Taking Back the Living Room

Last week we bought Ben the IKEA mini-kitchen and it quickly took the level of chaos in our living room to new heights.  In addition to all the other toys Ben scatters about throughout the day; there were now pots and pans, teacups and play food all over floor.  By the end of the weekend, I thought to myself, “Enough is enough.  I want my adult living space back”.  

Ben currently has toys in two areas of our house, in our living room and in his playroom.  I’m lucky, at 18 months, he’ll go downstairs and play on his own for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.  Since our house is a bi-level, I can hear him and, when it gets too quiet, I can peek over the railing to check on him.

Even though Ben has a playroom, over the last few months the toys in our living room seem to have multiplied.  My previously peaceful room was beginning to resemble a primary color toy store.  We even had a red/blue/purple/yellow tent in our living room (see image here).  On Tuesday morning, my dad took Ben out for a few hours and I did a little reshuffling.  I moved some toys (including the tent) downstairs to the playroom and tucked away a few of his favorites in our TV stand (previously filled with CDs and DVDs).  You can still tell we have a child but it feels a lot less cluttered and more like an adult space once again.  

Ben playing a few weeks ago.  Lots of toys lined up on the shelving unit.  

The front of our living room.  Some of Ben’s favorite toys are hiding in our TV stand. 

The back of our living room (which is actually a dining room but we use it as an extension of our living space).  The four baskets still hold many of Ben’s toys but the clutter on top of the shelving unit is gone.

 Musical Instruments 

Cars

Getting Organized

I’ve been working my way through the kitchen pantry all week and although it has taken me a little longer than five minutes a shelf, I should be able of open the door without embarrassment very soon.  It’s turned out to be a busy week in our household; my mom and I went to the U2 concert last night and we spent Tuesday evening in the emergency room with Ben (I’ll leave that story for a separate post).  Overall, getting organized is going well.  The pantry is getting quite the overhaul and I’m having a good time using my label maker!     

Conquering the Clutter...One Cupboard at a Time

In January, one of my goals was to take five minutes out of each day and organize one drawer, cupboard or shelf in our home.  Realistically, I know I no longer have the time to reorganize an entire room in an afternoon.  Most days I feel accomplished if I’ve conquered the dishes in the sink and a load of laundry.  So one cupboard a day seemed manageable, right?  Except I’ve been saying, “I’ll start on Monday” for the last five months.  Yesterday, inspired by Vlad and Kim’s move into their new home (thanks guys!), I took the plunge and organized the bottom shelf in our pantry when we got home.  It may not sound like much, but in 30 days I’ll have 30 clean nooks and crannies that were in a previous state of chaos.  My hope is that making this goal a public one will be the push I need to keep the momentum going.  For me, this exercise is about reflecting on what we really need and being honest about what we don’t.  It’s also about thinking twice before bringing anything new into our home. 

Ever since Ben was born I feel like the walls are closing in around us.  I tried to sift through all the clutter before he was born (truthfully I’ve been trying for years to find a place for everything in our home).  But once he arrived so did all the additional stuff; bottles, toys, clothes, swings and bouncy chairs.  The list (and piles) are never ending and it’s hard to find the time to pack it all away when it’s no longer in use.  Children, by nature are messy and so is their play.  By the end of the day Ben’s toys, clothes, books and sippy cups have taken over our house.  It isn’t uncommon for me to find a car or book underneath the covers as I crawl into bed at night.   

My house is usually tidy but it’s definitely not as clean as it use to be.  Gone are the days when all of the housework and laundry was tackled every Thursday night.  When you have a child you find a new balance in life.  Priorities shift, the refrigerator door covered in fingerprints, the floor a little stickier.  And truthfully, ‘perfectly clean’ doesn’t seem to matter as much as it use to.  When I close my eyes at night, I know, I can still aspire and dream of my home with everything it embodies having purpose, tucked neatly into place.