bins baby

Forget shoe bins for shoes, how about for organizing your kiddie's toys. Especially those little tiny teenie toys that love to nestle sharply between my fourth toe and pinky toe.  In the morning.  Always.  Or late late late at night. I use clear shoe box size bins to organize:  markers, crayons, chalk, paint sets, littlest pet shop, legos, polly pockets, blocks, match box cars, Mc Donald's happy meal toys, hair ties, and whateva fits.  Use your large toy boxes for stuff animals and big toys otherwise you will find itty bitty toys hiding at the bottom. Label your bins with a sharpie or use some recycled kiddie art and create a label; this will ease toy clean up.  They come with lids and stack tidy on shelves.  View eco-friendly bins here and dollar store location finder here.

No toy garage

We just moved two months ago and I had the distinct pleasure of packing 10 BOXES of TOYS.  Gimme a break. I mean really.  So as I began to slowwwwwly unpack them, I realized AGAIN that all of these were unnecessary.  Especially as I witnessed them playing without them for days.  So I grabbed a black garbage bag (absolutely necessary to hide the toys headed for donation from those little I-don’t-miss-a-thing eyes). I decided that at least half of the toys from each box MUST leave the house.  In addition, I also created the No Toy Left Behind Act – no more bins of extra toys in the garage.  If there is no room in their bedroom for them, then there’s no space in the casa.  View places to donate toyshere.

clothes for play - kid tips

There's a bin of clothes in the girls' closet that's just for outdoor and messy play times. Each time a piece of clothing gets an untreatable stain or unrepairable hole, I throw it in the bin. Going outside to play? Grab an outfit from the bin, I say. Remember...this is the year of consuming less and reusing...and what a great way to salvage a cute outfit that still fits: let them sport it while they paint or create tasty mud pies. Here's and eco-friendly sprout smock and an eco-friendly sand set.

Re-purposed Organization

I don't buy many boxes of wipes anymore since I have Belle 99% potty trained. Whew! But I've been stashing empty wipey boxes thinking I would find another use for them. Here are five ways I re- purposed them: 1. Hair ties and barrettes. 2. Puzzle pieces. If you have the bandwidth you could even take a picture of the puzzle when complete, print it and paste it on the outside of the box. I cannot claim to have ever done this but it sounds type A fabulous. 3. Toy jewelry box or itty bitty annoying toy parts. 4. Crayons and markers. 5. Cotton balls and ear sticks. Wanna buy a fashion forward, refillable and eco-friendly wipey box or case? Peek these out from Babies in Bows.

California Dreamin'

I love California. Well I love the sun. So anywhere boasting 70-80 degree weather for the most of the year is my friend. There's a eco-friendly line my sister-in-law introduced to me called California Baby. With a name like that, I had to try. The good thing is their products are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate free and there are plenty of fragrance free items. I bought the Super Sensitive Bubble Bath at Target, the girls LOVE the bubbles and Belle's eczema has subsided. It also comes with a bubble wand so the wee ones can blow bubbles which apparently keep the bath water warm 15 minutes longer. Organize your bathtub toys with this inexpensive storage unit.

Dinner then lunch

Give yourself some extra time in the morning and make your kid's lunch while you make dinner. I know. One more thing to do. But why not? I timed it and it takes me 15 minutes to make lunches in the morning. Here are some tips on speeding up the process: give everybody dinner left overs for lunch in pyrex glass containers, cut up a veggie for the week and place into a container, and place small snacks in a small reusable containers for easy refill and grab n go. If you are using plastic containers, avoid the ones with a 3, 6 or 7 on the bottom and don't microwave them. Here's why. Want reusable eco-friendly containers? Click here.

Grab n' Go

I'm all about being more organized in 2009. Got a great tip from a co-worker I wanted to share. I tried it out yesterday and I can see the light. When you are folding laundry, take an extra second and fold together outfits (a top and a bottom). Then in the morning frenzy you can grab n' go without hesitation. And to be eco-friendly, how about having your child wear it one more time if there are no drips or stains. You could also play a game with them to get the folded clothes in the drawer. 09 is looking sweet.

the simple life

We are in the process of moving and selling our home. And while packing and renting a storage is a pain the ending result of a clutter free home is so worth it. The girls only have one bin of toys, we have eight plates and four glasses. There are five books on the bookshelf and no pictures to dust. I am loving life and thinking as I walk through our bare necessities condo, why do we have so much stuff? And I actually have time to play with the girls and not feel the need to clean. Now when we move in to the new space which, if I get my way, we will have a nice size garage. My declutter plan is to take two boxes in the house each day, go through it and make 3 piles: love it, maybe or hate it. If I love it, it stays in the house, maybe goes in the garage with a date on the box and if I hate it goes to charity. Now the maybe box needs to revisited 6 months to one year later and if I don't need to open it, its new home is the Goodwill.

Tag your it

I have this really good friend, her name is Sharpie. You know how on flickr.com and even this blog site, you can tag your pictures or blogs with keywords. Well, I have moved this latest rage to my house. For instance, I just bought a new case of wipeys, took the sharpie out and tagged each container with the name where it will reside. The key thing here is to keep the container in the tagged room. The one labeled bathroom stays in the basket in the bathroom on top of the toilet and the one in the bedroom stays in the basket with the diapers next to the bed. I also tag my big ziploc bags with "Belle''s Diapers" and "Janae's clothes". Do not underestimate the sharpie. The sharpie is your friend. Embrace your sharpie.

Ikea

Ikea had their twice yearly sale and the girls and I went yesterday. I bought some great deals to decorate their room and organize. My favorite were these little boxes with lids http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80098583 I bought six of them and placed puzzle pieces, game pieces, crayons in them. I want more boxes. Like now. I could use them in the kitchen, bathroom...

Ikea is so kid friendly. In the restaurant area they have a little area for kids to play, family friendly bathrooms with nursing and diaper changing rooms, and a little daycare to drop off the wee-ones. Lunch was $6.27 for three of us and their meatballs and gravy are delicious!

Kiddie Clutter

As some of you know, I am on a journey to clear my home of kiddie clutter. Easier said than done. The other day, I removed their bin of toys from our living room and our bedroom. I am officially reclaiming our adult space. I also "retired" a bin of their toys and placed them in my closet and will exchange them out in a month. Less toys, less mess for mommy to clean up. Less mess, and a happier mommy? Sure...