If you’ve been following my life lately, you know I’ve had some time on my hands. And while I enjoy working (and getting paid!), I am trying to make the most of my down time by getting some tasks around the house done. From closet and drawer organization, to setting up service and maintenance appointments which require my presence, I am slowly crossing things off our to-do list (our cat finally got groomed after about a year and a half – poor kitty!). Today’s task – the dreaded artwork pile!
The growing fire hazard in my home office… I need to do something about this!
I love my kids’ daycare and the various daily activities they do, but one thing overwhelms me – the number of art projects they bring home. I want to appreciate their creative endeavors, which can be hard to do when I am sent home with nothing more than a piece of construction paper containing two or three squiggly lines. Did my child learn how to draw an ‘S’ or a snake, or am I reading too much into their toddler creations? Should this one get thrown in the trash, in a sneaky manner when my four-year-old isn’t looking? Sorry, bud!
Well, whatever the thought behind the artwork, I wanted a way to preserve these creations that didn’t involve the current system of throwing them all in a corner of our office. Besides, at some point, this pile could become a fire hazard – a real risk in a house that contains a child obsessed with all things related to firefighters and another who seems to find trouble where I didn’t know it existed.
Luckily, I follow a blogger who specializes in all things related to photographing her kids (and their artwork, it turns out). Using Meg from Snap Happy Mom’s ideas, I started to catalog the piles of artwork into a digital format. Throughout the months and years, I have managed to jot down dates on much of the artwork, which helped me as I cataloged over three years of stuff. And with Meg’s help, I learned a few new photography techniques along the way.
The long-term plan is to make some of these digital files into small photo books, maybe including a few actual photos taken of my kids at daycare. But for now, I can rest a bit easier knowing I have organized these items and backed up the digital files, while also reducing the amount of clutter in our home. Baby steps to my goal of having a more organized home.
Do you have a great way of organizing or displaying your children’s artwork? Or do you just throw most of it away? No shame here. Let meknow about it in the comments, below!
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