February 24, 2013

A Peek Inside...Our Toy Closet

Disclaimer...I did straighten this before I took the photos, and it doesn't look like this all the time...but mostly, it does. Ok then, on we go!

I have been a mother for sixteen years and have been blessed with four beautiful children. Through the years we have acquired many, many toys, games and puzzles. This may present a problem for someone with ...oh, let's say...OCD..., but I have found a few simple tips to help with this particular situation. Here is our toy closet. We keep 75% of our toys here. The ones Flynn plays with on a daily basis are kept out in the family room. It warms my heart to look around that room and see a kitchen center and baby dolls. I know way too soon those special things will disappear, and become a sweet memory. Our books and movies are kept on a bookshelf in the family room as well. The toy closet is conveniently located right off the family room. When we built this house, the plans called for that space to be an outdoor bar for entertaining on the porch. Easy to see why I wisely asked the builder to spare us the bar and make a toy closet instead. A mother's mind never rests.

OK...here are some professional quality the best pictures I could get of our toy closet.




The top shelf holds games because these are things the kids don't play with that often, therefore, they don't need to be close at hand. Lucky for me, both of my girls are already taller than I am!





The second and third shelves hold small toys like Care Bears, Sesame Street, and Weebles. The first thing I do with toys like these is throw away the box. The toys never fit back into the box anyway. I love these small plastic bins to store the characters and clothing for each set. It is so much easier for the little ones to grab and go.


The fourth shelf holds the toys that Flynn plays with the most. Cinderella...surprise! She can safely reach these all by herself.


The floor holds the bigger boxes and dolls that get used a lot. This is our "baby toy" box. It holds all the baby toys that all my children have enjoyed, and sometimes, still do!


One final tip I have for all the young or new mommys...Although your child will grow and stop playing with these special baby toys, and at times you will be tempted to throw them out or even donate them to a friend...Don't! These toys will one day hold very special memories, and just looking at one will take you back in time. You will be sitting on the floor again, playing with your sweet baby, who somehow, someway, has grown into a teenager, right before your very eyes. These toys are special treasures, and with a little love, you can keep them safe and sound until you play with them again on the floor, only this time as a grandma.


This was one of Madison's favorites. I still remember the day I taught her how to fit the shapes in. I was so excited when she got the first one in, and then proceed to take off the lid and put in the rest!


I remember Peyton receiving this purse for her first birthday. Madison loved it so, and we promptly bought her one too. The girls spent hours playing with them.


Some other favorites...these are so nice, and hard to find now. Everything these days has flashing lights and loud noises!

And that, my friends is a peek inside our toy closet. And inside this mother's heart, as well. : )


9 comments:

  1. I love how organized you always are. I wish we had a closet to store toys and things like this. We have a two bedroom home for soon to be 6 people with very little closet space.

    Oh, my daughter saw this post while I was reading and said, "Mommy, I want to go play at their house!"

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  2. My kind of organizing! I love it when others share how they keep their OCD in check and house put together :-)

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  3. I would have picked the same toys to keep as well. They're timeless classics. I laughed at your disclaimer. I hope you had a nice weekend.

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  4. So sweet! And wow, what a great use of space! You are so organized!

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  5. I LOVE your organization and I'm showing this post to Scott who thinks I'm "the only one in the world" who throws out the boxes and instead buys clear bins. Ah Ha!!! Now I have proof that I'm not the only one! And I loved the idea on keeping those baby toys. Scott always wants to throw them out and I say NEVER! Sweet memories that I can't let go!

    Have a happy day! ~tara
    PS~ We all love the 4:00 Saturday Mass... it's brought so much peace to our weekends!

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  6. Yes I agree about keeping special toys because they hold special places in my heart. I have a few toys of Isabell's that I tossed and I kick myself for that.
    Hope you had a wonderful weekend and Monday my friend!

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  7. A toy closet! So smart!
    This makes me want to start cleaning out closets!:)
    Hope you are having a great day!

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  8. love the toy closet...you know i do!:) we have space in our basement where we keep extra toys too. and just like tara...i am a box thrower outer too!!:) plastic bins all the way baby!:)
    and i love your thoughts on keeping old toys. we do donate some (that were too flashy anyway!)but the ones that hold memories...those are ours forever. i love hearing all your old toy memories too...so very sweet.

    have a happy day billie jo

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  9. Hmmm....you are making me rethink me organization...we have that same shape sorter and I love it, an oldie but a goodie!!!

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Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo