Organization? Yes, Please!

Some people enjoy reading beautifully-worded poetry. Some pay big money to see a famous painting. Me? I swoon over photos like this:

From bhg.com

Ahhh! What beauty! How dreamy! What inspiration! Okay, so I get a little too excited about this sort of thing. Can't help it! I love organization! 

After all the Christmas pretties are stashed away it's rather inevitable that the house just looks like it's in need of a little TLC. Cleaning alone doesn't do the trick. There has to be yet another purging. And then some serious organization of whatever is left. That's especially true when it comes to "kid stuff" like stuffed animals (you know, the ones they fall in love with as soon as they're placed in the "donate" box? Not the kids. The stuffed animals.) games and puzzles, and the ever-multiplying little things that somehow wind up scattered all over the shag rug to puncture your unsuspecting,  tender toesies. Oh, and what about the works of art that your budding Picasso created for you? (All three hundred forty-two works of art. And those are only from last week.)

Here are some ideas I've found that I hope to utilize very soon:

We have lots of games and puzzles, and those chunky boxes take up lots of space. Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick came up with this brilliant idea: Ziploc Bags! They take up a fraction of the space! Just put the pieces in the bags, cutting out part of the box to place inside the bag for reference if needed, and toss the bags in a bin. Easy peasy! 

From thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com

And now for those adorably cute but ever annoying little homeless stuffed animals. Is this not ingenious!? Flower baskets mounted to the wall! They're great for books and small toys, too!

From Better Homes & Gardens

Okey doke. Declare war on those mean ol' many-barbed little toys. The answer? Folger's coffee cans! We drink gallons of coffee around here and I always hate like everything to throw away those nifty containers. Thanks to Robin's Blog , I now know what to do with them! And she even provides free, printable labels for them. How great is that? =)

From heartofwisdom.com

Need more printable labels to help with organizing? You'll find some super cute freebies here.

From bhg.com

If you're a parent, you no doubt have been the recipient of enough paper goodies to account for nearly 150 acres of trees. And, if you're sentimental like me you have boxes of those keepsakes stashed under your bed, in storage, in the closet, and who knows where else. Here are a few ideas that some wonderful people came up with. Follow the links for further instructions.

Photo Book:  Kaye Winiecki Designs

Image from kayewinieckidesigns.com and Pinterest

Kid Memory Binders: Reluctant Entertainer

Image from reluctantentertainer.com

Framed Art: A Thousand Words

Image from jengrantmorris.blogspot.com

Ever-changing Art Display: Your Decorating Hotline

Image from yourdecoratinghotline.com

I don't know about you, but I think displaying in these ways the art that my children lovingly made for me seems a lot better (and takes up so much less space) than storing it all in boxes. 

And now...drumroll, please...I will throw in a totally random bonus. Do you tire of seeing techy "junk"? Much as I love technology, I do hate to see all those unsightly gadgets and cords. Turns out, I'm not alone. Kelly at Sweet Sanity shared a tip on how to hide wireless routers. What a wonderful idea!

Image from sweetsanity.typepad.com

I feel more organized already. How about you? Do you have any easy organizing tips? Please share them with us! It'd be almost as good as getting chocolate! A nice, organized, neatly labeled box of chocolate! 8-)