Toy & Playroom Organization

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Organization, Teaching

Toys.  Everywhere.  When you have kids it’s the truth!

There are a few things that we do to cut down on toy clutter throughout our home, and I hope that these tips are helpful to you!  This is part of a collab video with Jady A and OrganizedClutterbug!

1) GET AN ORGANIZING SYSTEM…YOU REALLY CAN SCORE THIS FOR UNDER $60!  I love these organizing cubbies to store toys in the playroom paired with canvas totes.  

 

 

 

2) LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TOYS your child has access to.  Sometimes, we live under the mentality that more is more, and our kids seem to tire of toys easily.  I find that when they have less options (that are rotated out) they do worlds better!  Store them in sets that are easily put away.  Plus, with less, you can clean up faster.  We love the chalkboard labels from Michaels and chalk pens.

3)  STORE YOUR PUZZLES (or items with loose pieces) IN PENCIL POUCHES.  You will love this.  They are virtually indestructible and save so much space.
4)  HAVE AN ALWAYS-OUT BASKET TO PLACE NOT-IN-USE TOYS.  This way you are constantly purging and only the toys that your child likes will stay out.

5) GET CREATIVE.  I made a DIY lazy susan for Carson’s art supplies using a cheese platter (and I turned the table into a chalk table!).  You can see more on that here.

6)  MAKE USE OF HIDDEN STORAGE AROUND YOUR HOME.  We use everything from large tote baskets, small burlap baskets (with cute labels) and storage ottomans that can serve a dual purpose to store toys.

7)  STORE TOYS IN BOOKSHELVES.  If you can stand to part with a few books, move up the bottom rung of your bookshelf and put in canvas bins.

What do you do to tame the toy clutter?

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Small-Space Organizing Hacks

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Organization

Organizing in a small space means you have to get creative!  Here’s some simple solutions I used to create extra storage.  They will be especially helpful for those of you living in tiny spaces!

Some staples for organizing that are super versatile with a little creativity are hanging shoe organizers, paper organizers (that you can attach to your cabinet with command hooks) or wall-mounted coat rack organizers.  And don’t forget to hit up your local thrift store…so many of these items I was able to find there.

All of these items are under $20 (most featured are under $10 and $5!) and they make a huge impact.

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Dollar Tree Pedestal Organizers

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Dollar Tree

With just $5 (and a little spraypaint of your choice), you can make two gorgeous pedestal organizers.  And one of these retails for at least $20 at Target.  Not even kidding.  Talk about savings (without sacrificing beauty!)  They are stunning in any area of your home, whether you are organizing your bathroom, jewelry, or throwing a party.

Here are is how easy this DIY is!

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Customize Dollar Tree Bins

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Dollar Tree, Money Saving, Organization

Here are simple ways to make $1 bins from the Dollar Store have a fresh look in your cabinet or on your shelf.  I’m all about the easy (and I was able to complete this project in under 15 minutes).  I actually did it for my mom’s closet.  I thought they needed a cleaner look.  Sometimes simple custom changes can make a huge impact.  Since only the front of the bins are visible, I just focused my energy there, but you could just as easily do this to all of the sides!

If you are looking for more ideas, here are a few that I found around the web that I really liked.

You can over the bins all around (but I would be nervous about spills or them getting dirty.  They are hard to clean and might not have the longevity that a simple covering does, but how cute are these?

Click for source

Have you up-cycled any organizers lately?  Would love to hear what you have tried!

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Dollar Store Wreath: Under $10!

by Filed Under: Decor & Furniture, DIY Projects, Dollar Tree

Here’s how I took $10 worth of supplies to create a beautiful spring wreath.  We are just loving it.  These retails for hundreds brand new!

Supplies:

  • 7 Dollar Store sprigs- $7
  • Wreath form (thrifted)- $1…. they do sell these at the Dollar Store, but they are smaller!
  • Tulips on hand-  Free!

Total: $9!

P.S.  Do you want to see some fun toddler ideas using Dollar Tree Products?  Click here!

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SURPRISE BUDGET HOME MAKEOVER | Family Dollar and P&G Spring Clean-Up Program

by Filed Under: DIY Projects

My friend Sarah has always been such a dear, sweet part of my life.  We have seen each other through some of the most joyous and challenging seasons of life, and I was so excited when Family Dollar and P&G partnered with me to spread the love to her, allowing me to completely makeover her master bedroom and bathroom (and give it a good Spring clean!).

I was quite impressed with the home decor selection at Family Dollar, and I was able to tackle everything for just $75.  I love that you can find genuinely low prices on Spring-cleaning stables like Bounty, Gain and Febreze.  (Plus you can stack coupons on top of the discounts for even more savings.)

Come see her reaction to the changes.  She had no idea what I was up to in there…so everything was a complete surprise!  Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below to win a $50 Family Dollar Gift card AND a box of P&G cleaning products.  Woot! 🙂

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends March 28th 2015 at 12:00 am EST.  US only.  Winners must be 18 or older or have parental permission.  Winner will be selected randomly by Rafflecopter within a week of the giveaway ending and be notified by email. Winners have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is selected.  I will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly.  Please note that Doitonadime is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.  The product provided for the review was free of charge from the company. The product offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube are in no way associated with this giveaway.

I partnered with Family Dollar and P&G to surprise Sarah with this makeover and spring cleaning.  As always, all opinions are genuinely my own.*

Simple Spring Cleaning System

by Filed Under: DIY Projects

My friend Nikki from AtHomeWithNikki inspired me several years ago with her spring cleaning box.

The idea is writing down simple tasks you need to do to spring clean your home (not the daily/weekly tasks that are a part of your normal routine, but those extra things that you always forget to do). Like scrub your front door, deep clean your oven, and get all those dust bunnies out from under the fridge. As Carson would say, “Peeeyewww!” If you don’t end up getting around to having as deep of a clean as you’d like, consider hiring services similar to carpet cleaning in Melbourne to help make your home pristine.

I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, so I just used this list to guide me and then created my own little box of cleaning chores.

P.S. Did you know that you can win a $50 Family Dollar Gift card and a P&G Spring cleaning gift box? Enter here!

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DIY Upcycled Organizers

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Organization

I heart thrifting.   It boggles my mind that people pay full price for organization tools that they could easily upcycle from the thrift store for a quarter the cost.  It takes a small investment of time, but in less than 20 minutes, you can create stunning organizers and systems on a budget, using commonly found thrifted items!  I find organizing opportunities at the thrift store ALL THE TIME.  You can see my video on ways to organize from the Goodwill here.

One of my favorite trends of the moment are matte chalk paints.  Plaid sent me a sampling of their paints and paint tools to review and give my genuine opinion about.  They come in an array of colors and they are so easy to use!  I kind of want to paint everything now. <3  Here are two simple organizers I was able to upcycle in a matter of minutes.  Don’t forget to enter to win your own gift basket from Plaid below!

You can visit PlaidOnline.com for more tips, tricks, tutorials and ideas to create your own upcycled creations.  Mother Earth and your home will thank you 😉

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Giveaway ends March 27th 2015 at 12:00 am EST.  US and Canada only.  Winners must be 18 or older or have parental permission.  Winner will be selected randomly by Rafflecopter within a week of the giveaway ending and be notified by email. Winners have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is selected.  I will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly.  Please note that Doitonadime is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.  The product offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary.  My opinions are my own.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube are in no way associated with this giveaway. 

*Plaid partnered with me to bring you this review and giveaway.  All opinions are genuinely my own.*

Organizing Questions Answered!

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Money Saving, Organization

I”m all about sharing with you guys what works.  And I tend to get a lot of the same questions over and over about organizing.  If you have taken the time to write me a note or email, THANK YOU!  The top questions you ask me are: how do I get started organizing, how do I beat procrastination, what do I do if I don’t live near a Dollar Store, why can’t I stay organized even when I try, and what label maker do you recommend? 

So, I answer all of those questions and give my best, practical advice in this video.  Not the “magazine tips” but the real deal.  Things that I know work.  Why?  ‘Cause I’ve tried ’em!

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DOLLAR IDEAS: Fridge Kitchen Command Center

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Organization

Lots of you have asked how we keep paperwork and important documents organized, and I have said in previous videos that a huge key to function is having a kitchen command center.  The side of your fridge is a great space for this, (especially if your kitchen is small!) So here is how I created a functional area on the side of our fridge, using products that are $1 or less a piece.  Some of these I had on hand, so I did this for under $5, but even paying full retail, it would still be a very budget project (You could replicate something very similar for around $15 total!)

Many of you ask about the magnets I use, and these are KEY to having this system work.  You need quality magnets that won’t slip on the fridge.  By far my favorites are these Magnetic Clips to hold my Dollar Spot pencil holder and these OXO brand Magnetic Mini Clips for holding the paperwork.

Full Product List:

1) Sheet Protector Folder (Dollar Tree) and Magnetic Mini Clips to hold it up (OXO brand)

2) List and Notepad (Dollar Spot at Target) and Magnetic Clips to hold it up

3) Pencil Container (Dollar Spot at Target)

4) Cork Boards (Dollar Tree)

5) Flag Chalkboard Labels (Dollar Spot at Target)

6) “Washi” Tape (Dollar Tree)

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