If it's Friday it must be project:simplify. We're up to hot spot #3, children's toys and clothes.
It turns out that by attacking the last two hot spots, closet/wardrobe and paper clutter, I had a head start on this week's projects. I'd sorted some kids' clothes along with my own, and I tidied up the paper/drawing area that's in our pantry areas. And we're pretty tidy anyway: The preschooler's toys live on closet shelves. We keep the baby's toys in a little basket on the floor, which also gives him a reason to try to wriggle/crawl over there and get at them. (He is just starting to crawl.) This left two problem areas:
These are going back in the basement, labeled and waiting for the day when we need Something To Do Quick. (Our house is too small to have all the kid stuff available at once.)
Look, now there's room for "linens" in the linen closet.Also candles, binders, frames...
I also sorted out kid clothes with the preschooler's help. She only wanted to part with a small pile of her stuff, and I've set it aside for donation ASAP. And I have a pile for baby clothes where I put stuff as soon as we find it doesn't fit him any more.
One note about this project: it doesn't seem to have much room for sentimental value. Nostalgia is a big, important part of my life. I love keeping things that used to mean something to me a long time ago. I've gotten myself down to about 2 small bins at this point. But I'm hoping to pass down my love of the past to my kids. That means that even if we're done with tiny baby clothes, I'm still going to keep some of them in case they're wanted for my grandchildren or some other precious babies. They're in giant Ziploc bags, sealed away for the future.
3 comments:
Nice work! I LOVE to de-clutter stuff! Goodwill is a regular stop for me. definitely good to keep a few-emphasis on few-things from when your kids are babies. Favorite outfits, or precious items such as blankies, and a few really good toys--like wooden ones, or a fisher price staple, you could pull out for a grandchild or visiting little person in the future. I usually tackle these projects with an "Everything Must Go" attitude, and end up wiht a very small pile of keeps. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Alice! De-cluttering is fun, just wish I could get everyone in my home on the same "throw it away" spree that I'm on. Mos def important to save those few precious items for all time. I still have and love a baby blanket from my paternal grandma for example, who I never got to meet.
Wow, you are on a role with the spring cleaning and organzing, good for you! I just went through Iyla's toys, too...
And yes, you should check out Sticks and Bricks, thanks for you comment on my blog :)
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