Organization Tips Needed....

[melskids]

as much as i LOVE the holidays, having all the extra "stuff" around is really stressing me out. i'm almost ready to "undecorate". almost

i have BIG plans as soon as the holidays are over to reorganize my whole house, and rearrange the daycare area. i'm really good at organization, when i stick to it but i have one area that i'm a little hung up on and i'm looking for some solutions.

my dress up area is always a hot mess, and i cant seem to find a system that works. i really want it all to be accessible, because it is THE FAVORITE area , but dont have alot of room. the area i have for dress up only has about two feet of wall space, so i have 6 hooks there. well, they only hold so much. the rest is currently all in a ball in a laundry basket. i hate it, cause when they are looking for something, they dump the whole basket out. do any of you have those dress up centers like in discountschoolsupply, and do the kids hang everything back up on the hangers, or is that asking too much of them to do? i was thinking of taking a bookshelf, taking the shelves out, and hanging a shower curtain rod in it or something. any thoughts?

the other question is about PNP's / cribs. i hate pnp's. i'd really like to get wooden cribs, but i dont have the room for full size ones. and something on wheels so i can move them around. anybody have anything like this? i saw portable cribs on walmart's website for $99, so not bad money wise, but i'm afraid they are cheaply made.

TIA!!!!!

I use a garment rack for my dress up area. I got one from Walmart for about $10. I didn't use the extensions, so it's just the right height.

A suggestion is to temporarily use other centers for dress up. If most of the children want to dress up, then all the blocks (for example) are put away and extend the dress up area into the block area.

Another suggestion is to rotate some of the dress up clothes - keep out a couple of favorites but only put out some of the dress up clothes and rotate them every week or month. You could have a 'hat' week and all the children only wear their favorite hat that week. The next week, a cowboy theme or a prince and princess theme and that way the dress up clothes can be rotated and hopefully will cause less chaos.

[kidkair]

I'd stick out less clothes, probably one outfit per child. I'd use hooks because they are easier than hangers for kids.

[MommyMuffin]

I do not have advice but I totally sympathize with the extra "stuff".

There is a rocking chair in the middle of my small living room that we have no where to put until we can take the tree down. I'm always running into it.

Friends come over and look at it funny and I just tell them we had to make room for the tree.

[melskids]

Originally Posted by MommyMuffin

I do not have advice but I totally sympathize with the extra "stuff".

There is a rocking chair in the middle of my small living room that we have no where to put until we can take the tree down. I'm always running into it.

Friends come over and look at it funny and I just tell them we had to make room for the tree.

oh i hear ya! i had to rearrange my whole house just to fit the tree. we gave up our living room for the DC, so the living room, dining room, "mud" room, and computer area are all shoved in one room. granted, its a good size room, about 30x18, but it can only hold so much. the only place to put the tree, really, is next to the woodstove, which obviously i cant do. so it gets shoved between the couch and the dining table. i hate it.

[countrymom]

I have alot of stuff too, so something had to give----the tree got downsized.

[MommyMuffin]

Originally Posted by countrymom

I have alot of stuff too, so something had to give----the tree got downsized.

Haha...I can see it now..next year we will all have 2 ft trees on our dinning room tables.

[laundrymom]

Originally Posted by melskids

oh i hear ya! i had to rearrange my whole house just to fit the tree. we gave up our living room for the DC, so the living room, dining room, "mud" room, and computer area are all shoved in one room. granted, its a good size room, about 30x18, but it can only hold so much. the only place to put the tree, really, is next to the woodstove, which obviously i cant do. so it gets shoved between the couch and the dining table. i hate it.

I put the tree up weekend before christmas,.. take it down day after,... I put it in the pack and plays spot that rotates from the living room floor in the middle of the play area to at the foot of my bed during naptime, During the piano practice time for my 12 yr old which is in my room, it sits on my bed. lol then back to the living room at night. Im glad its a short week, lol. pnp gets taken down thursday after nap. lol.

[melskids]

my dad was telling me that in scandinavia or norway, (i cant remember which, but he is both), that they hang their trees upside down from the ceiling. he remembers his grandmother doing it.

its almost a thought

[kidkair]

Originally Posted by melskids

my dad was telling me that in scandinavia or norway, (i cant remember which, but he is both), that they hang their trees upside down from the ceiling. he remembers his grandmother doing it.

its almost a thought

They did it in Germany too. I've done it myself before as well.

[melskids]

Originally Posted by kidkair

They did it in Germany too. I've done it myself before as well.

yeah, maybe that was it. germany or norway. scandinavia isnt even a country is it?!?!? its more a culture, right. idk, been a looong day...lol

does it come out nice? i'd love to do it.

[Crystal]

You could always do the shelf idea, but put hooks in it instead, then add small baskets on top for the accessories. Or, hang nice twine across the wall and add clothespins...then the kids get some small motor activity too

I'd go with Moses baskets for sleeping in, but not alot of people like that idea.