31 Days of Pinterest Projects - Day 20 - Toys - The Ultimate Love/Hate Relationship

We all want our kids to be happy and have enough toys to keep them entertained and to help them learn new skills. However, it is NOT fun when those toys start to become a burden rather than a blessing, a nuisance around the house. My pet peeve is when I'm tripping on tractors while making dinner. Happens every day. Grrr...

Also, I honestly feel like kids can get overwhelmed when there are too many toys to choose from. They end up just dumping them all out and then flitting around from one toy to the next without actually playing with anything. :(

Our solution with Levi's toys has always been to limit the amount of toys that he has to play with and to clean them up every night before bed so he can learn to be responsible. He is a fantastic cleaner these days and we are so proud!

However, just a couple weeks ago it seemed like cleaning up was taking an extra long time every night so I loaded up a handful of tractors/trucks into a large storage tub and hid them in the basement. He hasn't even noticed and the amount of toys now is a lot more manageable. I plan to rotate them back in and take a few current toys out in maybe another couple weeks.

We keep the toys that Levi is currently playing with in a storage ottoman in his bedroom.

Here's a peek inside:

There's a magna-doodle, a puzzle, a toy laptop, 4 or 5 vehicles to drive around and some building blocks. (And his tricycle is located conveniently nearby!) Honestly, he could keep himself busy with just this stuff for days. 

He drags it all over the house and then we clean it up at night (putting it back in the ottoman). Every once in a while throughout the day he will ask for something that's in his closet and we will go get just that one thing out then shut the closet doors again. (And he can't physically open them himself.)

This is what the inside of the closet looks like:

We use the hanging shoe organizer (that I got at Big Lots) for various items (diapers, wipes, sheets, Baby Bjorn, stuffed animals, etc.) 

And the bookshelf that we got with a wedding gift card at Pier 1 makes a nice organizer for his toys. There's a bin for "tools",

 a bin for "cars", 

a shelf for his books,

a bin for his wooden blocks,

 large trucks and tractors out front where they can be easily accessed 

and larger toys such as his race track and barn on the top shelf.

Above all that is another shelf where we keep the "Too Big" and "Too Small" baskets that I mentioned here as well as a few larger toys to rotate out occasionally.

This system seems to be working for us now. For other ideas on organizing Kids' Toys, check out my post from last year during the 31 Days to a Clutter Free Home series. 

I think the key to keeping kids' stuff organized is limiting the amount that they have to begin with and then teaching them to abide by the organizational systems that are set up when it's time to clean up, just like with organizing adults' spaces. Cleaning up and sorting items will have to be something you spend time teaching and training them to do. But once they learn those skills, it should be easier to maintain a clean space.

For the rest of the 31 Days of Pinterest Projects series, click here.

31 Days of Pinterest Projects - Day 15 - Organizing Erica's Linen Closet

We went to visit our friends, Jimmy & Erica, and their three adorable kids in Fort Wayne this weekend.

(the oldest two weren't in the photo...)

Jimmy just joined the National Guard so they had a combined Going Away party for Jimmy along with their daughter's 3rd Birthday party Saturday. Check out this amazing cake Erica made!

It was also really great for our little family to get away for a weekend. This is the first overnight trip we've made since before we moved 11 months ago. We had lots of quality family time and Levi was such a good little guy for our trip. Check out Levi imitating his Daddy warming his feet by the fire Saturday night...Melt my heart...

And the best part (in my mind) was that Sunday afternoon I got to help Erica re-organize her...get this: walk-in linen closet! I'm such a nerd...

Here are the before photos:

The top shelf holds lots of holiday / seasonal decor and the left side holds the family's towels, bedding, etc. The right side of the closet holds cleaners and extra toiletries.

After taking a quick peak at the closet after lunch Sunday, we headed out to her local Target store to grab some containers. Our goal was to spend as little as possible but still get quite a few containers and a good variety of sizes and make her space look amazing like all the linen closet photos I've gathered on Pinterest.  We also wanted to find some sort of hanging organizer to utilize the empty wall space on the wall opposite the doorway. (As a side note, I was also thrilled to learn that Erica's Target has a Starbucks inside - I miss Indy so much sometimes... ) 

We were probably in the store 20 minutes (and half of that was cuz I had to drool over all the Target merchandise and go to Starbucks). We grabbed 4 colorful containers in the dollar bin and then various sizes of clear Sterilite containers and a clearanced hanging organizer. Then we hurried back home and attempted to get this project done before all the kids woke up from their naps :) 

We pulled things out into the hallway and containerized as we went. Anything she hadn't used for a while or no longer loved went into the Goodwill pile and we also threw away any trash we came across (such as expired lotion or shopping bags and packaging, etc.). That whole process only took about an hour. And I was so into it I forgot to drink my pumpkin spice latte. Can you believe it?

I was so proud of Erica - she did a great job purging and organizing. We ended up with about two garbage bags of trash and two bags and a box of donations and a SUPER organized space (in under two hours!). All she needs to do now is grab her label maker and pop on some labels and keep up with the new system.

We ended up with one container on the top shelf holding kids' swimwear, swim diapers and a sleeping bag and two other containers holding Christmas decorations. The other side of the top shelf was for seasonal silk flower arrangements.

I sorted through the linens and grouped like items together, folding bath towels into thirds rather than halves so they wouldn't hang off the shelves and fall down when bumped. We grouped all the baby blankets and baby washcloths together in their respective containers. And I also grouped hand towels in a container. 

Sheets were piled together towards the back and pillowcases and throws were placed in the hanging organizer on the back wall (it looks a bit crooked in this photo because we needed another nail to hang it from on the top right corner). 

Toiletries were grouped into categories - hair care products in one basket, soaps and body washes in another, feminine products in another and hand soaps and air fresheners in another. First aid items were placed on the shelf above that.

Travel toiletries and cleaning products were placed in their own respective bins.

Christmas DVDs, party supplies and gift bags were put on the bottom right side.

Paper products were put underneath the toiletries. 

I am so thankful that Jimmy & Erica opened up their home to us this weekend, and that Erica even opened up her linen closet to me and let me help her re-organize it and share it on my blog! Not every friend would do that. I love you girl! Dave, Levi & I had a wonderful time with you guys. And you will all be in my prayers as Jimmy heads off to boot camp soon. :)

For more of the 31 Days of Pinterest Projects, just click over here.

31 Days of Pinterest Projects - Day 13 - Son's Closet

A while back I pinned this photo:

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I thought it was simply genius. It seems like with our son, Levi's clothes, there's always something he is growing out of or I'm realizing is still too big for him to wear. And I HATE having clothes that don't fit him (or that we don't love) in his dresser (or ours either for that matter). It makes it hard to put clothes away when there are too many jammed in the dresser drawer and heaven knows I don't need another reason to hate doing laundry.

So I thought it would simplify life so much to have two clearly labeled bins inside his closet to stash those "extra" clothes to deal with later. Just a place to hold it before I take it back down to the bins in the basement where we keep all the clothes he is not currently wearing.

So yesterday I grabbed a couple matching striped bins that we already owned (another great find from Big Lots - gotta love a bargain!), stuck on some labels, and cleared off the top shelf of his closet (all the toys we don't let him play with for various reasons), and plopped them inside.

Here's a before photo of the shelf. I show you this so you know I'm human. :)

And now, look at this. Doens't it make you happy? It does me!

31 Days of Pinterest Projects - Day 11 (a bit late, on Day 12!) - Shoe Organizer

For the last three years I've had only two, maybe three, pairs of shoes at a time. So, when the opportunity came to help my mother organize her shoe cabinet, I was thrilled, because I came home with at least ten new pairs of shoes that she no longer wanted. Woohoo!!!!! But blessings do sometimes come at a price. And while the floor space on my side of the closet used to accommodate my one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of black heels quite nicely, now it looks like this. Ahhh!!!!

I hate it. It's a nightmare to find the matching shoes and this massive pile gets jumbled up everyday by my two year old who now thinks the most fun thing in the world is to put on my shoes and dash out the patio door, hoping I won't notice him escaping.

So we were at Big Lots and found a four tiered shoe rack for just $10 and I could not pass it up. I had considering getting one from the Container Store but I think the one I wanted there was at least $20. It was super easy to assemble and it will hold up to 12 pairs of shoes. 

Now check out my side of the closet! Does anyone else's blood pressure lower just scrolling down to this photo after seeing the above photo? There's something so relaxing about organization!

For more posts in this series, just click here.

Most Versatile Piece of Furniture - The Armoire

You know, I'm beginning to think that armoires are one of the most versatile pieces of furniture in the entire world. They rank right up there with dressers and storage ottomans, but we'll save those for another time. ;)

After moving our office into a computer armoire that we scored for $100 from Craigslist back in August, I just CANNOT stop singing the praises of the armoire.

There's just something so appealing about forcing yourself to contain all the clutter of one aspect of your home inside a nice cute little piece of furniture that you can easily close the door on.

I could have one in every room of the home. You can use them to hide TVs or computers, or you can set up a little craft or sewing station like these gals did:

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Or you can use them for clothes in a bedroom that lacks a closet!

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Or create a stand-in coat closet in an entry way that lacks one...like I mentioned in last week's post.

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Or you can repurpose your armoire as a freestanding pantry for food or dishes in a kitchen that lacks cabinet space.

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And while you're at it, check out this fabulous armoire makeover by Lisa from Recaptured Charm. The before/after is amazing!

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The possibilities with armoires are endless...craft cabinet for the kids, book storage, DVD storage, CD storage, a place to keep files that's much cuter than a metal filing cabinet. You can line the inside with gorgeous wallpaper, fabric, paint it a bright color. You can do anything with this piece of furniture. And they are pretty easy to come by at garage sales, flea markets, Craigslist. Also, as Ange, from The Blooming Hydrangea, pointed out to me once, the fabulous thing is that you can take an armoire with you when you move! ...Can you tell I have moving on the brain? Just one more week. . .

What other pieces of furniture do you find extremely versatile in your home? Have any of you used an armoire for a surprising purpose that I did not mention here?

Day 11 - Master Bedroom Closet

Can't believe it's the 11th already! In case you are new, we're making our way through the series, 31 Days to a Clutter Free Home.

Today we're addressing the Master Bedroom Closet. We've already talked about purging clothing back on Day 6 so I'm sure you've got that taken care of *wink wink,* so now we're going to chat about a few other things you can do to make your closets seem less cluttered.

• Use matching hangers, and space them evenly. Some people like to use those slim, no-slip velvet hangers to fit more in the closet without it looking too crammed. I personally don't like them that much. I'd rather have wooden hangers (and fewer clothes!). I first got this idea from The Nester last year. So this past winter I found white wooden hangers at Home Goods and I just HAD to buy them. I love wooden hangers. But I love white wooden hangers more.

• Install a couple hooks. Then you can hang things like a bath towel or a hoodie or pair of jeans that you intend to wear again tomorrow without having to use a hanger or something and then you don't even up wadding those items up on the floor at the end of the day.

• Use decorative, matching baskets for things like scarves, hats, shoes. People often think that it would be way too expensive to buy something like that. But I found these 2 baskets for $7 / piece at Home Goods. There are deals out there. Check the dollar section at Target or go to the Dollar Store. Seeing my two matching brown baskets gives me such joy.


• Use a jewelry organizer. My sister-in-law gave this to me and I honestly didn't even think I had enough jewelry to fill it. But I did. And I find that I'm much more apt to wear it since I can just pull this out of the closet and choose my jewelry while I'm choosing my outfits rather than dig through a jewelry box.

• Install a double level hanging system - you end up fitting twice as many clothes in your closet! (This photo was actually taken in the closet in Levi's room when we were sleeping in there during the remodel of our bedroom.)

• Get a shoe organizer.
• Keep the floor cleared off.

And if any of you are struggling with purging, you might check out my friend, Marla's blog. She's writing all about Purging this month. And she's sure to inspire you! I especially enjoyed her Day 4 post.

Day 5 - Laundry Room

Welcome back to Day 5 of a 31 Day series on a Clutter Free Home. Today I will be revealing details of the Laundry Room.

Over the course of about a year we slowly remodeled our Laundry Room. The reason it took so long is that we did some major things such as building a closet around the water softener, (having a baby!), replacing water damaged subflooring, relocating plumbing from the middle of the room to behind the wall (like in most homes...not sure why it wasn't there to begin with), etc. This is what the floor used to look like.

See all those holes? Those are the former locations of our water supply and drain for the washing machine, etc. What kind of plumber or DIY-er puts the pipes 2 ft away from the wall??? Beats me.

Here are a few more BEFORE PICS. We had installed that handy dandy little white shelf under the cabinets and it sat just above the washer/dryer. The problem had always been that we would set things down as we walked in the door on top of the washer/dryer. So I got the genius idea of installing that shelf so that we could put things up there instead and I wouldn't have to spend 10 minutes clearing off the appliances just to use them. I liked that fact...but it always looked a bit messy (and I'm more of a keep-things-behind-closed cabinet doors kinda gal.) Still, some of you may think that's a fun clutter-busting idea for your home. A place to put things when you walk in the door that won't prevent you from doing something else.

And here's my handsome hubby relishing the fact that all our plumbing is now tucked neatly INSIDE the walls:

And then we lived with this set up for probably 6 months...Yuck. Whatever you do, don't drop clean clothes on the floor on the way to the dryer.

So, anyways, when all that was done, we removed the border, repaired the drywall and then re-painted. We also installed a new exterior door.

We chose the color "Bay Sands" by Valspar. It is a very pale blue, almost gray color. It just looks very clean. I welcomed that after all that remodeling dirt we'd been living in.

We re-used some of our old white stock laminate cabinets from the room and just changed out the hardware and added a little bit of crown molding to the top to dress them up. We sold the rest of the cabinets on Craigslist.

We also tiled the floor with 16" square travertine tiles. And we replaced the old finnicky track lighting with a much brighter light. I love a well lit work area!

The $5 Walmart rug shown in the photo above ended up getting a pull in it and I decided to upgrade it. I searched all over the place. I even purchased one from Home Goods and another one from Garden Ridge and returned both of those. They just did not look right. And were too expensive for something I didn't love. Finally one day I was grocery shopping at Walmart and decided just to glance at their rug selection. That's when I found this one. It was perfect. Dave & I both love how it matches the tile flooring/grout so well. And it was less than $20.

We try extremely hard not to let things collect on top of the freezer, washer/dryer these days. But, as you can see in the photos below, that doesn't always happen. (Just keepin' it real...) We do have spots for all that stuff in the laundry room closet (which will be shared at a later date in the 31 Days series). We could put hooks on the wall to the right as you enter the laundry room from the kitchen too...but we found from previous experience that our laundry room is just too narrow. You end up knocking coats/purses down that are hanging out in the way. And I can just see my little man Levi swinging from the diaper bag!

My clutter busting tip for this is to assign everything a place and be religious about putting it in its place at all times. And yeah, do as I say, not as I do...

Another thing we do to reduce clutter in the laundry room is to keep everything tucked away in the cabinets or the closet. I am all about keeping things hidden.

The cabinet on the left, above the washer, houses laundry detergent, stain treaters, dryer sheets and household cleaning supplies. I repurposed Schwan's ice cream buckets for stain treating and to store cloth diaper soap. And I repurposed a tupperware with no lid to act as a cleaning caddy for tall cleaning bottles.

The cabinet on the right houses all garage-related stuff (since we don't have a garage). We do have to work very hard to contain this to one cabinet, but it works.

On the top shelf, I repurposed a diaper box for car cleaners. The antifreeze and grease sit to the left of that. On the bottom shelf, we have rubber gloves, a bucket that contains the car cleaning sponge and rags and I repurposed a container that had no lid for brushes and other cleaning tools.

We also have a mini-barn out in the backyard where we keep other garage-related things like the mower, shovels, rakes, outdoor brooms, weed eater, gardening tools, etc. I'll show you more about that later, as well.

In general, I've found we just can't have a ton of stuff. Purge, purge, purge!!! That's the key. Like I said before, we had to come to terms with the fact that we live in a 1300 sq. ft. home with no garage or basement and somewhat small closets. You really just have to live more simply than the average American household. But there's NOTHING wrong with that. It's actually pretty refreshing...and money-saving.

I'm linking this up to The Mustard Ceiling today on the Roomspiration Blog Hop. Be sure to check out Elizabeth's gorgeous stenciled laundry room. It is amazing! Have a great day!