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JennGM
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| Posted: Sept 15 2014 at 7:40pm | IP Logged
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While I have shelves to keep the boys' school books, but I do like to have them portable at times.
I'm thinking milk crates. Have any suggestions where I can find the most sturdy kind?
Any other suggestions that I could use?
I've been using bags, but I'm not keen on them.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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jawgee
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| Posted: Sept 15 2014 at 8:02pm | IP Logged
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Last month I made each of my kids a milk crate seat to hold all of their books and supplies. They have been great so far this year. I just used crates from WalMart. The kids use them to hold all of their things and for seating. They use the top as a pillow when they're laying on the floor, and as a desk when they sit criss-cross-applesauce and put the top across their lap foam-side-down.
I initially made them just to free up space on the downstairs bookcase. Having them, though, allows the kids to bring their work to whatever room they want. They've been a great addition this year.
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Monica
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JennGM
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| Posted: Sept 15 2014 at 9:15pm | IP Logged
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I love this idea!!!!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JodieLyn
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I just moved to bags.. backpacks actually. But what makes that workable for me is that I lined my hallway to the bedrooms with hooks and they all hang up in the hall so that they're out of the way and can be accessed without everything falling out and have somewhere to be. I don't have anywhere for something like 10 (cause the little boys have to have them to you know  ) totes of anything. And if you stack them then someone always needs their's from the middle of the stack.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 16 2014 at 6:28am | IP Logged
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Monica, that is the cutest idea!! I'd like to order 5 please! 
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Becky
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 16 2014 at 6:30am | IP Logged
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We use backpacks here too, Jodie. I like your idea of hooks in the hallway. I think I might do that, if I can talk my husband into it. We are forever dealing with bath towels too (not enough room in the bathroom for hooks). I'm not sure if I would like towels hanging in the hall, but it might be better than the current situation of towels on the doorknobs, over the doors, on the floor ... 
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Becky
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 16 2014 at 6:43am | IP Logged
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I haven't figured out books, but for towels, what about one or two of these Ikea towel holders behind the bathroom door?
I have considered crates, but I think that my children would be more inclined to use something with handles for toting. I haven't really looked around at options much, but something like this is what I have considered. I like, too, that these all stack (as do crates, of course).
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Lindsay
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jawgee
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For bathroom towels, each kid has a Command Hook on the back of their bedroom door. Since they all share rooms, I write their initials on the hook with a Sharpie.
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Monica
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CrunchyMom
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You got my wheels spinning, Jenn, and I found this post using the Thirty-One utility tote for homeschool bags.
I cannot afford to do that right now, and I really want something that will fit on our cubby shelf well but still hold books. Right now, the boys have a shelf with a paper sorter stacked to have a place to stack books up top with room for stuffing notebooks or loose papers down below, but it isn't portable, which, like you, I really want. I have the Martha Stewart cubbies from Home Depot, not Ikea, so my cubes storage bins are not big enough for notebooks and larger books. Anyway, I am thinking of sewing a canvas bag with handles to fit on of the plastic paper sorters on the bottom for support. I have quite a few of these that were headed for goodwill from dh's work and maybe even some cardboard in the sides for structure?
One thing I don't like about crate storage is all the holes for papers to stick out of and pencils to fall through. I have seen patterns for making a liner, and I would think that if the liner folded over the whole outside of the crate, you could add pockets for pencils and odds and ends.
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JennGM
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| Posted: Sept 16 2014 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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I can't picture the plastic paper sorters you mention. Can you share a picture?
I was toying with getting something with Thirty-One. I thought about the cubes, but they aren't necessarily that portable or sturdy enough for the amount of books we use.
Right now I have some larger canvas bags that I will use, but it hasn't worked that well, and they don't fit back on the shelf. We have the Expedit "cubbies" and I have two cubbies for each of them.
Yes, the linings are a good idea, and adding a pocket. But also pencil cases or a Zipper bag from 31 Gifts can hold a lot, and even be attached by a key fob so it's not lost.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 16 2014 at 10:48am | IP Logged
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Ikea also has a wicker basket cube that is sturdy and fits in the Expedit. It has two handles on either side. It might be an alternative to a crate. Ah here it is. I've had a couple of these that I've moved around the house for over 4 years now, and they have held up.
The sorters are different versions of these basic stacking trays. Just seem like enough to add rigidity to the bottom of a bag but are the right size so that most books would fit, but I know they fit in my cubbies well.
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Servant2theKing
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I love the crate idea! Another alternative; tote baskets. This handled tote basket is very similar to ones we've used for years, made by the same company. Dd has a couple she took along when she married and still uses. Ours are solid rather than transparent, but the style and size look exactly the same. They're just the right size for a child's books, study materials and extra supplies. I really appreciate the handles, which remind me of those on shopping baskets. We've often used ours for library book sales. The bottom is solid, with holes around the sides far enough apart that there's no issue with pencils or small objects falling out. If you decide against the crates for any reason, you might find these a really nice, durable option.
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herdingkittens
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We used these last year (although I got them at Target for around $15. We liked these because they were portable, children can put pens/pencils/notecards or whatever supplies they need in the top clear part. The downside is we needed to use hanging file folders to keep everything upright and not smashed inside. Things stayed tidy for my oldest, but the younger ones boxes ended up not so neat.  They are great if you have enough to almost fill them up.
This year, everything went on shelves. Books are sectioned off by child, and next to them, non-book items (notebooks, workbooks, journals, etc.) all go in these clear bins. I've had a few of these for 5 years now and they hold up great. They are a great size, and if you need more space, they have a larger size. Maybe not as portable as you are looking for, though.
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Booksnbabes
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We, too, have the clear file bins linked in herdingkittens' post. Our using them for school totes was completely accidental. I was stressing out about the mess two weeks ago and just pulled them out and told everyone to put their school stuff in them to get it OFF THE TABLE. Two weeks later they are still working marvelously as school totes that go on the bookshelf when not needed. I had purchased them for myself to get my "stuff" more organized, so I guess I will have to purchase more for that purpose!
Anyway, the students put their books, notebooks, and file folders for papers in them, along with a pencil case with school supplies. They know where things should go, and I'm seeing that I really could pare down our school materials. 
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MKelly
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| Posted: Sept 18 2014 at 9:35pm | IP Logged
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Jenn, we have the Expedit bookshelves as well. These Ikea baskets, similar to what was mentioned earlier, are pretty sturdy. Also, Maryan gave me the suggestion of using these canvas binsfrom Walmart. They are smaller, and they don't look very sturdy, but are surprisingly so. Although I don't know how many books are in your bins. =) As they are slightly smaller, I think they are easier to tote around, and you can also fit a binder next to it in the cube it fits into. Mine have a place in the front where you can label it, but I can't seem to find the same ones now (bought them at least a year ago). You can stop by anytime to look at mine.
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Book Storage and Portability
