Category: Children

  • Rotate Toys And Eliminate Clutter In The Playroom

    Children's Play Room

    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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  • Toy Chest Product Recall Announced


    Bayside furnishings wood bed 

    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?)



    Bayside furnishings white bed

     

    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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  • HomeHero Fire Extinguishers – Save Your Stuff in Style

    Fire_extinguisher_4

    There’s nothing like a fire to do your decluttering for you, without your permission and consent.

    Take the HomeHero BC kitchen fire extinguisher for example. With this simple, stylish device, you can stop a simple kitchen fire from getting out of control and save your space.

    We credit our client for telling us about this handsome knockout.  So on Friday, we headed down the hill to Sunset Boulevard and picked up six of them for the client at the local Home Depot. 

    The design blogs have gone crazy– and for good reason.  These units promote safety while remaining stylish.

    • The unit sits stylishly on your kitchen counter.
    • The stylish design keeps it visible for rapid accessibility.
    • Design features ergonomic grip and one hand push button dispensing.
    • Innovative wall-mount bracket (they call it a docking station) included and is U/L Listed.

    Did you know there are two kinds of extinguishers?

    1. ABC extinguishers – fights wood, paper and cloth fires, plus flammable liquid and electrical fires.
    2. BC extinguishers – should only be used in kitchens because the chemical agent in ABC extinguishers may damage ovens and other kitchen surfaces. Good only for flammable liquids and electrical fires.

    Listen, if you’ve ever had to use a fire extinguisher, let us know your tips.  Do you think this stylish design would blend so well in your decor that you may not find it during that moment of panic?

    John_trosko

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  • Organize Your Toy Legos and Build More Stuff

    Lego

    This just about takes the cake, er, um, Legos.

    Now, we’re a huge fan of Lego’s.  Sitting on our bedroom floor in 1976 listening to Top-10 WABC Radio in New York City, this Jersey boy managed to keep his pre-teen sanity by building large-scale Lego projects galore.  Such fun.  Our collection resembled the box above.  Except back then, we didn’t have all the high-tech small pieces.

    Storing_legos Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has a post today on How to organize your Lego bricks for efficient building.  What has this world come to?  If you’re into Legos, you’ve got to check this out.  If you’re not, you’ve got to check out the passion this writer has for "efficient building." They’ve analyzed:

    • Why storage drawers won’t work;
    • Which Legos stack better than others;
    • Why stacking bricks of like kind together make it easy to pick them out of a large bin;
    • How alternating stacked bricks will save you time when pulling bricks apart.

    LegosOur most favorite comment is from Tim T. who says:

    "It is always such a relief to find other people as enthralled with organization as I am. When we bought our house, which for all intents and purposes has infinite space (at least compared to our previous apartment), I spent about 2 weeks sorting all of my Lego’s for easier access. Previous storage consisted of a gigantic purple plastic bin, plus a few smaller additional bins."

    2 weeks separating his Legos?  Now, that’s dedication!

    Read – Evil Mad Scientist

    Related Posts:

    • How to organize a playroom – leave it be?

    John_trosko

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  • “Woodstock Wonderland” on Saturday – We’ll be There

    Logo

    We’re participating in a fundraiser this Satuday, for a local school.

    Regardless of some critics, there still are terrific schools spread around Los Angeles.  To make ends meet, these schools hold fundraisers every now and then to help pay for the librarian, physical education and music teachers, field trips, books art supplies and office equipment.

    In the hills above Laurel Canyon (near our office) is Wonderland Avenue Elementary School.  The school’s Gifted Magnet program attracts students from all over the city, with over 440 in attendance each day.

    Saturday’s Woodstock Wonderland-event, to benefit Wonderland School, will be held at CBS Radford in Studio City.  CBS Radford has hosted such television shows as Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, My Three Sons, Gilligan’s Island, The Bob Newhart Show, Seinfeld and most recently, Big BrotherWe’re donating a gift certificate valid for an entire day of office organizing, staff, and supplies.  And we hope to attend, too!  The event will take place in typical LA-fashion, inside a sound stage and alongside their famed New York Street.  The studio is not open to public tours, so it’s fun to get a glimpse of manufactured reality.

    Let’s hope it’s warm in the Valley that night, we’ll wear our seersucker!

    • Buy tickets @ $80 for Woodstock Wonderland Silent and Live Auction
    • Visit the Wonderland Elementary School website
    • See some of the items up for auction.

    Related Posts:

    John_trosko

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  • Wood Organizing Products

    Bamboo_monitor_3Wood you make the switch and move away from plastic organizing products, if you could?

    A down-to-earth client and I have been researching wood-based (or bamboo) organizing products, not necessarily because they’re eco-friendly, they’re beautiful, functional, and sturdy.

    Bamboo_lcd_tvFrom PlayEngine in the UK, comes this incredible LCD TV (right) and computer monitor (left) made of bamboo.  The components on the cover, except for the buttons, are made entirely of bamboo. The electronic components are lead free and comply with CE and EU safety approvals.

    Chair_mat From BusinessChairs.com, comes this Asian Pacific Hardwood Mat (right) perfect to save your carpet.  Bamboo is easier on flooring since bamboo mats don’t use spikes to hold themselves in place.  Made from all-natural products, unlike rubber chair mats which are made from petroleum based products.

    Wine_cratesBallard Designs hosts these Grand Cru Wine Crates, crafted of fir with routered plank details and branded on all four sides with a charming label.

    Wood_containerIf wine isn’t your thing, try these barn wood and chalkboard bins, from VivaTerra.  Contain those newspapers, toys and craft supplies in something more earth-friendly, (and stylish.)

    Wood_binder This unfinished cedar binder from Wood Box Supply is so unusual, with it’s different tones of wood. Ships with a standard 3-hole ring, functional for to-go restaurant menus, a business card carrying case, or household binder.

    Wood you know of any earth-friendly, wood or bamboo products?  Please share.

    • Source:  Oh Gizmo (story idea and photo)

    John_trosko_2

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