Space Savers...where to put it all

When you have kids, especially small children your once "neat" home becomes a smorgasbord of small toys that attempt to kill you everyday by stepping or slipping on their small plastic parts. Although I can not save you from the every day stepping on little bits that kill your bare feet, I can provide some good ideas on how to organize it.

In my house, I need what is durable and something that will last. I once tried to have cute little wicker boxes/baskets but quickly found that wicker does not last. At least in the house with a almost two year old boy. Therefore, I found that canvas boxes were the way to go. I try to have toys organized by type, but for a quick clean up, you can just throw all those small little toys in a container and put it up on a shelf while still looking a bit stylish. At Babies R Us, these canvas boxes go for $9.99 a piece. Target sells two in a pack for $34.99.

Another great idea by another Mommy friend was to use small mesh laundry bags (generally used to wash delicate items). She found that heavy plastic bags were quite the hazard in her house. I think it works well and she can toss the bags into her child's toy box.

I also like to reuse items in my household to store toys or other little kid items. After I finished using my Swiffer cleaning pads, the plastic container with the lid sparked an idea. I now use the old containers to store craft items like crayons, markers, etc., Why go out and buy those expensive little containers when you can use something you would of thrown away?

I am also all for toy boxes. I don't have one in my house yet, but we do have a storage container outside on my deck to store toys that are large and can either be played with outside or rotated with a different toy. My son always is happy to see new toys rotated into the house and usually plays with it as if he received a new toy. Another thing to think about (if you are purchasing furniture) is something my sister did. If you want to get an ottoman, then perhaps find an ottoman that has a storage feature. This way toys can be brought out or hidden when needed. I also value coffee tables that do this same thing. I once loved light looking coffee tables, but quickly found that having a tad bit of extra storage really does the trick.

Those are my little helpful ideas that I thought of and that I got from my other Mommy friends. A little organization doesn't hurt.

Do you have any other great organization ideas?