{Today’s guest post is from Renae at Life Nurturing Education. I’ve always enjoyed her practical, encouraging and insightful blog posts! I asked Renae to guest post for me for the simple fact that she homeschools in small spaces and her organizational creativity is boundless! Here is yet another example of that…}
The librarian called to tell me the books I requested were ready to be picked up. I said I’d be in later, and then I heard,
Oh, you’re the basket lady.
Should I be offended? I earned the nickname because of the old, wire basket I spray painted.
I used to take a backpack to the library and then transfer new books to their place next to the couch, but grabbing the basket is simpler. It does a great job keeping library books corralled, and it’s the perfect size for our check-out limit.
That library basket works so well, I don’t care that basket lady and bag lady sound so similar. I have bigger things to battle, things like books and paper.
Organizing Homeschool Books
Since we don’t have a separate room for our personal library, our living room has three large bookshelves in it. I make space for a few pieces of pottery to act as bookends to help keep the shelves neat.
Our books are loosely organized by category and size. Curriculum is on the shelf above our binders. Reference books are to the left of my desk. Favorite children’s books are on a separate shelf next to the couch.
Organizing Homeschool Papers
Besides books, our homeschool fills up with paper. My girls each have an old-fashioned school desk with a bit of storage for their plethora of drawings.
When their desks are full, we sort through and keep their best and favorite works of art.
What we decide to keep goes into a three drawer organizer. I also slip in small treasures, cards, and keepsakes to be added to their binders or scrapbooks later.
Our other school papers used to pile in my plan book and languish there. I resisted planning, because of the mess.
I found a cute desktop file holder to control that disaster. There are file folders for papers that need to be graded and papers that need to be filed. And my plan book fits right in the front.
Organizing Homeschool Supplies
My desk drawers organize all of our office supplies: erasers, pencils, staplers, hole punches, flash cards, stickers, paper cutters, notebook paper, extra gadgets, and even the bills. I would like a new desk some day, but that might be as strenuous as packing up our whole house.
Some of our puzzles, cards, and games are stuffed in a small dresser that I use as a sideboard in my kitchen.
What is your biggest organizational challenge? Do you have any creative ideas for managing the stuff of homeschool?
Celee says
I just got our schoolroom organized this week. It was a big job, but well worth it! I have two shelves with our Sonlight books, one for readers and one for read-alouds, one shelf for my 7 yr old’s books, and one for my 4 yr old’s books. The cabinets are stocked with curricula not currently in use or used rarely. I also have a 3-drawer plastic storage bin for individual studies of my 3 grade school kids. I’m currently working on assignment folders. I want to be super-organized since we’re expecting a baby early fall.
Renae says
Celee,
Congratulations! It is good to get organized before baby comes. Good for you!
I store all of our extra curriculum in the shed. I like it out of the way. 😉
Sandpiper says
I keep our library books in a big plastic crate, but maybe I should find something with handles(like a basket!).
I love your(Renae’s) old fashioned school desks!
I do have a problem organizing paper, I need to re-visit that over the Summer.
Renae says
Sandpiper,
If you get a basket for library books, make sure it’s sturdy. 😉
And thanks for your comment about our desks. Honestly, we don’t really use them much for lessons, but they give my little ones a place to draw and create.
Glory says
lovely ideas … THANK YOU for sharing 🙂