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Kim 08:44 AM 08-29-2012
I'm so excited. You know those pretty little theme boxes that Lakeshore sells for $50 each? Well...I took the idea and ran with it on my limited budget. I bought some cheap containers from Walmart and a shelf from Ikea and got all of my themes organized for this year. Some of the boxes are a bit empty at this point but I figure I will add to them as I go. I'm looking forward to having everything organized and easy to get to this year!






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daycare 08:48 AM 08-29-2012
Originally Posted by Kim:
I'm so excited. You know those pretty little theme boxes that Lakeshore sells for $50 each? Well...I took the idea and ran with it on my limited budget. I bought some cheap containers from Walmart and a shelf from Ikea and got all of my themes organized for this year. Some of the boxes are a bit empty at this point but I figure I will add to them as I go. I'm looking forward to having everything organized and easy to get to this year!

that rocks..... I did something along the same lines, but mine is not as organized as yours.

ANd my buckets are HUGE lol....
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wahmof3 08:50 AM 08-29-2012
WOW!! This is SOOOOOO AWESOME!!!!

I totally wish I had room for something like this!!

GREAT JOB!!!!
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Country Kids 08:50 AM 08-29-2012
What do you have in your notebooks on the top? Is that the lesson plans that go with the boxes?
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Blackcat31 08:57 AM 08-29-2012
Nice job!!

Feels great to be so organized and not at the hands of a company that costs so much! Woo Hoo!!! to you!!
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itlw8 09:03 AM 08-29-2012
I bought those magazine bins from the target dollar spot. they are nice and long so they hold most books. I am now sorting books by theme into them. I need a shelf for them still but I think it will be in my storage room. They ar different colors so I think a sticker in that color on my them box may make things easier to find.

I love those clear bins.( thanks) some of my themes fill my boxes now so I need to add some new empty boxes.
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Sugar Magnolia 09:34 AM 08-29-2012
Wow!!! That totally rocksĄ
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Kim 09:53 AM 08-29-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
that rocks..... I did something along the same lines, but mine is not as organized as yours.

ANd my buckets are HUGE lol....
That's the only thing I'm worried about- I may end up having more to fit in each theme's tub and need bigger tubs eventually and then they won't all fit on the shelves.

Originally Posted by Country Kids:
What do you have in your notebooks on the top? Is that the lesson plans that go with the boxes?
No, I use the Letter of the Week curriculum and K4 curriculum from Confessions of a Homeschooler. I use a 1" binder for each letter of the alphabet letter. In it I have the LOTW resources and some other things I've gathered over the years. I also have a binder for colors, shapes, math concepts, sight words, assessments, etc. I added a couple pics of the binders.


Originally Posted by itlw8:
I bought those magazine bins from the target dollar spot. they are nice and long so they hold most books. I am now sorting books by theme into them. I need a shelf for them still but I think it will be in my storage room. They ar different colors so I think a sticker in that color on my them box may make things easier to find.

I love those clear bins.( thanks) some of my themes fill my boxes now so I need to add some new empty boxes.
Books are next on my to do list. Right now they are stuffed into 3 large tubs unsorted. I'm planning on getting one more of these shelves from Ikea and put all the blocks and transportation toys on the bottom shelves and use the top two rows to organize the books. DH just doesn't know that plan yet.
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cheerfuldom 10:08 AM 08-29-2012
Can you share with us how you divide up the year? is it weekly or monthly themes? list of themes and items included in the box? I really love how organized you are and would love to use you as inspiration
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Kim 10:25 AM 08-29-2012
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
Can you share with us how you divide up the year? is it weekly or monthly themes? list of themes and items included in the box? I really love how organized you are and would love to use you as inspiration
Most of the themes I do are weekly. As far as what's in the boxes- it's just things I've collected over the years. I laminate so things last longer. Most boxes have small finger puppets, flannel stories, stickers that go with the theme, little games, leftover supplies from when I used to buy Mother Goose Time each month, etc. Some boxes are still empty

September-
All About Me
Five Senses
Apples
Farm

October-
Safety- fire, poison, etc.
Community Helpers
Fall
Halloween

November-
Family
Thanksgiving/Harvest


December-
Christmas

January-
Happy New Year
Winter
Health & Nutrition

February-
Nursery Rhymes
Fairy Tales
Valentine’s Day

March-
Dr. Seuss
Weather
St. Patrick’s Day
Transportation and Construction

April-
Earth Day
Spring
Happy Easter

May-
Life Cycles
Mother’s Day
Zoo
Dinosaurs

I also have a box for summer- beach ball, seashells, luau stuff for our end of year celebration we do.
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daycare 10:30 AM 08-29-2012
Originally Posted by Kim:
Most of the themes I do are weekly. As far as what's in the boxes- it's just things I've collected over the years. I laminate so things last longer. Most boxes have small finger puppets, flannel stories, stickers that go with the theme, little games, leftover supplies from when I used to buy Mother Goose Time each month, etc. Some boxes are still empty

September-
All About Me
Five Senses
Apples
Farm

October-
Safety- fire, poison, etc.
Community Helpers
Fall
Halloween

November-
Family
Thanksgiving/Harvest


December-
Christmas

January-
Happy New Year
Winter
Health & Nutrition

February-
Nursery Rhymes
Fairy Tales
Valentine’s Day

March-
Dr. Seuss
Weather
St. Patrick’s Day
Transportation and Construction

April-
Earth Day
Spring
Happy Easter

May-
Life Cycles
Mother’s Day
Zoo
Dinosaurs

I also have a box for summer- beach ball, seashells, luau stuff for our end of year celebration we do.
I could have written this myself.. we also do a luau at the start of each school year and do very similar themes...

I also used to use MGT....too expensive and too much stuff that I had to do for the kids
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Oneluckymom 10:31 AM 08-29-2012
I love the homeschool website, I may add some of that to my own curriculum. Thanks for sharing....great organizing!!
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Kim 10:34 AM 08-29-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
I could have written this myself.. we also do a luau at the start of each school year and do very similar themes...

I also used to use MGT....too expensive and too much stuff that I had to do for the kids
Yeah it's nothing unusual LOL! MGT was convenient but it was just too pricey and very cookie cutter-ish!

Originally Posted by Oneluckymom:
I love the homeschool website, I may add some of that to my own curriculum. Thanks for sharing....great organizing!!
She has lots on there. It's work to print it and laminate it but once you do it it's done and reusable year after year. I get most of my ideas from blogs and sites like hers! And of course there's pinterest.
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SunnyDay 10:52 AM 08-29-2012
What a neat system! I can only dream of being that organized
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mema 11:26 AM 08-29-2012
Wow! That looks great!
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DayCareDynasty 11:49 AM 08-29-2012
Originally Posted by Kim:
I'm so excited. You know those pretty little theme boxes that Lakeshore sells for $50 each? Well...I took the idea and ran with it on my limited budget. I bought some cheap containers from Walmart and a shelf from Ikea and got all of my themes organized for this year. Some of the boxes are a bit empty at this point but I figure I will add to them as I go. I'm looking forward to having everything organized and easy to get to this year!





Luv It Way to be Thrifty but look Costly
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Countrygal 11:51 AM 08-29-2012
Those are WONDERFUL!!!
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Happy Hearts 12:06 PM 08-29-2012
Now I want, want, want. Thanks for the inspiration!! Great job!!
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MyAngels 01:00 PM 08-29-2012
I'm jealous - and inspired!
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spud912 01:54 PM 08-29-2012
Wow great job! I purchased the bins, but have yet to organize things into them. I have to reorganize the garage and the bedrooms first to find space for them once filled.

Where do you have this stored? Is this your garage, an extra room, or part of the playroom?
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sharlan 01:54 PM 08-29-2012
Beautiful!

I keep looking at the Lakeshore ones, then I look at the price and move on.
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SilverSabre25 02:07 PM 08-29-2012
::Bow to you:: ::Bow to you:: ::Applause::

That's what I'm hoping to achieve before too long! If I have to keep doing this daycare gig indefinitely (which it looks like I do right now) then I want to do pretty much exactly what you have going there. I'm working on it...slowly, slowly...
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Country Kids 02:14 PM 08-29-2012
My hubs is not going to be happy with you-. I think since joining the forum I have cost him more money then ever!

He just loves it when you guys give me ideas-
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Crazy8 02:17 PM 08-29-2012
Wow!!! That looks FABULOUS!!! I have 2 of these clear drawer things stacked on top of each other and labeled for different holidays/themes but it is NO WHERE near as organized as you have!!! That is an amazing set up!!!


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daycare 10:28 AM 08-30-2012
so I have a question about your marvelous setup

how did you organize your staple items. LIke cotton balls or tissue paper?

I have boxes set up like you with the themed items in each one, but I often have to cross use (hope that made sense) many items.

Like the items I listed above..
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countrymom 11:24 AM 08-30-2012
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Omg, I just can't get over it, you did an amazing job. Dh wouldn't let me buy the unit, because he didn't want to bring it home (we have to cross the border and when you have kids the stuff doesnt' fit well in the van)
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Sprouts 09:25 AM 09-03-2012
Ever since reading this I have been obsessing the confessions of a homeschoolers blog....so many ideas!

Anyone else here homeschool and do childcare?
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 11:19 AM 09-03-2012
I homeschool/ homeschooled. My son is 15 and in 10th grade. Dd is 21 and away at college. I started doing childcare when she was 6 and Michael was under a year.
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SquirrellyMama 11:23 AM 09-03-2012
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
Ever since reading this I have been obsessing the confessions of a homeschoolers blog....so many ideas!

Anyone else here homeschool and do childcare?
I do I just started my dc again this year. I closed my first one when we started homeschooling. I felt like I could do both so I started up again. I'll have to check out this blog.

K
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Sprouts 07:40 PM 09-04-2012
which curriculums do you use or did you make your own?
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Country Kids 09:46 PM 09-04-2012
We homeschooled but when it was time for middle school we did public schools as trying to balance work/homeschooling was not easy for me.

We did our own when they were little, then did on-line, then a conservative religious one which I simply loved!

I really miss it but it was time for a change. Mine would love to homeschool again but they are at an age where they need to be able to get the work done, if they need help-to receive it, and be able to concentrate with out someone screeching, yelling, crying, throwing a tantrum, etc.
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Sprouts 06:24 PM 09-05-2012
have you or anyone ever tried classical conversations?
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jojosmommy 06:58 PM 09-05-2012
Jealous!!! I love this! I am an organizing freak and even I have yet to do anything close to this. Impressive!
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DCMama 07:14 PM 09-05-2012
wow that's incredible! it prob cost you alot of less which is even more awesome! pat on the back for being so creative!
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Kim 07:33 AM 11-07-2012
Originally Posted by spud912:
Wow great job! I purchased the bins, but have yet to organize things into them. I have to reorganize the garage and the bedrooms first to find space for them once filled.

Where do you have this stored? Is this your garage, an extra room, or part of the playroom?
It's in the playroom on a wall that didn't really have a purpose. That wall is part of where we walk through to get to the kitchen so it wasn't working as a play area. I was tired of tripping over toys!

Originally Posted by daycare:
so I have a question about your marvelous setup

how did you organize your staple items. LIke cotton balls or tissue paper?

I have boxes set up like you with the themed items in each one, but I often have to cross use (hope that made sense) many items.

Like the items I listed above..
I keep all the art supplies organized in a separate cabinet in the kitchen/art room. I have pics in the decor group.
Originally Posted by Sprouts:
Ever since reading this I have been obsessing the confessions of a homeschoolers blog....so many ideas!

Anyone else here homeschool and do childcare?
Not yet but I might be. My kids are in K and 3rd and we have been contemplating homeschooling since things at school aren't as great as I would like. If it were up to me I would have homeschooled from day one but my husband and I are compromising for now. I'm not sure about the middle and high school in my area.


Originally Posted by DCMama:
wow that's incredible! it prob cost you alot of less which is even more awesome! pat on the back for being so creative!
It cost me lots less than Lakeshore especially since my dad works for Walmart and he bought the tubs for me with his discount And I bought the cabinet while it was on sale for the month with the Ikea Family card!
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Tags:cubbies, cubby, shelves, storage organizer - cube, themes
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