something else, which helps keep the mess under control. When they've finished a card we pin it up on our memo board (not back in the jar) to be sure that they've done everything before we start over.

WFMW - Encouraging Reading

As I mentioned a few days ago, my eldest daughter Polly just got her very first library card. My motherly pride is about to run riot, I can tell you. Next thing you know she'll be reading War and Peace. Or not.

We are still working through a phonics program. Reading is not something that comes entirely naturally to Polly. Tigger, her younger sister, actually seems to have more reading "intuition" than Polly does. Still, Polly is coming right along. With her new library card we allow her to check out 5 books, the only rule being that they have to come from 5 different places in the children's library and that Mom and Dad have the ultimate veto power. (Insert evil maniacal laughter here...)

I simply showed Polly the different sections, as in, "Here are books about cooking, here are books about history, here are art books, here are books about crafts, here are stories about real people, here are science books, here are picture books, here-are-the-dime-a-dozen-mass-merchandise books." Yeah, that last category
should be bannedis not my favorite. But just telling her to get "a variety" wouldn't have worked because she would probably choose 5 story books and protest that they are not the same story. As it is she is choosing very interesting book and she examines them carefully even when she cannot quite read them all.

Other ways to encourage reading:
- Be sure your kids see you reading a lot.
- Always, always read a bedtime story aloud no matter how grown up your children seem.
- Encourage the older children to read to the younger. Even Tigger is known to get out a picture book and "read" a story to the baby.
- Play a book on tape or c.d. during nap time or quiet time, as it is known around here.
- Keep books where they can reach them. This is important. The books have to be easy to get out and fairly easy to put away. We have shelves, o.k, shelves are pretty much taking over our tiny house but anyway, we keep many books on the lower shelves for the girls.
- Take them book shopping with you. Show them how to choose a good book. Keep a list of books you want and show your delight as you find what you are looking for at a good price.

These are some things that Work for Me! What ways of encouraging reading work for you?

WFMW- Make Poetry Part of Your Life

I have to be honest here, when I was growing up poetry was not a big part of my life. Yes, I was homeschooled, but it wasn't one of our strong points. My parents both like poetry but that didn't seem to pass to me or my siblings. So I'm attempting to educate myself in poetry while I teach my children to love it.

Here are some ways we've included poetry in our lives:

- We read poems every day before nap time. Nap time has evolved into "quiet time" for the oldest girls who do still, on occasion, fall asleep. But anyway, this is the same time pretty much every day and we read poems before they lay down to sleep (or not).

- We are always working on memorizing one poem and one section of scripture. In November the girls memorized 2 poems and Psalm 100. In December they have memorized 2 poems and a section of Luke chapter 2.

- We quote poems or sections of rhymes often. Anything is fair game, even Dr. Seuss books.

- Read poems about the seasons when the seasons change.

- Write out poems and have your children draw and decorate a picture representation of that poem. Be sure to display the best ones on the fridge!

- Check out books (or buy them) with illustrated poems. One of our favorites is "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening". It has gorgeous pictures and we've been known to read it over and over again.

These are some things that have worked for us. How do you include poetry in your life?

WFMW - Kitchen hints

What works for me? Oh, lots of things. I just can't remember them right now. But here are some of my favorite tried and true kitchen tips:

- A tip I've read somewhere else (maybe even here!) and just tried for myself last Saturday: When opening a can with a sticky substance inside (for me it was tomato paste) open both ends of the can and push the contents out. It worked very well!

- Keep the silverware down low so that your children can both put it away and set the table. You are busy making supper, you shouldn't have to set the table too. Polly and Tigger take turns with this job at our house.

- Save your cereal bags. Some folks I know use these as wax paper or for storage. I use them for Play-doh. When my girls have the need to play with this wonderful stuff I spread a cut open cereal bag. It protects my table and my floor, the play-doh doesn't stick, and I can just throw it away if it is too hard to clean up.

Works for me!

WFMW - Sewing help?

So, for this extra special backwards Works for Me Wednesday my questions for you are:

- What book would you recommend for very basic sewing help. I know the basics, sort of, but would like to learn how to sew a bit better. Lots of pictures would be good, because, you know, pictures are good.

- Any websites, blogs, etc. that would be helpful for me to check out?

- Any advice on making my sewing machine do all the actual work for me? I thought not.

Check out Rocks in my Dryer for everyone else who needs your advice.

Edited to add: I have looked for children's books but our library doesn't seem to have much to choose from in this category. Any actual titles that I can order from another library?

WFMW - Baby Organization

We live in a small house. A really small house. If Tigger sneezes in the farthest corner of the back bedroom I say, "Bless you" from my comfy bed in my front bedroom. My spinet piano, an heirloom from Prince Charming's great-grandmother, is in my kitchen because that's the only place it would fit. It's nice to practice serenade the cook while fixing dinner.

Yes, our house is small and this presents some challenges. When Polly and Tigger were babies we had a beautiful Jenny Lind baby bed. We realized, back when we learned that Sweet Pea was on the way, that there would be no room for the crib. So as soon as Tigger moved into the big girl bed (built by her daddy) the crib was packed up and given back to my parents to wait for the next grandchild who needs it and who has space for it.

Now, don't worry about Sweet Pea, she doesn't sleep in a fruit crate. We have a very nice Pack 'n Play set up in our room. She naps in this, plays, safe from the loving grasp of her big sisters, and occasionally she even sleeps in it at night. Not often. Back when she was smaller, long long a few months ago, we used the bassinet and changing pad pieces, which suspend over the bed. Now that she's too big for those she's in the main bed part. Which leaves very little storage for her diapers, lotions, powders, etc. So I bought this from Bed, Bath, & Beyond (yes, I used a coupon):

It's meant to hang in kitchen cabinets but it hangs perfectly from the side of her bed. It doesn't take up much space. It holds diapers, a slim case of wipes, and various lotions and ointments (remember, Sweet Pea has sensitive skin). It works (wonderfully) for me! Check out Rocks in My Dryer for some of the best ideas floating around the Blogosphere today.

Works for Me - Don't Ask

Here's a quick parenting tip, courtesy of John Rosemond: If you want your children to do something, don't ask.

Yes, it is as simple as that. If there is something your children need to do, don't ask.

Don't say: "Are you ready to pick up your toys?"
Say: "It's time to pick-up!"

Don't say: "Let's get ready to go, okay?"
Say: "We're leaving in 5 minutes, get ready!"

The exclamation point is my way of indicating that you are using a cheerful but firm voice here. I hear Mothers (and Dads!) all the time asking their children to do something. They may think they're giving commands but they end every sentence with the ubiquitous "Okay?" So an entire generation (including me) has become the equivalent of Parenting Valley Girls. If you must end a sentence with a question use something like, "Understand?" or in particularly dire circumstances the bad grammar but effective, "Got it?"

Here's a clue: going to bed, taking a bath, picking up toys, leaving a friend's house, sitting quietly in church, all these things are NOT "okay" with your child. They are not going to sign off on this course of action so Don't Ask!*

It works for me!

* Obligatory disclaimer: I'm not proposing we all become tyrants, steamrolling over our children and their wishes. Sometimes it's okay to ask, i.e. "Do you want the blue shirt or the red shirt?" or "Shall we go to the park or the zoo?" And if you actually use the word "shall" when speaking to your children, don't tell me, it will depress me too much.

WFMW - Toddler troubles

O.k, folks, in honor of Works for me Wednesday "Backwards Day" I've got a few questions for you:

- Any suggestions on handling a strong-willed just turned 3 year old? After my posts of last week we have had some positive breakthroughs but I'd like some more ideas. What works for you?

- Any suggestions on potty-training the aforementioned just turned 3 year old? She's completely trained (during the day) for whatever you want to call the function of her kidneys and bladder. But she is set against ever, ever completing what our grandparents call "moving the bowels". Sorry, I know it's TMI, but I'm at my wit's end here. She wears big girl under-roos all day long and she's proud of that, but concerning the, ahem, other function, she just won't...go. Please, please help us!

- Any pointers on eczema? Sweet Pea has it on her face. The medicine the doctor gave us seems to help but I'm just wondering if there's anything else I could be doing. Sweet Pea seems to have pretty sensitive skin so general ideas about that would be good, too.

Okay, that was pitiful enough. In happier news the infamous "boppy" (Tigger's pacifier) is gone for good. After a rough bedtime last Friday and nap time last Saturday, in which ultimatums were handed down, battles were fought, tears were shed (mine and hers!) and hugs were given, it's gone and she's happy about being a big girl. The Lord has been good. And it really is a good thing because I was beginning to think one of us was going to spend the rest of her life in her room.

Check out Rocks in My Dryer so you can spread the wisdom around. The bloggers of the world need you.

Works for Me - Just Call me Bag Lady

I've mentioned before about our bags hanging by the door. So we can, you know, actually leave this house on occasion. This post is kind of an addendum to that post. Sorry but my originality is pretty much shot these days. It'll come back, along with a full night's sleep and time to actually finish reading my Bible before the next toddler crisis. Right? Please don't tell me if I'm not right.

Anyway, back to bags and their amazing powers of organization. For instance, I give piano lessons. Just a few "on the side". One of those students comes to my house. One of them has lessons after church on Sunday, in the oh so lovely church basement. To accommodate this disparate arrangement I keep my "piano teacher's bag" ready to go (or stay, as the case may be). This is a nice leather case my parents gave me many years ago. It has my piano teaching tools ready to go (or stay): sight reading books, pencils, pens, flashcards, important papers, and, most importantly, stickers. Lots of stickers.

Another example: in the bathroom I have one make-up case. It has my few items of makeup, two combs, hair pins, basically anything I need to make myself look great
presentable. So if I have to quickly flee the country state I just grab one bag and I'm ready to go.

Bags can contain food, toys, games, etc. And there are so many to choose from: cloth, Ziploc, leather, plastic... I think I just went into an organizing day dream there for a minute. So anyway, it works for me.

WFMW - Chores for Children

This Works for Me Wednesday I thought I'd mention how we handle chores around here. We have a chart on our fridge of "commission" chores (as described by Dave Ramsey). If the girls finish these items they get paid their commission. Now is probably the time to mention that this wage is much less than slave labor. I pay it out of my change box, if that helps you any. The chores on this list for Polly (almost 6) include:

- gathering the inside trash cans the night before the
garbage mensanitation workers come.

- pulling the empty big trash can and the recycling bin up from the road.

- putting the silverware away from the dishwasher two times.

- setting the table twice.

Chores on this list for Tigger (almost 3) include:

- helping gather the little trash cans.

- putting the silverware away from the dishwasher two times.

Chores that are not on commission and are simply your duty as a member of our family: making your bed, helping pick up toys, carrying your dirty dishes to the sink, help folding your laundry (o.k they're not very good at this yet!), watching the baby, sweeping the floor, etc.

Some of these chores may eventually become commission chores. And no, my girls don't do these things perfectly. But even a two year old is capable of dropping her dirty dishes in the sink (here's a free tip: don't use your fine china if you want your toddler to do this...). Even a two year old can attempt to pull up her sheet and quilt. Does it look perfect? Of course not. But she's learning. You should see Tigger's pride as she helps me fold her little unmentionables or our wash cloths. Don't underestimate small children. Of course we grown-ups could do these things faster ourselves but that is not the point!

My goal is to have Polly doing the family laundry by the time she's ten. Kidding, kidding! Sort of...

WFMW - Getting out of the House

Here I am, having participated in Works for me Wednesday only a handful of times, and wondering if my tips are dried up. Surely something else works for me even if it isn't the most creative, insightful tip you've ever read. Right?

I'm scraping the bottom of my creativity barrel right now. I'll blame too little sleep and too much going on but it might just be one of those mentally dry times. I can't be the only one who gets these. I hope.

So here's the incredibly simple tip of the day, otherwise known as what gets us out the door during crazy times: our bags are hanging on hooks right near the back door (our primary entrance / exit from home sweet home). My beautiful diaper bag (I'm not kidding, it is seriously beautiful!) hangs there. I keep it stocked with Sweet Pea's diapers, wipes, and an emergency Pull-up for Tigger. It always holds my sunglasses, keys, wallet, pocket calendar, chapstick and gum. It includes lotion, powder, sunscreen, and a few other choice items most of the time. And I always keep a bottle of water in the special water bottle pocket. (Yes, it is a big bag. But did I mention it's beautiful?)

Hanging next to the diaper bag is our library bag. When we finish reading a library book, or watching a library movie it goes right into this bag. No wondering where everything is when it's time to go to the library. (We go 2 times a week.) Also hanging on these hooks are other canvas bags that can be filled with whatever, whenever. Prince Charming has a nice black messenger bag (not quite a brief case) that he keeps ready to go from our house to church or school. This is usually too heavy to hang on a hook, but it rest near the other bags, you know, so none of them get lonely.

Some organizing systems call this a "launch pad." That sounds a bit too NASA-y or just plain silly to me. I call it "common sense". And it Works for Me.

WFMW - Brand Edition

When I saw that the theme of this "Works for me Wednesday" was Brand loyalty my heart sank a little bit. I am about the least brand loyal person I know. I thought, maybe I should just pretend to be my mother-in-law. Maybe I should just pretend that some of the brands I've tried are my favorite. But, as Mr. Darcy says, "Disguise of every sort is my abhorrence." So here, in no particular order, are the few brands I am actually loyal to:

- Puff's Plus Tissues. I have year round allergies. Generic tissues make me want to chop off my nose with a blunt saw.

- Oxy-clean. This stuff is nothing short of miraculous.

- Prego Spaghetti Sauce. If you can't have homemade.

- Frisch's Vanilla Coke. This is the only restaurant I don't order water to drink. I think the crushed ice is their secret weapon.

- Coca-Cola. On the rare occasion we buy soft drinks I'm strictly a Coke girl, never, ever Pepsi or generic. After all, I was raised in Tennessee.

- Bath & Body Works hand soap. Comes in many different varieties. Most smell heavenly. I buy them when they really go on sale (not some fake sale!) and we have a simple indulgence. The girls really like the foaming ones.

- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It really is magic. If you have small children in your house you need this in your cleaning arsenal.

So, there you have it. "Stuff" doesn't make it into my loyal category very often. Check out Rocks in my Dryer to see what other people can't do without.

WFMW - The Beach with Baby

As some of you are aware my family just returned from a long awaited visit to Aunt Lulu's house. Aunt Lulu is married to an airman in the USAF and they are currently stationed just 1 1/2 hours away from a beach. I knew we would go to the beach at least once on our visit but I was concerned about Sweet Pea. Obviously she has not yet experienced the joys of sand and sea. And, as a baby younger than six months (at the time), she was too young for sunscreen and any prolonged sun exposure.

Now I know there are expensive "baby beach" items that you can buy. But I don't buy expensive things. And I didn't have time to order anything. I had only known about this vacation for months. I just put off dealing with the fact that my baby wasn't going to get magically older in time. But I digress.

What's a mom to do? Well, here's what I did: I bought a wading pool with a sun shade on clearance at one of my favorite "box stores" (hint: it ISN'T the one that starts with "W"). It was a bit of trouble to inflate at the beach because it was really windy, but all in all it worked great. We put our canvas bag of beach "stuff" in it to weigh it down and we made Sweet Pea a little shady nest on beach towels.

Here's a similar pool from Amazon, but watch your local stores for the clearanced summer items!

She had a sun hat (with SPF) and the cutest little sunglasses that she found quite amusing (they had a velcro strap so she couldn't remove them but she sure enjoyed trying!) for when she was out of her "nest". She napped there out of the sun, wind, and most sand, and we had a great day at the beach. Plus the pool can be used again, when we go to a beach this October or even next year as - wait for it - a wading pool. Worked for us!

WFMW - A Magazine Tip

I read a lot of magazines. Some I subscribe to and many I check out at the library. One of my favorite things is looking for recipes to try. I've come across some that became instant family favorites. I've come across a few more that have become...trash bag filler.

Anyway, rather than pulling out every recipe that interests me I tag it with a sticky note. Then I type all tagged pages into a special computer file. I have separate files for Main Dishes, Breads/Breakfast food, Sides/Salads/Soups, and, my favorite of course, Desserts. When we try a recipe if we like it I can print it out and put it in the corresponding folder (kept in my kitchen) and if we hate it? Well, it can go to the great computer recycling bin in the sky, or wherever.

This is important because some magazines go back to the library, where they really look down on you removing pages. Some magazines I pass on to my sister. And some magazines I keep forever and want to keep "whole". Yes, I know it's sick, but I have every issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion that I've ever received (back to 2004!). Other magazines I tear apart for my inspiration books or scrapbooks but not that one.

Find tons of great Works for Me Wednesday tips at Rocks in my Dryer, hosted by Shannon.

WFMW - Busy Times

This week has been a real eye opener for me. Prince Charming is off having fun, I mean working, at church camp. I am not. At camp. Or having fun.

O.k, that's not exactly true but this week has been a bit more difficult than others. I just don't have enough hands or hours in the day to get done everything I want to get done. I never realized how much my husband has spoiled me. So when I get done being mad at him for being gone I'll be sure to thank him a little more than usual.

So, that little whine aside, here's what's working for me:

- lower expectations. This is not a week for redecorating, big projects, fancy meals, etc.

- not underestimating what the kids can do. This morning Polly poured cereal & milk for herself and Tigger. Polly pulled up the trashcans after the garbage man came. (Can we call them that any more? Does that anger the "sanitation worker"? I don't want to offend!) Tigger can put the silverware away from the dishwasher. Sweet Pea can... be as cute as ever, giving me much needed smiles and time to rest as I nurse her.

- use the baby carrier. Sweet Pea is almost too big for the carrier I have but it has been a real life saver this week.

- reward the girls with special things. They miss their daddy, too. So, while it isn't exactly frugal, a few things from the grocery that we don't usually purchase have gone a long way to encouraging cheerful behavior.

- keep an upbeat attitude. This is probably the most important thing I can do. Like yesterday. We had to go to the library and the grocery store. With a big bag of books and many bags of groceries. In a downpour. If I were an octopus this would not have been a problem. But you cannot carry a baby, a diaper bag, a library bag, and an umbrella while clutching the hand of a toddler so she doesn't become road-kill. Or can you? 'Cause I did all this and more yesterday. I hope I don't have to do this again but if I do have to I know I can.

Check out some really great ideas at Works for Me Wednesday, hosted by Shannon.

WFMW - Special Storage Shelf

I've mentioned a few kid storage tips in the past. You can browse my handy dandy links on the side if you're interested in reading those. Here's another tip because, as those of you with children know, you can never have enough storage. Just when you think you've got it covered, someone has a birthday. And somehow no matter how much you donate to Goodwill or sell in a yardsale, there's some special process in which books, My Little Ponies, Polly Pockets, and whatnot just multiply like rabbits. Is there some scientist trying to figure that out?

Anyway, for all those necessary child-life accessories, you need storage. Here's one of my secret weapons. This is a very tall shelf that we bought when a local K-Mart went out of business. In its former life it displayed blue jeans. Now it holds most of the girls' books. Not all, because some are too large to fit but most books are here. The two big boxes of Duplos are also stored here (you can just glimpse one of them behind Polly).

On the visible side is a ribbon board the girls and I made with Prince Charming's mother. They display cards, pictures and drawings here. Prince Charming simply put screws into the side of the shelf and hung the board that way. It's made of foam core so it isn't very heavy.

The beauty of this system is things are stored where the girls need them. Their socks are stored in the white wicker baskets. The board books are stored very low so that Tigger can get them. The picture books are a bit higher so that Polly can get them and put them away. (That's very important!) Chapter books are stored on the higher shelves where I can get them when we want them.

Since this was a store fixture it's very heavy. My girls are not climbers but if they were I'd probably secure the shelf to the wall. We don't store anything heavy on top. At the top we put a few stuffed animals but nothing else. This shelf was much less expensive than some shelves I've seen for sale and it's heavier (which made it kind of a trick to get home!). It works for me! Check out lots of great tips as Rocks in my Dryer, hosted by Shannon.