Organizing - Organizing Ideas

Organizing 101: Family rooms

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Organizing 101: Family rooms

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Get your family room organized by carefully editing your belongings and creating a good organizing system that makes it easy to put things away.

Toy story

Keeping on top of toy collections is a battle. Kids outgrow things quickly, well-meaning relatives give more toys than children can play with, and toys can be awkwardly shaped, making storage difficult. Here are some tips.

Use one or two toy chests for large, awkward items like monster trucks or large dolls. Don't store small items like the parts of a tea or train set in them; they'll get lost or broken and are difficult to retrieve from deep containers.

Install custom built-ins in wasted space, like the shallow niche under a high window. Design units to hold books or CDs when children have outgrown their toys.

Buy economical utility-grade shelving on which containers of toys can be stacked, if custom built-ins with closed storage aren't an option. Hang attractive drapery panels in front; those with grommets slide easily. Bolt shelving to the wall and the drapery rod to the shelves to avoid accidents.

Organize toys into plastic bins that are see-through or translucent and are clearly labelled with pictures and words.

Choose identical storage containers for a uniform look, and match the size of the container to what's stored inside.

Keep some toys in the garage, basement or storage room in an easily accessible spot and rotate them occasionally.

Ask generous relatives if they'd like to contribute to a new bike or museum membership instead of giving the kids more toys. If you sense hurt feelings, accept any toys graciously and donate some to a women's shelter.

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