Cluttered!

Fall is approaching and winter is looming in its shadow.  The thought of slowing down from our overbooked summer schedule is pleasing. The shift in seasons has me nesting, decluttering and cleaning out our closets.  I find that if my kid’s toys are sorted in easy groupings, they are more likely to play with them.  It also ensures that their playtime doesn’t consist of them constantly badgering me about where their toys are.  An interesting concept since they belong to them, and I don’t play with them.

Before the cleanup!

If it’s in storage, do you really need it?

With a product development process going on in my company, I am starting to feel like the walls are closing in.  There is a lot of items laying around my house.  Inventory, samples, and packaging surrounding me.  I tend to be a person who likes order.  Brainstorming, I started to think of storage solutions. I came up with a new configuration for the dress up area in the girl’s playroom.  I also called St. Vinny’s and scheduled a pick-up for donations.  Which gave me a deadline to collect items we were ready to part with.  Finally, I recruited my niece to sort toys in the playroom and my husband to help me do a storage space shakedown.

More of the mess!

It seems I am not alone in this need for an organized space.  There is evidence that shows being in a cluttered room is often counterproductive and can even create severe mental debilitation.

Headspace has noted several benefits to decluttering your space:

https://www.headspace.com/blog/2016/03/21/clear-space-really-mean-clear-mind/

Yikes!

Decluttering can mentally prepare us for other activities

Breininger believes it does so in three ways:

1. Make Room:  It clears the physical space so we can partake in the activity.
2. Find Motivation:  It provides us with a sense of accomplishment which translates into motivation.
3. Think About it:  It gives us time to think about or organize the activity in which we are about to engage.

Fall is filled with opportunities to snuggle in with the family.  Fill our bellies with new seasonal varieties and spend time inside our homes.  Fall is the perfect time to make room for the new influx of school projects, back to school clothes and prepare for warm gatherings.  Taking a bit of time to sort through items you’re no longer using and pass them on.  You’ll make your space more cozy, organized and clear your chi!

Organizing the playroom!

In the playroom, I removed the wooden play chest and donated it.  I replaced it with a closet system from Menards like this one.  Giving the girl’s a clear visual of all their dress up costumes.  Make sure to get the two rack wardrobe the bottom level is likely to be within reach for your preschooler.  With the hope, we don’t have to dig and throw the entire wardrobe out to retrieve a singular item.  I chose different pattern baskets to store accessories like the pirate’s sword, the construction worker’s hard hat, and the Doctors stethoscope.

New Organized Dress Up Area!

Storage Solutions- Playroom Ideas for decluttering!

1. I eliminated cheap plastic toys like those given in happy meals, party favor bags etc.  Those sing toys that went off every two secs had to be disposed of.
2. Anything broken or missing pieces were tossed.
3. I paid my niece to sort the toys. We reserved some sets of toys in a separate plastic bin that we can rotate in to play with later.   Keeping the toys fresh and stimulating.

After!

I know that the playroom will not remain in this orderly fashion.  Call it insanity, but every 6 months or so I go through this routine of refreshing, eliminating and creating order in the playroom.  I ask that the kids play with one set and return it to its spot before bringing out another set of toys.  I notice that they play longer, find what they need to enact a certain scene and seem to enjoy the serenity of the space when it is free and clear of clutter!

My Gorgeous Niece who sorted toys!