Sanity in Chaos

by MiaZagora
(USA)

We use a long cardboard box for our books we are currently using, so we don't have to drag them out of the bookshelf every day. We also use a caddy with some clay pots inside it - one for markers/pens and one for pencils/colored pencils. I have a free standing white cabinet in my kitchen for games and other homeschool supplies as well as craft supplies.

I also have a four-shelf bookshelf (barrister style). The top two shelves are books we're currently using. The lower two are for other books and photo albums.

It works for us, so far. We have a small house, so I'm always looking for ways to save space that do not cost an arm and a leg. I love to repurpose furniture and recently got a free six-drawer dresser. I'm going to paint it and put it in the living room to put the TV on and to put the games in, since that's where they like to play them anyway. That will free up space in my cabinet for more stuff that I'm sure we'll accumulate in the future.

Since I have three kids at three levels - 4 y/o, 8 y/o 11 y/0 - it's not always practical to get rid of too many things, even though I'm an anti-packrat and love to get rid of extra stuff!