An organized home is a happy home... this is one of the many truths I live by. I plan on eventually taking you through every room in my home and show you my organization solutions, but for today, I thought it would be fun to start with the kiddo's room. So I guess we can say, an organized kid's room is a happy room. And it really is! When everything has a place to "call home", it makes straightening up easier and quicker; making everyone happier.
There are so many ways to organize a kid's room and store toys and belongings...the possibilities are quite endless. (ever been on Pinterest?) But today, I would like to show you how I organize Lily's room, which also doubles as her playroom.
But first I'd like for you to meet Lily, our fun, loving, playful, "dances to her own beat" 2 year old who loves to add a "toddler's touch" to our home.
And now I'd like for you to witness some of the "toddler touches" she adds, not only to her room but to our home:
She insists on storing her play vacuum along with mine! And you see that white bag next to the vacuum cleaners? That's my wedding dress in there....thoughtful and romantic, I know.
Here she is inside a cardboard box turned playhouse reading with some of her pals inside. I guess she decided to have a train wreck outside her front door for a lovely view.
This has nothing to do with toys but I think it's funny. She helped me fold laundry and said she would put away the place mat (on the left) and the kitchen towel (on the right). Well, I normally store those in a drawer but I guess she thought it best to display one on each side of my decorative kitchen towel (center).
Now we can move on to her bedroom and see what it looks like when it's not at it's best.
Toys on the floor, laundry basket full of clothes just waiting to be put away, a garbage bag she was putting her toys into (I'm not sure why...I didn't question the child) are all the pieces that make her room "come together" in her eyes.
Her piggy bank and slinky have wandered off and are laying on top of her bed...maybe they needed a nap.
So you can see from the pictures above that even though I am all for order and organization, I still let our home be a place for Lily to be able to relax, play and have a good ol' time. After all, I know that everything will be put back where it belongs once playtime ends.
Now to the organization part, Yay!
This is what her room looks like before the" toddler interior designer" has had the chance to revamp her place:
The view from the door as you come inside. We keep it pretty simple around here; there are 3 main playing stations: creativity station (Arts & Crafts), play kitchen station, and the reading station/main toy area station (corner bookshelf) where most of her toys and all of her books are neatly stored. Everything has a place to "call home."
-Creativity Station: Crayola Creativity Table and stools from Walmart (purchased online and on sale for around $35!).
-Crayons and Colored pencils stand neatly in small containers that came with the table set. I thought it was pretty cool that the stools can be both tucked under the table when not in use (the more space the merrier, right?)
-Canvas bin (from 99 cent store) where all her coloring books, doodle pads, stickers and extra crayons are stored.
-Play Kitchen Station: Little Tykes play kitchen (purchased from Amazon for around $35).
-We store all her kitchen accessories in the oven and that pink bin next to it for easy access and quick cleanups.
-Reading area/ Main toy Station: This is where most of her playtime happens and where the majority of her toys are stored.
-I was originally going to buy a 9 cubby storage system from Target that retails around $60 but I really wanted to use the wicker baskets that she's had since she was a newborn. So I ended up purchasing this $15 bookshelf from Walmart instead (I plan on painting it and adding some legs to it to spiff it up a bit). I actually like the combination of the wicker baskets and pink canvas bins together!
-Pink bins were purchased at Target for $2.50 for both of them!
-2 squared wicker baskets came with her bassinet.
-3 rectangular wicker baskets were purchased from HomeGoods for $25, liners included!
- Every bin and basket has designated toys that belong in it (see picture below). My daughter has learned the system so cleaning up is never overwhelming.
-We use the extra space between the bookshelf and the wall to store 2 larger books, a couple etch-a-sketch's and a wooden puzzle (We don't let any space go to waste around here).
-Here you can see what is stored in each basket and bin:
-In the basket on the top of the bookshelf sits her mega blocks.
-Top shelf from left to right: Puzzles in pink bin, purses in another pink bin and toddler Lego's and Mr. & Mrs. Potato heads with accessories.
-Middle shelf, from left to right: wooden blocks in basket 1, wooden train tracks with trains in basket 2, and random cars/hot wheels and her Little People toys in basket 3.
-And the bottom shelf is all books! (I actually need to find additional storage for more books...I'm thinking of making a book sling and hanging it against one of her walls so it doesn't have to take up any space).
-Left side of her closet, from top to bottom:
-The top shelf holds extra wipes, lotions, hair detanglers, clothes she's outgrown, and a couple toys she got for her birthday that are waiting for her to be a little older to be able play with.
-Then there's her clothes
-Under her clothes is a white closet storage system we found at Lowe's on sale for $18! It was originally around $80 and it was the only one left!
-Inside the white storage system there is a drawer on top (see next picture for details on that)
-Under the drawer we keep her shoes (I know, we need to go shoe shopping!) and a bin, again from the dollar store, with diapers in it (even though she is potty trained she still wears them when sleeping.)
-And the last shelf holds more diapers, extra sheets, blankets and pillow cases.
-Here is the top drawer that proudly holds her socks, tights on the left side.
-Three plastic bins ($1 at most drugstores) with headbands, hair ties and random stuff like sunglasses, q-tips, comb and a chapstick.
-And all of her hats are stored on the right side.
-A hook holds belts and some necklaces and bracelets
-Next to the hook, behind her clothes, is a bow hanger that I completely forgot to take a picture of.
-The right side of her closet holds a bin with arts & crafts paint, scissors and glue sticks on the top shelf
-And her tutus and princess dresses on the rack
-I use her crib siding to hang her scarves
-And on the bottom she has a drum set and a swing/high chair for her "babies"
-Her bed comfortably holds 6 of her favorite toy friends she likes to read to and fall asleep with.
-We always keep her backpack and "going out" toy bag on her door, so they are ready to go when we are.
-And her bigger toys are stored in our entryway closet (as you can see, I was able to put her vacuum away, but nor for too long, it's back next to mine!)
And that my friends is how we get our organizing on around here (Well, in Lily's room anyway).
Let me know what you think, or if you have any questions and ideas. Remember, I love anything organization, so bring it on!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog! You guys are all so awesome!
Tip of the Day: How to have children that participate in the cleaning up/organizing process:
The easiest way to raise children to clean up after themselves and take pride in their belongings looking their best is to teach them while they are still young. As a Christian parent, I take the scripture that says to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart (Proverbs 22:6) to heart. I apply this to all areas of my daughter's life.
So in this aspect, I like to say, "If I train up my child now in taking ownership of her things and treating them accordingly, then in the future I won't have a teenager with a messy room that refuses to help out around the house." I can do all the picking up myself, but I won't because that will rob Lily from knowing what it's like to be responsible.
So my tip is to include your kids in the cleaning up process, no matter what their age may be. Just give them a responsibility that is age appropriate. Kids love responsibilities, some may not know it, but they do! Just watch their smiling faces when they are all done cleaning up...they are proud of their work! And they should be; It's a great feeling!
