Kids Stuff

Due to the recent birth of our beautiful baby girl, Nora Faith, I’ve rounded up an All-Star list of moms who effortlessly seem to manage work, home, family, life, and everything in between! You can read all their words of motherly wisdom here, as well as how they manage to “do it all” while still living a life they love.

I’ll be sharing my own thoughts and baby updates soon enough, but right now, I’m simply soaking up their trusted advice while cuddling with my new baby girl! 

The following is written by Laura from I’m An Organizing Junkie:

Whenever I visit my family in Ontario I try to help them with an organizing project wherever I can. I’ve done my sister’s kitchen, my sister’s entryway closet and my brother’s bookshelf. It’s fun for me, and they are happy for the assistance. Especially since it always takes less time than they anticipate it will.

Last year when I was visiting, I helped my sister organize the nursery for her second daughter. The room had all the main elements but did require a little TLC.

The plan was to make room for the changing table and a chair, find a home for the totes of “to grow into clothing”, and make it a welcoming, restful place for my little ladybug to sleep — here is the “before picture”.

With my plan in place, I was ready for the second step in the PROCESS which is to remove… and remove I did. 

Organize the big stuff first.

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Everything but the big furniture got pulled out into the hallway or another room. Once I had the space opened up I could do a little space planning to see how I was going to fit everything back in.

Utilize every available space.

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Once the furniture was in place we could start organizing the clothes. Since my sister had excellent cubby storage that wasn’t being used to its full potential, we decided to put some of the next size clothing in those and that helped free up a few totes.

Labels can be easily created for these fabric bins using self laminating sheets threaded with string and then tied to the handles.

We also brought in the changing table and that has three big drawers underneath for diapers/wipes, sleepers, crib sheets, blankets, socks, etc.

Make room for baby clothes and accessories.

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We organized shoes, booties and hats using the Koala Baby Organizer (purchased from Babies R Us) behind the door which is often neglected space. Clothes a couple of sizes out were either hung up in the closet or added to cubbies in the closet. Others were stored in totes under the crib, another often neglected space. Clothes that weren’t going to be needed for at least another year yet went up in the attic out of the way.

The makeover was a huge success and my sister now has an organized and functional nursery for her new baby girl!

Here’s one more before & after photo:

I’m really happy with the way it turned out, especially since we only had a short window of time to do it — and we had a very cute 2 year old helper who had different ideas of how things should be stored {mainly all over the floor of course!}

How do you organize your baby and kids’ rooms?

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Laura is a wife and mother to three great kids, lives in Alberta, Canada, and is an addict of all things organizing, especially containers. She is addicted to the high that comes with living a life of order and simplicity and is always looking for her next “fix”. You can find her blogging regularly and sharing her passion over at I’m an Organizing Junkie, and her organizing book, Clutter Rehab: 101 Organizing Tips & Tricks to Become an Organization Junkie and Love It!, is now available in stores.

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This post has been in my “drafts” for quite some time because I’ve never been brave enough to publish it… until now!

Over the years, I’ve helped lots of busy moms organize their homes, offices, lives, schedules, purses, cars, closets, pantries, basements, garages, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I love working with them, I love seeing the progress we make, and I really love it when they are able to implement and tweak my suggestions to fit their own families and lives.

However, one question I’m asked over and over again is…

How can we help our kids stay organized?

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That’s a tough one, isn’t it!! I have all sorts of suggestions, tricks, tips, and product ideas to GET kids organized, but I have no magic wand that I can wave to help them STAY organized!

I also don’t have any of my own children {yet}… which is why I’ve been hesitant to publish this post

But living with our two international students for the past month has confirmed what I’ve always suggested to all my inquiring moms…

Kids will stay more organized if they see YOU stay organized.

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I know that this is not the case in every situation, but for the most part, it is WAY easier to tell your children to do something if you are already doing that same thing yourself.

For example:

• Do you think your kids would eat vegetables if they never saw you eat vegetables?
• Do you think they would make their beds if they never saw you make your bed?
• Do you think they would clean their rooms if they never saw you clean or pick up any room in the house?

Probably not!

I’m not naive, and I know that even if you DO eat your vegetables, make you bed, and pick up your house, your children still might not follow in your footsteps, but it’s more likely than if you didn’t do the above mentioned tasks.

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Kids are extremely smart.

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They quickly pick up on patterns, routines, and they are very good at mimicking what they see — I’ve learned this from watching our international students over the past month.

So as the parent, if you model cleanliness and good organized habits {and continue to encourage/teach/show them to do the same}, they will be much more likely to STAY organized.

Obviously, all children are different and some children {like myself} are just naturally more structured and more organized than others; however I’m convinced that almost any child will be more organized if they see their parents modeling that behavior first.

It’s so interesting for me to finally be able to put this theory into practice now that we have our two international students living with us. Even though we gave them a bunch of “guidelines” and rules when they moved in, we certainly didn’t micro-manage every single detail of living in our house.

But after a month, they have quickly adapted to our routines and the way we live each day.

They know how to rinse off their dishes and put them in the sink/dishwasher

They know that they need to pack their lunches every night right after dinner is finished

They know what to recycle and what to throw away {and where to throw it away}

They know that they need to make their bed and pick up their room before school each day

They know that Saturday is the day they can do their laundry, they know now to do it, and that they should fold their clothing and put it away immediately after the laundry is finished

They know what foods are available for breakfast, lunches, and snacks — and where to find all those foods

They know that if they bring projects or homework downstairs to work at the kitchen table, they have to pick it all up again before dinner or before bed.

They know that they need to get their homework done before they can have free time, and the know what they are allowed to do in their free time.

They know to do all these things — not because we TOLD them — but because we SHOWED them how we did it and they naturally followed. 

So even though I’m NOT a parenting expert, I have seen it time and time again {in our own house and via many of my clients} that children do as they see — so if you want your kids to stay more organized, my best advice is to start modeling that behavior for them.

It will be more difficult to “convert” older kids to be more organized…especially if they were not brought up this way; however there’s always hope and starting now is better than later!

Am I just being overly optimistic or am I on to something here?

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Can any parents out there confirm that my theory is correct… and/or do you have any other suggestions or tips that you use to help YOUR kids stay organized?

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source: alexkerhead

I hate wasting time!

So I’m always on the lookout for quick organizing projects to tackle when I have a few extra minutes here and there. I’ve even started timing some of my daily tasks, and found that I could accomplish many of them in 10 minutes or less!

After thinking about these 10-minute tasks, I realized that by completing one every day for a year, I would tally up over 60 hours of organizing — pretty impressive!

So what can YOU accomplish in just 10 minutes a day?

Lots of stuff!

Head on over to the AboutOne Blog to read 22 simple ways you can get more organized in 10 minutes or less!

And I know you have at least 10 minutes!

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It’s THAT time of year again.

Ready or not, the lazy summer days will soon be replaced by a more structured, back-to-school schedule.

And even though the transition from summer to fall can be a stressful time of year for many families, the change is manageable if you take some time to simplify and organize a few key areas of your home and life.

1. Clothes

Fall is a great time to declutter closets – both your closet and your children’s. With the change of seasons, you may also need to change out your wardrobe and your children will most likely need a few new items for school that you missed during the back-to-school shopping rush. Plus, with the holiday season right around the corner, now is a great time to purge some of your old things to make room for new holiday outfits and gifts.

Simple Tip: Make the process fun for your children by hosting a fashion show and asking them to try on all their clothes. You’ll quickly see which items should be donated to charity and they’ll be entertained for an hour or two.

As for your own closet, purge anything that doesn’t fit properly, anything that’s damaged, anything you don’t feel great in, and anything you haven’t worn in the last year.

 

2. School Supplies

It’s the best time of year to stock up on school supplies as many stores are offering substantial discounts. However, before you head to the store, take a quick inventory of what you already have. Compare your current supplies to your children’s back-to-school lists and only buy what you don’t have.

Simple Tip: Take advantage of the amazing deals, but don’t get carried away. If you only need one package of markers, then only buy one (even if they are only $1.00). Those extra supplies will just take up valuable space in your home.

3. Technology

In today’s fast-paced world, you won’t get very far unless you have up-to-date technology. And while technology is a wonderful thing, it also requires an array of cords, pieces, parts, batteries, chargers and other accessories. Take some time to go through all your extra technology items and purge everything you don’t need. Then create a designated area to store extra cords, chargers, etc.

Simple Tip: Keep your cords organized by labeling them and reduce extra accessories and chargers by purchasing universal chargers like the Energizer Universal Charger. Its space-saving design can charge up to eight batteries at once and works with AA, AAA, C, D, and even 9V rechargeable batteries.

4. Meals

During busy fall months filled with meetings, ballet practice, piano lessons, and soccer games, it is extremely helpful to have a bunch of extra meals and snacks stored away in the freezer. Yes, this involves planning ahead and making those meals in advance, but once your freezer is stocked, you’ll save hours of time every week and you’ll never wonder “what’s for dinner?” again.

Simple Tip: Create a weekly meal plan at the end of the previous week. Write down what meals you’ll have each night, make a list of ingredients you’ll need to purchase, and don’t forget to schedule leftovers or take-out for at least one night!

5. Schedule

There’s a good chance your fall schedule will be busier than your summer schedule, so start off on the right foot by finding a good family calendar or personal planner to record all those important events, meeting, and activities. It could be an electronic calendar that you access via your phone or a simple wall calendar in your kitchen. The important thing is that you keep ALL the information in one place.

Simple Tip: Use different colors to record events for different family members. That way, everyone knows what the others are doing each day.

By planning ahead now and organizing a few key areas of your home and life, you can make a smooth transition into the hectic fall months.

What are YOU doing to get ready for the fall and back-to-school season?

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Thanks to Energizer for sponsoring this post and allowing it to be published in newspapers and magazines across the country!

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It’s officially the middle of August which means the start of a new school year is just a week or two away {I even know of a few schools who have started already!}

And even though I’m not quite to the back-to-school stage of life yet, {we’re still dealing with little baby clothes} I’ve worked with enough moms of school-age kids to know that they WILL most definitely have outgrown some of their clothing from last year, and they will probably need at least a few new items for school.

Since I’m right in the middle of a mini series on “Clothes Clutter”, I figured now would be an excellent time to talk about ways you can tackle your kid’s clothes clutter!

Here are a few tips to get you started — and I have a couple more links to helpful information down at the bottom!

1. Get Your Kids Involved.

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Just because you’re the adult doesn’t mean that your kids can’t get involved. I know everything always takes longer when kids are involved, but this is a great way to SHOW and TEACH them how to organize their things.

Plus, they will be MUCH more likely to keep things neat and organized if they played a role in the organizing process.

2. Make it FUN!

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Yes, it IS possible to make organizing fun — and if you are going to involve your kids {see #1 above} you’ll HAVE to make it fun!

My favorite idea {which I’ve probably mentioned before} is to host a mini fashion show. The kids can take turns trying on their clothes and then “strutting their stuff” up and down the hallway. This will give you a great opportunity to see what fits and what doesn’t.

Some other ideas are to offer incentives for the child who gets through their clothes the fastest; offer to buy one new article of clothing for every 15 they get rid of; or even allow them to help YOU purge your closet after you help them {seriously, some kids think that is so fun!}

3. Love it or Lose it.

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As you go through your kid’s clothes clutter, keep in mind that if you don’t love it, you should lose it… period. There is no point in keeping anything that isn’t loved or valued {yes, this will work for your closet too!}

Love it = Clothes and shoes that fit, clothes that they will actually wear, a variety of outfits that are appropriate for school, play, church, etc.

Lose it = Clothes and shoes that don’t fit, clothes that they won’t wear, and anything with obvious stains, large rips, or in ratty condition.

4. Save, Store, Sell, or…?

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If you’re like me, then you most likely purchased your kid’s clothes from a garage sale for less than $0.50 — which means you are probably willing to donate them to a local thrift store and get them out of your house!

However, I know lots of people who want to save certain items for sentimental purposes, store items for the next child, or try to sell them at a garage sale or consignment store. If this is true for you, then you’ll need a system.

I like using clear plastic bins with clearly visible labels. You should have bins for items you want to sell, and other bins for items you want to pass on to the next child {label those bins with the size, season, and gender.} Then, create a separate location for anything you want to save as a keepsake — like a cedar chest or special storage box {and don’t get too carried away!}

5. Donation or Trash the Rest.

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Obviously, there will be some items that simply need to go in the trash {we use junky t-shirts to make rags} but you should definitely find an appropriate place to donate the rest. This is also a really good learning opportunity for your children as they can see how their unused items benefit people in need. Oh, and it’s the fastest way to clear the clutter from your house!

More Kid’s Clothes Tips:

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Here are a BUNCH more tips for sorting, purging, and organizing your kid’s clothes clutter.

Here are a few tips to keep your children clutter free.

Remember that YOU are the adult, and even though you should try to involve your children, YOU have the final say. Don’t let them guilt you into keeping their favorite shirt that is 5 sizes too small. Some kids want to keep everything, and if you let them, they won’t learn the valuable lessons of purging and organizing!

What are your best tips for organizing kid’s clothes clutter?

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I was SO excited to participate in Apartment Guide’s “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge over the past month, because it gave me another excuses to design and organize the smallest space in our house — the nursery closet!

Not that I really needed a ton of motivation {it was really fun!} but it was definitely a welcome break from priming, painting, installing wood floors, and dealing with our tile shower.

And I am beyond thrilled with the final results!

Two weeks ago, I showed you my initial closet design ideas, and then this past weekend, we set to work installing and painting the plywood shelves, and organizing all the cute baby things that I’ve accumulated over the past month or so.

I was fortunate to get a bunch of free girl clothes from a friend, and then my mom found all sorts of amazing garage sale deals {yes, she’s just a little excited!}

I found these adorable Kid’s Huggable Hangers from The Container Store and purchased the Fabric Shoe Organizer from Target — which is perfect for onesies, sleepers, and sleep sacks. I love using the hanging fabric organizers for small closest where you don’t have enough for vertical shelving.

I also found these Fabric Storage Bins at Target. I already filled one with 6-9 month clothes and one with 9-12 month clothes. The third bin will be a place for me to put clothes that the baby outgrows {which I hear happens quite quickly!}

I love my antique laundry basket, but will probably switch to a smaller one to gain a little extra floor space later on {I’m hoping to use floor space for some of the bigger toys}.

I have two matching baskets sitting below the clothes bar — one for socks/shoes and one for bibs/burp cloths.  I still need to stain the lighter one to match the darker one below, but I like the “grab-and-go” aspect of open baskets for these smaller items. Plus it makes putting them away really simple!

Aren’t these little socks adorable!

However, these pink boots win the ultimate cuteness award

I have two shelves above the hanging bar, one will be for toys, books, the diaper bag, etc.

The top shelve is 4″ narrower than the other shelves {for easier access} and that is where I’m storing a bunch of our extra diapers and wipes — all found for free or almost free via coupons and rebates.

We don’t have many books or toys yet, but I haven’t even had a baby shower and we haven’t really purchased anything ourselves either. I’m certain I won’t even need to register for any of this stuff… it will just somehow accumulate!

Oh, and I was told that small baby items can easily “clog” front-loading washers so I hung two mesh garment bags on the inside of the closet door so I can put the small items directly into these bags. This will also make folding the laundry a breeze!

OK, so here’s the Before and After Reveal:

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Remove one of the closets, replace blue carpet with wood flooring, replace mirrored doors with solid wood French doors, add gorgeous white trim and crown molding, and insert adorable baby girl items — Done!

Our new nursery closet is finished — just waiting for some stain on the floor and baseboards!  Simple, right

It really is amazing how much you can fit in such a small space if it’s well planned and neatly organized. I think the trick is to first decide what exactly you will be storing in the space and then create your design accordingly.

Obviously, I wanted more shelves and less hanging since most baby clothes will be folded. I wanted enough space to store clothes that are too big, and a top shelf to store all the diapers and wipes I’ve been getting for free! We do have a small dresser that we plan to use a changing table so that will offer some additional storage, but for the most part, I’m extremely pleased with how much STUFF I fit into this small closet!

Is there a small space in your house that could use a little organization?

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Linked to Things I love Thursdays

Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

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Remember two weeks ago when I introduced the Apartment Guide’s Control the Clutter Blogger Challenge?

Well, I’m back at it again with the design plans for our nursery closet — which is by far, the smallest closet in our entire house… so it WILL be a challenge!

Our Nursery Closet:

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This is the current state of our nursery closet — with new doors, new trim, and a fresh coat of Bright White paint.

It’s not finished yet, but we certainly have come a long way from when we moved in — YIKES!!!

And one more…just for fun!

As you can see, we eliminated the closet on the right to accommodate a walk-in shower in the master bath that is just on the other side of the wall. We also put wood paneling over the FOUR layers of wallpaper, and we replaced the hideous mirrored doors with gorgeous, solid-wood French Doors to give the nursery an extra “farmhouse” feel and to match our master bedroom closet.

So while the outside of our closet is ready for our beautiful new nursery {and soon-to-be beautiful new baby}… now I get to plan, organize, and design the inside — which is always the most fun

Nursery Closet Design Ideas:

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I used the elfa closet design program at The Container Store website to design what I want our nursery closet to look like. I couldn’t get it exactly the way I wanted… so I “fudged” a little with Picnik!

Here is the general idea…

I don’t have everything I need for the closet makeover yet, but I did order a few sets of these adorable Kid’s Huggable Hangers {we use the adult version in our closet} from The Container Store’s Happy Organized Home sale!

Progress is moving right along and I’m so excited to show you the finished results — right back here in about two weeks!

But before we finalize our design plans — do you have any suggestions or must-have ideas for a nursery closet?? I’d love a few tips from anyone who actually has a baby/nursery/etc.!!

Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

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