Just a BlinkProof Time Flies

Busy as a Bee

I have been sorting, tossing, labeling and basically trying to do a complete overhaul of my family’s belongings.

Today I started to tackle the kids’ toys, with the ever-helpful assistance from a friend with special home-making skills, of course. Yikes!

Yikes! That is the only word I can think of to express how I feel about the enormity of the task and the amount of possessions.

I am feeling the urge for the simple life…or at least the well labeled life! I feel peace coming soon…..

And to think, there was a time I verbally said, “I don’t think Ryan has enough toys!” – Okay so he was only 3 months old when I said that. Still, 4 1/2 years later….Yikes! (this photo only shows what had been in storage in the garage – I still have the room, closets and the playroom!)

Bits of Joy

My family has gone through a loss this week. My Uncle Wayne passed away from cancer. In the midst of grief and funeral planning  a few bits of joy came across my kitchen table to take my mind off of the heavy topic of death of a few moments.

Neighborhood pal Mason and my son Ryan share a treat.

Time does fly!

In an effort to ‘clean sweep’ the garage this week I unearthed some lovely things that have been hidden far too long.

My childhood minature tea set, a plastic lamb I played with while in my Grandma’s tub, and my Mom’s hand sewn Barbie clothes from the 60′s.

All in a Day

Neat Pete has an app on his iPhone to take panoramic pics.

We rescued the living room after a long day of disaster. It felt very good.

How to Make an Old Closet into a Play Room in 9 steps

• Note: I’ll spare you the real before photo of our pre-attic closet disaster,  and go straight for the cute photos of how to make room for the play room. I know, it hurts my before-and-after loving gene, not to have documentation of my over burdened and buried craft table, and general dumping ground for stray belongings, but I will move on; mostly because I did this “transformation” on such a whim I forgot to take a photo. Most of you have already skipped to the rest of the blog post by now anyway.

1. Pile. Is it just my house or are your toys fertile and multiply? (kids’ room)

2. Sort. Plastic bins, plastic bins, plastic bins…oh sorry, I was busy rehearsing my organizing mantra. Isn’t my little helper so cute? Give, keep, sell…give, keep, sell…give, keep, sell…oops, there I go again!

3. Claim. This room is one 4 year old lying down by one 1 1/2 year old lying down. Nice square footage. I’ll take it; have my people talk to your people.

4. Gather. Move stuff around, aka fluff your nest, it is so much fun!

5. Conceal. Hi there attic! Wanna play hide-n-seek? Okay, you hide first. Good.

6. Learn. Making room for the play room includes making room for learning. The vintage ABC and 123 quilt was hung in my nursery when I was a wee one. Are the 70′s considered vintage yet? None-the-less, the vintage quilt, aka attic concealer, is a great tool for learning and general cheeriness.

7. Sit. {whimper, sigh!} Why did I let this a.dor.a.ble step bench be cluttered in old taxes and fall decor for waaaay too long? Well, no guilt, just pleasure now. I love the littleness of this space! Place a few books around to promote reading.

8. Add a family photo board in the playroom. It provides friendly faces to look at when Mommy  puts the baby-gate up outside her own room and instructs everyone it is now “Play Time” just so she can blog. er…I mean, because when kids look at the familiar faces, it encourages family connectivity, creativity and community.  Yeah, that’s it!

9. Relax and enjoy your hard work! Play!