I had a LONG Saturday. I had a big job facing me and I had a bit of a deadline looming. I wanted to change this…
For 36 years of my life, I have lived with toys in my house. I’ve either had my own children’s toys or childcare toys in my house. There were a few years that it wasn’t necessarily toys but it was kid stuff. I’ve never had a house where kid items couldn’t be seen. The picture above was the “toy room”.
But wait…there are more toys and childcare things in this house. There is another closet besides all of this.
A couple of weeks I told you that I went to the junk sale in hopes of finding a big cabinet. I wanted the cabinet for my “toy room”. I wanted to find a way to manage all of this. It’s too much.
Now that I’m not doing regular childcare for the grandkids and have my job, I only have kids here once or maybe twice a week. Even then, they aren’t here all day. I don’t need all of this. Besides, the kids spend a ton of time outdoors when they are here.
I told you yesterday that I got a dresser at the thrift store to “make due” until I find the cabinet I really want. In the meantime, while I wait for the perfect piece, I need this to get managed.
On Friday my son Buck called me and asked about my plans for this coming weekend. He was hoping to come for a visit. UGH. I was excited to see them all but…I had the dresser in the middle of my dining room waiting for me to tackle all of this. I needed this all done before the grandkids came. Saturday HAD to be the day.
So Saturday it was.
I would have started it all on Friday evening but I had to make goodies for the area Historical Society dinner. I made two raspberry pies, a brownie/pudding dessert, and cookies.
I delivered all of that and then it was time to dig in. As expected it got WAY WORSE before it got better. At lunch time I shoved everything around on the table enough so that I could find a place big enough to eat…I did go up to the dinner and grabbed a meal.
It was supper time before I was anywhere near finished… It’s much better and even tolerable at this point.
I was so pooped. Thankfully I had a pot of soup and warmed that for supper…
I pitched and pitched and sorted. There is stuff for the thrift store…stuff for the childcare in town…stuff for Georgia’s school..stuff for my son Buck’s kids. This is all just for Georgie’s school.
I still have to get all of that where it goes.
I have my dresser in place. Many thanks to my son-in-law Craig who came over and helped me attach the mirror to the dresser and helped me get the bookcases out to the back garage. This isn’t my permanent plan for this space…but it’s SO MUCH BETTER than it was.
It was all a part of my plan to get my life into a better place…I don’t love the area yet…but I like it a whole lot more than I ever did.
I started at about 9:30 on Saturday morning and quit only to eat for a couple of breaks and to write two fast blog posts. I didn’t get done until 8 p.m. UGH. It was a LONG but much-needed day.
Purging can be so good for the soul. I’m a happy girl even if I haven’t found my dream cabinet for this spot…I’m looking though…and I’m only getting something if it’s my forever piece.
It has been 35 years in the making…I’m finally (well almost I still have to get Kelli to grab the stuff for Georgia’s school) not a house that is stuffed with kid toys and kid stuff. I still have plenty but for once it is at least behind closed doors. Ahhhh. That’s the hugest sigh of relief. I feel so much better.
I didn’t get much sewing done this week…but this got done and it was a pretty good trade-off!!
It’s such a good feeling when you get stuff sorted and cleared. Well worth the effort!
Good work, Jo! That was a lot to tackle, but you did it and it looks great! I was working on my closet yesterday—it’s getting better little by little.
Oh yes, I know that feels good to get the toys behind doors. It looks so nice with your antique furniture. I like wood pieces also.
I was noticing your baked goods. I don’t make pies very often, and like to have pies fresh, but in order to serve them, they must be cool (and firm). But for your bake sale, how many days ahead do your feel you can make them to still be fresh?
I feel comfortable making them on Thursday for a Saturday event.
I know how you feel I do daycare for grandkids. I have a toyroom but it’s always a mess I feel. It’s time to straighten out the closet. Your motivation will help me get it done. Thanks
Good progress, Jo.
Good decisions to start this new chapter of your life!
Looks great! A day like that is just so satisfying, isn’t it?
I am so impressed with all your hard work. So satisfying. I like the dresser, and it looks like you used Restore a Finish on it. You have inspired me to start working on my quilt UFOs.
We help with the kids at Sunday school. They love to get toys and games out. Not so much on putting them away. Any tips? They are not great at listening.
I have no toys in the house, but I remember when our youngest moved out. He left a closet full of stuff here. I let it sit for a couple of years, hoping he would move back closer to home. But, when he made his life 2000 miles away, I couldn’t wait to pack it up and ship it to him! It felt so good to get it out. Since the year before Covid, I have been decluttering the entire house. The only space I haven’t touched is the hubby’s closet. I can’t get him still long enough to try on clothes and get rid of stuff he doesn’t wear or doesn’t fit into. He swears the house looks abandoned, but I have live plants in most rooms to prove that theory false…
We don’t have many “things”, but I can sit in my chair in the den or work in my kitchen and breathe. That’s more important to me. Congrats on tackling that space! It is awesome!
Tammie,
I totally understand. We decluttered our house and I loved it. Then my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter moved in and they love things! I just have to close my eyes to it, or go sit way out back and breathe.
Looks great!!!
Something to think about – position the chest at an angle in the corner. Visually, you’ll have similar size spaces on each side. You can put a box or two behind the chest to store seasonal stuff. I’ve done that trick!
And look at the amount of wall space to hang your pictures, cross-stitch pieces and other stuff.
Oh wow, Jo! Great job! It is always a hard task to sort and purge but you got it done. I understand the good feeling you had. It doesn’t look like the same area. I know one of these days you will find the perfect cabinet you want.
Congratulations! I know it was hard to get it under control and to purge all those toys! Love and prayers
I used to have a childcare business, too, Jo. I saved my toys from that in anticipation of being a grandma someday. Now, years later, the grandkids are grown up enough to not care about the toys anymore. I have been going through them slowly, as I feel like I am disposing of memories. I will keep a few super special ones to give back to the grands someday if I am around when they become parents. These are turning points in our lives! You are great at handling things like this and I admire you for it. PS Suddenly I am not getting email notification of your posts. I wonder if I should resubscribe?
I would resubscribe.
Wow you had a full day of toys. It looks great and I know you will find that perfect cabinet for it.