Toy Rotation Boxes

With Christmas coming I know I'm anxious about all the toys coming our way. I love and appreciate all the generosity but all the toys can be daunting. I've noticed the more toys the girls have out the more gets dumped out and none of them get played with. The girls get overwhelmed by the mess and then cleanup becomes a big chore instead of a fun game.

A few months ago I put together a couple toy rotation boxes which only contained puzzles or stuffed animals. When I wanted to rotate puzzles I had to get that one box and rifle though it to get out what I wanted. I never liked this rotation system. It just didn't fit our needs.

The 6 bins awaiting their toys!

About a month ago I got down 6 plastic bins from the attic and began sorting through the girls toys. I enlisted Daniel's help as I was very overwhelmed by the process and didn't really know where to start. I knew what I wanted to do but didn't know how where to begin or how to put my plan in action. Thankful for him! With a little talking about what I wanted from our toys and how the girls behaved if there were too many toys out we decided on our plan.

Here's what to do:
1. Get out the boxes you want to use, whatever you have on hand is fine.
2. If possible, chat with someone else about your plan of action. Two heads are better than one!
3. Start the process of sorting: Throw away broken toys and any trash that made your way into the toys. Put together the toys that go together. We found it best to focus on one group of toys (ex. little people, puzzles, etc). This is also a great opportunity to gather a donate pile full of toys that aren't loved anymore.
4. Place toys in the bins and and remember what works best for you and your kiddo's.


 

The sorting process, taken care of Daddy. :)

All done sorting. Now time to hike all the boxes up to the attic.

At the end of the process each of our bins contained different items. Most bins contained 2-3 puzzles, a few little people, some cars, stuffed animals, a board game and a few stuffed animals. In one bin we put our little people farm and the people and animals that matched, 2-3 puzzles, a couple stuffed animals, some flash cards and a board game (just to give you an idea).

The goal of each box was to put a combination of toys for the girls to play with when I got them out. When I get out the box they have a variety of toys to play with. The boxes weren't filled to the top but have more than enough toys to keep them occupied. I like that the boxes create "new" toys to play with for the girls, too. It's fun for them to see what each box contains.

The great news in all this toy rotation box stuff: no more cluttered floor, no more overwhelmed mama or girls, no more anger about the junk on the floor. The boxes really have helped not only my sanity but the girls too. Clean up is much easier and fun again. And the less toys that are out, the happier the girls are. 

Less clutter = more fun for everyone!

Note: I do keep some items out all the time. A few stuffed animals, the baby doll strollers, the basketball goal and balls, their building blocks, books and their kitchen/cooking toys. These items get the most play and always make the girls happy. As of right now, this is all I've had out for the past 3 weeks. They haven't asked for any other toys and seem content with what they have. Out of sight out of mind, right?
After Christmas I will put a couple new toys out that I think they'll enjoy all the time and the rest will go in the toy rotation boxes, hence the reason I left room in each box. I know I'll also go through the boxes and see if there's anything to donate. After a few months I'll go through each box again and continue to add to the donate pile. Keeping clutter to a minimum is good for this mama. :)


Do you implement anything in your home to keep toy clutter to a minimum?

31 Days: Minimizing & Organizing

I love the simple life! As if you didn't already know that, right? I'm always looking for ways to make our life even more simple. Yes, I do think it's possible.

Last night while Daniel and Nyla headed to church (Naomi was a mess so she went to bed early) I cleaned out our master closet. It's needed it. I've been putting it off. I don't like clutter. But clutter happens occasionally. Enter our master closet.

Last year when we found out we were having baby number two I quickly went to work in cleaning out our extra third bedroom and closet. It has a spacious closet and it was pretty packed. Daniel paints, I like to craft, extra baby items and just a bunch of stuff that wasn't getting used was in there. I knew I need to minimize quite a bit because what was in that extra closet would be coming into our closet. And no, we didn't have room for ALL of it. Nor was I going to make room for things we weren't even using. I probably got rid of 4 large boxes of stuff. Between extra paint and craft supplies, games, puzzles, baby clothes that we had too many of, and so on, we had a lot. Minimizing our lives has been a work in progress. One I'm still learning.

As I was clearing out our closet last night it felt like all our things had multiplied. Does anyone else feel like that? I'm fairly good about getting rid of stuff immediately if it doesn't go with our way of life. I like the "one in, one out" rule too. I always have a pile going to give to Goodwill. But stuff still gets shoved on top of the fridge or in the back of a closet. It just happens.

I've been minimizing our lives since we got married. We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with spacious closets and bathrooms and a bigger kitchen than I have now. I knew when we moved in I didn't want to pack every corner of that place. I packed up stuff for Goodwill right after I moved in and took it away and continued doing that every three to six months. Before we moved 2 years later I did that again. When we moved into our home I did it again. I hated that we took over quite a few boxes that eventually went to Goodwill but I've learned I don't want to be spur of the moment in giving away things. I don't want to have any regrets. And minimizing takes time. My rule of thumb is if I haven't used it or worn it in 6 months I think it's time to give it up. (This doesn't include maternity clothes or baby items that are expensive to replace) My rule used to be 1 year but now 6 months is good for me. If I'm unsure about something I'll hang onto it for another 6 months and revisit it. If it rarely got used I let it go. This works for me. It won't work for everyone.

I have people ask me frequently about my minimizing efforts. Here are my tips:

1. Take one room at a time or even one closet at a time. 
Remove everything. If it's clothes, try it on. If you're like most people you wear 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time. Keep that 20% and get rid of the rest. It's so freeing to look in your closet and know you won't spend ten minutes looking for an outfit. If you're unsure hang onto it a bit longer and revisit it. That's okay!
If it's "stuff" (childhood memories, crafts, etc) get out 3 boxes. One for "trash," one for "keep" and one for "Goodwill" (or your choice of place). Go through all the items and put them in a box. If you have a friend in need make a box for them. Once you've completed this process start putting things back in one at a time. And if it doesn't belong in that area, put it where it does go.

2. What do I do with sentimental items? 
This is always a big question. If you have room and you're not sure what to do with it, keep it. If you think someone else in your family will want it, pass it on. If these don't work for you because you don't have the space but you're somewhat attached, take a picture of it. Make an album for things like that. You will always have that picture but not the clutter. For us, we don't have the room for everything. Nor do I want it all. I like taking pictures of the girls in certain clothes or playing with a toy. And I still have a hard time letting go of some things. I don't beat myself up about it. And I keep it for awhile.

3. De-clutter once a month.
Grab a laundry basket or box and start going through your main rooms (kitchen, den, entry hall) and fill that basket up. You'll be surprised how much stuff you accumulate that you don't really need. Just this past week I tackled the top of our refrigerator. I had PILES of pictures, Nyla's school artwork, papers and junk up there. I took everything down, piled it on my counter and went through it over a couple days time. I put our photo books in my closet away from the dust and put the paperwork where it belonged. I feel so relieved that my fridge is cleaned off.

4. Ask for help.
When you first start de-cluttering you may have a hard time letting go of things. Bring in an impartial party to help you. They can help you sort through things and you'll really look at it and decide you haven't worn it, you don't love it and you really need to get rid of it. And then get rid of it.

5. If you have a pile ready to go, get it out of your house immediately!
I can't stress this enough. I think of how many times I've gone through our home, had a huge box of stuff and then it just sits for a month or two. Then when I get ready to put it in the car to take to Goodwill I start looking through it. And then I think I need to keep some of the things I thought I wanted to give away. But wait. Haven't they just been sitting in a box for two months and I haven't touched it? Yes! Get rid of it within a couple days.

That's all the tips I have today. I'm going to tackle our hall bathroom closet now. It's a disaster!

What are your tips for staying organized and having minimal items in your home? 
Or do you struggle with de-cluttering?

Simplify: Kids Clothes

It's been 19 months since our first sweet girl arrived and while we have loved every minute getting to know her we have NOT loved all the clothes we have accumulated with our now 2 baby girls.

I realized last summer that we had WAY more than our girls needed in the clothes department. Yes, Naomi will need the 18-month clothing that Nyla wore but she will not need as much as I have. Nyla wore about 20% of her wardrobe, just like us big people tend to do. When my mom brought over the 18-month clothes I got everything out and see what I had, see what I remembered liking on Nyla and see what she never wore. Let's just say we had a bigger pile of what she never wore and I didn't want all that staying in our house. I'm slowly minimizing our wardrobes and the girls are no different. I wash almost everyday so there's no reason to have 24 dresses, 12 pairs of shorts and 30 tops. Yes we really did have that much for Nyla and more!

When I went through their clothes I decided to not to keep what I didn't love and not have too many of one item. It's just not necessary. I have never sold any clothes to our local kid's consignment shop but decided to try it. So I went through all their clothes and filled up a large plastic tub of clothes and shoes. I hope to make a little money and get rid of clutter in the process. It's win-win all around!

Here's Nyla and Naomi's closet... it's packed! And this is only one side of their closet.

Here's the tub of clothing I'm taking to our local kid's consignment shop. I hope to make a decent amount of money on it. Whatever they don't want is going immediately to Goodwill and NOT back into our home. Can you see that it's packed?!?! I stuffed as much as I could in there. I hope I'll get some good money for some of it. :)

How often do you declutter?

This post is linked to Project: Simplify at Simple Mom.

*Update: I took my full box of clothes to a local kid's shop (not the one I was thinking about when writing this post) and made $21 while getting rid of half the box! I had the choice of $30 in store credit but opted for the cash since I needed to buy a few extra groceries. I will be taking more clothes, shoes and toys back there!

Minimizing: It's A Process!

For the past couple of years I've been reading some pretty amazing blogs about minimizing and simplifying life. I'll tell you that I was just going with the flow, buying what I thought I needed and what would make me happy, but it didn't and sit still doesn't. And all I was left with was a bunch of useless stuff filling up our closets and our floors making life harder than it needed to be. But, thanks to these blogs I saw I could live a different way. I saw that all that stuff that I thought I needed, well I really didn't need it like the world was telling me. So I made a decision and started changing the way I thought about what I brought into our home.

When we started house hunting in April of 2010 and then began packing for the move into our first home I really started paring down what we had. And we had a lot! Or I had a lot. :) Once we got moved in I went through more of our stuff. I realized that 1. we didn't have room and 2. we didn't need it and it hadn't been used and 3. I was tired of it! Being 8 months pregnant when we moved was actually helpful in paring down since I was nesting then. :)

Here we are 2 years later and I'm still de-cluttering. Honestly, it feels like it's been a never-ending process for the past couple of years. But I'm doing a little at a time and I feel accomplished every time I get something done.

In the past 2 months I've gone through our outside closet (this holds decorations and stuff for outside), our laundry room, pantry, both girls closets and our closet. That is all over the place but when the urge comes to minimize I jump at it. Just today I was reading how Rachel is clearing out her boys clothes. She has 2 beautiful boys and while the baby will need the big boys clothes in the next year or so she realized he wouldn't need as much as they have. I have been realizing the same thing, I just haven't been able to figure out what to do exactly. And I kept thinking, "What if Naomi does need more clothes? I don't want to get rid of them just in case." Well that's not the thinking I want to have because then I'll use that every time I start to minimize our things. Nyla didn't wear quite a few items and they were just stored in a box. I have my favorites which means I'll put Naomi in the same clothes I put Nyla in. So I am getting rid of a lot. I went through and filled up a large plastic tub of all kinds of clothes. Next week I'm going to take them to our local kid's consignment store and see if I can get some money for my clothes. What they don't take I'll immediately take to Goodwill so it never comes into my house again. I think it'll be win-win all around!

So, while I am making progress in minimizing, de-cluttering, paring down, getting rid of the excess... whatever you want to call it, I still feel overwhelmed about it all. I am taking it one day at a time, one month at a time and one space at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day! And my house will NOT be the way I want it in a day! This is especially true while I have 2 babies at home who are growing like weeds and they require a certain amount of stuff. What they don't require is a lot of stuff like I originally thought. Nyla is content reading, playing music and playing with her little kitchen. All her other toys are just in the way of her creative self!

Blogs that inspire me:

Frugal and Simple

Small Notebook

I have quite a few other favorite blogs but these two are truly my inspiration for getting rid of the stuff and not be bogged done by it. These are actually two of the first blogs I ran across about 3 years ago. I have no idea how I stumbled upon them but I'm thankful I did. I hope you find inspiration in them as much I have!

Now go out and conquer that pile of stuff that has been getting on your nerves for awhile, you know which one I'm talking about! :)

Becoming a (Realistic) Minimalist

The past year I've really been evaluating all the stuff our family has and has been bringing in. And I'll tell you that I'm a little overwhelmed by it all. We aren't by any means living in clutter city and I do keep an organized home but I'm coming to the conclusion that I want an organized home WITH minimal stuff. But what does that mean for me? And what does it mean for our family of four?

You may have seen the some articles that talk about pairing down your stuff or maybe the 100 things challenge but I can't help but think that's not realistic for most of us. It's not realistic for me. Yes, I want to get rid of a lot of items but how do I want to go about it? And what's realistic for us?

I want my girls to remember the experiences we create for them not the stuff they have. And isn't that true for us all? We remember the memories we've made not all the stuff we had in different parts of our life. Sure we remember some of the things but probably just 10% of those things (favorite doll, book, outfit). I want my girls to live their lives, not be bogged down by stuff and appreciate what they have. I don't want them to have so much stuff they don't appreciate it and just want more more more like society tells us.

I'm also trying to be content with what we have and that's a step in the minimalism direction. Why do I need 6 serving platters when I use the same 2 every time. Why do I need 60 shirts when I wear 12 of them? (Yes, at one time I had 60 shirts). At one time in my life all my "stuff" was important to me but now it's my family. When the girls get older and look at our house will they see stuff or will they have good memories that we helped create? I want that answer to be memories and not stuff.

So, in 2012 I'm going to be more content with what we have. I'm going to keep de-cluttering our lives one step at a time, one closet at a time. And I'm going to help my family create memories that will last forever.

What are some of your goals for 2012?

Tips for Organizing and Minimizing

Below are a few tips I use when I organize. Of course, they're not full-proof and they won't fit everyone's lifestyle and personality. But I hope they help you get a start if you're looking to have less in your home.

1. Separate boxes

Get out 3 boxes or bags. Use one for "keep"/"maybe," another for "give away" and the last for "trash." Fill each up into the desired boxes. And get help from someone if you have trouble letting go. My rule of thumb is if it's been 6 months since I've worn, used, looked at it, it's time to give it away. But if that's too much for you, make it 1 year. Sometimes I even keep things for another 6 months to see if I may end up using it/needing it. But after that 6 months, I let it go if it hasn't been used.

2. Start small.

You may have a large space you want to conquer, but start small so you don't get overwhelmed. I suggest your pantry or laundry room. Those are usually small spaces with not too much going on, but are always in need of a spruce. Once you've accomplished that small space, move on to a bigger area.

3. Pull everything out... well maybe.

Some people say to pull everything out, some say don't. I say do what you want. I tend to not pull every single item out of a closet I'm organizing. If I did this, I would have no room to look through the stuff I pulled out. I do a section at a time. I pull out that section and go from there. Once I pull it out I use the 3 box theory and start filling them up. Once they fill up, I get another box for each area and start going again. Some spaces will take you more than an hour or a day. I spent 2-3 days, when I had free time, to clean out our 3rd bedroom closet. Do some when you have a free moment. Sometimes it helps to walk away and re-evaluate some items you think you need to keep. Get away, get some perspective and come back and start again. You'll be surprised at how much you get rid of this way.

4. "But I'll need this a year from now."

How long have you been saying that? 2 years? Don't you think it's time to let it go? Again, I've done this. But you finally realize you haven't used it, so you probably won't use it. And if you need it, you could borrow it from someone or go to Craigslist or back to Goodwill and pick it up. Be careful not to do that too much, otherwise you'll be back in the same boat you were before. Really consider how much you will use it if you buy it back.

5. Always have a "give away" box going.

Keep this on a high shelf or space out of your way and when you come across something you don't want, throw it in the box. Don't let this box be see-through, as you'll see things that you think you'll want later. When this box gets full, haul it away. And start another box.

These are just a few tips to help you get started. Do what feels right for you, that's the most important thing. You need to feel comfortable with getting rid of your stuff.

Check out these blogs for more inspiration of minimizing and organizing:

Frugal and Simple

Small Notebook