If you have kids, you probably have them too:

• the rock picked up at a park 3 months ago
• a leaf from the front yard
• a crystal bought on vacation
• the action figure from a kids meal
• and more!
• oh, so much more…

These items DEFY classification.  They are the kids version of a junk drawer.

The problem is that they are precious to the owner and I don’t want to be the one to toss the acorn into the backyard that has a special bond with one of my kids.

I decided to take action!

I spent some time and went through the ENTIRE house and gathered all the special items that my children CLAIMED they couldn’t live without.  I also included some toys and various things that didn’t seem to fit into any of the toy categories in the playroom.

If it was random, and I didn’t know what to do with it…it went into the pile.

I then laid all the items out on the floor of the boys’ room and announced to them that we were going to have an auction.

Each boy was given a treasure {tool} chest to keep their auction winnings safe.

The “auction” consisted of each boy taking turns picking out one item.  We started by having everyone pick out 3 special items that they knew were theirs, but after that everything was open to everybody.

I had a timer for slow choices and gave a warning when time was about to expire.

The four of us came up with a big vs. little item rule – big items were worth 4, medium sized items worth 2 and small items worth one.  On each turn the boy could choose up to the value of 4.

We ended up doing about 15 rounds and then taking a break.

After the break we did another 10 rounds or so.

I watched to see how the enthusiasm diminished.  I figured that the things left weren’t very important if they were still available and no one seemed concerned about getting them.

At that point, I announced a final round and then it was over.

What happened to the left-overs?

We have a lovely, “priceless” rock garden on the side of the house.

I ended up getting more than one tool chest per kid because they are inexpensive storage.

They look really nice on the industrial shelving I purchased at Lowes.

And with three boys, it is always good when things are TOUGH.

Here at Quirky Momma, we are part of the Lowes Creator Team {yay!}.  The items I used to organize the children’s treasures are available at Lowes.  I originally started using tool boxes several years ago because they were one of the least expensive options I could find {all the ones pictured are less than $10 each}, but found that the boys LOVE them because they can carry them around, and open them, and close them, and open them again.  We were sent a gift card for our participation.

A Little Delightful has a great printable to help you plan lunchboxes. No more eating PB&J three days in a row!

I Heart Organizing has a great snack system. In her fridge she keeps a basket full of snacks for lunches and for after-school treats.

DownTown created a list of tons of great, healthy snacks. We are on the go a lot more during the school year and snack more often. So many great suggestions to tide us over.

Does your preschooler come home with hundreds of papers, projects and artworks? Mine do! I love this “binder plan” from MondoCherry.

Organizing our preschool really means organizing my life. A mom over at SheIsDallas uses a household notebook to neaten her life.

We have a craft closet that is exploding – and I love this idea from I Can Teach My Child. She uses a hanging clear shoe holder to organize supplies. No more hunting for colored chalk!

…and lastly my favorite! This is a mom of all boys… one starting kindergarten this year… and I just love how she organized her “school” closet – wish I could replicate it!

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What advice do you have for moms prepping for preschool?

KinderCare will choose one lucky participant and make donation in their name to the Reach Out And Read chapter of their choice!

For each chore the kids do they get to earn a nickle.  They can enlist their siblings to help.  At the end of the week we tally the “stars” and give the kid’s the money they’ve earned.  They love knowing they completed a task!  And I love how they have started counting by 5s without “realizing” it!  At the end of the week we wipe off the list and we start over again.

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My kids are 5, 4 & 2.5.  Some of the chores they help with are:

• Emptying the dishwasher
• Mop the kitchen
• Vaccuum
• Sort the Laundry
• Wipe the baby’s highchair & walker
• Clean out the car
• Wipe the table
• Organize the toys
• Wipe baseboards
• Wash the windows
• Pick up the playroom
• Clear off tables

We have been doing this “chore system” for nearly two weeks and it seems to be working great with us!  I hope we are instilling the same financial foundation in our kids that my parents helped provide for me!

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What tips can you share from your own financial successes and failures?

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manilla. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs July 14-31, 2011. Winner must be signed up with Manilla to win. A random winner will be selected by August 5, 2011. Official Contest Rules

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Supplies we needed to make our Chalkboard Calendar:

Quarter Inch Thick Board. You can pass on this if you don’t mind having the Calendar as a permanent fixture. I wasn’t sure if I would get tired of it so we screwed a board onto the wall (So I won’t have to re-texture the walls if I change my mind).
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Wood for framing – we used scraps of molding.

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Chalkboard Paint – Rustoleum was the brand we used and we had it tinted to be green, but it comes in a variety of colors.

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Frog Tape – the fancy painter’s tape. This stuff is great, it does not bleed like regular painter’s tape. Great for detail work.

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Another shade of acyrillic or latex paint (not Chalkboard) – we picked a brighter green to frame our “days”.

To make your calendar you need to first paint several coats of the chalkboard paint. I think we did at least 4 coats, maybe 5. Each time you paint the chalkboard paint you want to paint in a different direction, this way you won’t have streaks to try and draw over. After that cured for a day, we got out the painters tape and boxed our “days”. After you’ve painted your calendar, you need to color over the entire project with chalk and then erase to get the “chalkboard” look.
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We found that pastels are more brilliant to write with and over at Tip Junkie, there is a recipe on how to create your very own chalkboard paint from paint that you might have on hand. Brilliant!

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Now if only I could find a way to organize all my bills! Seriously, this pile is bills that have yet to be sorted. Sorting is one of my least favorite things to do! Manilla, this month’s blog sponsor, has a centralized online system that helps us manage our household bills, financial accounts, subscriptions, etc., in one secure, online place. Oh, and did I tell you, It’s Free!! I’m doing a happy dance – and am researching the program to see if it helps document other things like contracts and blogging junk… I would be an accountant’s nightmare – hopefully, Manilla can help.

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If you want Manilla to help you get organized – AND have a chance of winning $1000 towards your bills, join me in Signing-up with Manilla.

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How to Enter:

1. Sign up with Manilla

2. Link one or more household, financial, subscription or rewards account within Manilla

3. Come back and tell us that you signed up and what you’ll do with more time in your day!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manilla. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs June 7-30, 2011. Winner must be signed up with Manilla with at least one account linked to win. A random winner will be selected by June 31, 2011.

We have many more items, our house is full of things to play and create with!  Honestly, I am a bit overwhelmed by the volume of “junk” and am considering downsizing out “supplies”.  There is a point where simple is better.

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What are some of your favorite “supplies”?  If you could pick three of your “most played with” supplies what would they be?  Stop by my facebook wall and share them with the rest of my readers!

All you need to create your own stove is a clear plastic storage tub, gray and black arcylic paint, and a lid. Use the lid to trace circles to be your “stovetop”. Paint the circles black and cover with two layers of acrylic paint. Have fun playing pretend!

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Now, I can’t give the key to total organization. This is not because it’s a secret from Martha Stewart’s vault or hidden in a remote (and very clean) monastery in Tibet. Honestly, I haven’t figured it out myself.   After 6 years of domesticity, you think I’d know something about organizing and how to make many things fit in a limited amount of space. And, yes, I do have some tips gained through an entire marriage (so far) lived in small student apartments with no storage to speak of. Small spaces and the ever-increasing stuff that comes with kids have forced me to think creatively about how I organize, particularly in my kitchen and pantry. I reevaluated the way my mom did things and had to throw out what was not working for my family. It’s amazing what you can re-purpose if you put your mind to it.

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Some Quirky Home Organization Tips:

1. Keep your Kool-Aid packets in a notecard organizer.
Who knew that those little boxes meant to hold 3×5 cards would be just the right size for Kool-Aid and the odd cocoa packets. I literally had this epiphany 2 hours ago.

2. Use a shower organizer to hold garlic, and potatoes in your pantry.
We had a multi-tiered metal shower unit that wouldn’t fit in our current bathroom. So, instead of sending it into storage, we tucked it into a corner of our pantry to hold the things that need to breathe to stay fresh. I originally kept onions on it too, but it seems potatoes and onions have an antipathy towards each other. I now keep my onions in a separate perforated tub with a handle.

3. Keep your knives in a tupperware container.
Growing up, it seemed like the only solutions for storing knives were either in a block or in a drawer beneath the counter. Having been poked by the knives in the drawer one too many times, and unwilling to use counter space for a block, I had a Brilliant Idea early on in our marriage. I keep my knives-the nice pretty ones side by side with the Walmart specials-in a tupperware container just big enough to fit them. It tucks neatly in the cabinet next to my plates. This keeps the kids safe and Momma happy.

4. Use applesauce cups for measuring.
Did you know that individual serving size applesauce are each a 1/2 c.? So, in theory, you can wash and reuse the leftover cups. I find the half cup measure is the one I use most of all. Instead of having to worry about whether my measuring cup is dirty, I simply grab a clean applesauce cup. And, since they are meant to be disposable, I have no problem using them for holding paint or other goopy, messy things. If a cup is too filthy, gets mangled, or can’t be cleaned off, you can throw it away without remorse. It just means you have to buy another packet of individual applesauces. I’m sure your kids won’t mind helping you empty them. Aren’t they helpful?

5. Get an ottoman or coffee table with storage space within.
Although I don’t have the room for my coffee table (it’s pining away in storage), we have discovered how useful a storage ottoman is. It can be a footrest, a low table, and a seat for little people. However, I would never have bought it if not for the internal storage space. Now, when a neighbor or friend sits on the ottoman, they have no idea their rump is reposing right above my cloth diaper stash. I keep my Gdiaper pants, the waterproof liners, and the cloth insert (along with wipes and cornstarch for rashes) all tucked away in my lovely ottoman. It’s almost as cool as a secret passageway through a bookshelf. Almost.

6. Drink out of mason jars.
For those who preserve food by canning, one look in closets and pantries can reveal an overflow of empty jars. I just plain don’t have the room to let empty jars languish on my shelves. Any opened (and then emptied and cleaned) jar is immediately pressed into service as a glass. It’s not only economical. I find that I enjoy the rustic charm they impart.

Or maybe they just remind me of my moon-shining, horse-thieving ancestors.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the many shortcuts and tricks I use in my home. I just wanted to share what I have found useful in our home. How have you creatively re-purposed storage to accommodate your home, lifestyle, or current needs? Please share, I could always use another tip to help me make (and keep) our home organized.

Want to read more about homeschooling, geeky and yet crunchy momma, Nicole?  Read her blog!  You won’ t be disappointed.

Much thanks to House of Sims and The Kitchen Designer for contributing photos!

But alas… my tool boxes now have no dust. Each one (one for garage and one for house) has a multi head screwdriver (yet another “no-man’s” idea… according to most men I have met, if it has more than one use it isn’t a “real” tool), needle nose pliers, a small wrench, tape measure, a level, and a good hammer. All of those little bobs and bits that have cluttered the bottom of my tool box and various bags and boxes throughout the years are now all neatly in mason jars and I will probably follow that ancient tradition of screwing all the tops under a shelf in the hopes that they will stay neat and out of the way… at least for a little while.

This really is the best way to keep these types of things. I currently have one jar for each; nails, screws, tacks, batteries, cup hooks, picture hooks, and headless tack nails (for woodworking).

I threw away a lot though. Old tiny bits of used sand paper, paper plans, bolts from beds we haven’t had for years, etc. It all went. The garage tool box lowest section was dedicated to all the things we definitely will need, but don’t need very often. Things like dry wall patch, wood putty and the putty knife, touch up paint for the car, packages of wool pads for the bottoms of chair legs, the knife sharpener… stuff like that.

I went from a whole cabinet to a milk crate and my two tool boxes. It feels pretty darned good… Even if I could have done it less meticulously (according to The Man anyway.  ).

Creative Storage Solutions

Do you have any interesting storage solutions? We’d love to hear about them!

For more organization ideas, check out Val’s personal blog, Collecting the Moments!

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A bit on shovels and other hard to store things: I have a large 5 gl bucket that I fill with one bag of playground sand that I keep my often used garden shovels in. The sand keeps them dry and sharp, and as long as you have it up next to a wall, it is a stable way to keep your most used shovels. If you don’t have a wall to put them next to, a large tomato cage would do the job well and keep them standing up and out of the way.  The other shovels, along with my apple picker, tree trimmer, rakes, hoe, and picks, all hang on the garden shed/garage wall. I have used many different tools to make this work, but my favorite is strategically set nails strait into the studs. For this house, however, I am planning on using one of those broom holders that fits onto the studs and holds a variety of things with only two screw holes. I will have one inside the house for brooms, wipe rags, mops and plastic bags, etc. The other will be in the garage, holding all of those things that don’t go into my bucket of sand. Axes and other sharp things that could fall on you while you are working in the shed should be as securely attached to the wall as possible. In the last shed, I just simply used two nails, securely put into the studs, with the ax on it, and then wrapped a rubber band round the nails so the ax didn’t move unless I wanted it to. This worked really well.

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Another Quirky Momma family recently re-did the storage of her party/kid craft supplies using old formula containers.  The formula tins are great for storing things, unlike most cans, the edges are child-friendly and not sharp (or at least the cans she has).  They are also stack-able.  Great for all those little knickknacks that make up your kids-craft supplies.  Maybe you can adapt this for your home.  And if you don’t happen to have a ton of tins lying around, Organize.com has several in a variety of colors.

Ok, on to the declutter list (only 5 this week because two are big jobs):

1.      Garden Shed

2.     Garage storage areas

3.     Canning jars and cooking extras

4.     Party supplies

5.     Fabric and sewing machines

This is part of our De-Clutter Challenge!  Feel Free to join us as we organize our homes!

This is a post about our household notebook. It holds so much of our lives in it’s three hole punched pages. I have seen many tutorials of what to put in a household notebook, or how to print the pages just so… but the ones that always helped me the most were the tried and true posts about what people use every day and what is in their notebooks. So I am going to try to give you a description of mine.

There are 9 sections in my household notebook.

1. First up is the front pocket and the pencil case. In the pencil case I have tons of page tabs, highlighters and pens. Along with a ruler and a pair of scissors.

2. The second section is my calendar. It was drafted by my best friend and this is her second year producing it for all of us homeschooling mamas. First there are the “month-in-view” pages

I use the page tabs for events that haven’t happened yet, and then once they have, I mark them down in pen on the actual calendar pages. I want an accurate representation of what we have done, and this is it. If the event was rescheduled, I can move the tab without a problem. If we didn’t do the event or class, I remove the page tab.

Next is the week in view pages. This is where I keep all of our homeschooling records. What we are learning, the pages of what book were finished, and what field trips we took. This is always full. I consider most everything schooling, so it all goes in there. If you were to see a close up of this weeks list you would see “Preserving Apple Chips” and “Writing in Journal” right along with “Math U See Lesson 17D”

The next three sections are the chore sections. I have one, The Man has one, and the kids have one. We all have printable chore charts.

3. My chores. For a long time I have gotten mine from Motivated Moms. I print mine out on the 29th of each month and they get three hole punched and put in the binder. (If you wanted to try out Motivated Moms, right now is a good time… the last of the years chore calendar is always at a crazy discount… like $3.)

4. The Man’s chores are broken up into days he works, and days he doesn’t. Of course, on the days he works they are very limited. He always has to put away the clean laundry and dishes. The other days I get to add on to the ‘honey do’ list. But I try to be reasonable.

5. The kids chores are the last section. I have the master list and they get a half page print out of their daily chores that they get to mark off. I print these out the same time I print mine each month.

6. The next section is meal planning. Each week I plan our meals from the food I get from the market on the weekend. Then we make a shopping run for everything else on Mondays. I have my menu templates all printed out and three hole punched in this section (I print 4 or 5 each month with my chore charts).

I also keep all of our old menus and menu ideas behind the new templates.

7. This section is for dr visits and vets visits. I keep all of our medical records (including pets) in this section. Once a year I clean it out and separate the recycling and the records storage. This section has been in use a lot as we have just moved and found new doctors and vets. It was so nice to be able to look back on it and see when Taio had his last Rabies shot, or we had our last dental cleaning.

8. This section is the car and house repairs. Mostly this is a page with a pocket for receipts, but I do have a page with dates for oil changes, furnace cleaning, etc.

9. The last section in my notebook is my preservation notebook. This has become really important. Mostly for the planning of the next year. I made a table and printed out 5 pages that are set up like

At a glance I can tell what I stored, how much yield there was per box/crate/pound and when we ran out.

At the back of this section there are a bunch of page protected sheets with my favorite preservation recipes. Some of these are new and I printed them off this year.

If I do take a file from the Internet, then I try to make sure I can find the source again by putting the name of the blog, or website at the top of the recipe. Of course, this being paper, I can pull it out and write on it (above) to adjust the recipe to my taste. This blueberry jam recipe turned into one of my very favorites of the year and I am excited that I can find both kinds again and again.

That’s it. It feels very strange to put this all down on paper… like my OCD tendencies are all out there. lol… However, I really do use it every day. There are other sections (smaller parts of the 9 main sections) that are in themselves very helpful for me that I will share at a later time, but this is the bulk of it.

Val is homeschooling Momma to three kids and Quirky Momma’s Organizational guru.  Check out her personal blog for more tips and all things crunchy!