Storing kids keepsakes and a sweet little chickadee

I don't know about you, but I feel over run with the baby books, artwork. school work, team photos, special birthday cards and other treasures that accumulate for each child...doesn't it all just make you want to scream!! They pile up year after year...it never stops! I appreciate the need to keep some of these items, but I feel like they could take over an entire room in our home. 

Solution?? I decided long ago that I would only keep artwork, schoolwork, etc. that genuinely showed my child's personality or special ability at a certain stage in their life. 

Do I keep every ABC worksheet they ever do?.....uh, no. Yes, this means I throw it away, but I'm not cold hearted enough to do it in front of them. I may keep one from the beginning or end of each year so I can see how they have progressed. 

Do I keep each coloring book page that is TO:MOM? Uh, nope. 

Do I keep all the little notes my kids write that tell me how they love me and think I'm the best mom in the world? uh, of course!....especially the ones where they try to draw me...I love that! 

I also keep special greeting cards that have little notes in them (read: I do not keep every card...just the special ones that have real sentiment). Even with my evil picture and card trashing ways there is plenty that continues to stack up. 

How about all the 3-D treasures your children create at school or elsewhere? If it's large, I make sure to take my child's picture with the item so I at least have a record of what it looked like and how old they were when it was made. I have lots of little pottery type items that are small so I keep those and most are sat around the house somewhere, but I have a plan if I ever see the need to take them down. 

I also have lots of artwork from school and home that really shows my children's abilities and personality so I choose to keep them, but I am very selective about what I keep. 

I have 2 ways that I keep my kids treasures. The first are plastic tubs that I got at Walmart for about $4 each. They aren't huge, but big enough to hold quite a lot of items. They are about 6" tall and 14 wide x 19" long. I put each of the kids names on them with some uppercase living. Inside will go their baby books and any other things from their birth, yearbooks, team photos, grade cards and school items worth keeping, special cards, those 3-D art projects (the small keepable ones) and any other special items from travels or friends. 

Be selective people or you'll fill the whole thing up in a year. For the most part I get to choose what goes in them, not my children. 

Now for the artwork. I bought these art portfolio books for each child and will put their names on them and decorate the outside a little according to their personality (I'll post when that becomes a reality). They are made by Generations so they are archival quality and have 24 sleeves in each book. This means you can put 48 pieces (back to back) of artwork in each book. The pages are 11"x17" so you could probably fit more if the art is smaller. 

The best part...I got them at Michael's for only $5 each when they had their art portfolios on 50% off a little while ago. I haven't started filling them up yet, but I'm sure it's going to work great. All the treasured artwork will no longer be sitting in my bedroom in a paper sack collecting dust...yeah!! 

If you have a very prolific artist that insist you keep everything!!! Put your computer to use and scan the items in and use them as screen savers or make a calender on Snapfish or something similar for the Grandparents. 

There are lots of ways to use that artwork or at least save without all the bulk. Another option is to have your child lay out their artwork and take their picture with several pieces at once. 

On a completely different note, I saw today that the sweet little yellow flowers are coming up in my front yard. SPRING IS NEAR!!!!! So I thought I'd share this cute little chickadee with you. I know Easter is like a month and a half away, but can I still go ahead and decorate?? I just can't put him away....I'm sure he would be sad. What do you think? Check out We are THAT family for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas