Organized people, I need your help (long)

[meggie]

I was raised by a pack rat, DH was raised by a pack rat. We both turned into pack rats. We have recently started dejunking everything we don't need. It has been a very freeing experience to not have spend so much time reorganizing junk or spend so much time looking for our junk.

 

Here's the help I need: how much would you be willing to spend on items that will help keep you organized. We have a fairly decent sized apartment, I'm guessing about 850 square feet. But there's enough of us now that we need the most bang for our buck.

 

I've been looking into getting this bed. We've already been planning on getting a bunkbed when Digby (almost 2) outgrows the crib. Right now Pigby (5) just sleeps on a mattress on the floor. If we got this bed, then we could put their clothes into the two drawers on the bottom and get rid of their dresser completely, giving us more space in their room.

 

Also, someone mentioned these desk organizers. These would be of great help in keeping our desk organized. I'm constantly losing paper, pens, tape, stamps, etc.

 

I'm also thinking about getting this system for their toys. Their toys drive me nuts!!! And we've gotten rid of quite a bit, now I just need a better way of storing them than a big 35 gallon bucket.

 

Which ones would you think are worth it and which ones not? Are there any other things you'd recommend? Remember, this is for very disorganized people. I'm aware that in order to be useful, I'll have to be making sure they're used properly. But the problem I always run into is "a place for everything". Once everything has a place, the "everything in its place" is much easier for me to maintain.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I looked at your links, and skimmed the post (sorry).

 

I'd say no to that specific bed. The underbed drawers are not going to hold as much as it seems. There are tons of other storage/loft/bunk type beds.

 

I'm getting a desk apprentice soon, so I'd have to agree.

 

The IKEA unit, you are going to have to see it and touch it! Kids toy boxes and bins usually do not hold much.

 

I'm sure someone will beat me to it, but I'll be back in a bit and post some links.

[elfgivas]

do you read flylady? one of the things she mentions repeatedly is to not buy things to organize things......

 

so i wouldn't pay much.

 

the one thing i spent money on that for us have been worth their weight in gold were shoe cubbies. now when i ask dc to put their shoes away, there is a specific place that makes them easy to find again.

 

i'll go look at your links now.

ann

[AngelBee]

The toy bins have NEVER worked for us. They end up all dumped and mixed together.

 

The bed looks beautiful and if getting a bunk anyway, seems like a great route to go.

 

The desk organizer would work for my older ones, but not for my ds6 and under.

 

:grouphug: I am chronically disorganized, so I understand your pain.

[elfgivas]

each person needs to find what works for them.

 

for me, i like the bed a lot, but we didn't go that route as my dc would have jumped from the top to the bottom..... and would miss a certain percentage of the time. you could get any bed, put flat bins with lids underneath it and have way more storage space (that's where we keep out of season clothes, and hand me downs that don't fit yet.)

 

the organizer looks like my definition of h*ll. too much in too small a place, with lots of stuff to get knocked out when i'm reaching for something else. i took a long wicker basket, put chipped coffee cups in it and used it as an organizer..... and it worked and cost nothing. i can take the cup of pencils out if we need pencils, etc....

 

re the toy organizer. we had something similar, but i like ones that have the bins on shelves rather than hanging, because its just too easy for the hanging bits to break....

 

hth,

ann

[Nestof3]

While I love this, a better bargain would be several of these lined up:

http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=408&ProductCategory=0&section=0

 

I bought mine from http://www.walmart.com. They sell them in stores, but usually in limited quantities. We had ours shipped to the store for free. I don't see that particular one on their site now.

 

They have all sorts of others too:

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=sterilite+drawer&ic=48_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0

 

FWIW -- I think money spent on organization is money well-spent. It has helped us keep an orderly home despite its size. The drawers and bins have helped us a ton as my boys know exactly where to put things. I even labeled mine.

 

I'm also thinking about getting this system for their toys. Their toys drive me nuts!!! And we've gotten rid of quite a bit, now I just need a better way of storing them than a big 35 gallon bucket.

 

Which ones would you think are worth it and which ones not? Are there any other things you'd recommend? Remember, this is for very disorganized people. I'm aware that in order to be useful, I'll have to be making sure they're used properly. But the problem I always run into is "a place for everything". Once everything has a place, the "everything in its place" is much easier for me to maintain.

[Oakblossoms]

My sis lives in an apartment and my nieces bed takes up the entire room. It is really depressing. Can they just sleep together for a few more years? Otherwise we have some bunks from Ikea that take up little space and more durable than I thought. I like real futon mats, too. You just put them away during the day.

[Oakblossoms]

Here are the bunks http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20102451.

[kwickimom]

I like your choices. I want a desk apprentice myself :) If you need a bunk bed, the drawers will be great.

 

The toy bin depends....it works great for some people and not for others. My kids are destructive and would break it and climb on it lol Also they would dump them all, all the time.

 

We split all their toys into rubbermaid totes and put them in the basement. They can trade out one tote for another as long as ALL the other toys are in the other tote. At the end of the day everything goes into the one tote....NO clean up or organizing on my part :D They have access to books 24/7 in baskets in the livingroom and their games are on a high shelf in their closet. I know you dont have a basement, but maybe could do this with a closet or playroom, etc.

 

I HATE clutter and go as simple as possible. Have fun organizing!!

[Oakblossoms]

I love the trofast. I would do it if you arer willing to divide the toys up. Cars. in one, toy people, blocks in a big bin etc..

[AK_Mom4]

DD17 has a bunk bed in her room. The lower bed is high enough to slide flat bins underneath for storing her "priceless" possesions and out-of-season clothes. I think the drawers on the walmart bunks are flaky and don't hold much.

 

With littles, one way we had to get more floor space was to put a chest of drawers right into the closet. That works less well now the DD is older and has more clothes that hang up, but it was great when they were little.

[regentrude]

I would wait before buying expensive storage solutions.

 

I would not spend that much money on the toy storage thing. See-through plastic boxes with lids that can be stacked work wondefully. Empty containers from baby wipes are perfect for storing crayons, pencils, art supplies. Also, for small items we have used plastic boxes with many compartments from the sewing/crafts aisles - for $2 each, or thereabouts.

 

The desk organizer looks great.

 

The bunk bed looks OK, but I have not been impressed with the quality of walmart furniture. Do you have an IKEA?

[meggie]

 

for me, i like the bed a lot, but we didn't go that route as my dc would have jumped from the top to the bottom..... and would miss a certain percentage of the time. you could get any bed, put flat bins with lids underneath it and have way more storage space (that's where we keep out of season clothes, and hand me downs that don't fit yet.)

 

ann

Good point. I don't think my five year old would ever try, but the 2 year old probably would in a few years. The kid's a dare devil.

 

While I love this, a better bargain would be several of these lined up:

http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=408&ProductCategory=0&section=0

 

I bought mine from www.walmart.com. They sell them in stores, but usually in limited quantities. We had ours shipped to the store for free. I don't see that particular one on their site now.

 

They have all sorts of others too:

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=sterilite+drawer&ic=48_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0

 

FWIW -- I think money spent on organization is money well-spent. It has helped us keep an orderly home despite its size. The drawers and bins have helped us a ton as my boys know exactly where to put things. I even labeled mine.

 

Good idea, thank you!

My sis lives in an apartment and my nieces bed takes up the entire room. It is really depressing. Can they just sleep together for a few more years? Otherwise we have some bunks from Ikea that take up little space and more durable than I thought. I like real futon mats, too. You just put them away during the day.

They already are sleeping in the same room, they will stay sleeping in the same room. Eventually, my baby girl will have to move in with them, which is why we'll need bunk beds of some kind.

 

I seriously would wait to buy anything until you're COMPLETELY done de-junking. You may not need what you think you need when you have less stuff.

 

We are done dejunking, just trying to figure out where to put the stuff that is left.

 

DD17 has a bunk bed in her room. The lower bed is high enough to slide flat bins underneath for storing her "priceless" possesions and out-of-season clothes. I think the drawers on the walmart bunks are flaky and don't hold much.

 

With littles, one way we had to get more floor space was to put a chest of drawers right into the closet. That works less well now the DD is older and has more clothes that hang up, but it was great when they were little.

We do have some of those flat bins under our beds, but I honestly and truly hate them :D. I was thinking the drawers would at least get used. The out of season clothes already have a place. And I have thought about putting the dresser in the closet, but it's a very long dresser and everything else would have to come out of the closet for it to go in (like the out of season clothes).

 

I would wait before buying expensive storage solutions.

 

I would not spend that much money on the toy storage thing. See-through plastic boxes with lids that can be stacked work wondefully. Empty containers from baby wipes are perfect for storing crayons, pencils, art supplies. Also, for small items we have used plastic boxes with many compartments from the sewing/crafts aisles - for $2 each, or thereabouts.

 

The desk organizer looks great.

 

The bunk bed looks OK, but I have not been impressed with the quality of walmart furniture. Do you have an IKEA?

We have done the clear, plastic boxes for toys, but they drive me bonkers. Too many lids, they get carted all over the house and they've been hijacked to store other things. We do have an IKEA close by, but I've not been impressed with the quality of stuff there :lol: but I do know what you mean about Walmart. I think it was this bed or maybe a similar one, but the reviews said they were impressed with the quality. A shock, I know! In all honesty, if DH had the time, I would just have him make them. We could get much better quality for the same price, but unfortunately he just doesn't have the time.

[JudoMom]

I love the idea of a desk apprentice, until I remember how big it is. Before you buy one, I would suggest taping paper together to make the dimensions of the base to make sure it's not too large for your area.

[usetoschool]

I have bought and gotten rid of many organization tools over the years. I love the Desk Apprentice and just keep using it. It is sized just right and has enough small and large compartments to arrange everything I need for school. Right now I have two weeks worth of worksheets and to do lists, and 11 books of varying sizes plus all the calculators, crayons, pencils and scissors we need on a daily basis.

 

I didn't look at the beds but we had a set of bunk beds with shelves on the ends and drawers underneath when my kids were little and they were a life saver. We have separate beds now but the drawers are so shallow that they are practically useless. I would say any drawers or shelving needs to be deep and wide or it is only good for collecting clutter, not storing anything useful and certainly not replacing a dresser.

 

I have tried every type of toy storage and finally discovered that my kids don't want to only play with the legos. They want to use the legos to build a whatever for the barbies and drive them to the whatever built with the wooden blocks. Sorting toys was a pain and caused a lot of tension. It is hard for the organizer in me to do it but it really worked better and everyone was happier and play was more productive when we had large shallow tubs to put things in. The tubs would be moved where they were playing if need be and were easy to find things in because they were shallow and easy to clean up with - just scoop and dump.

 

Have fun. I love the feeling of having everything clean and organized - even if for only the minute that it takes until the kids undo it again :001_smile:

[lmkzbcb]

The toy storage never worked for us either. All of it just ended up on the floor within a 30 min. span. Then I was left organizing it b/c the bins weren't big enough for certain things if they were mixed with other certain things. It was a pain. Big plastic tub worked best for us when they were little.

Now that they are older, we use Gorilla Shelves http://www.gorillarack.com/raptor/ We bought ours at Sam's Wholesale for about 60-80$ They hold a ton of stuff, clothes and toys. For small clothes like undies and socks, we use the largest dish pan and put it on one of the shelves. The shelves go almost to the ceiling and take up about as much space as a dresser on the floor, but we get a lot more usable space for the area. The height makes a huge difference. Plus they break down easy for moving and are sturdy.

 

HTH

[PeterPan]

I use inexpensive laundry baskets to organize toys. Makes clean-up a breeze, and they don't cost much. Mine are the $2 kind from Meijer, nothing fancy. It's just that I have scads of them. So the lightbrite and supplies are in a basket. Legoes in a basket. Playdough and dough cutters in a basket. And so on. If you like the shelving unit idea, you could store the laundry baskets on those shelves. I keep some of mine under the shelves in my basement. I keep others up high on a ledge. I don't think kids need to have so many toys out all the time anyway. Generally they need just to be creative with what they find lying around. You bring the toys out for specific reasons. But that's just how it is here. In any case, no I wouldn't buy that toy storage thing. Laundry baskets are cheap and re-useable lots of ways. You just can't go wrong with them.

[VA6336]

My kids happen to be small for their ages, so this works for us. Have you considered a sturdy bunk bed and NOT put the lower bunk in? We bought a really sturdy set of used (Craigslist) wood bunk beds, put up the top bunk and reinforced the lower joints with brackets from a hardware store. Then, we put two toddler size beds underneath it, perpendicular to the top bunk. There's a nice little path between the two, just wide enough for some shelving. Under the toddler beds, the shoe box size plastic containers with lids fit perfectly. We could fit a couple dozen under there, easily. :001_smile: Fits three beds in the space of one bunk bed. My oldest sleeps up top and the younger two below. If you PM me, I'll send you a picture. This arrangement will allow my three to sleep in the same room and still have floor space to play. My eldest daughter has some shelving we put up using white particle-y like shelving board and brackets from the hardware store way up on her top bunk.

 

Just a thought. Good luck!

[T'smom]

I don't know about the bunk bed but we have a couple of shelves of bins. It's not the same system though- they're shelves that hold bins tilted so that you can see what's inside. I LOVE them. Yes, the toys get mixed up, but that's okay. We sort them sometimes. Ours are labeled. I actually think it's easier for littles to clean up. I hand my 3 yo son the car bin and say 'pick up all the cars'. I think it's less overwhelming. (Sometimes I say things like - if I find any cars on the floor, you owe me a kiss!) He thinks it's fun to make sure he's got them all. But we do have LOTS of 'sets' of things. We do have a 'toy box' for bigger things or things that there is only one of. I agree with a PP that said her kids like to mix things up to play with- having the bins doesn't keep you from doing that. Plus, if you're looking for a T-Rex to attack your airplane, you know that the T-Rex is in the dinosaur bin! I've seen these 'bin shelves' at Target, but I've bought 2 at consignment shops. I didn't note the ages of your kids but a couple of our bins are labeled "A's toys" (she's 9 months) she loves to have her own bin to empty over and over and over!

Good luck with the organizing! I might sound organized, but I'm really not.

[dovrar]

I understand what you're talking about. I was always such a pack rat, but that stopped once we started moving every other year.

 

Here's what we do. I've got four kids that sleep on two sets of bunk beds. There is no storage built in under the beds, but I slide dollar store bins for sorting toys under the beds. When it's time to clean up it's much easier because each type of toy has it's own place (ie little cars, toy horses, etc.). The bins are easy enough to pull out when they need them and out of sight when they don't. We also have a bookshelf that holds toys that won't fit under the bed (toy castles) as well as more dollar store bins.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

While I love this, a better bargain would be several of these lined up:

http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=408&ProductCategory=0&section=0

 

I bought mine from www.walmart.com. They sell them in stores, but usually in limited quantities. We had ours shipped to the store for free. I don't see that particular one on their site now.

 

They have all sorts of others too:

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=sterilite+drawer&ic=48_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0

 

FWIW -- I think money spent on organization is money well-spent. It has helped us keep an orderly home despite its size. The drawers and bins have helped us a ton as my boys know exactly where to put things. I even labeled mine.

 

:iagree: I have these same "towers" at my place. I have two for homeschool supplies/learning games and two for toys. It is really good for the kids to be able to see which drawer they're in, and they're a LOT less money than those Ikea ones. I used strips of white paper taped inside the front of the drawer to label them. I wrote the name of the toy category, and added a big enough sticker or colored shape so that the non-readers could still put things back where they belong. I have a train sticker for the train drawer, orange triangle for wood board puzzles, yellow square for wood blocks, etc. The kids learned the system very quickly, and having the name on the front helps dh and visitors know where things go. Just be aware that the drawers can come out easily, and 4yos and 2yos like to stack and stand on them. And empty them out all at once. But I still recommend it, and you can use packaging tape to "lock" the drawers by taping the sides.

Edited May 19, 2011 by theYoungerMrsWarde

[meggie]

I don't know about the bunk bed but we have a couple of shelves of bins. It's not the same system though- they're shelves that hold bins tilted so that you can see what's inside. I LOVE them. Yes' date=' the toys get mixed up, but that's okay. We sort them sometimes. Ours are labeled. I actually think it's easier for littles to clean up. I hand my 3 yo son the car bin and say 'pick up all the cars'. I think it's less overwhelming. (Sometimes I say things like - if I find any cars on the floor, you owe me a kiss!) He thinks it's fun to make sure he's got them all. But we do have LOTS of 'sets' of things. We do have a 'toy box' for bigger things or things that there is only one of. I agree with a PP that said her kids like to mix things up to play with- having the bins doesn't keep you from doing that. Plus, if you're looking for a T-Rex to attack your airplane, you know that the T-Rex is in the dinosaur bin! I've seen these 'bin shelves' at Target, but I've bought 2 at consignment shops. I didn't note the ages of your kids but a couple of our bins are labeled "A's toys" (she's 9 months) she loves to have her own bin to empty over and over and over!

Good luck with the organizing! I might sound organized, but I'm really not.[/quote']

 

Oh yes, I know what you're talking about, I've wanted those too. And yes, that's why I wanted the whole system instead of each separate little boxes with the lids. They like to grab various things out of each box and use that for a little while. Thank you, I had kinda forgot about them.

 

the pictures below are what the room look like. They were taken almost a year and a half ago, but it's pretty much the same. We don't have the housecoat and blanket over the crib anymore (they were there so Digby couldn't see Pigby and get upset while he was supposed to be falling asleep). But anyway, they each only have one drawer in the dresser, that's why I was hoping they'd be able to use the ones on a bunk bed. I would like to get rid of the dresser.

Edited May 19, 2011 by meggie

[meggie]

The closet and the view from the window.

 

Those white drawers are there, but they hold baby girls clothes now. I'm thinking about moving them into our room, once that's done being dejunked. Those big bins on the inside of the closet are mostly gone now too. There used to be six, now there's two. They were holding all the baby clothes, but we've gotten rid of everything Digby's grown out of, since baby girl won't be wearing his hand me downs and I don't want anymore children.

Edited May 19, 2011 by meggie

[TechWife]

II've been looking into getting this bed. We've already been planning on getting a bunkbed when Digby (almost 2) outgrows the crib. Right now Pigby (5) just sleeps on a mattress on the floor. If we got this bed, then we could put their clothes into the two drawers on the bottom and get rid of their dresser completely, giving us more space in their room.

 

Don't forget that as kids grow, their clothes get bigger too & take up more room in the drawers. These don't look like they will hold clothes sized for an 8 year old, much lees a teen, so I would not recommend this route.

 

Also, someone mentioned these desk organizers. These would be of great help in keeping our desk organized. I'm constantly losing paper, pens, tape, stamps, etc.

 

I think this a personal preference. If you have enough room and don't need to see your supplies to know they are there, this just might work for you.

I'm also thinking about getting this system for their toys. Their toys drive me nuts!!! And we've gotten rid of quite a bit, now I just need a better way of storing them than a big 35 gallon bucket.

 

From what I have observed, if kids can't see their toys, they will dump stuff out until they get to what they want. Likewise, if they are less likely to put something away if there is a lid on the toy bin. For my son, I had two of these Toy Organizers (top left)The bins tilt so that they are easy to see into. His toys were sorted - legos, train tracks, hot wheels, etc. This system worked for a long time - just two years ago we changed him to these Sterilite closet drawers (top row, third from left)- we have two stacks of three in the bonus room for lego storage, model supply storage, maker stash, etc. This works pretty well to keep his now more complicated (and larger) hobby supplies contained. We were able to sell the toy organizers for about 1/2 of what we paid for them - not bad after using them for almost ten years.

 

 

I seriously would wait to buy anything until you're COMPLETELY done de-junking. You may not need what you think you need when you have less stuff.

 

I totally agree with this statement - you might re-arrange and re-evaluate things as you go along.

 

Last summer we had flooring work and painting done in our house. Because of this, all of the 1st floor furniture, all wall decor and all of our books (on all floors) had to be stored for a few weeks. Additionally, all of the small items on the other floors had to be packed, because all of furniture would be moved around as the carpeting was replaced. Before we started the packing process, we went through our house and de-cluttered it, top to bottom, room by room, shelf by shelf. We then had a yard sale and made $$ off of our discards. When everything was moved out that needed to be out, our 1 car garage was full as well as a storage pod that sat in our driveway. Our first floor was empty for two weeks and our second floor was bare bones for about five weeks - it was wonderful! When it came time to bring everything back into the house, we were very picky about what we moved back in. As a result, when we were finished, we had a garage full of stuff for another yard sale. We have been thrilled with the results.

 

See-through plastic boxes with lids that can be stacked work wondefully.

 

This is a great idea!

[2squared]

Honestly, I would invest money in a closet organizer rather than a bunk bed with drawers or a toy holder. I would buy an organizer for the closet that had a small hanging space (probably up high where the dc can't reach yet) and had drawers and/or shelves down low where the dc could reach.

 

I would buy dishpans for toy storage and I would either store them under the bunkbed or on shelves in the closet. Clothing would go in the closet.

 

Whatever you are currently storing in the closet can moved to higher, out-of-reach shelves in the closet, and you'll gain floor space by taking out the dresser.

[DarlaS]

I love the trofast. I would do it if you arer willing to divide the toys up. Cars. in one, toy people, blocks in a big bin etc..

 

:iagree:

 

Trofast rocks. I have four of these units. I have a tall one in each of the younger two kid's closets, and they each also have a birch unit in their room (not the one the OP posted though).

[DarlaS]

From what I have observed, if kids can't see their toys, they will dump stuff out until they get to what they want. Likewise, if they are less likely to put something away if there is a lid on the toy bin.

 

The Trofast bins do not have lids (You can get them, but they are optional & not needed). They are also bigger than they look on the website--about 12 x 16 or so and can be quite deep.

 

They are also far superior in quality to anything Walmart or Target sells.

 

Of all the things you linked, OP, those should be the keeper. I'm not a fan of everything IKEA sells, but they are going to be the last piece of kid furniture to leave my house--and I can build my own furniture to suit my needs when I feel like it.

[momto3innc]

Well, I have two of your three items and I am obsessively organized...the other end of the spectrum :001_smile:.

I got the desk apprentice at the beginning of the year. I have liked it a lot. On the four corner things, 1 is scissors, 1 pencils, 1 markers, 1 dry erase stuff. The little holder on top holds a pencil sharperer, glue sticks, pos****, and tape. I have heavy duty hanging folders that hold writing/construction paper, etc... and then I have all our constant use books all around the sides with a few in the middle. It has worked very well, I think because my kids are young and don't have tons of stuff yet.

 

I also have the trofast and I personally think it is the best thing that ever happened to my kid's toys. The boys have one and so does my daughter. I have VERY careful to get the right size bin to fit the correct toys and ONLY those toys go in that bin. I get a picture of the toy and tape it to the box so they never get confused. It works get because the kids will go get "the firetruck box", "the car box", etc... It makes clean up very easy and they can easily chose a box to get out, play with, and then put away.

 

As far as the bunk beds go, I would not get one with a full bed on the bottom...it just takes up too much floor space. We have a traditional twin bed. We put the bottom one up as high as it would go and we have the long plastic bins underneath that holds things we don't use all the time (out of season clothes, sports stuff they're not using, etc...)

 

Good luck!!

[mcconnellboys]

I like the bunks with drawers. I just got my boys new beds and both have drawers in the base, as well as shelves on the headboards.

[aggieamy]

Honestly, I would invest money in a closet organizer rather than a bunk bed with drawers or a toy holder. I would buy an organizer for the closet that had a small hanging space (probably up high where the dc can't reach yet) and had drawers and/or shelves down low where the dc could reach.

 

I would buy dishpans for toy storage and I would either store them under the bunkbed or on shelves in the closet. Clothing would go in the closet.

 

Whatever you are currently storing in the closet can moved to higher, out-of-reach shelves in the closet, and you'll gain floor space by taking out the dresser.

 

Absolutelythis. I'm super organized and this is exactly what I would do. I'd buy bunk beds off of craigslist because for less money you'll get better quality than Walmart furniture. Under the bed I'd put some storage containers with out of season clothing. Then I'd put in a closet organizer to hold kids clothing and toys. 90% of Little Librarians clothes are hung in the closet. Socks, panties, swimsuits are stored in a small nighstand with drawers by her bed. This also holds her clock and her iPod player for her audiobooks. A small nightstand and bunkbeds would be all you need.

 

The only toys you keep are the ones that fit in the closet organization system. If the clothing won't fit in the closet then you might have too much of it. Less outfits will simplify your life.

[DarlaS]

I got the desk apprentice at the beginning of the year. I have liked it a lot. On the four corner things, 1 is scissors, 1 pencils, 1 markers, 1 dry erase stuff. The little holder on top holds a pencil sharperer, glue sticks, pos****, and tape.

 

Looks like you got censored! :lol::lol::lol:

 

I've never seen that one before...

[Mrs Mungo]

We have several Trofast systems (they come in various configurations). I love them. They hold a lot more than the sterlite drawers (we have some of those for craft stuff).

[Jamee]

I love the trofast. I would do it if you arer willing to divide the toys up. Cars. in one, toy people, blocks in a big bin etc..

 

we have a couple of these and LOVE them! Ours our the step model. This has been well worth the investment. The first one we got is now close to ten years old! I labeled the buckets with pictures so the boys know exactly what's in each. A couple of the buckets have needed to be replaced, but we still have a lot of the orginial ones too. They're very sturdy. Think about what you need to put in them, when you pick the buckets so you have specific ones for specific items.

 

I would actually look really closely at Ikea, and go to a store if you can. They're known for putting a lot into very small spaces and making the most of the space you have. Our whole house is practically all Ikea. Love that place!

[Celia]

I personally would go for a bunch of shelving rather than the trofast. I find toys in bins just end up all mixed together. If they're on shelves with the stuff with little pieces up high, you can make sure they clean up what they're using before taking out the next thing.

 

Love the desk organizer.

 

I'm thinking go with a smaller bunkbed. That one takes up a chunk of real estate. You could get a smaller one and do a dresser beside it and slide bins under it for less money and space.

[Doodle]

The closet and the view from the window.

 

Those white drawers are there, but they hold baby girls clothes now. I'm thinking about moving them into our room, once that's done being dejunked. Those big bins on the inside of the closet are mostly gone now too. There used to be six, now there's two. They were holding all the baby clothes, but we've gotten rid of everything Digby's grown out of, since baby girl won't be wearing his hand me downs and I don't want anymore children.

 

You don't appear to be using your closet efficiently. Instead of the ikea system that I am assuming would end up in the room taking up floor space, add additional shelves in the closet. Get some plastic bins for clothes/toys and space the shelves specifically for them.

[Susan in KY]

I love the idea of a desk apprentice, until I remember how big it is. Before you buy one, I would suggest taping paper together to make the dimensions of the base to make sure it's not too large for your area.

:iagree:

 

We lived in about 900 sq ft for a while. I went down to Staples and took the Desk Apprentice out of the box to take a good look at it because I was considering using it for school. That's when I realized that it is TOO big for that small a space. I had no where for it to "live" without losing major work space. Now that we're in slightly more space, I found I still don't need it because I have made a place for everything within our existing structure.

 

The very best thing I have done for our organizational challenges is to downsize. :) I agree with the pp who said to get rid of what you need to first, and then organize what you have left. I found it very helpful to read another book recommended on this forum: It's All Too Much. I got it at my library. He doesn't recommend going for the organizational products before you get rid of everything you can.

 

By the way, we use open bins for toys so they can see what they have easily and clean it up just as easily. No lids here!

[meggie]

Thanks for the help everyone!!! So many good ideas.

 

Ok, here's what I'm thinking now.

 

Bed: Regular bunk beds, something like this. I guess I was getting too greedy with the full size on bottom one, but my thinking was "Well, he might need a bigger one someday, might as well get it now" (see? that pack rat mentality is still there, trying to stick around). I can move the off season clothes from the closet into under-the-bed storage bins. I honestly do truly hate these types of bins, but since I will only be storing clothes from my oldest, I don't need to keep storing the ones my youngest casts off, that should keep me from having to store a ton.

 

Closet: If I move the off season clothes out of the closet, I can put up something like this. Not necessarily this exact one, but something like it. I need more shelf space, not really more hanging space, but I figured I could always get some of those hanging shelves, like this. If I did that, I'd probably have to put a baby lock on the closet doors, because I'm sure my two year old would constantly be opening the doors to pull stuff out.

 

For the toys, I can't decide if I like this or this. But I really do want to get rid of the dresser, it's too big. I can store the clothes in the closet, which will give me space to organize the toys. I do like these systems because I can make them organize it into groups (train set, Mr. Potato Head, cars, Little People, etc. (I am kind of a perfectionist too, although I don't know how that fits it with being so messy. I know it's weird) But on the days when I dont have the energy or time do make them do that, I dont have to.

 

And just to clarify, all this stuff is for the boys bedroom, which is already dejunked. I just need to figure out where to put everything. I haven't thought about how to organize my room, the bathrooms or the two hall closets.

 

ok, well, I did buy the Desk Apprentice. Our desk is a big behemoth that DH got for free and just had to take bc it was "so big, sturdy and most of all FREE." (See? Packrats :lol:) He doesnt want to get rid of it, so I might as well take advantage of its bigness and put it to good use. My only concern is that Digby, my little maniac, will find it and go to town. But that shouldn't happen too often, because he's not allowed in my bedroom unsupervised (this is where baby girl sleeps, so I leave the door closed when she's in here). When he gets old enough to open doors, I can put a baby proof thing on to keep him out.

[Doodle]

Have you browsed Lowes? Here is a closet system that would be very versatile. You could probably add some additional shelves too. The shelves are also hanging racks.

 

http://www.lowes.com:80/pd_325995-315-FG3R20FTWHT_4294857751_4294937087_?productId=3273825&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Wire%2BCloset%2BShelves%2BShelving%2BSystems_4294857751_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1%26page%3D6

[Susan in KY]

For the toys, I can't decide if I like this or this.

 

Get #2. Later on, when you don't have toys to put in bins, it can serve as bookshelves.

[The Governess]

We have the trofast system. I LOVE it. I put a bunch of pieces together and they take up an entire wall. The bottom row is bins, the middle row is bookcases, and the top row is more bins, full of art supplies, etc. that I don't want the kids getting to by themselves. It is 6.5 feet high and bolted to the wall. :D

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I got that EXACT bunk bed ( the newer one OP posted about,) same color and all, in March. It's really solid and nice, and I like it a lot. My 4yo took a few days to be comfortable climbing up and down the ladder (I didn't make him sleep up there until he was) but by day 3 he was just fine. I got a bed rail ( http://www.walmart.com/ip/Regalo-Hide-Away-Extra-Long-Bed-Rail/7767660?findingMethod=rr ) to put on the bottom to switch the 2yo to the bottom bunk but found out that the bed has a lip or is recessed or what ever you call it, but you can't put it there. So now I have a big bunk and a toddler bed which is less room than when I had the crib and the toddler bed, but I am hoping in a few months ds2 will be able to transfer from the toddler-bed to the lower bunk.

 

Also, I don't know if your oldest will need the incentive, but I got some awesome wall stickers and put them at the top bunk to get my kid up there. I posted pictures of them on this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260432

Edited May 19, 2011 by theYoungerMrsWarde

[Irishmommy]

Have you thought about putting wooden shoe racks at the top of the closet? We have older closets, but those wooden shoe shelves fit nicely at the top of the closet, then little baskets slide nicely into them. I use them for socks and undies for my kids, but also could do small toys as well (like cars or trains). I say go for the twin over twin.

[2squared]

I wouldn't buy any toy storage until you have put in the closet organizer. My guess is that you will have plenty of room for toys and clothes in the closet.

 

Also, think outside-the-bedroom for efficient clothes storage. We keep our family's swimming suits in a swimming bag in the bathroom. Dc's socks are stored in the entry way by their shoes, as are their play clothes. My littles' underwear is in the bathroom. I try to keep things where we need/use them, and that isn't always in typical spots.

[RobinF]

Thanks for the help everyone!!! So many good ideas.

 

Ok, here's what I'm thinking now.

 

Bed: Regular bunk beds, something like this. I guess I was getting too greedy with the full size on bottom one, but my thinking was "Well, he might need a bigger one someday, might as well get it now" (see? that pack rat mentality is still there, trying to stick around). I can move the off season clothes from the closet into under-the-bed storage bins. I honestly do truly hate these types of bins, but since I will only be storing clothes from my oldest, I don't need to keep storing the ones my youngest casts off, that should keep me from having to store a ton.

 

Closet: If I move the off season clothes out of the closet, I can put up something like this. Not necessarily this exact one, but something like it. I need more shelf space, not really more hanging space, but I figured I could always get some of those hanging shelves, like this. If I did that, I'd probably have to put a baby lock on the closet doors, because I'm sure my two year old would constantly be opening the doors to pull stuff out.

 

For the toys, I can't decide if I like this or this. But I really do want to get rid of the dresser, it's too big. I can store the clothes in the closet, which will give me space to organize the toys. I do like these systems because I can make them organize it into groups (train set, Mr. Potato Head, cars, Little People, etc. (I am kind of a perfectionist too, although I don't know how that fits it with being so messy. I know it's weird) But on the days when I dont have the energy or time do make them do that, I dont have to.

 

And just to clarify, all this stuff is for the boys bedroom, which is already dejunked. I just need to figure out where to put everything. I haven't thought about how to organize my room, the bathrooms or the two hall closets.

 

ok, well, I did buy the Desk Apprentice. Our desk is a big behemoth that DH got for free and just had to take bc it was "so big, sturdy and most of all FREE." (See? Packrats :lol:) He doesnt want to get rid of it, so I might as well take advantage of its bigness and put it to good use. My only concern is that Digby, my little maniac, will find it and go to town. But that shouldn't happen too often, because he's not allowed in my bedroom unsupervised (this is where baby girl sleeps, so I leave the door closed when she's in here). When he gets old enough to open doors, I can put a baby proof thing on to keep him out.

 

I will go against the grain here but if I had to choose between storage/beds from Ikea or Walmart, I would go with Ikea EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. We have all three of the organizational things you listed. We have the multicolored box for toy storage and also have the trofast system. They both work well (and we have them side by side but the trofast system is so much sturdier and is truly a keeper. I have some of the sterilite boxes that someone linked to also (I use them for crafts.) and if I had the money I would replace them in a heartbeat with storage from ikea.

 

The second storage cubby from Walmart that you linked isn't sturdy and will not last long term. If you want a cubby unit like that look at the ones Ikea sales. They are more expensive but they are solid. Our cubby storage will be sold when we move from this house.

 

We have four boys and they all share the master bedroom in our house. They don't have dressers at all. Instead I bought 2 sets of metal storage bins from Ikea. They are four shelves high so each boy has two "drawers" in their closet and the rest of their clothes get hung up.

 

This is what we use.

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19876454

[scrappyhappymama]

We bought a shelf similar to this from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50103086

 

Rubbermaid bins with latching lids fit into the spots perfectly. Our actually is a bit taller, so we used it upright and kept bins of legos and other toys we wanted out of little hands on the higher shelves. Now we use the shelf sideways, so all the bins can be reached and it gives shelf space across the top for bigger toys and built lego sets and such. I prefer latching bins over open ones, so we are able to keep toys sets together longer and avoid bins full of miscellanea which give me the heebie jeebies.

 

I didn't read all the replies, but I'll be a lonely voice of dissent on the desk apprentice. I wanted one for the longest time, based on all the positive reviews here, and finally got one last fall. It is just too big to be practical. We have a HUGE dining table we use for school, and this thing in the middle of the table takes up way too much space. My boys are always pushing it out of their way, but then into their siblings work area. The pencil holders on the corners is the best part, but for our needs there are too many binder slots and too few cubbies for smaller items. And there is no where for a tape dispenser or stapler or hole punch except for at the bottom of the center cavity, which is just not practical at all. I had such high hopes for it, but I'll be selling mine.

[meggie]

I wouldn't buy any toy storage until you have put in the closet organizer. My guess is that you will have plenty of room for toys and clothes in the closet.

Good idea, I hope that is the case.

 

This is what we use.

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19876454

 

Thanks, those could work!

We bought a shelf similar to this from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50103086

 

I didn't read all the replies, but I'll be a lonely voice of dissent on the desk apprentice.

Yes, that's the kind of shelf I want!

 

The desk apprentice is for the computer desk, not school. I got a much smaller organizer thing for our school supplies. It's 1/4 the size, but only cost $5 less :glare:. And the Desk Apprentice had on the box the "story" of how it was designed on The Apprentice show to help Donald Trump keep his desk organized and I was like, "Pshaw, he probably has an assistant who does that for him." Oh well, I like it so far, although yes, it is huge.

[5KidzRUs]

I seriously would wait to buy anything until you're COMPLETELY done de-junking. You may not need what you think you need when you have less stuff.

 

:iagree:

 

Check out a season or two of a "Hoarders" series - you will see most Hoarders have many storage containers - some being used and others not.

There are several Hoarders in my family and I do have the urges that way but I understand more about me now and what detriment these things can be to me and mine.

Interesting, many Hoarders deny what they are and call themselves collectors or pack rats.

I agree with dejunk first - give away, craigslist it, toss it and reevaluate it's importance and what the stuff is Keeping you from obtaining - peace.

Sometimes, we have to get rid of 40 medium size, junky things and as reward we get one really nice item.

I am probably projecting :lol: I have gone the extreme myself and now almost ALL My personal belongings (art supplies, books, jewelry, shoes etc) can fit into one cabinet.

[Laura Corin]

I wouldn't get rid of the dresser. Remember that they are getting bigger, and their clothes will get bigger too. Calvin now has a chest of drawers with six drawers just for him, plus a cupboard to hang his uniform/concert suit in. He doesn't have many clothes (uniform, concert suit, four pairs of trousers, about ten t shirts, two sweaters, PJs, long underwear) but each item is huge.

 

Laura

Edited May 19, 2011 by Laura Corin

[creativish]

Good idea, I hope that is the case.

 

 

 

Thanks, those could work!

 

Yes, that's the kind of shelf I want!

 

 

 

So I probably am not one to be answering this thread-- I'm quite overdue for a thorough cleaning myself :tongue_smilie: but I've got the large ikea 5X5 expedit for my kids and I LOVE IT!!! I have a few of the other storage cubbies, much like in your walmart link (but mine are from Target). Not nearly as nice or sturdy and the cubbies are just that much smaller that a surprising amount of things don't fit.

Also the expedit has plenty of space at the top so I can keep items I don't want the kids getting into without me but still in the same area. And I love its versatility-- it is something that we will use forever-- slowly swtiching out toys for books and art supplies. And it won't look like a repurposed toybox then either. I'm not sure how much space you have or need-- they have smaller ones 4X4 and 4X2-- but I think it was the best moeny I have spent for organization.

[meggie]

:iagree:

 

Check out a season or two of a "Hoarders" series - you will see most Hoarders have many storage containers - some being used and others not.

There are several Hoarders in my family and I do have the urges that way but I understand more about me now and what detriment these things can be to me and mine.

Interesting, many Hoarders deny what they are and call themselves collectors or pack rats.

I agree with dejunk first - give away, craigslist it, toss it and reevaluate it's importance and what the stuff is Keeping you from obtaining - peace.

Sometimes, we have to get rid of 40 medium size, junky things and as reward we get one really nice item.

I am probably projecting :lol: I have gone the extreme myself and now almost ALL My personal belongings (art supplies, books, jewelry, shoes etc) can fit into one cabinet.

 

I've never actually seen an episode, but I've seen enough previews to know what the houses look like. People may want to call it a mental illness or something, but I would just call it habit. My house was nowhere near as bad as any of them, but my bedroom was getting very close.

 

Our process has kinda been going on for two years. We were moving to a new apartment, so we decided to have a yard sale and we gathered up a lot of junk to sell. That was when I was 9 months pregnant :glare:. We brought it with us to the new apartment, but kept it separate so we could try and sell stuff on Craigslist. When that got old, we just kept taking more and more things to DI (a thrift shop).

 

It was a 3-4 month process, but we went through part of our room and the boys' entire room to get rid of more stuff we didn't need. It took me several years to realize that the packrat's mentality is to keep something because they might need it someday. That was how I grew up. My mom wanted to keep everything, my dad wanted to get rid of stuff no longer being used. Her argument? "But we might need it for the grandkids someday." Since it was my (and my siblings') stuff he wanted to get rid of, I took her side. Seemed logical.

 

Another light bulb moment I had was when I found out I was pregnant with baby girl. I'd had such bad PPD after Digby, we weren't planning on having kids, so I gave up on the thought of cloth diapering (bc I'd only wanted to do it to save money. Cloth diapering one kid didn't seem worth it to me, gotta get your use out of them, probably another pack rat mentality). So when I found out I was pg, I wanted to buy cloth diapers so we could save money. DH was opposed and said, "If you just add one more thing to do, you'll just be adding chaos to chaos. We have to get rid of things and simplify our life before we can add extra responsibilities." And that just made so much sense to me. I still probably won't be cloth diapering, but being a mother is a full time job, homeschooling is a full time job and I eventually want to add in going to school and helping DH with a business (both equal to part time jobs). There's no room for anything else, so I'm simplifying, simplifying, simplifying. It has brought so much peace.

 

I can honestly say that if we hadn't turned things around and switched, my house probably could have looked like a Hoarders house in 20-30 years. It's like being very overweight or in a lot of debt, it happens a little at a time and gradually. I hit the point where changing was less painful than staying where I was, so now I'm changing.

 

Sorry for the novel. I know you said it with love. And I truly do appreciate it, I just don't want you to worry needlessly.