Project Simplify - Hot Spot #3: Kids Toys/Closets

Last week the Hot Spot for Simple Mom's "Project Simplify" was "Paper Clutter" and I did tackle that was the result being lots of recycle, shred and garbage boxes full, but the paper clutter made me really want to tackle my office overall and that is a much bigger job than I could accomplish in one week.  I do hope to show you an "after" in the next month or so, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it done by then or not.

Moving on...this week the Hot Spot is Kids Toys/Closets.  Despite having already cleaned out their closets pretty thoroughly a couple of months ago, there was still plenty to clear out and there are always toys to pass along.  A great friend was here today and helped me get started with sorting toys (her boys were our second set of friends over today to play and let's just say most all of the toys in the house were out and ready to be sorted).  Here are a couple of before pictures from Miss Em's room - I think we've just been tossing everything in that closet for the last month and closing the door as best we can!

BEFORE:

AFTER (big basket for Miss Em's dress-up clothes and little basket, aka Huggies box, is her baby dolls and their accessories):

McGee's Room After (toys separated and organized in those baskets/tubs in the closet cubes, dress-up clothes in the trunk by the dresser):

Hall Closet - Oh so nice!

It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate - in your house and in a hall closet.  Despite warding off interested parties (read: curious 2 & 4 yr. old wanting to get into EVERYTHING), I cleaned out our hall closet and it felt SO good!  I filled a whole box with stuff for a future garage sale and even threw a few things away (gasp!).  A look at our newly purged and organized hall closet:

Thank you Crystal for nudging me along in my Spring cleaning!

It's time to shout - CLEAR IT OUT!

One of the blogs I have followed from very early on in my blogging life is Money-Saving Mom.  I appreciate Crystal's tips on frugality, coupon clipping and one of my favorites - organization!  This week she is hosting a "Clear Out the Clutter Challenge" and I couldn't help but participate (my house absolutely needs this right now).

This weeks assignment - living room, coat closet and hall closet.  I haven't had time to get to the hall closet yet (maybe this evening), but here are my before's for the living room and coat closet.  Now no judging please, I'm keeping it real with actual BEFORE photos that show the mess, you know your house can get messy and cluttered sometimes too - especially if you have little ones!

 Living Room

Coat Closet

A glimpse of my desperately-needing-a-clean-out Hall Closet (AFTER pictures to come soon I hope)

 
It felt great to dig into that coat closet and clear out some clutter.  I ended up with a large bag full of things for a future garage sale, some items that went straight into the garbage and some that were relocated (appropriately) to the garage (tools and such).


Overall items gotten rid of:  22 (including 2 jean jackets - I had 4 and I can't even tell you the last time I wore a jean jacket!)

Here are my after pics:

Living Room

Coat Closet

Those bags on the bottom may still look like clutter, but they hold my gift bags, wrapping and tissue paper.

If you want to see more about the challenge or see what others are purging you can check it out over here.