Have children taken over your home? Do you trip over toys in the middle of the night? Are you constantly cleaning up the same mess, multiple times a day? My answers would be YES, YES, and YES!!! When we moved into our home 3 ½ years ago, we set aside a play area in our family room for our boys, which is now overflowing with toys and a constant cleaning project for me. It seems the playroom now extends into every room and the time has come to clean house and make some changes! With the help of my friend and savior, who also happens to be a very talented and amazing designer, we are going to get my house back and turn the toy clutter into an organized, functional space.

There are some houses I have been to that were so cluttered with toys, it was difficult to see the floor. I felt disorganized and anxiety ridden just being there! I don’t want somebody to feel that way in my home, especially me! It’s not simple to find extra space in your house but you have to be willing to shake things up and play with new ideas. I believe that with a little work and a lot of patience and creativity, you can gain your space back and make it work for everyone. Consider your child’s age, what their needs are, how they play, what your needs are, and come up with a plan that satisfies your whole family.

When my friend came over, the first thing we did was take a long look around and decide what was going to stay and what was going to be donated or sent to a consignment shop. It’s pretty amazing to discover what items in your house are completely useless and what are actually pretty useful and not living up to their potential functionality. With a few instructions from my friend on de-cluttering, I was excited to start the transformation and pretty quickly, my playroom, a.k.a family room, a.k.a media room, already looked twice the size. I felt really good about this transformation and couldn’t wait for my next set of commands towards the world of order. It’s definitely scary to make changes in your home, but the truth is that when toys are organized and put away the right way, they are easier to find, last longer and in the end, serve their purpose better.

The next step was to get rid of my 14 year old blue couches that were hanging on by a thread, literally. My 55lb dog thought the couch was a chew toy and managed to take all of the stuffing out. Between the dog and the endless leaky sippy cups, who knew what else was lurking in those sad sofas. It got to the point where my husband and I were pretty embarrassed by them and we didn’t want people to come over. We had had enough, decided to move on and had them hauled out of the house. One of them will live on and was donated to a local church, while the other, had to be put to rest. We found a superb deal on new couches on the 4th of July, and couldn’t believe the discount we walked away with! I suggest you look for great holiday sales and take advantage when you can. Little by little, our house will come together, look like adults live here and be a place that we can be proud to show off!

Do you have a current house project going on or need to start one? First look at what furniture you have to work with, try moving it around to different areas and creating a different layout. You will be surprised at how a little change can make a big difference! If you are holding on to a piece of furniture that you have been dating for a long time but it just doesn’t serve the same purpose as it once did, it’s time to purge and break it off. Trade it in for a new model and don’t look back! Don’t let your kid’s toys take over your home and define your style. Are there certain toys that haven’t been played with in a long time? Do a toy swap with a friend, donate them, or bring to a consignment shop to make more room. Stay tuned for more decorating and organization tips from Mommy Masters and follow me through my journey to gaining my house back!


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