Removing Toy Clutter in One Week

You may have noticed that I’ve been a little MIA these past few weeks (I know my email inbox has definitely noticed… yikes!) The end of summer wind down started to cave in on me while I was trying so hard to keep up with everything. And by everything I mean, everything. Isn’t it possible to soak up all the free moments with the little ones you love so much, make sure to get in all the activities that are more challenging once school starts, organize toy clutter in preparation for school to start AND squeeze in a few hours of work???

I decided something had to be put on hold. After careful consideration I decided A Mom with a Lesson Plan was going on a short and unscheduled break. (One of the perks of being my own boss.)

The break behind the scenes will continue until M and M are back in school (sorry if I’m not as quick as usual at replying to comments), but I have so much to share it’s time to get posts running again. There will be no rhyme or reason to the goodies you’ll find in the coming weeks (certainly no lesson plan), but I promise you will not be disappointed.

For starters I wanted to let you in on what we’ve been doing this month. The basic theme is cleaning out and setting up, I guess back to school is kind of like a fresh start for us.

Cleaning Out Toy Clutter

Stuff started to pile in the corners, on the desks, under beds and in cabinets. The kids’ toy clutter was so mixed and overflowing I didn’t even bother asking them to clean up after themselves. Everywhere I looked made me want to run. I knew I needed to do something but making a plan seemed just as overwhelming as actually clearing out the space.

I needed motivation. I found it.

Stephanie Morgan is an online buddy of mine, I knew of her eBook but hadn’t had a chance to read it. I happen to love everything she does so when I went reaching for motivation I didn’t have to look far.

Purchasing Project Organize Your Entire Life: Quick Start Guide by Stephanie Morgan was step one. It actually sat open on my computer for a couple of days before I started reading. But once I did step 2 came even easier than I thought it would. (Stephanie has also created a Printables Pack to accompany the Quick Start Guide.)

I am a proud affiliate of Project Organize Your Entire Life. This post contains affiliate links, thank you for supporting A Mom with a Lesson Plan.

One of the biggest jobs I had to tackle was the toy clutter. (It also happened to be the part of the house causing me the most stress). I blocked out a week and hit the toys hard.

1. We set aside a space in the living room and piled every single toy there. While we did it I made sure to put sets together (dress up clothes, cars, trains, etc). Once that was done I pulled out one set at a time. The kids and I went through them one by one. We got rid of anything broken or unused. Tip: I didn’t want to just throw or give away their stuff. I wanted them to have a say. So as we went through the sets of toys, I asked them to pick two things they could easily be done with. Then I asked them to pick two things they wanted to hold onto. This made for tearless clean out! One more tip: I was careful to make the toys that were going away disappear immediately. No need for second thoughts. 
2. Knowing exactly what was staying made it easier to decide on storage bins. I choose all plastic, see through boxes.
3. AHHHHH!!! The toys are nice, neat and everything has a home. (Didn’t see any Lego’s? That’s because they have their own home in our new awesome LEGO storage cabinet.)

Now that the biggest project is out of the way I will continue decluttering little spaces as I go. If you are interested in organizing your entire life along with me you can pick up a copy of Project Organize Your Entire Life here.

I have been filling my Life Made Easier… Cleaning and Organizing Pinterest Board and would love to check out yours if you have one. Just leave the link in the comments.

What part of your house needs a serious clean out?