Taking Back Our House

This is my daughter’s room.

Notice there are toys everywhere! 

 This is our living room.

There are toys everywhere here too. Oh and my shoes, that’s not Caroline’s fault.

As you can see, there are toys everywhere. It amazes me because just a little over a year ago we didn’t own any toys. I’m not sure where they all came from, and I’m pretty sure that the stuffed animals might be procreating when no one is looking. I need my house back. After my sweet precious baby goes to bed, I need my living room to look like a grown up space. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of a playroom, so we have to figure out something else. So here’s what we did.

First I took all the toys and divided them up in to groups. I put puzzles in one group, sorting toys (which we have four of ) in another group, toys that sing and light up in a different group, etc. This was difficult to do with Caroline watching. She was very nervous about what I was doing. Also, with seeing all of her toys she was reminded of ones that had been in the bottom of a basket somewhere that she had forgotten about.

These tubs are awesome and pretty cheap!

After sorting all the toys, I filled up three tubs with some toys from each category. So each tub had a puzzle, a sorting toy, some stuffed animals, blocks, etc. I also left a pile out with some toys of each category… I mean, I can’t pack up all her toys!

Toys all packed up!
Toys all packed up!

I put the three tubs away, and decided that each week I would rotate out one tub. So that she still has the same type of toys but she is experiencing new toys each week… AND most importantly the toys aren’t over running our house!

Here’s what Caroline’s room looks like now! So much better!

So much better!
So much better!

It also seems like she has a greater attention span now that she has fewer toys accessible. She’s not skipping from puzzle to puzzle when she gets frustrated and she sits and plays with one toy for longer. That’s what we call a win-win situation!!

How do you keep the toys from taking over your house?

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Carrie Gould
Hi OKC! I'm Carrie! My husband, Steven, and I met in college but never dated. Many years later, we reconnected and fell in love. After a whirlwind romance and gorgeous wedding I gave up my Texan status and moved to Oklahoma (he was worth it!) He spends his days on the road travelling all over the state of Oklahoma. We are the proud parents of our adorable 2 year old, Caroline and precious baby Benjamin. There is very little sleeping going on at our house. I am a music lover and a wannabe crafter. I am very good at following directions but not so great at creating my own masterpieces. I was a math teacher for 6 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Before being a teacher, I worked in the actuarial field, which is what I am doing part-time now. As a family we work hard to live a simple life, create great memories, and love the Lord with all our heart. I am so excited to be sharing my family with all of you and connecting with other local moms!

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