TIPS: Organize and Declutter that playroom...FINALLY!

     A few months ago as I was walking through my daughters playroom I stepped on about three different DVDs, five different princess crowns, seven different magic wands, and a plethora of barbies, stuffed animals, and those super cute little Japanese erasers that she begged my husband and I to buy her. If toys really did have a 'life after the humans left' her toys were definitely having a full blown party {on a daily basis} in her playroom. 


   After asking my daughter over and over to pick up her toys and walking into the same mess everyday I decided I had to take control of the situation. 


  I had thought and thought of a great way to organize my daughter's playroom and finally it came to me....so my daughter, son, and I stopped into a home improvement store and bought a few inexpensive canvas totes, and baskets. I then came home and found pictures of her toys on the internet-printed them off and categorized them into a few categories and then laminated the signs and stuck them onto the canvas totes with velcro.


    The totes found a perfect storage spot in two bookcases that weren't being used anymore. My daughter could now see a picture of her toys on the bin and when I asked her to pick up and she turned around and said her famous line of 'I don't know where it goes!' I would just tell her to look at the pictures on the bins! 
  This project was quite time consuming but SO worth it! Now when we have company coming over picking up is a snap! 
If you don't have as much time as I had to devote to playroom organization I have thought of some other tips for organizing and decluttering that may help;

• Try to declutter for 15 minutes everyday
• Be picky with what you let your children keep-see a few things that they NEVER play with? Or what about that toy from the bank fundraiser? Out of sight out of mind!
• Start at the door and work your way around the room-do the surface things first and then get into the toy bins, movie cabinet, etc.
• Make a 'One Year Box'-put items that you are unsure about getting rid of and put them in a box-seal the box and date it for one year in the future. When the future date comes and you haven't had to open the box for a year it is time to throw away the box full of stuff! {just a small box can make such a huge difference!}
• Recycle things-did your kids just get a xbox 360? Then donate your old xbox or wii to family members or friends. Did your child get a new board game? Donate some of your old ones to Goodwill or to a local church or charity.

I hope I have helped you get a few helpful ideas on how to create a more organized and zen-like playroom and environment for the whole family....