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A place for everything and everything in it's place. Or that's the goal anyway.
Now I should warn you, organizing is not my strong point. So when I do it, I want it to be as quick and painless as possible. Fortunately for me, I found some ways that were both.
Now I should warn you, organizing is not my strong point. So when I do it, I want it to be as quick and painless as possible. Fortunately for me, I found some ways that were both.
I started by sorting the smaller toys Kay has accumulated and placed them in shoe box-sized containers. (Sorting is just a good idea - you don't want to be looking through 6 different boxes of random toys to find that one zebra toy she just HAS to have! Been there, done that...) I got the containers at the dollar store, and they stack together nicely, though I stored them in our wooden cubbies instead.
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I used these chalkboard labels to identify what was in each.
It is a much neater look than the "sprawled-all-over-the-house" arrangement we had going on. Best part about the chalkboard labels is that the words are easily wiped off with a damp cloth, so you can change the labels as the things within the box change. (Believe it or not, you will NOT have play food around forever - I promise!)
Bonus: Since she can now easily see and access more of her things, instead of them being hidden at the bottom of some toy box, she's been using them more (and - gasp - even putting them away!). I don't expect that second part to last, but I'll enjoy it while I can!
Need more inspiration? I'm loving these why-didn't-I-think-of-that ideas for keeping clutter, well, less cluttered!
Need more inspiration? I'm loving these why-didn't-I-think-of-that ideas for keeping clutter, well, less cluttered!
We have our share of toy cars (and trucks and trains and tractors...) which is why I love this simple-but-brilliant idea from Just A Girl and Her Blog: magnetic strips. The cars will stick to them, keeping them off the floor and out of the way. Plus, putting them on the magnets and taking them off again would be a game in and of itself!
Another toy that adds to clutter: stuffed animals. So cute, so cuddly...and so...everywhere! It's Always Autumn made a swing for them, so they're easy to get to, but - even better - easy to put away again.
Another great idea for containing those dolls and stuffed animals (and perhaps even easier!) comes from Aimee at Daisyeyes Handmade. She used strips of elastic that were 1" wide and, using flat tacks, hammered them into the bookcase. Love it!
Even non-crafty parents seem to accumulate a lot of craft supplies when they have kids. I Can Teach My Child uses an over-the-door shoe organizer - genius! You can easily see what's in each pocket and quickly put them away when craft time is over.
See, that wasn't so bad, was it?
Oh, and wondering about those awesome chalkboard labels?
Oh, and wondering about those awesome chalkboard labels?
Because you're an awesome P is for Preschooler reader (if you're here, you're awesome - simple as that!) you can get an extra 40% off these chalkboard labels (there are 48 in a package and they come with a chalk pen too).
So check them out and give my painless organization method a try.
How do you keep the toys under control in your house?
How do you keep the toys under control in your house?
