Taskboard Tutorial

I didn't mean to imply with my brief hiatus that this baby had come. :)  No.  Ryan was out of town last week, so I was again grateful that this baby is marinating just a bit longer.  We like 'em juicy and tender.  I have been filling my days, however with little odds and ends, which always feels good.  I've also decided that I'll share maybe one more project from my Never Enough Orange (NEO) Sewing Studio before revealing the whole room, since I think I will never feel as if I've actually completed the room in it's entirety.  But this isn't it.

No, this was much more pressing.  The first day of school we arrived home to a very tidy kitchen that I had spent much nesting energy preparing.  I went to hang up my purse and returned to backpacks and lunch boxes strewn about the kitchen floor.  This will not do, is what I said aloud, but mostly meant it for myself, because I have learned in my motherhood journey that organization usually always begins with me--which sometimes isn't so great.  But, I knew something needed to be done, so I hatched an idea and began my search for little chalkboards to hang above the hooks where backpacks and lunch boxes also ought to be.  

I went to an office supply store.  No luck.  I looked online at a lot of places, but mostly what I found were the cheap plastic-made-to-look-like-chalkboards.  I knew it would make me mad every time I tried to write anything on them and a faint line would be the result.  I wanted gen-yoo-wine slate.  Finally I went to Michael's and they not only had slate chalkboards, they had multiple sizes!  I also picked up a white paint pen while I was there for the "permanent" daily tasks.  (since these are real slate I imagine some paint remover would take off the paint if you want to change the usage later.)  Now I can ask if they've finished everything on their board before they go out to ride bikes or make rice krispie treats (ahem, Pearl).

I left the wood natural, but that may change as the mood hits.  I just used removable tabs you can get for temporary hooks on the back of each chalkboard, but you could also nail them into the wall or drill holes and hang them on hooks--whatever your pleasure may be.

Shoes are put away, backpacks are hung up and hands are washed first thing.  The lunch room kitchen at school has plans for renovation so all lunches are brought in from surrounding restaurants with a very hefty price tag (I remember when I would take 4 quarters to school for lunch money--my dad had a coin operated arcade game business, so everything was all in quarters, or rolls of quarters.)  With prices up, lunch has to be made every day.

Although Azure will learn how to read this year, I made hers in pictures so she can't claim she doesn't know what to do ;)  Thinking ahead, this momma.

Now I'm working on making their lunches more exciting.  Any ideas?

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