Our Expedit bookcase I bought with Pinterest-y visions of well organized toys and cutesy displays in our playroom. It started on the right track but somewhere veered off into a partial mishmash with the top becoming a total dumping ground. Especially in the last 2 years when random choking hazards have popped up and needed a fast spot safely out of reach of our toddler.
The mess on the top made me crazy, but rarely enough to actually address it. More of a “I’ll get to it later” as I moved on to the mess on the floor or the dishes or chasing a toddler or whatever. Until last week. I finally had a small epiphany.
Get a basket.
Forget I have 8 baskets in the lower half of the bookcase tucking assorted collections of toys out of sight. It was time to tackle the top with one more.
My week was busy enough that the first moment I had time to go shopping was Friday morning. A quick check of both Home Goods and TJ Maxx (thank goodness they are side by side!) and I had my basket. As soon as lunch was over and I had a calm moment, I started clearing items off the top.
Items to trash. Items to be put in their proper place. A few items tucked into a box designated for donations.
Then I dusted and began returning a few select items (the oversized magazine page, globe, and art box). I also added the new basket. My initial plan was to tackle some of those random items that had earlier plagued the top, but, after cleaning, I realized that was unnecessary. Instead I grabbed our box of play dough; the trio of Ikea boxes I use to store the kids’ crayons and markers; and some watercolors. This new basket makes a perfect spot to house these art supplies so they are at quick, easy reach for me but still safely out of kid reach.
While I didn’t get to the entire bookcase, just having the top clean and organized was like lifting a small load off my shoulders. One more thing done.
Do you have a spot in your home that’s become a bit cluttered and needs a quick 10 minute transformation? Here’s your challenge – go knock it out!
Now, I need to tackle about 10 more … 🙂
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