Greetings! Can you believe it’s actually May? (Or is it? I must admit I’ve lost all sense of time and I imagine that some of you have, too!) As we close out Week 8 of social distancing and stay-at-home measures, I’m feeling a bit stir crazy. Anyone with me? No matter how much you love your home, it is hard being there all day, every day with very limited ventures out into the world! And, when your home isn’t looking its best, it can make it that much more difficult. One complaint I keep hearing from my friends with young children is that the constant mess that inevitably comes from being at home all the time can be draining, frustrating, and disheartening. And no wonder! We know that clean, uncluttered spaces are soothing and relax the mind, so of course chaotic spaces have the opposite effect on our psyches. Right now, we all need any bit of peacefulness we can get and while I can’t help you sweep the glitter off the floor or vacuum up the crumbs between your couch cushions, I can give you some tips for getting toy clutter under control.

With all of our newfound time at home trying to fend off boredom, my boys have been doing a deep dive into their toys and digging out things they haven’t touched for months! I can’t complain too much when they manage to play together and give me a few minutes to drink my coffee or answer an email, but the struggle to keep their messes contained is oh-so real. Of course any home with children is going to have some degree of untidiness a good chunk of the time, but I also feel strongly that toys should not be taking over your home just because some little people happen to live there!

If you too have been living with annoying toy clutter, I am here to promise you it doesn’t have to be that way! There are plenty of gorgeous products—ones you’ll actually love having as part of your decor rather than merely tolerating their presence—that can help get the problem under control. Below, some of my picks and suggestions for how to incorporate them into your life.

If you’ve picked up some baskets or furniture with storage inside and have managed to control the toy chaos happening in your home, congratulations! You’ve passed my Toy Storage 101 course and are ready to graduate to the next level. If you’re feeling motivated and are truly ready to get organized, it’s time to invest in some specialty storage bins. I strongly believe in having a designated place for every item, and these are the best way to accomplish this. You can even really go the distance and include a photo label on each bin indicating its contents—blocks, cars, magnet tiles, trains, etc.—so that even the littlest monsters can help put toys away in the correct place!

And there you have it! I hope these tips can help kick your toy clutter to the curb so that your home feels like a refuge rather than a prison during this crazy, stressful time. Remember, though, that even the most organized homes gets cluttered when small children are around, so please be kind to yourself. Sometimes things get out of control despite our best efforts and we have to simply smile and embrace it! I hope you and your families are well and look forward to when we can all be together out in the world again.

~Carolyn & Team Bliss