Organization Project: Wrangling Stuffed Animals

Our Friends Riley & Mariah

I was looking around the internet at all the smart and creative uses for shoe organizers. I was trying to find ways to use more vertical storage and free up more space around the apartment. I already had two shoe organizers on the bathroom doors in both bedrooms and got ideas for two more.

At the same time I was struggling with the fact that we've picked up a few dozen stuffed animals over the past few years and trying to find places for them was getting exhausting. Clearing half of them off the bed every night before bedtime was too much and I couldn't take them all over the floor and furniture either. So I bought a nice linen-look shoe organizer and hanging it on nails, did this.

In a perfect world The Bug's bedroom would have a lot more space and we could find some pretty shelves or a cabinet to put them all in. Or better yet, we would have a playroom. But for our place, our space and our needs this is a great solution for now. All the stuffed animals have a home, they are off the floor, off the bed and out of the way.

The best part is that now The Bug interacts with them all more because they are not all piled on top of each other, or accidentally kicked under the bed or other furniture. It's cute to see her come home at the end of the day, walk into her room and say, "Well hello everyone," to her much loved friends. She enjoys them all more now that she can see them face-to-face. They are all reachable for her and she can put them away herself. It's a short-term solution I am pretty happy with and when we're ready for a change the shoe organizer will have plenty more practical uses around the house. The best $12 I have spent in a while.

The Blessings Of Routine

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Sometimes routine can be the most smothering, claustrophic thing in the world and at other times routine is our saving grace, a comfort beyond comforts. I am in the throes of loving the comforts of a very simple routine these days, it feels good.

Month two of full-time parenting has now passed and my life looks vastly different than it has ever looked before. But I am focused on enjoying it, rather than thinking about the challenges. Sure it's a challenge to have to get up early and get things hopping and the little one off to school, especially when I've been up late working. It's tough to not be able to run a quick errand after her 8 pm bedtime.

But I know it won't always be possible to have such simple days and I want to enjoy them. Right now mornings are broken up into 15 minute increments: get dressed, make lunch, breakfast, tie shoes and brush teeth and hair, walk to school. After school we usually run some small errand, then I try to give her an hour of play and relaxation. By 5:00 it's home work time, while I make dinner. By 6:30 dinner is eaten and the kitchen is well-cleaned. The 7 o'clock hour is bedtime preparation and reading time. And hopefully by 8:00 she's in bed and fast asleep. Some days it's 9:00, but it works if we hit somewhere in between the both depending on what's happening in our life.

I finally have found my best bets for preparing three meals a day in this new schedule and boy, have I simplified things significantly. Somehow this new schedule is helping me keep up with cleaning projects better which makes me really happy. It's nice to not feel so busy that I can't put attention on the house as much as it constantly needs. And I think I'm getting more sleep too. It's an interesting journey.

On a recent morning I was walking through the kitchen cleaning up The Bug's breakfast dishes and I thought, "Wow I never would've imagined 10 years ago that this would be my life today." Pretty amazing what life brings to us, that we had absolutely no way of imagining. I'm happy life has brought me this pretty little routine. I already know it will all change in just a few months, so while things are simple and sweet, I will enjoy every moment of our current, very reliable routine.