It seems like our family is always in the midst of a transition – a new move, new job, new kid, new project to tackle, etc. We moved into this house 9 months ago and we are still trying to figure out where things should go, what color we should paint a room. The house we moved from had bedrooms that were at least 20×20. With walk-in closets. And a separate laundry room with built-ins all along one wall. Here we have 10×12 (maybe!) bedrooms, 1 walk-in closet and a nook in a hallway for the washer and dryer. Although this house is definitely big enough for us, sometimes it feels very tight in here with four kids and all of the stuff. My husband and I are purgers by nature and we frequently go through boxes, closets, etc and get rid of a lot of stuff. When we clean out the kids’ areas, we try to cut the toys by half to encourage happier, less chaotic play. But somehow there ends up being more and more, all piled on top of each other, and it starts getting harder to breathe in here. To top it off, right now we’re in the middle of prepping our living room space to paint it. So everything that was once in here is now scattered throughout the house, making for a crazy Mama who likes things relatively organized! My hope is that in just a few months we will have purchased more storage to contain the craziness – another bookshelf, baskets for toys, another dresser for the mounds of froofiness that abound with three little girls.
How do you handle your organization? If you have kids, do you have an organization system for their toys/books?
It’s easier for me for organize my kids book, since I only have the one basket for when the nieces and nephews visit! But even just us 2 adults collect a lot of stuff (especially books, as you know). I think it’s easiest to just not have as much room for stuff, and we love having a small house with no basement. If I want to hang on to something, I HAVE to put it where it can be seen — cause there’s nowhere to hide it away. That forces me to decide what I will really use and what I won’t. The trick for you is to get your kids to learn that, too! And they will — you’re setting a good example for them.
I didn’t even know you had a blog… great post. I organize by hiding “stuff” under the bed. I guess things haven’t changed from when I was a Kid… always toys under my bed and stuffed in my closet.
Like you… we purge a lot and cannot stand clutter. I give a lot away to Goodwill. Its always about simplicity for me.
Organization is highly overrated.