Back to School Organizing: Kids' School Supplies (and mine too!)

Happy post-Labor Day week!  My kids start school today, and while there are still a few weeks left (officially anyway) of Summer, the first day of school always makes me feel like Summer is done. Over and out.  Sad face :(

I hadn't planned on doing this project.  But I was unpacking some of the school supplies that I bought for the kids for their homework (spiral notebooks with lined paper, pencils, erasers, glue sticks) and realized I didn't have a good place to keep all of them.  This is the first year that both kids will have homework, so I knew I needed to figure it out.  I'd always kept the homework supplies mixed in with the art supplies or with the pens in my bill paying drawer, but inevitably, I'd hear "mooooooommmmmmm ... I can't find a pencil.  moooooommmmmmmmmm ... where are the erasers? moooooooommmmmmmm ... I need paper."  I looked at my secretary desk and realized the solution was in front of me.

The desk was in desperate need of some organization.  Even though I've been living here for 2 1/2 years (!) it was one of those areas where I didn't have time (or didn't feel like) to deal with or organize.  Now was the time!  I took an hour or so on a recent weekend and took care of business.  The primary goal was to create a dedicated homework supply drawer for the kids.  And because I was at it, I decided to organize the entire desk.  Lucky for you, I'll show you how.

Homework drawer first.  Here is the before:

This was a total waste of space.  I never used it, or anything in it, so I knew I could remove everything and either store them elsewhere or toss.  I took everything out and started with a blank slate.  I always buy drawer organizers when I see them on sale at Target, so I had a bunch in my stash to work with.  After some careful planning, I added the supplies to the drawer and ... voila!

Much better!  Now the kids know exactly where to go when they start their homework.

But that's not all!  I also took care of the desk part and the other drawer (the bottom drawer is the filing cabinet and was already in good shape).

Starting with the top:

I removed everything and filed the loose papers.  There was a bunch of miscellaneous office supplies up there too, which I relocated to the other drawer in the desk.  And look how much better this is!

Then it was time to do the other drawer, which was in even worse shape than the homework drawer.

Most of this was tossable.  I moved the cables to one of the drawers in the top of the desk (since I rarely need them).  I moved the DVDs and manuals to the other drawer in the top of the desk too.  Then I got out my desk organizers and got to work.  After a little bit of effort, the drawer is now looking like this!

homina homina homina.  Now I can find anything and everything that I need.  Yay!

I love the feeling of beginning a new school year all organized and ready to go (even if I'm not the one heading to school ...).  Doing one of these types of projects always makes me want to organize all the other spaces in my place.  Like dominos! Or a house of cards.  Or something like that.  

In any event, have a great Tuesday and school year! 

See you swoon,