Homework Bliss!

So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret...in case you don't know me OR in case you do know me but have been living under a rock for years, let me just clue you in...

I have a sickness.

On most days, I like to think that it's a gift, but the simple fact is that it's probably more of a sickness than a gift. 

I heart decorating.

Wow, that hardly does it justice...

I HEART DECORATING! 

I love ALL things decorating!  I spend hours during summer break pouring through potterybarn, storage solutions, better homes and gardens or any other thing that remotely resembles a decorating magazine.  I dream of the day when my little universe will one day again collide with Disney World...I mean, IKEA; and I find walking down the aisles of TJ Maxx to be cathartic...I know, it's a problem...

However, when my decorating OCD collides with my Organizing OCD, you're all in for a real treat!

And so, today, in honor of 'Back To School', I present you with our tested and approved homework organization center!

Let me first take you in my time machine to visit my lovely kitchen 2 years ago when we moved in...

*Warning* The following image may be harmful to some viewers...

Gulp.

 Yup - there she is! Aint she prrrty!!  In all of her 1950's charm mixed with partial white cupboards, cherry wood wallpaper and a GINORMOUS cupboard shooting right out into the middle...oh, she was love at first sight!

 

But alas, the day came when we knew we needed to part ways with our lovely Blue Bertha so we slowly but surely made the changes that our crazy schedule and even crazier budget would allow...

 

And now we bring you to today...

Ignoring the obviously poor picture quality, our updated kitchen is a MUCH better fit for our family.  We shook it up a bit, moved a few cupboards and appliances around and were able to add in a nice long counter for me to cook on...but I had big plans for one area in particular...

 

Isn't that just lovely?? I'm ashamed to admit that I never even painted under that counter.  4 kids ya'll...4 kids, 1 husband, 1 full-time job and I didn't paint under the counter.  Judge me if you must...I can take it.                                                     

However, of all that I have yet to learn about raising a wild little brood, one thing I have figured out is that if you don't stay organized you'll be run over by the pack.  And so, last year I began assessing how we could best handle that horrible homework and school paperwork issue.  I thought of bins and strolled down the aisle of Target looking for them, but I kept running into the issue of counterspace to store them all.  I had already tried a hanging wall file system but once the kids got out of kindergarten, I seemed to have too much paperwork to neatly fit in those...

 

But then I came across this beauty (with the help of my amazing Mom-who also raised 4 kids!)

Yikes!  DUST!  Mental note...NEVER EVER take another picture of my house using the flash!  Another gentle reminder...this is a happy place - no judging.

And here you have the catalyst for our homework system that has revolutionized organization amongst my crazy little crew.  For the sale price of $22 at Target, I packed two of these puppies in my minivan and drove off.  I had a mission and I could feel the thrill!

Of course, a little assembly by the studly hubby and I watched as the shelves slid perfectly underneath my countertop...LIKE A GLOVE! (You can barely even see them in there)!  You can also NOT see the gorgeous unpainted wall behind!!

However, this would not do...we needed more organization and I needed aesthetically pleasing vibes.

I waited until Target had a sale on their large milk crates and then I scored 6 of them for $10 each. A little pricey for my taste, but SO worth the expense.  And then we were at this point...

SO CLOSE NOW!!  Can you feel it?  Of course; each child needed to know which cubby was theirs so I picked up a few adorable tags from- where else, (Target of course...small town you know...options are limited).

and then I made name labels from the templates over here at Better Homes and Gardens...

I simply taped the name labels to the back of the storebought tags and tied them onto the baskets.  With the extra two baskets, I used my templates again to create a 'junk' label and a 'school lunch' label to help with some overflow in those areas.

And, so was born our organizational bliss! 

Each day, I make sure the labels are switched to the side with the child's name on it.

When the kids come home, they simply empty the contents of their bag into their bin.  They then do their homework and once they are done they place it on top of their pile and flip their label so the name is no longer facing out. 

When I get home from work, all I have to do is look at each bin to see if any names are showing.

If I can see a name, I promptly scream and yell (just kidding) to find out why said child has not yet done their homework and left it for me to correct.  I can then go through the rest of their papers at my leisure (still wondering when that day will come)!

And there you have it!  Bliss in a basket!  And it makes my OCD heart VERY happy :)
 

 What 'Back To School' organizing have you been up to?  Let me know!