Today, we answer a reader question:
Catherine from Orange County, CA asks:
"My toy storage and playroom have become a disorganized disaster. Christmas came and went. More toys are surely on their way in the coming year to make a bad situation worse. Do you have any toy organizing advice for managing the mountain this holiday season or throughout the year?"
And we answer:
Catherine, in just the past week, you know an even bigger avalanche of toys slammed into the playroom. My number one tip is to prepare now, before the New Year. Here's how to do it:
In order to minimize the amount of toys in the space, attempt to pull out toys and declutter what your children haven’t used in a while (or even new unwrapped toys they’ve not noticed). And don’t forget the books!
Once you’ve selected and pulled the toys, store them in clear containers away from the play area (in a different location if possible). Label the boxes and age group if you are storing for much later use. Then, rotate toys monthly. Save holiday or seasonal toys separately. Remember, less is more when it comes to toys. Less in the toy play area means more focus, enjoyment and appreciation for what they have.
Your home may not end up looking like the beautiful tented vintage french circus theme photo above, complete with red organizing boxes, sea-grass baskets, well-behaved children in white--- all a dream perhaps and you can always hope. In the meantime, follow us on Pinterest for more organizing inspiration.
Moms: This is the part of our blog topic where we ask you to comment. What are the best clutter free gifts you ever received? Tweet your ideas and holiday organizing questions to @johntrosko or leave a comment below.
A different edited version of this piece above originally appeared on Perezitos, Perez Hilton's site featuring celebrity families and advice from pediatricians, parenting and lifestyle experts. Click here to read the article.
image courtesy our pinterest account
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We've been researching toy storage options for a West Los Angeles professional organizing client.
Who would have known so many options exist, high-end, low-end, every end imaginable-- and we're discovering new options every day and coming up with some great stuff. One look at the pictures we've posted for this topic and you can see the great options (can you tell we like nautical?)
One of the details we're looking at is safety. We're searching for a unit that will need to be safe enough for a younger child to reach items themselves, without the aid of a helper. We were going through some Los Angeles Times recalls recently and found one toy storage unit that came with trouble.
Bayside Furnishings of San Diego is recalling 9,350 La Jolla Boat Beds and Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Beds sold at Costco after a 22-month old boy died when the lid of a toy storage chest on one of the beds fell on his head.
Consumers have been told that the beds are safe to sleep in (and they are very lovely). However, the toy chests should not be used until the free safety kits are atttached to the toy chest lids. Free kits are available at the links below.
What safety elements do you look for when you shop for children's storage furniture?
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