Organizing small spaces

It's no secret that we live in tiny apartment. It was too small for us before we had a kid. Now we have two.

Photo by Natalie Chiles

We haven't moved because we love how close we live to the beach and love the semi-urban beach town we live in. (It doesn't hurt that the landlords haven't raised the rent since we starting renting in 2005!) 

Because we have limited space we've had to get creative on how we use it. Imagine shelves, lots of shelves. Recently we turned the downstairs walk-in shower into our junk closet in order to utilize the kids' closet for their things.

The closet in the kids' room use to be the dumping ground for all kinds of things. Jeff's tools, extra diapers, the vacuum, light bulbs, a tent, board games...just to name a few. We even took off the door, that opened into the closet, to add more shelving to fit all of our stuff.

Here's what the closet looked like before I cleaned it out and organizing it.

Forgot to mention that this photo was taken after Jeff removed all the non-kid related stuff. There was an additional shelving unit on the other wall.  Packed full!

I took EVERYTHING that was left in the closet, pulled it out, and sorted it into piles: Carson, Leila (no-access), Leila (able to access), kid related stuff that I use, and stuff that didn't belong in the kids' closet.

I decided I wanted this closet to be a functioning space, not just one to hold our stuff, so I moved the shelving to the other wall. This allows us to actually walk into our walk-in closet (which is surprisingly bigger than I originally thought!)

We are using a baby gate to limit access to the closet instead of putting the door back on to give us more space.

1. As you can see, the back of the closet has a built in ledge that holds some of Leila's toy bins perfectly.
2. Once the shelf was moved I was able to hang some of Leila's clothes on the actual rod that was made to hold clothes. 
3. Carson's few outfits are hung on a shower rod that we added across the top of the closet (where Leila's clothes use to be hung. His extra diapers and next sized clothing (washed and ready to wear) are on the top shelf.
4. This shelf is still out of Leila's reach so I put the portable booster seat, humidifier, bottle parts, and extra empty baskets on this shelf.
5. We have some toys that are not quite age appropriate for Leila or Carson yet. I don't really care if Leila discovers these, so they are on a lower shelf. Who knows, she may be ready to play Candy Land or do a floor puzzle with my help/
6. On the bottom shelf I am storing larger toys that Leila doesn't need access to daily. I will be using these future toy rotations. (Read about our toy rotation here and here.)
7. The built in shelves at the top of the closet (not pictured) hold large baby items, like the pack and play,   that I don't want in the attic (just in case we have an animal or insect family make a home up there).

It makes me smile every time I see this newly organized space! Have you done any Spring cleaning or organizing lately? Come link up with Mama Dish for their Spring Clean Fling or visit the link up to get some ideas for your own Spring cleaning.

Toy rotation {How I made it work for us}

I saved my sanity by recently implementing a new toy rotation system for Leila's main play area.  After just one day of less toys and books around our home felt less cluttered, Leila started playing with "new" toys, and I didn't spend all day picking up after her various messes.

In the first post of this series, I shared what I learned about toy rotation from Kim at Little Stories and a fellow mom, Meagan.

With limited storage space and a play kitchen set that is always set-up in the living room, I was worried if I could toy rotation work in our tiny space.

I started by getting rid of the junk.  I tossed broken and junky prize toys, gave away toys with missing pieces, and boxed up toys that were too baby-ish for her.  I did the same with our books on the book shelf.  This left us with way fewer toys and books for the rotation than I had expected.  I couldn't believe how many baby toys I still had out for Leila to play with ignore.

Next, I sorted the toys we were keeping in for the rotation into one of 5 categories.  Instead of pulling all the toys off the shelves (again) I made lists of the toys we have in a notebook.  I figured this would help me when I was ready to switch the toys out in two weeks.  No more thinking required...I already did the most difficult part!

Here's what my list looks like:

Thinking Toys- choose 3

puzzles, bead maze, wooden stacking train, crayons/coloring books, Magna-Doodle, pounding set, blocks (we have 4 different sets), play-dough, magnets, shape sorter, art/crafts 

Moving Toys- choose 3

balls, foam climbing blocks, wagon, baby stroller*, keyboard, musical instruments, vacuum*

Pretending toys- choose 3

kitchen set, play food and dishes, tool set, shopping baskets/bags, dress-up clothes/accessories, baby crib, Little People house, Little People zoo, baby dolls, doll clothes, stuffed animals, baby diaper bag

SCLaNs- choose 1

anything that turns on and has buttons to push

*I realize some of these toys can fit into more than one category.  This is how I chose to do it based upon how many of toys we have for each category and what her current faves are.

See...not nearly as many toys as I thought.  Clearing out the junk and packing up the baby toys really helped.

Choosing toys to have out for the first rotation was easy using my list.  I picked the correct amount of toys from each category, found a tub for them, and set them on the shelf.  Ta-da!

For this rotation-Thinking toys: 1 puzzle, wooden stacking train, MegaBlocks
Moving toys: keyboard, stroller, ball
Pretending toys: kitchen, baby diaper bag/baby doll, Little People house and accessories

I also decided that we had way too much play food and dishes available in the kitchen set.  I put them all into a giant tub for storage and chose two cooking pots with lids, three place settings, and five food items.  The available kitchen toys are neatly in baskets that fit in the kitchen set.

Ahhhh...so much better.

You may have noticed that I left out her GIANT Minnie Mouse and considered her baby diaper bag with the baby doll one pretending toy.  I also left out two shopping buckets in the kitchen area and decided to always keep the crayons and coloring books on the top shelf, out of her reach, until they are officially part of the rotation.

The important thing to remember is that this is your toy rotation system now.  You need to be flexible, bend the rules if necessary, and make it work for you and your child(ren).

Now, what on Earth did I do with all of the toys left out from this first rotation?

Stay tuned for my next post in this series...

Toy rotation {Storage and books}

Toy rotation saved my life!

Seriously though...how may times have you tripped over your child's toy, stepped on a small block, or pulled out your back cleaning up the mess of toys left out by your kid?

This fed-up Momma is begging you to rethink how you organize and store your child's toys. Not only will you feel like it saved your life, your child will secretly thank you too.

Our apartment is small...like teeny-tiny small, without a garage.  I work hard to make sure everything has a place, but sometimes it just gets out of control.

Take our main living area for example; it includes our television, couch, Lazy-boy, kitchen, kitchen table, Leila's toy shelves, her play kitchen, her mini-table, filing cabinets, end tables, and a tall bookcase that holds everything from Leila's books to over-sized kitchen items.  Let's just say we utilize every possible space possible, including the walls, for storage,

Here's some scary BEFORE pictures of the upstairs play areas.  As you can see I had a lot of sorting and organizing to do.  The worst part...I feel like I JUST organized this after her birthday in September and felt good about it.  Yikes.

Before: Toy shelves

Before: Kitchen area

Before: Upstairs bookshelf

I came across a pin on Pinterest about toy rotation that sparked my interest. The link ended up leading me to my friend Meagan's blog.  Meagan gave all the credit of her organizational system to Little Stories, an excellent resource focusing on early speech and language development.

At first I was surprised at all the toy and book organization tips on a speech blog, but after reading Kim's posts for newcomers I could see the relevance.  If you are interested in starting from the beginning check out these posts for newcomers.  They are quick reads and you'll be hooked on her blog immediately.

Toy Rotation {What I learned}

I searched Little Stories blog for the posts about toy rotation.  I read them all, then read them again.  Here's what I learned from Kim's posts.

• Get rid of junk!  Broken toys, toys that have missing pieces, toys that are too baby-ish, and toys that are just junk (think freebies from Chuck E. Cheese) need to go.  Donate them, recycle them, or store the baby-ish ones for a future child...just get them out of the play area.

• Categorize and sort toys that are left into one of these five categories (for further descriptions read here):

1. Thinking toys (cognitive and fine motor toys)
2. Moving toys (gross motor toys)
3. Pretending toys (toys that help develop social/emotional skills and language)
4. SCLaNs (Shapes, Colors, Letters, and Numbers electronic button-pushing toys)
5. Books 

• Make sets of ten toys to have out at a time.  Choose 3 thinking toys, 3 moving toys, 3 pretending toys, 1 SCLaN, and 5-10 books depending on your child's age.

• Store the rest of the toys out of the play area, out of sight.

• Rotate the toys in each category every two weeks.

• Watch your child rediscover and take interest in her toys!  Save your life by having less toys to clean up, trip over, or step on!

Stay tuned for my next post in this series...

Toy rotation {How I made it work for us}

We don't share toys.

I know what you are thinking...What?! How can you possibly be raising a decent human being without teaching the basic rule of sharing...and why on Earth are you telling people?!

Think about the last time you toddler had something another child wanted, or wanted something that another child was playing with.  What did you say to your child?  Did you tell them to share?

Before we stopped sharing toys, the conversations I had with Leila, when a child wanted the toy she was currently playing with, went something like this:

Leila, you need to share your shovel.  

No.  Mine.

When you're done give it to the boy.  We share.

When I finally realized what I was saying, I realized I was actually asking her to take turns, not share her shovel.  I didn't expect her to give up the shovel immediately just because another kid wanted to use it.  I wouldn't give up my parking spot just because someone else wanted it.  They'd have to wait until I was finished with my turn.

Sounds like simple semantics, right?  Sharing vs. turn taking.  But there is a difference.  Heather Shumaker, author of It’s OK Not to Share…And Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids (Tarcher/ Penguin, 2012) wrote a must-read guest post on the Positive Parenting Solutions blog that confirmed what I was witnessing.

I noticed when I used this different terminology with Leila she got it.  She started taking turns, even without me making a big deal out of it.

Taking her turn with the bucket.

So, do we share anything?  Yes.  We share our snack because we both can have some.  We share our crayons because there is enough for everyone to have one to use.  We can even share play-dough by breaking off a piece of our and giving it to a friend.

But most of the time we take turns.  We use something as long as we want it, and when we are finished, someone else can have their turn.  If she wants something, she waits her turn.  Turn-taking teaches positive assertiveness and patience, two life skills not all adults have.

So go ahead, stop making your kid share their toys, take turns instead!  You'll be doing everyone a favor.  

Two-year old Favorites {Children's book Edition}

Books are one of the greatest sources of entertainment for toddlers.  Leila loves to hear the same stories over and over again.  She enjoys pretending to reading them, looking at the pictures, and simply pulling them off the bookshelves.

Reading from the dictionary (baby genius!)

Leila's favorite picture book changes almost every time we introduce a new one. When we do introduce a new book, she always asks for it to be read at least three times in a row in that sitting alone.

Being a former elementary teacher means I have more children's books than one person could imagine.  Most of them are still boxed up for when she's older but I have brought home some repetitive, rhyming, or simple text books with great illustrations for us to enjoy now.

1. Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson:  Her all-time fave, especially since Jeff changes all of the names in the rhymes to Leila.
2. No David by David Shannon:  She loves all the books in the series.  I just discovered there is a Christmas version called, It's Christmas, David!  We need this one for sure.
3. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes  by James Dean and Eric Litwin:  This one has a free song to download that is really catchy.
4. LMNO Peas by Keith Baker:  I swear I read this at least once a day because I like to read it too.  It one has excellent rhyme and rhythm.
5. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown:  We have the board book version.  The repetitive text makes it a favorite of Leila's.  I like it because it's about a mother bunny and her child.
6. Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire by Bill Martin Jr.:  A great rhyming book with simple text and a surprise ending.  They don't make the version I have anymore so I linked the newest edition.
7. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems:  These books crack me up.  It's the only one I have in the series but I know she'd love the others just as much.  The pictures are simple and the text meant to be read with a lot of expression.
8. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and Lois Ehlert:  Another one with great rhyme and rhythm which makes it fun to read and listen too.

What is your toddler's favorite children's book? Maybe I need to add it to her 2012 Holiday wish-list.

  

Want more lists like this?  Check out the others in this Two-year old Favorites series: {Food Edition} and {Toy Edition}.

{Toddler} Holiday Wish List 2012

I know, it's not even November yet, but you better believe I've already been doing some Christmas shopping!

All year I keep a list on my phone titled "Gifts". When I hear a family member or friend mention something they like, I add it to the list.  When I think of something Leila would like or read about a product online, I add it to the list.  This makes shopping way less stressful during the holiday months.

Leila's wish list was wiped out after celebrating her 2nd birthday a month ago. Our house is stocked with toys, but I know by Christmas she'll be ready for a few new items.  I'll be especially looking into more items that allow for her to play independently.  That's going to be necessary after her baby brother is born.

Toys for toddlers

Green Toys Dump Truck

Melissa and Doug Cutting Food- Wooden Play food

Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase and his party friend Mrs. Potato Head Spudette

Disney Princess Sparkle Shoe Boutique
and dress-up clothes of all kinds

Art supplies for toddlers

Melissa and Doug Paint with Water book

Do-a-Dot Rainbow Art Set

Color Me Nursery Rhymes Do-a-Dot Creative Art Book

Clothing

Minnie Mouse Slippers Size 5/6- Toddler
(I saw Elmo ones in her size too!)

Chicago Bears Toddler Football Jersey and Pant Set

More toddler gift ideas

My Tot Clock
 I love that this clock has so many uses! 

Stocking Stuffer ideas for toddlers

Electric toothbrush
Play-dough
Stickers and tattoos
Winter hat
Teeny-tiny hair bands for her almost-piggy-tails
Coloring book


So, I may have gone a little overboard!  We won't be buying her all these things...it's called a wish list for a reason! 

I have a feeling this list for my two-year old, Leila, will be growing after I read the other linked up posts for this week's Toddle Along Tuesday.

What is on your child's holiday wish list this year?

Two-year old Favorites {Toy Edition}

Leila just turned two and received some toys for her birthday that quickly turned into favorites.  Although I may have suggested a few of these gifts, none of the gifts from Jeff and I have made it on this list. (Go figure!)

1.  See that stroller?   Yep, Leila loves it.  Two-year old kids love pushing anything and her stroller is a favorite because I have one too.  She pushed her stroller (ditching it only a few times along the way) all the way to Aunt Val's house last weekend.  Luckily I convinced her that I did not also need to push a stroller with a baby doll in it.  Not to say that it won't happen in the future.

2.  Remember the Magna Doodle?  This toy has been played with daily since she got it.  I think she likes the fact that she can "color" whenever she wants without me nagging to keep the crayons on the table.  Leila was able to erase her pictures easily from the start, but prefers erasing mine.

3.  Books, books, and more books.  After I read a book to Leila she insists that it's her turn to read it.  Sometimes she can recall the text based on the pictures, other times she just reads in her head (I guess?!?).  The best books are the ones that we have two of- a board book and a regular copy.  This way we can read at the same time.  Like a typical two-year old, Leila loves to hear the same books over and over again.  I don't mind, with all the practice I get really good at reading them aloud with expression.

4.  This kitchen set took Jeff five (golf watching) hours to put together.  I swear it is nicer than my real kitchen.  She cooks, washes dishes, does laundry, and cleans up just like Mommy.  It has been a great distraction while I actually do those things.  Leila has been interested in doing "all things Mommy" for quite a while now, but I am glad we waited until she turned two for a kitchen set because she really knows how to play with it now.

With Christmas less than three months away I will be checking out other lists of Favorite Toddler Toys that have linked up with Melissa for Toddle Along Tuesday.

Go check them out...

Budget-friendly toddler adventures

I have said it before, and I will say it again, I LOVE where we live. Jeff and I have lived in San Diego for nine years and we can still feel like tourists any given day.

Who wouldn't love living in a sunny beach town?!

(Honestly, I could do without the high cost of living and underfunded public school system.)

Now that I entertain a toddler on a daily basis, I have begun to see San Diego with a new set of eyes.  The possibilities for fun on a budget seem endless.

A new picnic spot, a local bake sale, a free concert at the library...fun, fun, fun!
Leila with my mom and Aunt Carrie
Watching the local elementary school kids rock out

After seeing this list posted on one of my favorite local blogs last year, I was inspired to make a list of my own.

Here's what I have so far...



It's time to take advantage of your hometown! Start your list today.

I plan on adding activities that are not specific to San Diego like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, nature walk, and pet store to mine after reading the posts linked up here...


Please share your favorite budget-friendly activities!

Mission Bay on Dwellable

Our {toddler} days

After a lot of trial and error, I have found a daily routine that works for us. I also happen to LOVE it.

I realize it won't last forever, so here's a peek into what goes on around here!

Lazy wake up
Some days Leila wakes up at seven, other days it's eight. I love the mornings that I wake up before Leila does. Although it rarely happens, those few minutes with my coffee and computer really make me happy. I wonder if I will ever purposely wake up before her?! I'll never say never.

Jeff is up and out the door by 7:30, but is lucky to have a flexible work start time. His mornings are not quite as lazy as he'd like.

Milk and cuddles
Just like it sounds, most days. Other days it's straight in the highchair for breakfast so we can get out the door earlier.

Breakfast
I cook, we eat. She makes messes, I clean up. Rinse and repeat.

Get dressed
Some days I get ready before Leila wakes up, other days she hangs out and watches. We always wait to get dressed until after breakfast. You just never know.


Out the door for "adventure time"
We've expanded our short list of favorite activities. I still love lazy days at the park, and make it a priority to go every Friday. On Tuesdays we play and learn with Teacher Lee, and the local library has toddler programs on most Thursdays. That leaves Mondays and Wednesdays open for whatever we feel like doing. I try to keep this time all about Leila but some days we just have to run an errand or two.

Snack

Lunch
Some days we eat at home, other days we pack a picnic lunch. Can you guess which one I prefer? Picnic all the way. More prep, less clean up.

12:30 Nap time
Notice that this is one of the few things I mentioned the time? That's because no day is the same, or that predictable. But, the one thing that I watch the clock for is sleep! Leila is a great sleeper and I credit the sleep schedule she has been on for over a year. Don't mess with nap time!

Lazy nap wake up
Some days Leila naps for two and half hours, other days it's over three hours long. Either way...I love, need, cherish, and look forward to this break. It allows me to exercise, shower, do some daily chores, blog, email, bake, prep dinner, etc. Not ALL of these things everyday! More like three, maybe four things get done, hopefully.

Milk and cuddles

Snack

Afternoon play
Since the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer I'm trying to get us out more in the afternoons (yes, this time errands count!).

Leila likes playing at home too. We listen to music, play with her toys, build with blocks, read, take a bath, watch a show, dance, or even do some arts and crafts.

Eventually I have to start dinner. This is what Leila does...


Everything ends up everywhere.

Dinner
After Jeff comes home and settles in, he plays with Leila and I cook dinner. I aim to get the food on the table by 6:30. Some days we go out for dinner (Friday night pizza, anyone?). Most days I make Leila-friendly meals and she eats them, other days she gets pb & j.

7:30 Bed time routine
Jeff puts Leila to bed on most nights. They read, say good-night to things around the room, and then into the crib she goes with her pacifiers and stuffed animals. Leila loves her crib (which means I love it too)!

Once dinner is cleaned up, coffee is ready for the morning, and I've marked enough things off my list for the day...

I grab a second glass of wine (some days it's the third) and relax.

Cheers to another day!

Wondering how our days have changed over the last few months? Check out a similar post I wrote when Leila was sixteen months old.

I'm linking up again this week with Mama G over at Growing up Geeky. This weeks's topic is A Day in the Life. Link up here...

16 Months

A day in the life of a sixteen month old toddler.

Rise and shine at 7:00 am. She plays in her crib for a while before I go and get her up. I love listening to her talk to her stuffed friends. She has such a sweet voice (most of the time).

First things first...we watch about 20 minutes of Sesame Street while she drinks her milk and I drink my coffee. She can just about put her cup in the sink when she's finished. She's a little short. I'm not sure I'm ready to teach her how to stand on a stool. Although she'd love it. She's into everything!

Morning play


Next up is a light breakfast at of cereal, eggs, fruit, oatmeal, toast, or pancakes. She just started feeding herself successfully with a spoon.


Adventure time- Forget the stroller, Leila wants to walk. We walk everywhere. She's great on her feet walking, running, or climbing.

Snack- Yogurt is her current fave. She loves when I put "surprises" like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or cheerios in the spoonfuls. I should add pea or carrot surprises. but that's too mean.


11:30 Nap- We did it. Yep, yep! We made the great nap transition. It was not nearly as difficult as I though it would be. It took about two weeks to ease her into it. Now Leila naps once for about three hours. I hope to slowly be push it back as she gets use to our new routine. I love having more time to play and enjoy her in the morning. It is definitely her happiest time of day!


Snack- We eat a lot of small meals throughout the day. Sometimes she eats more than I expected, sometimes less. She's been pushing away her plate when she's finished instead of signing all done. Leila also stopped signing more, now she says it in the cutest way.

Indoor play- blocks, kitchen utensils, climbing the furniture, dancing...


Outside for more adventure time


Snack

Play, play, play...Daddy style!


Dinner around 6:30. She's been eating what we eat for the past few months (with a few exceptions). Makes life way easier this way!

Quiet play- She will sit with us on the couch while I read her a few of her favorite books. Actually, she usually makes me read the same book over and over again.

7:00 Night-night- Some nights I put her to bed, other nights Jeff does. We each do the 7:00ish bedtime routine with our own personal twist. Leila is a wonderful sleeper. She wakes up at night...maybe? Luckily we haven't had to go in once since she started sleeping through the night.

16 months and fun as ever!
It's her world and I'm happy to be in it.

Like a kid in a toy store

What did I expect, really?

Leila wandered into this adorable wooden toy store and was told, "Come on in and play!" She stopped for a brief minute to examine the first few items hanging on hooks. Unamused, she sat in the tot sized rocking chair until she saw the vehicles.

She grabbed a truck and kept on going until she spotted the wooden spoon. Score!

She carried this grimy over-played with wooden spoon around and around the shop.

Never letting go of that spoon.

When it was time to move on Leila thought the spoon was leaving too. After chasing her around the store, I finally figured out a way to get her to drop the spoon.

We rushed out of the door with no tears. Hooray!

Three days later Leila is the proud owner of a mini wooden spoon (and a rolling pin to go with it). I just couldn't resist!