Organized KID STUFF {Hi Sugarplum!}

Kids’ toys and “stuff” can pose a real challenge to parents in terms of how to keep the areas tidy, uncluttered, and organized.  In our house, we’ve recently gone from one big toy basket to three and post-Christmas there are lots of toys that are too big for the baskets.  It’s an evolving process as our kids grow up too.  Today, I bring you one of my favorite people, Cassie from Hi Sugarplum!  She’s got a nine year-old boy and a four year-old girl, and is showing us how she utilizes storage space like closets and cabinets to keep her KID STUFF all pretty and organized.   And if you haven’t visited her blog in a while, head on over so you can see the cool makeover her blog underwent.  Isn’t her header awesome?!

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Happy New Year, friends! I'm Cassie, from Hi Sugarplum!  Megan is one of my BBFFs (blogger bff), so I'm quite thrilled to be making an appearance on her rockstar blog! I was excited when she asked me to share some of my organization tips, because let's be pathetic real...not much makes me as giddy as a well-organized space! I'm one of those that can't go to sleep at night until everything has been put back in it's proper place. My kids, however, have yet to pick up my OCD gene! Here's my son's room...all tidy and shiny and pretty:

But what lurks behind closed doors is another picture: His closet. Where all toys, dirty socks, wet towels and my sanity go to die. But in the week before Christmas, I force encourage him to do a 'Purge & Organize.' I sugar-coat the idea by telling him we're giving his outgrown toys to sweet kids who don't have toys. Oh yeah, and also making room for all the new toys Santa brings.

The first task is to empty the dumping ground closet of all it's contents and clean the empty space. (Hello Dust Bunny Farm!) Then we sort the toys and clothes into piles {heart}...

KEEP -- still fits, played with on a regular basis NEEDS BATTERIES -- does this really need explanation? But if the toy has no juice, it won't be played with...in which case you might as well donate it DONATE -- outgrown clothes and toys, but still in good working condition TRASH -- beyond repair and loved beyond recognition

Then we group like toys together in accessible buckets and put the lesser used toys up on the shelves. We even had {gasp} an empty bucket or two!

(Guess who didn't paint the inside of the closet during the room makeover?) My boy is so pleased with his organized space that he's become {dare I dream???} anal about it!! Granted it's only been a couple of weeks...but fingers crossed. My babygirl keeps most of her toys in the hall cabinets. These, that won't even close properly because of the toy bulge:

Same method applies to her toys too. Although at 4-years-old, she's not as generous with her 'Donate' pile.

Baskets and buckets work wonders for keeping things from spilling all over the place. And I foolishly believed that once my kids were out of the baby stage, my house would look less like PeeWee's Playhouse. Wrong! The paraphernalia may be smaller, but there is more of it! This is when you buy stock in Ziploc...Barbie clothes in one, My Little Pony in another, Strawberry Shortcake and her teeny-tiny hairbrush, comb, shoes, hand mirror, etc etc etc in another!

(Note to self: Vacuum carpet before taking close-ups!) The Board Game stash didn't escape my wrath either:

 

I love starting off the New Year with a clean space. And since the kids can see and access their toys easily, they tend to play more peacefully. Which means mama can get her DIY on!! Not to mention the great feeling we all get when dropping off the toys and clothes at Goodwill. Thanks for having me Megan! I bet your closet never has warning signs on it!!

xo, Cassie Hi Sugarplum!