Storage Problems

pictures courtesy of House to Home UK

Now that the kiddies are back to school I'm obsessed with getting this house organized.  It can never be too organized but you can have too many baskets, which is why I'm always on the lookout for new ways to control the clutter.  My first project may take a month or two but I'm planning on turning all the narrow walls in the upstairs hallway into bookshelves.  Thankfully, two of my three children LOVE to read which means the house is overflowing with books.  Look for that post down the road.

Things I'm working on more short term are the little treasures (junk) that kids collect and will not let go of.  The first thing I did was fill some empty drawers with sock organizers.  These are great because you can sort and teach the kids about organizing at the same time.  All the bouncy balls in one, unused tattoos and polly pockets in their own etc. etc.  Another great tool is Christmas bulb organizers.  I have a flat one under the bed for seasonal belts, ties, video game and lego booklets and McDonald's Happy Meal toys.  Another trick I love is a bin of things in each kids room that I fill with unused "treasures".  If they go months without looking for those things, I dump the whole bin in the garbage or Salvation Army bag.  Sometimes I do feel like I go too far, like when I left a ripped Spider Man clothes bin outside the thrift store and my son started screaming in the car.  I thought someone was seriously hurt but as it turns out, he didn't want to part with his bin.  Garage sale week gives my boys anxiety and when it's over they breathe a sigh of relief.  A sentence that is a regular of Sam's is this "Mom, please hold this (fill in the blank), but don't sell it or give it to a boy that doesn't have any toys!"  This would all be very sad if it weren't so ridiculous.  I do sometimes worry the fear of losing his things will turn Jake into a hoarder in the future.  I guess it's a chance I'm willing to take to keep my house organized (JJ)!

The picture above on the left reminds me of a little nightstand my client just bought for her daughter's room.  It's shiny white and has small drawers, each with a different print, numbered one to nine.  She'll use it as a nightstand and her daughter can organize her toys, hair bows, sunglasses and even school supplies.  Much more useful than a traditional nightstand.  The pic on the right is going to be the craft that my kids make for each other for their Christmas gifts this year.  They are simply dollar store toy figures that are glued to the lid of a jar and painted the fun color of your choice.  I'll post our versions closer to Christmas!