This should be my motto for two reasons: I love when my house is clean + organized {not messy} and I love when I can find storage solutions that work well in our home. I realize that not everyone out there thrives on organization and clutter-free-ness {made that up}, but I'd be willing to bet that if everyone did, they'd be happier and less stressed.
I don't handle stress very well {don't know many people that do, actually}. I take that back; I do when it comes to deadlines, but otherwise not so much. I hate what it does to my brain, my body, and my attention span. I get anxious when toys aren't put away after they've been used. I get anxious when there are crumbs or God-knows what else all over the floor {don't even get me started on my hair that falls out everywhere}. I tend to be an overly-anxious person, it's one of my severe weakness. I am really trying to work on it though, making myself more aware of when I get anxious over petty things. Nevertheless, if I can create a home that is as stress-free as possible, I'm all in because that means less anxiety for me and a calmer, happier Chelsea for everyone else.
Today I thought I'd share Emerson's playroom and how it now has LESS STUFF. I've started following some new bloggers on IG and they've really encouraged me to {maybe not literally, but through their blogs and feeds} to create an environment that doesn't focus so much on more stuff, as it does on enjoying and repurposing the stuff that we already own. I can admit that I've always been a "well, if it's on sale, then I can probably use it" type of shopper. Since quitting my job, I've had to align my mindset with our budget now. It's actually somewhat refreshing to buy LESS STUFF and be more creative with what I have.
I have purged almost our entire house, with the exception of Emerson's clothing/accessories {ha ha ha}, Trey's clothing/shoes, the garage randomness, and my teaching supplies {which are currently all stored in the attic + I'm far too much of a wimp to sift through it all up there whilst it's freezing outside}. All in all, I've made great progress. Just recently, I posted to IG that my mission was Emerson's toys. That same day, I took an entire trunk load {and I have an SUV} to Goodwill. It was mostly toys/baby gear, but it was also books, random home decor that I never use anymore, and a few odds + ends. I've also recently had some luck selling things on Craigslist just to get them OUT of the house and/or garage. So, I recommend trying to sell some of the bigger items.
Back to the room at hand, Emerson's play room. We are very blessed that we have space in our house that can be dedicated solely to housing the majority of Emerson's belongings. With that being said, she does have a basket of toys in her room that houses wooden blocks/train set + a small keyboard, along with her rain gutter bookshelves that hold lots of books. She has one basket in the living room that houses all of her beloved rubber balls, her sensory sticks that I made, and a couple of other beloved toys/books. Otherwise EVERYTHING else is housed in the playroom. I LOVE THAT. This makes it so easy to tidy up before moving on to another room to play AND it keeps toys from being strewn all over the house. If you don't have a separate room, consider bookshelves with baskets or crates, or even wicker baskets {Target or At Home have great ones} make for great hidden storage. Another option, probably my least favorite simply because of accessibility for the kids, is storage ottomans that have removable lids. Utilize underneath your child's crib or bed using plastic storage bins. There are many ways to "hide" all of the stuff. But, simply put, the best way to not have to "hide" stuff is to ELIMINATE STUFF altogether. I know exactly what toys we own know and it's amazing how much I got rid of and she hasn't even flinched.
So allow me to show you pictures of her playroom {which I've shared before} now that it's all clutter-free. Everything has a place, and for this neat freak, my heart is fluttering. The space is bright and cheery, and gets GREAT light all day, so it's the perfect space for her to play.
The bookshelves were free {can't remember why or where from}. They were originally brown laminate and I painted them black. I added gray + white wrapping paper behind the shelves to add some visual interest to the inside of the each bookcase {see below}. In case you're wondering what that big stack is going to the ceiling is, it's a wood stove. I disguised it using the bookshelves on either side and by adding magnetic tape to the backs of flashcards and adhering them to the side of the stack. It serves as a "tv stand" currently. It's not ideal, but it works. I also added some framed online printables that I colored myself {it's like therapy}. The rug used to be in Emerson's room. The daybed, which used to be in Emerson's nursery when she was younger, serves as a "couch"in the playroom now {pillows from At Home + fitted sheet from Target}. Also, under the daybed is terrific storage for all of Emerson's larger baby gear {swing, rock-n-play, bumbo seat, etc}.
Think outside of the box for seating. We bought this daybed for $100 on Craigslist. Not only does it serve as super comfy seating, but it doubles as a guest bed as well.
The lamps were Target clearance finds, and the white baskets are from Dollar Tree {they were used in my classroom for a while}. Most of Emerson's books are thrift store buys {usually thrift stores sell books 2/$1. In terms of toys here, she has mega Legos {girl ones of course ;)}, a ring stacker, and a Little People train with animals. On the other bookcase is a shape organizer, her "purse"+ dog, her art supplies, and her sand toys. *Not pictured: her mini ball pit that is collapsable*
The table is an IKEA Lack side table that I bought from a friend for $5 when she was moving. I painted the top with chalkboard paint and Emerson LOVES to sit there and draw with "k-alk". I bought the chairs from IKEA for $12 each. The sign was one I made for her first birthday. I also have 2 arts -n- crafts baskets where I keep all of her art supplies. My cousin gave her finger paints for her birthday with extra large brushes. SO cute, but she definitely doesn't get the concept quite yet. Ha.
This pink + white chevron bin was an At Home find and holds Emerson's puzzles. The globe was thrifted and she calls it a "b-aw" {ball}, which she likes to spin. I made the poufs and I made all of the artwork hanging in this room using flashcards from the Target Dollar Spot and/or free online printables. All of the frames were thrifted and spray painted black {if they weren't black to begin with}. DON'T BUY NEW FRAMES PEOPLE. Thrift stores are the jackpot for these and they're super cheap! All you need is a little spray paint and just an ounce of imagination {but really, you don't even need that}.
The black Lazy boy recliner was Trey's only salvaged piece from his used-to-be man cave. He wouldn't let it go. In his defense, it is really comfortable and it has massage features and a heated seat. Y E S, Emerson, I'll sit here while you play. Wake me in 5. ;)
My parents got Emerson this play kitchen for $40 for Christmas at a 2nd hand shop. Real talk: Aside from the green counter tops and the wallpaper border, it's nicer than our real kitchen. She even has stainless steel appliances ;). She has a little tea set + some play food stored in all of those cabinets.
These windows are pretty big, so blinds or window coverings were a little expensive for them, at least for the coverage I wanted. So, I covered them using the temporary paper blinds sold at most home improvement stores, then I layered them with sheer white floor length curtains {Target -originally used in my classroom}. The windows have to be {partially} covered because the neighbor's house is literally about 15 feet, if that, outside of those windows. *eye roll*
I've posted about these before, but I created these using old movie poster frames that I found at Goodwill for $2.50 each. I spray painted them black, added 3 rows of black twine and attached $1 ABC:animal flashcards in pastel colors with mini white clothespins. I did the same on the other one, except I used a couple of animal flashcards and numbers 1-10. Total for these two pieces of wall art was $10 because I already had the twine and spray paint. It was an easy project and could easily be done on a smaller scale using smaller frames.
I hope you gathered some ideas for how to better store and/or purge your kiddos "STUFF". They really don't need that much. Less mess, less stress! Remember that! Thanks for reading!
This next one is actually just stapled to an actual 18 x 24" canvas {that I happened to find at Goodwill for $1}. You would never know it is just a thin piece of paper attached to the canvas via staples on the back. HA, trickery at it's finest. {This was a photo from our newborn shoot-so LONG ago! *cue crocodile tears* }
