Last week, as I was preparing my guest room for company I decided to take a few minutes and straighten up my fabric piles and projects.  What I thought would help me feel better quickly backfired as I sorted through a half dozen unfinished projects and supplies for unstarted ones.

Suddenly I felt completely disgusted with myself and with my life.  What a waste of resources!

One of the piles that made me particularly irritated with myself was the pile of mending.  I went through it, noting a missing button here and a torn seam there.  How is it that I cannot even find time to mend our clothing?!?  Why is it that I didn’t take two minutes to reattach a button when it first came off a year ago?  For that matter, why do I have a mending pile at all?  Why don’t I just fix things as they tear and move on instead of putting them dutifully in the basket?

I looked around, looked at the clock, looked at the pile.   I had housework to do, food to prep.  All of the things that I have to do over and over again each day.  I spend a great deal of my life telling myself that as soon as everything is clean I will tackle the other projects, projects like mending or prepping a craft project for my children and some of their friends.  I looked around and realized that the “other projects” weren’t moving any closer to the top of the list because the daily list of repeats is so long.

So I went through my buttons, matched threads, picked up my needle and went to work.  I mended dresses, skirts, shirts, ties, doll clothes.

I didn’t get the house clean, but I did the mending.  As I sat quietly and went through the methodical steps of fixing things I noticed what a calming activity it is.  In spite of the clutter in other rooms, my heart felt at peace and I felt a certain amount of gratitude for these items which had been so long out of circulation but were now ready to wear once more.  I longed for a life of simplicity, where sitting quietly to mend something is a normal part of life instead of a deviation from it.

I smiled as my two year old squealed with delight at the pink skirt she’s never seen before, smiled as my four year old son proudly put on his “new” tie for church on Sunday (which his older brother promptly ruined again).  It was interesting to watch these items of clothing as they were noticed and quickly put to use in daily wardrobes.

Then, as I went to work on the rest of the house, I thought about how hard I work to maintain the routine so that we can function.  I realized that taking a break to do the mending was actually helpful, as it reminded me that the routine exists to help me, not the other way around.  I am in charge of my time, not the clock.  The daily mess will come as surely as the sun rises, but that doesn’t make me a servant to it.

I’ve been pondering these things ever since.  What can I get rid of?  What can we let go of to make room for a simpler life?  How can I live so that there is time for simple tasks?  Yes, I’ve asked them a hundred times before, but I’m asking them again because I believe the answer is still worth finding.  More difficult to find, perhaps, when they’re buried somewhere beneath the busy lives of 10 people under one roof, but worth finding nonetheless.

How do you do it?

Jennifer

A few months ago he and his wife drove to our home with a gift in hand.  Two old windows with 8 panes!  The perfect gift for a family with eight children.

One of these windows have been put to use as what I’m calling our “chore board”. I chose this name because sometimes we’ll have contests or earn points for special rewards based on cleaning and other responsibilities, and it becomes a scoreboard.  It hangs on a tiny wall behind my garage door, next to the bathroom door in a poorly lit corner.  We’re using what we’ve got, which is what life’s all about.

Before I hung the window on the wall, I used dry erase markers to write each child’s name and basic responsibilities on the back of each window pane.  Yes, that meant writing backwards, which explains my somewhat wonky handwriting. I did this so we can write on the front of the window panes without messing up the basic list.  We can cross things off, circle them, write new lists, etc. but their names and basic daily chores will stay put.  Right now, with sports teams in full swing, we’re just focusing on basic habits.  We’ll add more to the list when our evening schedules calm down and when I know that we’ve mastered the essentials.   Until then, I’m not going to overwhelm us all with lists we can’t reasonably accomplish.  I want my children to feel successful, not buried.

I know that I could add things like brushing teeth, bathing, and other things to the list.  I chose not to, because I’m here at bedtime and can keep track of those things easily, and lists can get so long and overwhelming to kids.  This board is primarily for the things we need to do in the after school hours, the ones that get crazy.  The blessing of having a teenager is that sometimes I can leave him to babysit while I run one of the children to an activity.  The down side of this is that it leaves them with 20-30 minute increments of down time when I’m not home.  The purpose of this board is to help them be proactive, to work even when I’m not watching, and then be able to do fun things later.

We’re trying to teach our children that consistently doing small and simple things will offer great results, both in our  home and in their personal lives.  If they can learn to enjoy those simple things they will have discovered the secret to living happily.  I found the wall sticker at my local dollar store and thought it would be a nice reminder, hence it hangs above the old window.

So, simple as it is, we’ve got a new chore board hanging in our home.  The window fits the style of the rest of the house, and the entire project cost me ten minutes and one dollar.  Can’t beat that!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hopeful Homemaker

post shared here.

In our home, meals are a huge part of that, and doing it well takes planning.  If I’ve got it planned, all I have to do is execute, which frees up precious mental energy for other tasks.  A few months ago I adjusted my approach, and I’m super happy with what I’ve come up with.

I found a really cool post-it note planner that I snagged for family scheduling.  One day I glanced at it and realized I could use it for a meal planner, as well.  I laminated a couple of them for use in my kitchen.

Each week has the dates and meals written in with dry erase markers.  When one week ends, I already have the next week planned, so I simply move the bottom planner (next week) up to the top for immediate use.  I erase the information on the current week and sit down right away to plan out the coming week.  I then hang it on the bottom, and once again I’ve got two weeks of meals planned out.  If it takes me a couple of days to get to the next week, it’s ok because I’ve got the current week taken care of.  This means our eating schedules will continue uninterrupted and there are no last minute trips to the store for poorly planned meals.

With a large, busy family I’ve learned that some nights allow more time than others for cooking and enjoying a nice meal.  When I designed the weekly planner, I also left a spot to write in special events.  This helps me plan our meals accordingly, and also to shop for additional items in my usual grocery shopping trip.  That way I cut out last minute surprises and remember to use the crockpot or plan a meal on the go for crazy days.  I also plan for a hearty after school snack – you can read about my reasoning here.

I have several goals for each week’s meals:

1.  Cook one meal from food storage.  This rotates the food we’re storing and also ensures that my family is eating the foods we would eat in an emergency.  It also means that one meal each week is already sitting in my house, and therefore I don’t need to spend money on it.  This frees up room in my budget to buy sale items in bulk, which is how I stock my storage room.

2.  Cook at least one meatless meal each week.  I often cook meals with beans in them on these nights.  Beans are so good for your body.  Sometimes we have two meatless meals, and the second one is usually some type of salad or salad bar.  Again, this saves me money and helps us eat well.

3.  Try one new recipe each week.  I feel like this counters the food storage meals because it makes my family feel like we’re not eating the same things all the time.  Occasionally I will count an old recipe from my files as a  “new recipe” if I haven’t made it in a long time and am curious if my family will still like it.

4.  Every week I sit down with the ads from my local grocery stores.  I go through them, circling items that our family uses that are on sale for a good price.  Many of these I buy in bulk so that our money goes farther and we have food on hand (click here to learn about how I do this).  I also scan these ads for items we like but which I don’t buy at full price.  For instance, if seafood is on sale, I might scratch one of the meals I’ve got planned and substitute it instead.  Or when I find roast beef on sale at the deli, I’ll substitute French dip sandwiches for a meal on the planner.

In the same area on the side of my fridge, I keep a container for holding recipes.    When I plan my shopping list, I like to scan the recipes to be certain I have everything on hand.  I then place them in the container for the week.  At the end of the week when I plan again, I return the recipes to my files.  (The container beneath holds dry erase markers.  You can’t see them because I bought miniature ones, which is working out great.  I know they’re there, but my kids can’t see them, which means they don’t disappear. )

For  the front of the fridge, I made a simple chart to show the family at a glance what’s inside that they can eat.  It’s just a 12 x 12 sheet of scrapbook paper, which I wrote on and then laminated. Using my trusty markers, I can now list the snacks and leftovers we have.  I also have a spot to list leftover ingredients from recipes I’ve made that need to be used so we don’t waste them.  I don’t use it often, but I also put a spot for items that might look tempting to eat, but which are needed for a specific meal or occasion.  In the bottom corner I also record when the fridge was last cleaned out, so we know that nothing in there is older than that date (and to help me get better at cleaning it consistently).

Lastly, I finished off my meal planning corner with my favorite Susan Branch plate.

A glance at this plate reminds me why I do what I do.  Why I spend hours planning, cooking, cleaning each week.  I do it because I love my family, and every effort to organize and simplify our lives gives me more time to enjoy them.

How do you plan your meals?  I’d love to get more ideas!

Jennifer

post shared here.

I buy in bulk.  I buy on sale.  I buy in bulk when things are on sale.

I’ve tried cutting coupons and waiting until the item goes on sale to use it, etc.  It took several hours each week, and usually the item was sold out when I got to the store.  I also found that most coupons were for processed foods or things that came in such small quantities that they did me little good.  So I went back to my old plan, buying in bulk.

I guess it’s no surprise that I shop this way with ten mouths to feed, but I really believe that this way of shopping saves a lot of money in the long run no matter how big your family is.

Yesterday I came home with 30 pounds of ground beef.  I paid $1.69/lb for it.  That’s more than I paid last time I purchased it, but the cost of food has risen sharply since I bought it 6 months ago, and it’s the best I’ve seen in a while.  Plus, we were down to 7 pounds in the freezer.

The family packs I bought were all right around 5 pounds each, so I cut them into 5 sections and spooned each section into its own quart sized freezer bag.  (I just eyeball it; I don’t weigh it.  A kitchen scale would be a nice thing, but it’s never a convenient $25 to spend.)

Thirty minutes later it looked like this.

I’ve learned to lay the bag flat as I squeeze out the air to seal it, and while doing that I spread the ground beef into a long flat rectangle.  Not only do they store well like this, but they thaw much faster this way too!

I label and date each bag.

Because I hate digging through a freezer full of stuff that falls out and ends up everywhere, I use containers to hold similar items together in one area of the freezer.

Doing this makes it easy for me to find what I’m looking for, and I can also take inventory of how much I have on hand at a glance.  It also means I can send my children out to the freezer to get things for me,  since I can tell them exactly where it is.  That’s a win/win scenario.  Can you believe that 30 pounds of ground beef fits so nicely in that container?

Now it’s all in the freezer, ready to be used.

I know that a lot of things can give us peace of mind.  This is a big one for me.  Knowing that we have food on hand is huge.  Buying it at a good price makes me feel even better.  I do this with everything.  I have only bought chicken twice in the past 14 months.  Both times I found it at a great price, $1.29/pound.  I buy a lot and then we use it while I wait for the next great sale.  I feel like this has three advantages.

1.  I have a lot of food on hand.
2.  I keep track of how much I buy and can then look back and see how much we really use over a period of time.  It     helps me predict how much to buy the next time I find that item on sale.
3.  Because I’m buying at a  great price, my money goes farther.  My grocery budget isn’t being eaten up by high prices.

When I leave the grocery store my cart is usually full, but there’s not much variety.  When I found name brand barbecue sauce on sale for 59 cents, I bought ten of them.  When I found Italian salad dressing on sale for 68 cents, I stocked up.  When I found cheese on a great sale, I bought enough to last us 4 months.  A majority of my grocery money that week went to cheese, but it meant I could buy other items for several months while we used the cheese I had on hand.    If I’m not sure how much I need, I buy ten.  On any given week I come home with only a couple of bags full of fresh produce and other items I needed only one or two of, such as ingredients for a new recipe I plan to try.  The rest all goes to storage.

I love living this way.  To me, it just makes sense.

And that’s how I shop for my large family.
(In case you ever wondered).

Hopeful Homemaker

That’s what happened today when I put together this little reminder tree for our family.

I’ve been hunting for ways to control the paper clutter that enters my house with my children each day.  I have a file system that I use for the big papers, which works fine if I just deal with the stack consistently.  The little papers are another story.

Most of them come in the form of reminders.  Reminders for Scouts, food assignments, equipment lists for campouts, Activity days reminders, gymnastics info.  Many of the important little details that I MUST see in order for things to run smoothly around here come into my home on 1/4 sheet of paper.

Those papers get lost in the big ones.   I hate it when I find a reminder, too late.  So I’ve been looking for ways to keep track of the little papers.  The fridge is out because too many people like to take the magnets to do whatever with, or rearrange things for fun, and so forth.  My kitchen is very open and all the wall space consists of windows and cabinets (sigh…no awesome chalkboard or bulletin board in my kitchen’s future).   I wanted it in the kitchen, however, because it is the hub of our family activity.

In my basement today my eyes settled on an old topiary form and a light bulb turned on.  I’m going vertical with the reminders!  I gave myself 7 minutes to complete this project (including pictures) from start to finish because I had to pick children up from school.

I took the form and set it in an IKEA pot that was in my pantry.  I weighted it with a bag of dry beans and then filled in the top with some fabric scraps.

The ball on top seemed a bit bare, so I added a couple of birds for fun.

I cut a length of several bright and cheery ribbons (it’s raining today and I need some color to lift my spirits) and tied them in a simple knot at the base of the ball.  It’s ready to go.

A quick collection run around the house turned up some clothespins and we’re in business!  I now have a place to clip those little pieces of paper that are important for about 24 hours at a time before they’re replaced by another.

Amazingly, I didn’t have a single reminder paper for my children that’s current.  Last week was spring break and I guess nobody wanted to bother reminding us about things until after it ended so currently it only holds a couple of coupons I don’t want to forget.

I have high hopes that this little tree will help all of us keep track of those frustrating but essential little papers.  The children were really excited about it when they came home from school.  I’m hoping that they’ll think it’s fun to clip their papers on, and it will be easy to see at a glance which papers are no longer needed.  When a clothespin is not in use it can be clipped wherever, on the ball, the trunk, or even around the edge of the pot.

So there you have it.  Seven minutes to a solution.    It now sits on my kitchen counter, cheerfully awaiting my first reminder of the week (please don’t let us forget the Pinewood Derby later this month).   I was thinking that this could be used for displaying other things, like photos, postcards or greeting cards.  Do you have any other ideas?  What do you think?  What would you use it for?

Note:  to see how I took the clothespins from regular to adorable, check out this post

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.
Hopeful Homemaker

linked to DIY Day and Remodelaholic

I used a bleached burlap for the outside and chose a coordinating hounds tooth pattern from my stash for the inner lining.

To determine the size of my fabric, I measured the space I wanted it to use on my shelf.  This would be the base, and then I decided how high the sides were to be.  Once you know those numbers, multiply the height of the sides times two, and add that to your dimensions for the base.  For example, if you want the base to be 8 inches wide by 10 inches deep, and your sides to be 6 inches high, then you need to add 12 to the width and height of the base.  This means you will cut your fabric to be 20 inches wide by 22 inches long.

Once you do this, you might want to reinforce the fabric by ironing some interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.

Now you need to lay the fabric flat and on each corner, cut out a square the size of the height of your bin.  If we continue the measurements from the above example, you will cut a 6 inch by 6 inch square out of each corner.  This will leave you with something of an “x” shaped fabric.

Repeat with the piece which will be your lining.

Fold each “x” in half on a diagonal line through the center square or rectangle.  Carefully line up the sides of each piece, with right sides together (RST) and sew down that six inch line.

You will be able to see that you have just formed one corner of the bin.

Repeat with the remaining three sides until you have made a little box.

Repeat with the other piece of fabric to form a second bin.  Turn the outer piece right side out.

Now for the embellishments!  I chose to make a handle and a little pocket for a label.

For the handle, decide how long you wish it to be, and cut your fabric that long, but twice as wide as you want it.  With RST, sew the fabric into a strip lengthwise.  Turn it right sides out, tuck the ends under, and attach it to the outer bin wherever you want it.

For the label holder, I cut a small rectangle, and then cut another, smaller rectangle out of the center.  I placed a piece of clear vinyl behind it and sewed around the inner edge of the burlap rectangle.  Then I sewed the rectangle to the bin on the sides and bottom only, leaving a pocket in the top.

Lastly, place the lining inside the outer shell.  Fold the liner under, and then fold it over the top of the outer shell to form a contrasting strip around the top of the storage bin.  Carefully sew into place.

You’re done!  Now go fill it with whatever you made it to hold.

I must say that the burlap was a bit of a hassle to deal with, especially in spots where I was sewing through several thicknesses of it.  Still, I’m happy with the result, and it’s nice to have the size I needed without spending any money.  I love it when I find useful ways to use my stash and it’s always fun to combine creativity with organization.

I hope you’ll try one and tell me what you think.  It was a lot of fun!

Hopeful Homemaker

This post linked to DIY Day

Much as I love ribbon, for years I’ve done a lousy job of storing those leftover pieces or strips of lovely ribbon off of packages of some sort.  Tired of sorting through this:

I went on a walk through my house to see if I could find something better to keep it in.  I saw an awesome ribbon organizer back at Christmas time in a local craft store, but I didn’t want to spend any money and I don’t have room in my studio for some big thing.  Then I remembered this:

This old 7-up crate hung on the wall in my kitchen at our old house.  I kept little jars in each compartment and it served as my spice rack.  It didn’t work in my new kitchen when we moved, so it’s been waiting in the basement for a new use.  Well, it just found it.

I measured the size of the compartments and cut several pieces of aqua cardstock to fit.  Then, using a bit of masking tape to secure the ends, I started wrapping.

And I kept wrapping.

Did I mention that I spent some time wrapping?

Little matter.  It took many more 5 minute segments of stolen time than I anticipated, but it’s finally done and I’m happy with it.

Wide ribbons were given a card to themselves, and narrow ones were grouped together on a card.  Organized by color (somewhat), I can now see at a glace what I’ve got, which means that I’ll actually use it!  I’m a big fan of being able to see what’s available, which is also why I opted to prop my new organizer on a little shelf in my studio.

The shelf is a vintage piece for holding handkerchiefs.  It belonged to my great grandmother.  My parents gave it to me for my birthday a couple of years ago, and it’s been hanging in a corner of my studio ever since.  It means a lot to me to have it.  I had another decoration on it which I removed to make room for the ribbon.  Below it I have framed another piece of linen from my Marghab collection, which is a post for another day.

I added my wish, hug and kiss tickets to the top and a little bird on the corner and we’re set.  I like how this corner of my studio is now bright with color.

I have to say that the current trend for re-purposing is fabulous to me.  It’s become a little contest I have with myself all the time, walking around my house in search of something I can use differently to meet a new need.   It costs nothing, but forces me to think more creatively, to focus on line, size, shape and color in new ways.  It saves money, helps us use what we have more efficiently, and the challenge brings me joy.  As it has become more mainstream, I’ve really enjoyed seeing pictures of what others are doing.

So here’s my question for you:  What have you re-purposed lately?

And if you feel like you haven’t done it at all, my challenge is to take a walk around your house and find some small way in which you can use something differently, in a new way that makes you happy.

And please, tell me about it!
Jennifer

A few weeks ago I spotted a small vintage baby crib, about the size of a bassinet or cradle.  I snatched it up, knowing I would find many things to store in it, but upon coming home I just hadn’t found the right spot for it so it’s been sitting in my studio.  (And much as I love my kids I wasn’t ready for them to claim it for the toy room.)

I have a corner in my studio that has been bugging me:

Yesterday I walked in the room and realized that a great solution was sitting on the other side of the room.  I cleared out the spot and wheeled the crib over.  Sure enough, it fit.

I took the baby flannels out of the plastic bin and placed them in another flowered tote.  The two totes fit perfectly under the crib.  Whoever painted this crib years ago left a brown strip of wood that sticks out so I put some adhesive on it…

and added a strip of ribbon.  Much better.

A walk around the house yielded a basket to put smaller pieces of fabric in for easy access.

An unplanned ten minute project yielded an organized corner with more aesthetic appeal.

Oh that all my minutes could be spent so productively!

On Saturday I stumbled upon these pictures of Heather Bailey’s studio.  Instantly I wanted a room like that!  I especially wanted to go shopping for a bookshelf  that I could neatly stack all my fabric on, in plain sight, to look at for fun and to see everything and therefore use it all more.  Well, that wasn’t happening.  I’ve promised myself no more shopping like that until I have a basement empty of DIYs.  For a few minutes I very seriously considered stealing my cabinet in the dining room to use for my fabric, but it’s perfect where it is so I left it alone.

Instead, I started taking everything out of drawers and made a fabulous mess.  Then, over the next couple of days I got it all put back away, but this time I did it so that I can see all my fabric at a glance instead of having it laying in stacks (which means I forget what’s underneath).

So, while I’m no Heather Bailey, I can at least be inspired by the beauty that’s available to me.  Here goes:

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Each drawer is now filled (I should probably say stuffed full) with my quilting fabrics, turned to stand up so that I can see all of them.  They’re sorted by colors.

Hopefully I’ll use them all more wisely now that I can see them so easily.

There is another drawer for black and whites, another for browns, and a cupboard for decorator weight fabrics.
I also made a separate spot for Christmas prints, and for fall/Halloween projects.

A box full of flannels for baby blankets:

I simplified the cabinet that holds my rarely used collection of rubber stamps.  Above it is a bit of vintage hand stitched red and white lace that I just love.  It is incredible to me to look at each little stitch.  I wonder about who made it and if it was art to her.

I cleared the fabric dresser top so it’s now free of clutter.

I also went through all the supplies that I keep in blue bins under my desk and was able to trim down on the clutter there as well.  I use a vintage doll cradle to hold the projects that are currently in progress or next up.  I reduced the number of projects in that category.

When I went to store something under the bed, I pulled out a box full of flannel fabric that I’d completely forgotten about!  I remedied this problem by storing things I use a lot next to things I don’t use so much.  I feel like now I won’t forget about any supplies, and will be able to use them all wisely.  This step included using my wire baskets on the bookshelf better.

Now the basket which was formerly full of vintage supplies I intended to use but forgot about houses those vintage bits along with the jelly rolls, charm packs and fat quarters that I use a lot.

Another basket full of good stuff!

I keep being tempted to start collecting cute pincushions, because they’re everywhere and they’re really fun.  I have a couple of cute ones, but for now I’m happy using my favorite, this awesome bird sitting in a nest  atop a vintage candy dish.

There is a lot that I still want to do to this room, but I’m so happy with it even as it is.    Because it doubles as a guest room, I want to try to keep it simple  enough that it can also be a restful bedroom.  I realize that I’m tremendously blessed to have it.  I’m thankful for a husband who works so hard so that we can have a home that allows me a space such as this.

To anyone else who walked in the room, there would probably be no noticeable change.

But for me, it feels like a fresh start for a new year of creativity.  I’m pleased.

It doesn’t hurt that I dealt with all that pent up energy in a positive way, either.

HH

I think that secretly I’m probably inclined to be a neat freak, but having 7 children really curbs my opportunities to enforce that kind of lifestyle.  I’ve concluded it’s a good thing; probably God’s way of rescuing me from developing OCD.  Still, neat and tidy goes a long way toward making a happy mother in this house.   We all have piles sometimes, myself included, but I really strive for some sense of order.  With this desk, I’ve tried multiple ways of encouraging her to keep things a little bit neater, but all to no avail.

Here is my little office space.  We have a room in our home that doubles as a guest room and my own space.

I love it.

I really love the fact that my rack is filled with containers that are whimsical and fun to look at, which are filled with supplies I use all the time for sewing, wrapping gifts, paper projects, etc.  I can get things out and put them away in a matter of seconds.  I love the easy access, the fact that I can store an awful lot in such a small space and in plain view.  Organizing my spot like this was one of the best ideas  I had when we moved into this house.

The thought occurred to me the other day that perhaps my daughter would like to have a space like mine.
(I was pretty sure she’d go for it, given the amount of time she spends going through my stuff.)

After searching high and low, I finally got my hands on another baker’s rack like the one I already have.
We cleared the space and got busy.  All you need are two basic things:  the rack or shelves or whatever you’re going to put things on and a variety of cute containers for holding stuff in.  Pretty simple.

Here’s a sampling of the containers we used.

My theory with the containers is the cheaper the better.  The yellow bowl I’ve had for years but now it has a crack in it so I never use it in the kitchen.  Then there is the ceramic bowl with holes that I picked up on clearance after Easter.  The blue bucket was the same.  The blue wood paper organizer was just kicking around the house.  That’s pretty much what we did:  we walked around the house and looked for things we could re-purpose to make for an interesting display.  We found a glass candle holder in the pantry to use, a small white flower pot for pencils and pens, and so forth. You get the picture.  This was not an expensive undertaking.  But my theory is that the whole point is to be creative and find ways to encourage her to take care of her space in a cute, fun, but tidy way.

We started by sorting like objects into their own containers and began placing just a couple of things here and there.

We made room for her jewelry box and cd player, and kept filling it in.

The finished product:

She’s got everything she needs within arm’s reach:  paper, markers, pencils, pens, stapler, glue, books, music, and so forth.  She likes it because it is cute and  makes her feel grown up.  I like it because she can see everything she has, use it and put it away easily, and there is actually a white desk underneath it all for her to work at!  I also like that there’s room for us to add more containers as needed.  And, at the date of this writing, her desk has been clean for almost two weeks.  Now THAT is impressive.  A ten year old girl with a clean desk… this could be a world record in the making!

Using a baker’s rack like this can be a fun way to organize a space.  As I said, I’ve loved it in my office and am hopeful about the long-term potential for my daughter.  I also have a smaller one that I hung above my bathtub to help organize that space, too.

Honestly, they’re cool racks for a kitchen and someday I’d love to have one displaying pretty plates, but I love their potential in other ways, too.  Kitchen, office, bedroom, bathroom, and think how cute it would be on a potting table storing gardening supplies!  These racks are awesome because they’re so versatile.

As for the desk, mission accomplished.   Hooray!