Children's Art: Inspiring it, displaying it, storing it and sharing it.

As I have state before, I am actually very sentimental. However, in several areas of life, that clashes with my need for organization. Children's artwork is one of those areas.
Their art is so precious (much of the time...) and they are growing so fast! I want to remember these days and their drawings. I want my children to know that the things they make are important and beautiful (much of the time...)!

I want them to be able to express themselves by doing art and entertain themselves by making crafts. I want them to be able to do it themselves (much of the time!).

(Image to the right is my son posing next to a giant haunted house picture he made on some giant paper. We hung it up as a decoration around Halloween. He is so proud of that.)

Inspiring Art

Children naturally love art. It is messy and it is exploration. Art is an important learning tool.

Just think of the real experts - preschool teachers. They know this. Have you ever actually stopped and paid attention to how a preschool does art? Many of the supplies are easily accessible. That way the children can handle much of the process themselves. Want to draw? Go to the paper area and grab a piece. Pick up some crayons while you are there. When you are done, please put it back. Three and four-year-olds can do this. It gets even better when they get into grade school.
Make a place in your home - centrally located (kitchen is ideal) to have an "art area". Find a cabinet you can use, or purchase a piece just for the job. Something with doors will save your sanity. Dedicate this space ONLY to art. We actually have two smaller cabinets (This fits our space best). One for art supplies (paper, stickers, crayons/markers/pencils, paint supplies, stencils - you name it) the other for kits & crafts (beads, potholder kits, playdoh, etc.). When you have a "go to" place for arts and crafts, you are never searching for what you need or what they want. It's easy to take out and easy to put away. If you are lucky enough to have lots of space, you could dedicate a table just for projects - that way you don't have to pick up if the project isn't done yet. Most of us cannot do that - darn it! But I guess I would trade having to pick up for having my kids right where I'm at anyway - the kitchen. I can't keep an eye on my little Picasso's if they are in another room. Not to mention the constant trips to "help" anyway.

(Image to the right is our "art cabinet". I love clear plastic shoe boxes and any other big clear leftover container for holding different categories of art supplies. We have an old Cascade container holding markers, and big Sam's Club sized clear plastic pretzle container holding scissors and glue and lots of the clear plastic shoe boxes holding stickers, stencils and other craft supplies. Use your imagination!)Boredom is constantly banished with an easily accessible craft kit that was a Christmas gift (potholder anyone?) or a birthday card making session with construction paper and stickers. The scissors and glue are all right there - and look! Pipe cleaners and googly eyes, too! Help yourself.

Displaying Art

There is a fine line between proudly displaying your children's best art and looking like you live in a kindergarten classroom. It's hard to distinguish when you live in it, but you know it when you see it in other people's homes. My only advice, is to have an area (or two) dedicated to the latest. A giant cork board works great. So does the refrigerator. Children's bedrooms are fair game as well. After that - try to make it look NICE.

(Image to the right: The side of our refrigerator is the ever changing "gallery".)
For the best of the best, here are some fun ideas for displaying your children's art:

Placemats. When my children were in preschool, they often brought art home on the great big 12 x 18 papers. Sometimes it was drawings, but often it was a painting. If you already have these, you can put two back to back and laminate to make a fun placemat. If you don't - grab some large paper and make your own. Your children will get to enjoy their art at mealtime and you can protect your nice table! My only recommendation regarding the laminating, is that you go get this done at an office supply store, like Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, etc. They do a nice heavy duty job that will stand up to more abuse than most. Just a couple dollars. Contact paper works OK, but doesn't look as nice. Either way, make sure when you trim off the extra that you leave 1/4 " around to seal or you will get moisture inside.  (See below - sorry for the glare!)

Seasonal decorations. Starting in preschool, each year the children would take home holiday or season specific art. I have several years worth of cute snow men and women, lots of great hearts for Valentines Day, a nice tree collection for December -- you get the idea.

Right now (since it is absolutely FRIGID outside) I have a cute penguin collection hanging on my wall. I just took down 6 or 7 kid-made hearts and in a month or so I'll put up my Easter Egg collection. Why buy decorations? Use the ones your children have made!

Seasonal decorations are a great way to keep the precious art - and display it, in rotation. The children love knowing that I think their decorations are the best. Just keep your trees with your Christmas decorations and your hearts with your valentines day decorations and you'll never forget to put out the art.

Again, lamination is a big part of this. You can go cheaper on this though. The lamination keeps the art nice year after year and allows me to hang it with out destroying it using masking tape balls on the back. It also protects it from moisture if I put it on a window. For this job, I go to my local teacher supply store, Lakeshore Learning Store. They do super cheap laminating. I want to say it's $.39 a foot? I can get a whole host of art laminated for $2 or $3.00.

Pencil/pen holders. This is as easy as it sounds. Cut to fit, and wrap a piece of art around a coffee can or oatmeal container. Use it to hold all those awkward "fun" pens and pencils. We have a fuzzy pen with a light up duck....

Cards. I have done multiple different things for cards. Here are some suggestions.

-My daughter colored a very cute birthday cake with balloons. I bought some special cardstock from an office supply store (not Avery, but a competing brand) that was especially for printing up greeting cards. It was pre-scored for folding. It came with envelopes, instructions an access to an online template for dropping the art in and printing. I scanned in her art and used it for the cards. I printed up 5 (equals 10 cards) for future birthdays.

-If you don't want to mess with that, you can bring kid art into an office supply store with a copy center and have them do all the work. Have them print two per page and print onto cardstock. You just cut, fold and supply your own envelopes.
-In the past, I have taken pictures of my two children holding up big signs that either say "Thank" and "You" or "Happy" and "Birthday". I then uploaded to Shutterfly and made them into greeting or note cards. Greeting cards are individuals, note cards come in 10 or 12 packs and are smaller. Easy. You can also use there multitude of print borders available(they have ones that say just about everything) and just order the prints that way. They fit postcard style into note card envelopes.

Photo books. Here is another idea I love, but have not personally done. Scan in your children's art and store electronically. Once you have a mass of it, turn it into a photobook just like you would snapshots. One piece of art per page. With all the options out there you could include text explaining the art or even pictures of the child with the art. Of course, that is more expensive but the finished project is fabulous.

The "almost" a masterpieces.  For the extra special art that your child loves and you think is really great, but wouldn't quite call "living room art".  Laminate it and hang it in your child's bedroom.  It will withstand the test of time in sturdiness and fade-factor.  It will show that you think the art is special and worthy of safe keeping and displaying.  It will cost under a dollar. (See left)


The masterpieces. Don't be afraid of framing. If it's really a picture you love - invest in it. On the cheap, you can get a frame with a mat already in it in just about any size at Michaels Crafts. Buy several of the same frames in different sizes for a gallery effect. Use a great frame you already own - but that has a picture or piece of art in it that you do not like. If it's truly great - hang it in a place of honor. If you can afford it, have a professional frame it. I've seen some really great finished products with a simple piece of children's art.

(Image to the right: My daughter made stamp paintings in first grade at school. It actually came home mounted on the black construction paper and the colors looked great in our living room. I just popped it into an old frame I had already and now it has a place of honor!)

Additional ideas: For options on how to keep precious art you aren't displaying, see my previous post: Scrapbooking for the sentimental, but way too busy/lazy/impatient mom.




If you have any great ideas of your own, I'd love to hear them!

Coming soon...

Fun things to do with children's artwork. What to save and the best way to do it.
But not today... toooooo busy! Coming soon. Check back please!

Scrapbooking for the sentimental, but way too busy/lazy/impatient mom.

Keeping the important Memories
There are two extreme types of moms, I believe, when it comes to "memory items". There are the "Keep it all, my baby touched it!" types and the "toss it" types. (I know you both, but will refrain from naming names.)

The goal is to be somewhere in the middle. This is something we all face in one way or another. You have to find the right balance of keep vs. toss. For some of us it is best to keep it all at first, then after a year or so, look at it again and whittle it down. For example, I initially kept ALL the baby cards we got from showers and after my children were born. I could not bear to part with them. Then, when I came to my senses, I tossed out (I mean RECYCLED) most of them, keeping only the ones from close friends and close family.

I am very sentimental, but also impatient and busy. This combination has inspired me to find a good, fast way to sort/organize/keep all the things that I cannot part with on behalf of my children.

"But what do I do with it??"Maybe YOU had tons of energy and ambition when your children were babies and YOU spent every nap time and evening laboriously hot gluing and stamping out his or her keepsakes... but I did not. I am creative, but apparently way too lazy and impatient for that kind of scrapbooking. Don't get me wrong, it's really nice. But I could not do it. Also, I have a real, passionate love for Shutterfly, so all my pictures go there. But what about all the other stuff?

This idea came about because I was an office worker before becoming mom. I actually had a home office for a time, and when I left the work world for good, I had a lot of leftover office supplies. I decided to use what I had on hand for baby #1 (Cole) and it worked so well that I have since expanded on it and repeated it for baby # 2 (Lily). The key for me, was binders.

Part 1; Keepsakes (Not school related)
Cole started out with one 1.5 " hard sided binder filled with plastic sheet protectors. I just filled them front of binder to back. (That is a great place to start. Just place items in, oldest to newest.) Later, when I had time - I got FANCY. But, in a simple way. Here is what works for me and our children:

Each child has three types of binders. I'll describe them each individually.

1) Photos - This binder is for leftover and old portraits and the miscellaneous snapshots that keep turning up. For example, I have sheet protectors that each individually hold one milestone set of portrait photos. The past ones that were in "the big frame" and the leftover extras that didn't get given away to grandparents. I also put proofs here, if I have them. One page of 1 month photos, one page of 6 month photos, etc. all the way on up to current leftover school photos. (Now when your teacher requests that junior bring in a baby picture, you know right where to go!) There are also some pages of random snapshots that were given to us by other family members or friend's parents. You want to keep them - but can only keep them on the fridge for so long...

2) Artwork - I need to preface this by saying, YOU CANNOT KEEP ALL ARTWORK. You need to pick and choose the best examples and let Grampa and Gramma enjoy some of the excess for their refrigerators. The rest "mysteriously disappears" when no one is looking. Chances are, it has been forgotten anyway. This binder is also limited to art that is 8 1/2 x 11" or smaller and fits into a sheet protector - but most of it does. (I did break down and buy one of those cute kids "portfolios" for a few of the bigger pieces - mostly from school projects - that we really wanted to keep, like the family tree.) Our children LOVE art. They are very prolific and do art almost every day. I personally try to keep some of the best examples of coloring, the especially good paintings and the little other bits and pieces that are just precious. We have cut outs of their hand tracings, some awesome drawings, butterflies, snowflakes, family portraits in crayon, etc.)

The pictures above are: (Top two) Samples of the different types of art inside.
(Bottom)My son's current 'ART BOOK' - he decorated the cover.
(Left) Portfolio for large size keepsake art.

3) "Memories" - This binder is where almost everything else goes. You could just do this binder in an oldest to newest format. That is how I started it back in the crazy busy "toddler days". When I had more time, like after preschool started, I added in TABS. That is where the FANCY comes in. This allowed me to be a bit more organized about our keepsakes. Our "Memories" binders have 4 tabs each. (I had the cardboard tab dividers and the printer friendly tab stickers on hand and they have worked very well.)

Our tabs are: Birthdays, Vacations, Holidays and Other.
- In the Birthday category, I keep the cards from close family and friends only (the cards from now deceased great-grandparents are especially precious!), a sample of the party invite if we had a party and a "Birthday Interview".*

- In the Vacations category, we keep pamphlets and maps from the places we've been. Airline tickets stubs, if we flew and any other flat keepsakes that may apply.

- In the Holidays category, we keep valentines (again, close friends and family only), Christmas cards from grandparents, programs to the school or church holiday musical the children may have been in, picture with Santa... etc.

- In the Other category, we keep everything else. Ticket stubs to performances or events we attended. Church bulletin and obituary from when Great-Grandparents passed away. The program from Lily's first gymnastic program or Cole's piano recital. Anything you want to keep that doesn't fit into one of the other categories can go here.

Because I buy the hard sided binders, they have the plastic windows on the front, back and spine. ** That is a nice cover for the binder. Slip in a favorite drawing into the front of the Art binder. Put a favorite portrait or a few snapshots into the cover of the Portraits binder. If you also label the spine, you'll know which one to grab for on the first try.

You will invariably fill up a binder. The beauty of this system is you just pop a new label on the spine of the filled binder with the appropriate date span and start a new binder labeled "Art book 2". Remember to keep the binders in a convenient location, too. We keep each child's binders on a top shelf in their closet. Out of reach for little ones but accessible to you. Buy a book end and you can stand them all up against a wall side.

Part 2; Keepsakes (School)
This I do differently. You wouldn't have to - you could easily make your own school binder and add a 4th to the collection above.

I purchased each of my children a "School Memories" book - especially made for keeping important school stuff. There is one pocketed page for each year where you can record all vital stats, tape on a school photo and write down all the favorites from that year. In the pocket you can keep the class photo, report cards, notes from teachers, school work and a few other things. Lillian Vernon has a cute one at http://www.lillianvernon.com/kids . I personally prefer the one at Lake Shore Learning Store in St. Louis Park - you can see it online at http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/ - search 'keepsake book school'. I also add some of the bigger school projects (just the really good ones!) into that larger kids art portfolio I mentioned earlier. You can find those online as well. We got ours also at the Lakeshore Learning Store.

This system is really slick & easy. But organized. You'll love it.

Notes:
* Several years ago, we had a speaker in our MOPS group who shared the idea of doing a Birthday Interview each year with your child. I'm sorry I no longer know who to attribute this to, but I loved the idea. It is just a one page document, stored on my PC that either you or your child fills out on their birthday. Same questions every year. Their past year answers are just precious! You can make your own, or use mine. **Look for lots of brightly colored binders on sale at office supply stores after the school supply rush is over.

More on hooks - kids coats and keys

You may have read before, that I love hooks.  They give things a home and keep things off the floor and counter tops.  I am a super fan.  

One of the big gripes in many homes is coats thrown here and there.  This happens when little people cannot reach hangers and when adults don't feel like taking the effort to hang something they use frequently.  Whatever you get, you want it to look nice with your decor (it will be in the open!) and be functional.  Hooks don't have to be ugly.  I had to find something that fit into an unusual opening (see the built in frame on the wall?).  I found this cool metal hook rack at B, B & B.  I found it especially useful since it could be installed at an angle.   This allowed for the space I had AND allowed for kids of different  heights to use it.  My son can reach the top hooks, my daughter can use the lower ones.   

OK, so keys are not furniture clutter, but they are perpetually lost.  Who among us hasn't spent several precious minutes (while you are running late, of course...) trying to find their keys?  Are they on the counter?  In your purse?  The pocket of the last coat you wore?
No more.  Install a key hook in a central location or by the most used door and ALWAYS hang your keys on it when you get home.  Hang the "spare" keys there, too.  Such a simple thing - saves lots of time.

If you look closely you will see the main sets in this photo are also sporting carabiners - the handy dandy (nod to Blue's Clues) metal ring clip.  Pick them up almost anywhere - as little as $.99.  They are perfect for attaching your keys to your purse, bag or belt loop when you are not at home.  This is the "travel hook" for your keys.  No more panicked "I can't find my keys!" while you try to leave Target or anywhere else.  No more 10 minutes of dredging the inner workings of you purse, bag or coat pockets looking frantically for keys.  They are right there, hanging on the handle of your purse.  Nice.

It's Official! A hobby becomes a job!

Anyone reading this knows that I love to organize. Call it crazy, call it a job. Now that Lily will be starting school full time (sniff, sniff…) in a few weeks, I have the perfect opportunity to turn a hobby into a venture. So, it’s official. “It’s About Time…” is an LLC and is open for business.
Based on feedback from friends, I will be charging on a “per project” basis so clients will know upfront their investment, rather than hourly leaving them guessing.

As the name of the business says, “It’s About Time.”

It’s about the time you will save each and every day – not searching for lost items. Not wondering where to put something. Not having to run all over the house to complete a task. Having a system in place that can be used by everyone in the family – not just Mom.

It’s about the money you will save not buying duplicate items because you can’t find something or have forgotten that you already own it.

Your time is valuable. Use it wisely.

Everyone can be organized if there is a system in place. Getting organized to begin with is the hard part. I can help you with that. I will help you sort, organize and place your "project". I will be your objective counterpart and voice of reason. I will be there to keep you on task and get the project done quickly. I don't use any expensive closet transformation systems. I combine the things you already own with carefully selected newer organization pieces that are just perfect for your needs. I do most of my purchasing at wallet friendly stores like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Michaels.

All projects will be considered. Top "bang for your buck" projects are linen closets, bathrooms, kitchen organization, entry closets and bedrooms. Just let me know what your biggest stressor is and I'll work with you to eliminate it.

I plan to work strictly off word of mouth, so if you or someone you know could use some help pulling it together, please give them my name.

Thank you -

Make my week, leave me a comment!

Tamara Nugteren

It's About Time ... TLC LLC

Personal & Home Organizer

tnugteren@earthlink.net

Make packing for travel.... easier. There is no way to make it "easy"!

Packing as a single female is not too bad. I used to be able to get it done fairly easily - as long as everything I needed was clean. And I didn't have to first purchase something for a special occasion (ie., new dress for a wedding or a new swimsuit for a tropical vacation - that one is killer).

Packing for a family is an entirely different story that requires days of prep work. When I say, "for a family", that should be interpreted as "for myself and the children". My husband does his own packing and has the entire week's worth of clothes and other needed items ready to go in about 15 minutes - but that is another story. Grrr...

Our family lives in South Dakota. That is a four hour drive for us, so it definitely requires overnight stays. And packing. Once we had our first child, we visited South Dakota more frequently to spend time with our extended families. As every parent knows, babies (and later on toddlers and young children) need LOTS of things. Well, perhaps they don't - but we think they do and we are going to pack it all. Thus the several days of pre-planning I mentioned earlier. After our first several trips, I realized that I was getting less and less sleep prior to our trips because I was constantly getting out of bed at night to get something that I didn't want to forget. Later, I got smarter and just put a pen and pad of paper beside my bed so I could write the things down and get them in the morning. But, even with this system, I was still doing 80% of the packing and running around.

Now, 13 years and two children later, I have it down. Actually, we have it down as my loving husband has officially been brought into the mix. Now, we have permanent "packing lists" stored in Microsoft Word. There are several different versions for different types of travel. The lists are flexible and change over the years as the children grow. "Stroller" has migrated off the lists and has been replaced by "Razor scooters & helmets". The packing list can be printed up and placed on the counter before the trip. Both my husband and I can check stuff off as we have time. No more excuses. I am not the only one who knows what needs to be brought along anymore. Don't get me wrong - I still like to pick out the kids' wardrobes and I pack all of my own things. But all that extra stuff that we want to bring, or that needs to be done before we leave is fair game.

Here are some examples of different types of pack lists that our family has:
-General Pack List: for going to South Dakota, generally, but it's flexible.
-Wisconsin Dells Pack List: we go every winter with my FANTABULOUS cousin and his family. This list is specialized because we don't need much for clothes, but swim suits and goggles are essential. We also need to bring meals to prepare and certain kitchen supplies - but not all. The coffee pot is provided, but not the filters. Need to remember that. Utensils provided, but not salt and pepper. You get the idea.
-Camping Pack List: This speaks for itself. We tent it, so we can't just keep all that unique camping gear in a camper ready to go. We have to remember it all. Most of it stays in bins just for that occasion, but not all of it. Plus, you have to remember the bikes & helmets, swim suits, towels, pillows and flashlights. One year we had the graham crackers and chocolate, but not the marshmallows. Not too much fun that way.
- Last year I started a Mexico Pack List. I don't know if we'll ever go again, but I have my fingers crossed. And the list makes it seem more possible! If we ever go again, I'd pack WAY differently and I want to remember that. There was a great beach, but no sand toys. You could buy some there, but that wasn't the way I wanted to spend my $20! Also, I packed WAY too many clothes. We wore our swimsuits every day, nearly all day. And I absolutely didn't need two pairs of pants "just in case". It was way too hot even when it rained to even consider putting on pants. But I would pack more snacks for our room. The food was good (and so were the drinks!) but there wasn't much in the way of quick snacks - especially for my lactose intolerant princess. We tried the ice cream with a lactaid because it sounded sooooo gooooood. Didn't go so well. Live and learn.

You have to remember to add the "to do before we leave" items to your pack lists as well. My husband usually knocks a bunch of those out for me. Things like, stopping the mail and turning off the water. Locating the cameras and making sure the batteries are charged and the memory cards are empty. Finding someone to feed Squeaky and Chewy for us. Line up some DVD's and pack books and magazines to read in the car or on the plane. That list is usually pretty long.

Next time you are packing to go somewhere, write it down as you go. Then, when you get back you have a list started. Sure, it takes some extra time the first time, but the second time you don't have to do all the packing yourself and you won't lose sleep over the things you forgot at home. Happy travels!

Do yourself and your kids a service. Give them chores.

Summer is officially here and we are making a lot more messes at home! Clothes, toys and projects constantly strewn about the house. Indoors and out. Per my previous post, you know I don't want to be the family maid. I also want my children to grow into adults who can take responsibility for their things, their home and their lives without complaint or surprise. So, the annual summer chore list has been made.

The Summer Chore List
The summer chore list is different from the school year chore list in that it is EXPANDED. The same school year expectations exist - simply because we live here. Both children (at post time, 6 1/2 and 8 1/2) have to make their bed and take turns feeding the guinea pigs each day. Picking up after themselves is also a given.

Children of any age above two can do these things - even if you have to modify them. A two year old can easily be taught to put his pajamas in the drawer and his blankets and/or loveys in his bed. By three a child can be pulling up the covers (with your help). Even the youngest child can put their toys away before getting out a new one. If you have children in preschool or beyond and you are still cannot get them to put away their toys you are being steamrolled. Every child in preschool or kindergarten is required to return their toys and art supplies to the asigned spots EACH DAY. Ask any teacher. Do make sure your children know where the toys and art supplies go, however. You can't just have the generic "pick up your toys" if they do not know where to put them when they do so (But that is a whole other blog...).

Both children also had school year chores that had to be done weekly and my oldest had homework and piano to practice each day. For the summer, the kids get to help choose new chores. Having them choose from a parent-dervived list dramatically increases the odds of the chores being done without protest. As does having the final list posted in plain view.

In our house, I try to limit the chores to one a day, and a specific chore that day. I also try to make them be things that are ACTUALLY HELPFUL to me.
For example:
-Collecting and emptying the trash cans around the house into the bigger kitchen can. (smaller child job - my 6 year old has this one.)
-Bringing the kitchen trash out, as needed. (bigger child job - my 8 year old chose this job.)
-Dusting one room (of mom's choosing)
-Using a clorox wipe to clean the bathroom surfaces.
-Bringing the empty recycling bins and/or trash can back up to the house on trash day.
-Setting the table for the evening meal.
-Emptying (or helping empty) the dishwasher, as needed.
-Folding and putting away a particular part of the laundry (in the past we have had our children rotate through underware, sock matching & folding and towels).
-Gathering & returning rugs so I can shake them out.
Use your imagination. Just make sure it is helpful!

We haven't yet made it to any financial allowances in our household. We are holding off as long as possible - especially since no one is asking! Right now, chores are something you do because you live here, and if mom and dad have to do it all, there will be no time for anything fun! So far this is still working... I'm sure we'll get to a need for allowances at some point, but I'm not sure it should be a reward for chores. Perhaps some other system. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I'm also open to hearing other chore ideas - what do your children do to help out in the summer months?