A little organization goes a long way!

So, as I sit here and type, once again it's snowing!  No signs of spring here just yet.  I think being inside so much has started to get to me, and I'm itching for some spring organization and cleaning. We have been organizing and working on a few projects (my favorite thing to do). 

First we pulled out the kids baby quilts that Brent's aunt made for each child when they were born.  They have been in storage for about 5 years.  In fact my youngest's quilt was never hung up.  It was fun to pull them out and show the kids, who had forgotten about them.  The problem was, we didn't know exactly how we were going to hang them.  We went to the store looking for ideas.  My husband is the one who came up with this great idea!  I love it and think it's genius :) 

We found some clearance curtain rods and wanted to use them, but didn't know how to attach them.  After looking a little further, down a few more isles, we found these little round hangers with clips on the end, designed especially for the curtain rod.  They were perfect.  This way the whole quilt can be displayed and hangs away from the wall as well.

We have a nice long wall off our playroom in our basement, that is finished.  We hung them in birth order.  It's really fun to have them back up again.  I almost can't remember what it was like having that many little ones in the house!

Next up, school room!  We have been living in WI since November, and really everything has been an unorganized mess in that home.  There isn't enough closet space and we have no book shelves.  The dining room became our school room on the first day of moving in and ever since then, things have been piling up.  I had enough and declared a weekend day, full of organizing this space.  My husband agreed to helping me and I was so grateful! 

 

We purchased the cube shelving units at Menards.  It took 4 of them to fill a 12 foot wall.  I loved the curtain rod for the quilts so much, I thought why not use that same idea for art work.  We have so much of that around here, and the fridge just isn't big enough :)  Also a few months ago, each child painted a white canvas and they have just been laying in the corner waiting to be hung.  The two round loomed pieces of art on the end are finger knitted and then loomed.  I love having a place for all the kids stuff.  They each have their own set of 3 cubes.  One for their school books.  One for their level reading books, and one cube for misc, pencils, markers, mini whiteboards, etc.  I love having their artwork all over the room.  I also have all my teacher manuals, tests, and supplies in the cubes.  I function so much better when everything has a place and everything is at my fingertips.  Today was our first day in the newly organized school room and it went great!  We were all very motivated.  It's just what we needed to make it to the end of the school year!

 

 

I have one more fun find to share.  Over the weekend we visited the local antique shop looking for Abraham Lincoln memorabilia.  We did find a few books and a large framed print, but also laying on the front porch of the store, behind a bunch of framed prints, I found this:

 



A large old print of George Washington.  It wasn't priced and the owner of the store saw us looking at it.  He said it came out of a local old school house.  He said since we were purchasing some Lincoln books, he would throw this picture in for free.  I LOVE finding treasures like this, and when they are free, that makes it all the more better :) 

Overall it was a very successful weekend, and I look forward to organizing other rooms of the house as well.

♥  Shannon