Getting Organized
It’s funny how so much can change in just one short year when a baby is added to the mix. I remember how everything seemed so organized when we brought our daughter home from the hospital. Her books were nicely stacked on the bookshelf, storage bins were neatly set up, blankets were folded in a basket under the nightstand, and everything seemed to have a place. You know the old saying, “There’s a place for everything, and everything has a place.” I felt this was a very true statement for the first few months of our daughter’s life.
Fast forward to the ripe age of one. As fast as I put the books on the shelf, A is right there yanking them off. The basket with the blankets has made its way into the closet due to A constantly dumping them out. And the storage bins with toys are always out on the floor. Welcome to the busy stage of toddlerhood!
Everyone knows that with babies comes stuff. My mom always jokes that when Baby moves in, you move out. With all the “stuff” comes the need to organize! My hard-working husband is in the process of turning our basement (which is considered a 4th bedroom) into a playroom for A. Because it’s the size of a bedroom, we have to really think through how we will organize her stuff. Our fireplace is currently housing many of these toys. A shape sorter, xylophone, books, Busy Ball popper, Activity table, Dancing Elmo, and 2 baskets of toys are not exactly my idea of fireplace décor. But for now, our life stage asks us to put away the Pottery Barn vase to make room for Elmo.
What are some ways you have created organization for your children’s toys? Specifically in small areas, what are some things that you’ve found has worked or not worked well?