Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Double Wammy - Toys, Toys, Toys


My home has been hit by a “double wammy”. In the past month, not only have we celebrated Christmas, all three of my children have celebrated their birthdays. You can guess where I’m going with this. We have had an influx of new toys, gadgets, and games.

How do keep the flood of gifts from throwing your home into a jumbled mess? You need to make space for the new items by purging. Get rid of what the kids are no longer playing with. Donate, toss, or sell the items, just get them out of the home.

Next, find a “home” for all the new items. Some toys may fit into already designated spots. The new doll can join the basket of other dolls. New containers may need to be purchased & labeled for a new category of items, such as the coin collecting kit.

The assigned “home” should be as close to the area the toy is used as possible, so the doll basket will go next to the doll house, the tricycle in the basement or garage, and the science kit near the kitchen sink.

Avoid the overwhelming feeling of chaos. Get into the routine of getting rid of unused items and assigning a specific spot for every item in the home. In this way, keeping control of all the “stuff” becomes much more manageable.

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