BABY'S DREAM NURSERY BLOG

Spring Cleaning Projects for Moms

My daffodils are blooming, my fruit trees are budding, my grass is greener, and my child wants to be outside. What does that mean? Spring is here!

All winter long we have been cooped up inside the house and I now understand the meaning of spring cleaning. It has never really hit me before; I had a few things I would do every spring, like clean out my closet, but after keeping a toddler inside for 4 months I have some projects on my list!

This winter my son lost his playroom. I had a bedroom full of toys for him to play with where I could shut the door and not look at the mess. But, that room is going to be a nursery for the new baby. So, this winter, all the toys migrated into his room, the living room, and the basement. Because of this, I have a lot of organizing to do! Here are some of the projects I hope to accomplish. 

Project 1: Closet Organization

My son's closet is full of toys now. However, they are all on the floor or on a shelf that he can't reach. My goal for his closet is to add new shelving lower to the ground and make more toys accessible to him. I'm thinking something like this, only I would put the clothes higher and toys lower.

I will also take this closet organization time to store clothes that don't fit anymore and bring in some clothes that will fit later this summer.

I also like the idea of adding in a Toy Box like this one that can sit at the end of his bed and store away a lot of his toys, and then be used later on also when he gets older. This one is from Baby's Dream and is nice because the top has a hinge that prevents it from slamming, so my son's arm or fingers won't get pinched. 

Project 2: Clean up the main living area from toys

After I tackle that project, I will move to the living room. Our toy storage currently consists of a square ottoman and is full of toys. We also have toys scattered all over that cannot fit in our ottoman. Those need to find a new home in the basement or the closet I plan to redo. Then the ottoman needs to be emptied and filled with toys from the basement. In my house, I like to rotate toys. I put some away for a few months and when he's bored with what he has, I bring out the "new" toys that he hasn't seen in a while and is excited to play with again. It is that time again.

Project 3: Basement Toy Storage

The biggest spring cleaning project I have in mind is for the basement. It needs a total redo! It is an awkward L shape and currently isn't working well as we have it. Junk is piled up in almost every corner and under the ping pong table. I can't blame all of the craziness down there on my son, but he does contribute a good 50% to the total mess. Since actually finishing our basement is light-years away, I need to find a couple good storage devices for the zillion toys that have migrated downstairs. Where do I go for cheap storage? Craigslist! We are all getting into a "must get rid of stuff" mode and I hope to score a couple good deals on toy storage. Thankfully, with spring in the air, I will soon have yard sales to scour as well. I would love to find a toy storage bin and a bookcase where I can keep lots of toys up and off the floor.

 

Project 4: Outside

The last space I wish to tackle is the great outdoors. I have a sandbox that my mom let us use when she was vacationing last year, and I would love for it to go back to its original home. I have a couple of "broken" outdoor toys that need to be fixed or donated. One just requires a new battery, but my son has outgrown it, so it might get donated to the next family.

I also need to find a better way to contain all the outdoor toys in one place. I have a puppy that likes to chew on anything she can find outside, so toy storage is a must this year. Something like this storage bench would be nice to store balls and smaller toys that seem attractive to my young dog.

Or, even just a plain deck box like this could work too:

Both are out of my price range new, but that's where craigslist comes in! Just in my initial searching, I have already found a storage bench that is half off what it costs new! I think deals like this will only increase with the good weather, so I'll be keeping my eyes out.

What are some of your spring cleaning projects? How do you keep your indoors or outdoors clean and organized with kids?