It was here all along...

I've spent the past couple of weeks looking off and on for new containers for our books. It's not that I didn't like the baskets that we used last year, but they had a few problems. Violet broke the handles on hers within the first month of school. The fabric lining kept sliding around. There are all kinds of white scratches on our cabinets from taking them in and out. Some of the books were getting bent as the girls tossed them in at strange angles. So we've been looking around at our options.

After checking out numerous plastic tubs, dish tubs, plastic shelves, portable files, crates, and even a few more baskets, we have been to WalMart, Target, Staples, Office Depot, Michaels, and Bed Bath & Beyond (some more than once). I was leaning toward the Really Useful Boxes at Staples, but I didn't know how I would like them. I don't like the idea of laying books down flat. (I envision bent pages everywhere). Truthfully, I didn't want the hassle of multiple tubs out at the same time or to argue with the girls over putting the books back in the various tubs correctly. Then, too, they are a bit pricey. Still I was about to resign myself to the fact that it was the best choice available. Then as I was looking around Baby Henry's room while waiting for an internet page to load the other day, I spied it. The perfect sized box. Not too wide, not too tall, deep enough to force the girls to put the books in straight and best of all completely free.

It turns out I might have to thank Huggies for making their boxes smaller a few months back. (Although I still don't like paying the same price for fewer diapers.) A little bit of contact paper and we're ready to start loading up the books. Now I just have to figure out how to keep baby Henry out of the memory boxes and the drawers with the pencils, markers, scissors, etc.