WFMW 3-19-08

In a large, busy family someone is always needing a pen, pencil, sissors, tape, paper clips, etc. I have solved that problem for our family and it was relatively easy and simple.

Two years ago I purchased on clearance at Target a cute little desk organizer that spins around and is very compact. I store our pens, a permanant marker, mini stapler, scissors, pencils, and the like in this cute little organizer. It sits on top of one of those mini three drawer towers that you can find at your local dollar store. Mine is clear and it is trimmed out in bright cherry red which matches my kitchen. Inside the drawers I store the tape, a glue stick, notepad, and the top drawer I use to put my rings in when I come home from work and begin to cook dinner.

This has been so helpful. It works better than the item that used to serve this purpose. I used previously for years a plastic, magnetic basket that fit on the side of my fridge and it held all those items but it would sometimes get knocked off or someone would spill its contents on the floor. Every now and then I still find the scissors put back in the container because we still use it but for important info from school for the kids.

This works for us great! For more Works for Me Wednesday head over to Shannon's Rocks in My Dryer.

WFMW - 1-30-08

As a mom of four children, I am all about time-savers! I have always loved Valentine's Day, even as a child. I loved decorating the shoe box for school so that my friends could put their cards to me in the recesses of this cute box. I have loved picking out cheesy cards for my children to give on this day each year. Sadly, we no longer have to buy cards for kids in the classroom since my children are now teenagers.

I have one great time saver that I used all through my children's lives. I would watch for Wal Mart to start putting out the Valentine aisle, which was usually right after Christmas. I would then take my children and have them pick out the cards that they wished to give their classroom friends. We would then take them home and immediately do the cards. I kept a class roster in my family household notebook so it always made it handy. Most years we had them all signed and the envelopes decorated by the middle of January. I would then put the cards in a large ziploc bag and kept them in a safe place until the day of the party or when they were required to bring them to school. I would notate on the bag which child the cards belonged to so that I would not be expected to remember in a month!

This worked out beautifully! No more late night tears trying to write out all the names, no more rushing around trying to find the right cards along with every other parent in town, plus we could have the pick of the lot and usually the cutest cards because we were first in buying them. And most of all, it made my children have a sense of pride for accomplishing something that in the past was frustrating to them, especially the boys.

That is what always Worked for Me when my children were young. Buy early, do them immediately, and sit back and enjoy getting ready for all the great Valentine parties at school!

Works for me! For more Works for Me Wednesday posts see Rocks in My Dryer!