Toys, Toys, and MORE Toys!!!

With 5 kids in a home, who all like to play with toys, things can get a little mixed up and messy pretty quick!  Not to mention, with the age span between all of the kids (3 to 13), we have every type of toy you can imagine!  It used to be so easy with just a couple kids and their toys...there were the boy toys and the girl toys.  Simple.  After trying and failing with several "ideas", we've finally settled on what works for us.  

We started out in phases...the cheaper phase and the more expensive phase, but thankfully they both do the same jobs, one just looks a little nicer than the other.

Here is the cheaper phase.  Just your basic 3 drawer "Sterilite" plastic dresser, but with the addition of labels it makes things MUCH easier to keep things put away where they belong.  The clear drawers help the non-readers "see" what is in the bin, while the other kids can read and have NO EXCUSES!!  In the past, I've also made labels using pictures of the types of toys that are supposed to be in the bins, using clip art they came out really cute.  Now they've worn off and I was trying to do these labels quickly just so they're in place.  Some rainy day I'll make cute ones, but for now these do the trick just fine.

These toy bins are kept in our Family room, which I LOVE.  The children keep almost all of their toys in this room, which helps eliminate another mess in their bedrooms.  The older boys have some small Lego sets that they keep in a plastic dresser in their closet.  It helps me keep the little kids out of the small Legos and lets the big kids have a place away from the little kids to build their creations.

These next cabinets are the more expensive phase of my pursuit of organization, but sooo worth the wait!

Brian has given me a blanket of permission to buy WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep things organized!  Thank you, thank you and thank you, Honey!! Woo hoo!!  

Last year, a local store had a drop dead, slap your Mama bargain on these cabinets and we snatched them up quick!!  Again, each bin is labeled for what goes inside and only 2 things are allowed on top.  Again, TWO large toys only.  The kids tend to want to put their "favorites" up there or this and that, which become clutter, which attracts dust, which bothers me and looks messy.  Thus, I made another "Mama Rule"  Love the Mama Rules.  (Rules created by Mama to keep the peace and sanity of the home, not necessarily a right vs. wrong rule)

Basically, you could say that I have a love affair with organizational bins and the like.  Go ahead, say it, I'll agree...and go buy another one!  Our kids shoes are also in bins on a shelf in our garage...love that too!  No lost shoes in bedrooms or under couches or who knows where else they disappear to on a Sunday morning!  Each child has a shelf with two bins...play shoes...and dress shoes.  Caleb, the tallest has the top shelf , Ethan the middle, and Titus has the bottom.  Each kid can reach his bin and needs no assistance in getting out or putting shoes away.  

Well, this has gone from toys to shoes, so I guess I'd better quit before it gets dicey.

Hope you weren't too bored while I blabbered on about my organization addiction.  Better than me begging you to borrow money because I'm addicted to crack, right?  O, I think I'd better quit now.  Bedtime!
In case you're not ready for bed, check out this link for other ideas for your home.