40 Bags in 40 Days

I have had this challenge on my "to do" list for a few months now. The goal? To get rid of 40 bags of stuff in 40 days. Cheryl from A Pretty Cool Life reminded me of this challenge this morning and I'm jumping on board. She wrote a great post explaining it here.

This morning, I'm making a list of areas that need a good purge and then filling my first bag. I always have such a hard time getting rid of stuff. I always think I can still use it, it's still good or I'll need it as soon as I get rid of it. However, my closets are jammed, the toy room overflows and my office, well, let's not even go there. Wish me luck!

Where to start? I think I'm going to need another cup of coffee...

Organizing Kids Clothes - Storage

As I've mentioned before, I love hand-me downs when it comes to kids' clothes.  I will happily take any clothes your children have outgrown, if you have any, please send them this way! : )  But seriously, I have been lucky to swap my boy's clothes for girl's clothes with a friend.  I also am given some items from friends and family every once in a while.  What to do with it all so I can actually find it easily when I need it?

First step, sort by gender and size. I don't sort by season or type of item since it then becomes too complicated to manage and requires multiple bins. Simple is best. It doesn't matter to me if there are shorts and winter coats together. 

Next, label the box.  I love reusing my old diaper boxes since they are sturdy, have handles and I can write the gender and size directly on the box.

Finally, have a designated spot for each child's clothes.  I now keep Charlie's too big items in bins under his bed.  It's tidy, hidden away and his clothes are there in his room when I need them. 

Lola is still in her crib so I keep a few boxes of upcoming sizes on the top shelves of her closet.  The rest goes into our tiny storage room downstairs. Do I ever miss my huge walk in closets (yes, plural) from our previous home. Even the home office had a walk-in! Sigh!

I'm always open to new ideas and suggestions.  What works for you?

Organizing Kids Clothes for School

For me, the key to keeping organized is good planning and everything having it's own place. I used to find the childrens' clothes a nightmare.  Clothes for different seasons, clothes that's too big, too small, boy's clothes, girl's clothes, good clothes, play clothes... too much to keep track of! I'll share in a few upcoming posts how I learnt to simplify and organize it all. An save my sanity.

Today, let's tackle clothes for school. Have you seen those collapsible sweater holders that Velcro onto a closet rod?  I picked one up last year and it was the best 7$ I ever spent. Seriously. Check out Charlie's closet.

He wears a uniform to school, but this would work for any child... or me for that matter.  When I put away laundry, I simply toss a pair of socks, underwear, pants and shirt in each cubbie, one for each day of the week.  I keep his out of season uniforms in the top spot. 

At a glance, I can see if he has clean clothes for school.  The best part is Charlie can dress himself every morning, no fuss, no panic.  He knows Monday is the bottom cubbie and to work his way up from there. You could add the days of the week to the shelves to get the kiddos used to seeing and reading them. Educational and oh so useful at 6:30 in the morning!

Underneath the organizer, I keep a large box for outgrown clothes. As soon as I notice something no longer fits, I can toss it into the box in his closet.  When it's full, I simply pack it up and store it or pass it on. It's already clean and organised by gender and size. Simple and easy since it's all right there in a logical spot when I need it. No more piles in my room or in the laundry room waiting to be put away!
Thanks for reading!

Pinterest

I have been putting off joining Pinterest because, really, do I need to spend more time online?  I finally gave in and I'm in love (sorry hon, you've got competition!)

Pinterest is basically a series of bulletin boards you create where you can pin and categorize any picture you find online. This sure appeals to my Virgo tendencies.  I love it because I can save any tutorial, pattern or recipe I find online on a specific board with a picture, and it is linked to the original post or site. I can now find what I'm looking for in mere seconds. Fabulous!



a view of my vintage sheet board

  I've added the "follow me on Pinterest" button on my sidebar.  Please take a minute to check it out. It's really a great site if you like to save recipes or any pictures online. It is, however, quite addictive. Just a warning.


Two of my boards... I can't wait to finish our mudroom!

 I'm off to do some pinning!
Thanks for reading!

Organizing Kids' Clothes

I have come to realize there are two big parts of who I am which conflict with one another. On one hand, I love order and being the one to organize. I can also be quite particular when it comes to my organisation systems.  I love to colour code and find better ways to keep everything in order.  I believe it's the Virgo in me.

On the other hand, I'm also a pack rat. I hate to get rid of anything for a number of reasons (or excuses).  It could come in handy one day, it's still good, I may read it, use it or repurpose it... eventually.  For the past few weeks, I have been decluttering, with much difficulty.  I keep trying but end up moving things more than clearing them out.  And we have way too much stuff!

As I continue to make a small dent in my spring decluttering, I thought I'd share how I keep my kids' clothes well organized in their dressers.  I read about this method online about a year ago and I had to try it.  The trick is not to stack clothes but to fold them in such a way you can "stand" them up in your drawers. Anyone else do this?

Charlie's shirts, long sleeve on the left, short sleeve on the right.

Pants and shorts



Lola's pants and tights

I love it! It's very easy to maintain, I can actually see everything at once and the pile doesn't collapse every time I got into a drawer. About once a month, I refold and reorganize items that need it. I timed myself this morning. It took me three minutes for Charlie's clothes, five for Lola's.  It's also a great way for me to check if they've outgrown anything, which goes directly into a box in their closet. Now, if only the rest of my house was as easy!
Thanks for reading!