Joe and Charlie are several weeks into school now, which means they have brought home several weeks worth of work. The bins I used to collect the previous two years of the boys’ work are full. How many bins will I need to store these and future treasures? Why oh why – can I not let the stuff be filed in the proverbial circular file? Surely some wonderful products could be made from these recyclable items.
Are you a keeper or a tosser? Come visit my co-blogger and I, as we discuss how we deal with the stuff. Kimberly and Lenore
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Lenore's Thoughts Exactly 
Back in the day I used wallpaper sample books to mount the girls’ work. If it didn’t fit in the book, it got tossed. Good idea those two rubber bins!
I like the idea of limited space, Georgette. I wish I could toss – I’ll try harder. Tomorrow. 🙂
Holy wow.
I know. And, the bins weigh a ton.
Years of moving around turned me into more of a tosser. Still, I kept enough to fill a cedar trunk for each of my boys when they left home. Memories from birth on up are contained there and they appreciate that things are together, protected, manageable and portable. And my daughters-in-law loved seeing it all!
Mmmmm… a cedar trunk. Memories infused with the scent of cedar, which will trigger more memories. I love it.
I’ve stumbled across one or two things my Mom kept. It is nice to see it.
You are quite organized! What a good idea to keep each boy’s school work in a separate bin.
Hahahaha! Me? Organized? Wow. Those two words rarely go together. I was pleased with myself when I purchased the bins, but it was more because I was too lazy to weed out the things I really didn’t need to keep. “Hey!” I thought to myself. “I’ll get two large bins and just dump everything into the bins!”
Shhhhh…. that’s our little secret.
At least you know the traditional circular file is out of consideration! 🙂
Chris, if my kids continue to be geniuses, I may have to reconsider my consideration of the circular file. 🙂
I’m a natural tosser but when it came to my daughter’s treasure, I asked her to help me pick out a few for each year and only one box each for elementary, jr. high and high school. After a while she figured it out and if I thought there was something extra special, I snuck it in the box for her. But only do that occasionally otherwise you’re right back where you started. 🙂
That is an excellent idea. I wonder if my boys would pick out their favorites. Hmmm… I am certain I’d keep one or ten other items (smile), but having the guys choose would certainly keep the box lighter.
As a grandmother, I don’t get to choose. Still, I have an ottoman which serves as granddaughter Brittany’s toy box. Aaaand it is stuffed.
Blessings – Maxi
I have no doubt your granddaughter’s toy box is stuffed. You’re a good grandmother, Maxi! 🙂 Blessings to you.
You’re doing pretty good if you can corral everything in one bin each. I just kept everything until lots of it got trashed when the basement flooded :(. You DO have to edit at some point, however.
Edit? lalalalalalalalalalala – I can’t hear you – lalalalalalalalalalala…..
Ok – so we’re only pre-school, but so far I’ve kept it all through the year and at the end of the year I go through and keep only what it special to me (typically handprint/footprint art, a worksheet or two, etc.). Then, I put the rest out in our art paper pile to “re-do”, color, cut up, glue on, etc. THEN it goes in the circular file. I want to keep some school “stuff” in a bin and have it full when they are graduated.
Melinda, you are so crafty, I am certain you could (or do) incorporate their creations in any scrapbooks you make, no? I think Pre-K and K are the best years to collect. As they get older, I suspect the fun drawings will be reduced.
You are so right – the VERY best stuff goes in their scrapbooks! LOL