One of those posts where I just ask what you do and offer no real help...

Hello there! I'm thinking all of you are well in the swing of school, yes? Forgotten lunch money and reading homework and rushing out the door season is here!  Last night we spent over half an hour just driving around so Lilac could find and classify 10 different animals (which, since we got ice creams cones, was actually pretty fun homework.)

And of course along with school comes a GIANT FLOOD OF PAPERS!! I don't know about you, but it seems like every flat surface in my house ends up covered in papers around 4:00pm each day and try as I might to organize these papers I just cannot control them. Ever.

What do you guys do with all the superfluous school papers?  I'm not talking 'save forever' stuff (though I'm not great at keeping all of this in one spot until it ends up in it's ultimate home). And I'm not talking the throwaways-- I'm good at that too. It's things like picture day forms, permission slips, snack schedules-- you know, just the stuff I need to be real aware of and organized with--that's what I can't ever find.

What I probably should do?

• Write things on the calendar immediately! 

• Send the forms back to school the very next day so they become the teacher's paper mess to keep organized.

BUT sometimes life happens and I need to set things somewhere. I did maybe figure out something that might work. But, let's see where people out in internet land who are more clever and organized than me are setting things when life happens…

#1 There are lots of 'command center' sort of ideas floating around on pinterest like this one from Inspiration Organization. I happen to be a big fan of the nice clean look of it and the initials with hooks on them! However, we have a window above our kid coat rack, so these handy boxes are out for me. 

#2 I do love these clipboards! I think I could fit a few of them on my wall quite easily, though I have been looking around and haven't seen any clipboards nearly this cute in any store.  But, it's still and nice easy idea…maybe right by the calendar or the key hook?  You know, somewhere right in your face so you can see all the papers, that's what I need. (Also I'd love to link you to this person's site because they probably have really good ideas, but I can't because it's private or something.)

#3 If you're more into hidden storage, this in the cabinet option is cute! (The site this is from will not cooperate with my computer right now, but it's twotwentyone.net if you want to try your luck.)  I already have a bunch of stuff randomly taped to the inside of my cabinet door, so maybe I'm half way to this solution and I should just take the cute clothespiny leap the rest of the way there!

Aren't people on the internet geniuses? Now how about I tell you my 'this'll work for now' solution. (Which, let's be honest, is the only kind of solution I really ever use.)  Remember my magazine holders? Well, I'm revamping my book storage again (more to come on that later) so I have some spare magazine box thingies…

First I cleared of a shelf!! That was a feat in and of itself! Then I just dropped two of the magazine racks there. One is for the 'sign and remember-ish papers' and the other is for the 'save forever papers.' Now if I can just remember to put the papers in the racks then I'll be in good shape…that's a big if, but it could happen.

Good luck in the after school clutter wars!