To basket or not to basket...

I'm a BIG basket user.  I love baskets...baskets for snacks, books, toys, materials, everything in a basket.  But, today I realized that sometimes baskets don't save you space...sometimes they cost you space.

These are the baskets I have the kids' books in.  I bought mine at Target (2 for 12.99) but these are a much better deal.  I've gone through ...again....and thinned out their books...from 16 baskets to 8.  But, I wondered as I looked at them slid side by side into my new pretty storage, what if there were no baskets?  How much space would be used and how easy would it be to put it all away.

Putting it all neatly away was the whole reason I went with baskets.  At the time of the baskets Tyler and Rhea were not organized and they struggled to clean the books up.  Now, granted they had TONS of books which as I've learned more and more about Waldorf & Montessori I've learned that even when it comes to books...less is more.  So..

Tyler and Rhea are older now.  They can obviously put things away (when they choose to.) but there is Sunshine to deal with too.  But, after taking all the books out of the 8 baskets they took up only 2 of the shelves...TWO!!!  From 4 shelves to 2.  Now, I'm horrible with math but even I can see that's HALF!!! 

Even those that's saving space...what about Sunshine?  What kind of mess & how hard would it be for her to put books away?  Well..it'd be hard for her but what an opportunity it'd be for Tyler and Rhea.

What I've decided to do is pop a skinny/long basket below the shelves.  This would allow Sunshine to look through the books for the older kids, put them away HER way, give Tyler and Rhea the chance to take further ownership of their books.  Get them more involved with sharing books with Sunshine and encourage them to handle the books more.  (I'll put up pictures as soon as I finish getting it all put away in the next few days.)

They really tend to read a select few.  I have my favorites but I really want them to start discovering other genres.  They are really into fantasy & mythical creatures.  I want to encourage them to start experiencing some reality and look toward the classics & more than National Geographic.  I'm getting tired of the History of SOMETHING....titles.

So...if they're putting away the books Sunshine takes out they're going to see more and more new titles & here's the clincher!  I won't be recommending them or saying..'Here's a good book to read'...  I've noticed I've stopped littering their paths lately and I've been pushing.  So...I'm removing myself from the equation, setting up my blind to watch the monkeys in their native habitats.

So...to basket or not to basket?  It's up to you.  I know by not basket-ing I've freed up 8 baskets and about 4 foot of shelving.  It's also nice to see all those colorful books of varying heights.  They are much more inviting.  Sunshine has already picked out some books to read to me, Tyler just went through and picked out a handful to take to bed....and there's Rhea. 

...definitely not to basket. :)