Getting Ready for Next Year!

Plastic tub heaven!  

Thanks to a nice little tip on Instagram, I have stocked up on plastic tubs, baskets, bins, you name it, for next year!  (and probably the next five years as well)

Side note: I started an Instagram account a little over a month ago, but didn't really put much time into learning how to use.  So of course I didn't use it.  Then I randomly decided to give it ago.  I am now having way too much fun posting pictures of random things.

If you're not following me, you need to.

Back to plastic tub heaven. This picture on Instagram showed nice neat shelves with plastic tubs in every variety and color you could imagine.  So I knew I had to scoot on over to the Dollar Tree.  Unfortunately, most of the teachers in my county got there before I did, so while I did get some new storage tubs, the selection was not so great.

I decided to broaden my search for Dollar Tree gold. 

I drive to Knoxville every week for ice skating lessons.  Yes, I know it's a little crazy but I love ice skating.  Last night I decided to look up the Dollar Tree stores in the Knoxville area and hello there were a ton!  So after my skating lesson today, when I was nice and sweaty and stinky, I headed on over to the closest of the four stores I had set my sights on.  (I really wasn't planning on going to all four stores, I just wanted some back ups in case I couldn't find what I wanted)

The first store was well stocked and I walked out of there with a basket full.  I bought pretty much everything I had wanted, but of course I couldn't stop there.  So I decided I would go to the next closest Dollar Tree and see if they had anything else, just in case.

The next store wasn't quite as stocked as the first, but I did walk out of there with a nice armful of baskets I can use for centers.  So all in all, my side trip was a success! 

Here is what I bought...

I'm not quite sure what I want to do with this first set of tubs but I'm sure I'll think of something.  When it comes to buying storage containers, especially inexpensive ones, my motto is buy now, figure out a use later.  I can never have enough storage tubs.

This next set of baskets was actually the entire reason for the Dollar Tree side trip in Knoxville.  I wanted new tubs for my floor puzzles and books.  I use little 12x12 cubbies from Kmart for my centers and these bright tubs will fit so nicely in each little section.  Plus the colors make me so happy and now I won't have to spray paint my current set of puzzle and book tubs.  Time saver!

I thought these baskets would make a nice little holder for the magazines in my reading center. 

This little tub is actually from JoAnn's.  One of my projects for this summer is to make a Boo Boo Box.  A boo boo box will just be a place where I can keep bandaids, wet wipes, my thermometer, etc all together in one place.  My goal is to have this tub somewhere accessible to myself and my kids in case we need it, and have it be portable so that I can take it outside to recess with us.  I thought this tub fit my vision nicely.  It has a lid, an easy to grip handle, and it's not too big or too small to fit the items I need.

I picked up a few little containers with lockable lids for my small puzzles.  I have several small puzzles, but I'm not going to have them all out at once.  So I figured I could put 3 out at a time and just keep rotating my small puzzles in and out of these little containers.

These last containers are the ones I originally bought, from the Dollar Tree in my town.  These are the perfect size to hold smaller items like markers, crayons, glue sticks, glue bottles, or anything else I need to keep together.  I probably didn't need all of these, but some might break so I'll have back ups.

While I was leaving the last Dollar Tree, I looked across the parking lot and spied a JoAnn fabric store.  I have never been in one but I'd heard good things about them.  So I thought I'd take a quick trip over there and see if they had anything good... A quick trip turned into an hour.

I love JoAnns.  I enjoyed meandering up and down each isle.  I ended up buying some material for my bulletin boards, material for a small table that holds my document camera, some picture frames, and my boo boo box tub.

I'd say my little excursion around Knoxville was a success. 

We are still banned from our classrooms while the workers wax the floors, but I can't wait to get back in there and put these bright tubs to use!