Ok, I have to admit it, I LOVE organizing! I am a huge organizing geek and I am ok with that! Now that Spring is here (even though our weather certainly hasn’t felt like it) it’s a perfect time to start spring cleaning and organizing. De-cluttering the area’s I have been putting off until now.
With three females in the house, it is very easy for clothing, shoes and accessories to accumulate and for our closets to begin to overflow. So it’s a no-brainer to begin my spring cleaning with our closets and the girls’ bedrooms. Finding new and creative ways to store all of our seasonal clothes, accessories, hair bows and mountains of shoes is what I love doing. Using a little ingenuity goes a long way. Since I have tons of outfits Madison has already outgrown and waiting for Mila to fit into, I have my work cut out for me and space becomes limited. So here I will be sharing how I keep our closets and bedrooms clutter-free. My ideas for storage solutions and maximizing space. Because organizing can be easy with a few useful tips whether you’re a mom drowning in a sea of toys, or if you’re a girl with far too many shoes. (I’m both!)
“If you want to improve your life immediately, clean out a closet. Often it’s what we hold onto that holds us back”
Tip : Make a List or Lists!
I am a devout list maker, I have a list for everything (even a list for my lists). I’m kidding, but you get my point. Decide what area’s of the house are your top priority (maybe it’s the foyer or the main hall closet because of all the winter boots and coats) and what should be taken care of first and work from there. Or you can make lists by room and decide what needs to be done in each room (I’m sure there are plenty of area’s around the house that could use some attention after a long winter). If you’re like me, you will be starting with the kids’ closets and going through their clothes to separate all the things they have outgrown, and maybe find some space for all those toys!
Organizing a small closet !
For instance, Madison’s closet is tiny and I only keep clothing in her bedroom closet that she wears daily, anything else (like seasonal clothes and occasion pieces) I keep stored in my walk in. But to maximize the space you do have, use the whole closet! I’m talking even the walls inside the closet – I added some little hooks on the inside so I can hang her backpacks, hats and her favorite sweater for a quick grab and go.
I use the bottom of her bedroom closet to store some shoes and the top for folded clothes, like hooded sweaters and bulky items so they don’t over fill her drawers. Leaving more room for other pieces.
It’s a very small and simple step that has big benefits, like keeping items off the closet floor and leaving more room while also keeping everything neat and clutter free.
Shop some idea’s below and here :
(click the images below for the links directly to Wayfair.ca )
You can also use adhesive hooks like these :
I try to avoid too many things hanging on the back of our doors as I feel it adds to the clutter and the doors never open all the way which bugs me (must be my ocd)! So having everything tucked away into her closet is easy and tidy. As much as I tried storing the many stuffies the girls have in their closets, they always seemed to find their way back out…gee I wonder how that happened? So it became easier to just find a way to keep them out without having them lying around the floor. The girls primarily play with all their toys in our family room/playroom. And they have a playroom in the basement which doesn’t get much use in the colder months, so they spend much more time playing in their rooms which is much cozier. Thank goodness for pretty canvas baskets, natural jute and seagrass baskets and stackable storage solutions. They keep the littles’ toys accessible to them but easy for clean up whether they have a playroom or just play in every room (kinda like my littles these days!)
Madison’s stuffy corner in her room. Easy to grab and play and easy to put away while always looking cute. These baskets fit right into her pink and white bedroom.
Shop some idea’s :
Whether baskets or cube storage, either is perfect for storing toys, clothes, shoes, books, linens or trinkets.
Tip : Try using a little DIY and creativity to save space…and money!
When it comes to organizing and storing clothes for the wee ones, (I’m talking newborn-24 months) space is always an issue because there is just so much stuff! Beyond all the clothes, there are bibs, swaddles, stroller blankets, socks and mittens, you mama birds know the drill…it’s a lot. So with my little Mila and her drawers and closet, I began to label things. Sometimes by age and size and sometimes by category. The beneficial thing about labels for the littles is not just the obvious organization but also when hubby or grandma are looking for things, it’s all there and easy to find. I know what you’re all thinking, taking the time to buy or make labels is just extra work. But if your husband is anything like mine (he can’t find his own socks let alone the babies’ stuff) this little step will save you tons of time (and headaches) in the future! Labelling can also be a great tool for toddlers and kids in helping them learn where their clothing is, where it goes as well has how it is spelled. (Or you can use labels with little icons instead of the actual word). I made mine on my computer and just taped them on her dresser that way I could customize the design, (I told you guys – I love DIY and any chance to make things pretty)! But you can find lots of printable labels online for free or even just your regular office label pages if that is easier for you.
Shop some idea’s :
Now when it comes to dividing Mila’s clothes by age/size, I go to my trusty little helper that is always available and I have plenty of….diaper boxes! What mommy doesn’t have diaper boxes constantly taking up space, so I started taking advantage of their availability and use them for just about everything. One of my favorite uses has become storing different sized clothes for when I’m ready to switch out the sizes in the girls’ closets. But particularly Mila, who is still outgrowing things so fast you can barely keep up. So I keep her larger clothes waiting for her to use in a self-decorated diaper box ready to switch with the clothes she is outgrowing in her drawers. To give the boxes a more polished look, I simply wrapped them in a pretty wrapping paper of my choice so that the boxes easily blend into her room.
I also made the labels by age/size. I re-used an old hat box that was my grandmothers as her memory box to store trinkets, cards and pictures.
I keep these boxes stored in her closet and ready for the next size change.
Deciding what baby clothes should stay or go is a challenge all on its own. I would be lying if I said I get rid of all of it, I keep the special pieces that mean something to me. Their first outfit worn coming home from the hospital, their first shoes, or pieces from special members of the family. I try to store those in my walk in but as you can imagine it get’s a little tight in there (hey, I need space too..mom loves her shoes)! So when it’s things of sentimental value and not useful to us day-to-day, extra storage solutions are critical.
Everything old can be new again and have a whole new use. That’s why I love Mila’s change table. It’s become a bookshelf, a shoe shelf, toy storage and clothes storage – it all depends on the day.
A book shelf or cube storage is also the perfect addition to any room or closet as it is easy to store folded clothes, shoes, jewelery boxes, a picture or vase and more.
Some of the shelving from my walk in is used for clothes I don’t need hung up, purses, belst and accessories. While my drawers are currently used by my girls. It’s the perfect storage addition.
Shop some idea’s below and here :
On Display!
A big trend in decor right now is having your accessories hanging out rather than tucked away! Displaying hats, purses, shoes and even jewellery is all over the internet, and I think it’s a lot of fun to have your favorite items out and used as decor. The idea may not be for everyone, but it is a fun option for a fashionista and another option for storing your closet pieces.
This is a plain wall in my room right beside my closet. I am constantly changing up this space, it’s like my little creative corner! Sometimes you’ll find my hats and sometimes I hang up pictures.
I have the same ‘display’ idea happening in Mila’s room. Hanging up any new pieces I love to look at, or the things we’re using most frequent.
Shop some idea’s below and here :
For those of you that prefer to have all your jewellery and accessories tucked away, or if you’re like me and you keep lots of little memories from your littles and special occasions, then decorative storage boxes are for you. There are so many different types of decorative storage options other than baskets, and look just as pretty displayed in your bedroom, closet or any other room in the house. Each one of my girls has their own decorative memory box filled with milestone memories, and I have my own with memories also. I also re-use my perfume bottle boxes for my hair accessories, unused jewellery and the girls’ many many bows (as long as the boxes are in good shape and look good). Everything can be re-used if it’s taken care of and well maintained.
Shop some idea’s :
Tip : Ask yourself these questions when cleaning out your wardrobe
So, while my spring cleaning appears to be focused on storage solutions and keeping things clutter free, it does also include purging our closets (and home) of unused and unwanted items. There is no better way to get a fresh start then ridding your home of things that you no longer have use for. So when going through your clothes, shoes and accessories ask yourself these 3 questions :
- When was the last time I wore this?
- Does this fit into my lifestyle today?
- Would I buy this if I was out shopping today?
Keeping a neat closet of essential, interchangeable pieces is really all we need, anything else is just extra and takes up space in our home. Donate it or give it to someone you know who would love it, it will make you feel great to give pieces you once loved a chance to be loved again by someone else.
Didn’t see anything that caught your eye? Be sure to check out Wayfair.ca for more inspiration and home decor to get your home organized!
So now that our closets are done, it’s onto my kitchen pantry – which isn’t as much fun!
Do you all have any tips or advice for me on tackling the rest of my home? How do you guys organize your closets? I Can’t wait to read it!
Hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Happy cleaning!
With Love,
Michelle and the minis xo