Bins and baskets and stuff--oh my!

Toys are in place

Dresser drawers are labelled

Son's closet is organized

Jackets have a place to go

Daughter's closet--smallest in the house and holding the most things!

All that jewelry, makeup and hair stuff in one place!

When things are spaced out in the drawer so she can see it, she wears it all!

Backpacks and purses go HERE, not on the floor!

Ditto for shoes!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, thoughts of spring have got me cleaning and organizing! There is a discussion on a board I frequent about favorite organized spots in the house. I have no idea how to post pictures on a discussion board, so I figured I'd post them here and share them with all of you guys, too!

One of the main reasons our house gets cluttered and disorganized is because an area develops where things need to be or things come in and are put down, and there is no designated spot for them. Sometimes, there is something of a spot for things but nobody knows where it is. I have become a huge fan of bins, baskets, labels and hooks!! They are abundant at garage sales and second hand stores, look fairly decorative and certainly serve a purpose!

The first pictures are of my son's room. The main issue there is with his toys. I try to keep everything out where he can see it and play with it. I have lots of bins to keep his small things together, and they don't have lids so that he can put them away. (and he actually does, though I'm sure he'd quit if he knew we were happy about it!) His closet has an organizer in it, and mainly holds overflow items--extra diapers, clothes to grow into, toys that I don't want all over the floor. His dresser is labelled at each drawer. Not that he can read--LOL--but because we all put his clothes away and everyone would put things in a different place if it weren't labelled and I'd never find anything! We also have hooks for jackets, etc so that they are easy to find and easy to put away. Overall, his room stays tidy so the system works for now.

My daughter's room had different issues. She has the smallest closet and the most stuff--purses, hats, belts, etc. We put in a closet organizer and bought these bins last year at Ikea. They are all labelled so she knows where to find everything. Not only do her accessories go in there, but some hold Barbies and Polly Pockets as well. We put a plastic 3-drawer organizer (lebelled, of course!) for the tons of small things like hair accessories and jewelry. Its nice not to find these things all over the floor!

Her dresser drawers aren't labelled, but I did find that if I arrange things so that she can see everything, it all gets worn instead of just what's on top. Thanks to our quest for simpler living, the drawers aren't crammed full but she has what she needs in there.

It certainly is peaceful having a place for everything and everything in its place, and far less "everything" alltogether! Next post I will show cabinets, pantry and laundry room. :)

Thenext two pictures show where we corrall jackets, backpacks, shoes and etc when the kids walk in the door. If it weren't for these, there would always be a pile in front of the door.