I usually feature new music on Mondays, while this post isn't about songs, I am hoping it's music to your ears ... and eyes.
About a month ago, I featured a guest blogger, my friend at Rocky Mountain Baby. She's got a great toy organization system that is working for her. Now I am sharing my system - or at least part of my system - with you. You should know that I am a freak when it comes to organization. If it can be color-coded or labeled, I am just that much happier :)
I am extremely fortunate to have a seriously handy/talented husband. He built the majority of my storage downstairs - in the family room and living room. In addition to tons of shelf space for storing books and a few toys, I have four big bins - stashed away on shelves - in each room. I don't know what I would do without all my delightful bins. Those bins save my sanity on a daily basis.
Here's the family room built-in. Lots of shelves up high for photos and my books and what-not, and everything in my toddler's reach is meant for her to play with ... how ideal is that?
View of the built-ins and baskets.
The contents of the bins in the family room. The small animals make their way into most of our dance parties. The musical instruments (mostly homemade) serve as great accompaniment, too. The blocks and cars, if I am being honest, don't get much love from NHV, but many of her buddies like to play with them. Oh, and of course, I've designated one bin that's really for me ... diaper changing essentials.
The blank-and-white woven baskets came from Walmart Online. The top has a hard wire frame, but the rest is totally pliable. I looked to find a link for them, but I can't find them again. I was lucky to find them because I needed this exact size to fit the built-ins.
In the living room, there are more custom shelves ... but I bought the big, deep chocolate brown canvas bins before my husband started building. That saved me a major headache later. I think the bins came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
All four are located at the very bottom - perfect for toddler scavenging. And just above them is a deep shelf for books, toys, and other goodies.
- Bin 1: Pretending - Natalie's favorite! Hats, scarves, little bags, cell phones, bracelets, tutus, ... all the things a little girl needs to accessorize!
- Bin 2: Stacking - cups, DiscoveryWorks pegboard and pegs (stored in Ikea bricks), super cool Wedgits, and plastic links (stored in hospital water bottles).
- Bin 3: Learning - puzzles, puzzles, and more puzzles (again, pieces stored in Ikea bricks)
- Bin 4: Cuddling - baby dolls, blankets, bottles, onesies, ... all the things a little girl needs to take care of her babies!
I have a different system upstairs and another one for crafts and such. I'll share those with you another time. If you have a toy organization system that you'd like to share, let me know ... I would love to have a few guest bloggers share what works for them :)
