So this weekend we finally got into the playroom (AKA Toy Room) to clean up a bit and purge some unloved toys. Turns out "we love them all" was a little too hard for me to argue with so not much actually left the room. I think it will take someone hard-hearted to come in and help me finish the job... or maybe it will just stay jammed packed. I really appreciate the advice in Organized Living: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living when it comes to the idea that if we purge what we just don't love, then we will be left with the things we truly do love. I know my kids don't really love every toy. (Just like I know my husband doesn't love each and every one of his newspapers.) I just don't know what my next step will be... okay, I do know, It's to finish the book and read about the actual process of decluttering since I'm still reading about the theory! :-)
Anyway, I thought I'd post some "After" pictures from our clean-up this weekend. The new artwork came from my oldest son's kindergarten portfolio that he insists the youngest needs to see. I like that it got the wicker basket above the fridge cleaned out and the plastic storage box pared down. I also like the colors on the walls, and I have to admit it will make throwing the paper out easier when the colors fade and O gets to kindergarten and makes his own letter art. :-)
Before:
After:
Okay, this looks a lot better, but it still looks like a huge pile of toys that no one can reach back there in the right hand corner... The ottomans are from the living room redo and we figured they would be good for storage, but they are empty! They take up too much space too. Can you say, "Yard sale"? :-)
This is my 3-year-old's favorite spot in the room. He carefully placed his beloved monster trucks on the shelves for this clean-up, but he finds it nearly impossible not to rush over and pull them all down to play! I tried to display them on the picture shelves on the opposite side of the room so that I could purge the corner table, but they were all too wide to fit. I'm going to have to keep looking for a better solution.
I love the simple look of the cloth bins. I have laminated tags on each handle so the boys know what goes in each, but they don't look at them... They remember the color! :-) I didn't realize this until I switched a couple bins and contents a few months ago. They insisted I "fix it!" I think we really need a book shelf in here...
Each of the bins in the closet has a picture and name attached. I've found that the easiest way to make a kid-friendly label is to cut a portion of the box the toy came out of and use packing tape to stick it to the tub. That way I don't have to print pictures and labels anymore! :-)
