Helpful Ways to Manage Your Kids' Toys Like a Minimalist

Whether you've got a young child or multiple kids of all ages, there's a good chance toys are accumulating in your house. I hear a lot of moms talk about their frustrations with toys. How many should you have? Can someone be a minimalist and let their kids have toys? How does one go about decluttering? In a nutshell, WHAT THE HECK DO YOU DO WITH TOYS?

I have to add a disclaimer that my little boy is only 9 months old so although we haven't had to manage loads of toys at this stage they are making their way into our house. I've bought him a handful and then he's received some as gifts. I've decided to compile what I do to manage his toys as well as what I've learned from experts on the topic and roll them up into one post so it's a quick and efficient read for you. ;)

Here goes:

If you're feeling bombarded by toys in your house and you're either frustrated or confused (or both) on how to tackle your little people's stuff then read the below tips to help you manage your kids' toys like a minimalist.

- Get rid of broken toys. Whether it's missing a tiny piece or a big piece, get rid of it. Get rid of broken toys because broken toys become junk and junk accumulates. It sounds harsh, but you've got to draw the line somewhere!

- Consider a rotation system. If you still have a handful of toys for your kids, only put out what they'll actually use at a given time. Consider rotating toys weekly or monthly. In my situation, I keep Beck's toys in a small bin in his closet. I'll pull out 3-4 and hand him those when he's in his pack n play or I'll let him pick out the toys from the bin in his room (at 9 months, life is all about taking things out of bins so it's really a great activity to keep him busy at this stage in his life). I believe with older kids, you'll find you and your kids will feel like they have new toys when you put out those they haven't played with in a while. Where should you store the ones not being used? Consider putting them in the top of the closet or in the garage. 

- Create an organizational system. You don't have to spend much to get organized. You can use things like shoe boxes (any size will do) to sort toys. If you want something that's more aesthetically pleasing, I really like the Ikea drawer organizers (Amazon sells them too) and shelf storage containers. My husband is the organizer in our house and he's taught me that it's all about separating like items. So consider putting all of the balls together or all of the blankets or all of the dolls, etc. Size is another way to tackle a big pile of toys. Consider combining toys that are similar in size and then put them in the container that fits them best.

- If you've read Simplicity Parenting then you know that author Kim John Payne provides a much more thorough outline of what you should keep and discard when it comes to toys. In the book, he shares that you should really only keep toys that are going to help foster your child's imagination. Things like rope, building blocks or dolls are a few examples. The idea is to have toys that your kids will use their imagination with. According to Payne, toys to avoid would be those that are merely for entertainment and that are prone to breaking. Of course, you're the parent so it's your call but keep in mind what will last and what will help them most in the long-run.

Are you a parent struggling with toy overload or have you created a solution that would benefit us all? Leave a comment and let us know!

Are you looking for a little (or a lot) of help with your own home organization? Click here and schedule a complimentary 15-minute consult and chat with me about your home organization goals or follow me on Instagram here for daily organization and minimalist-living tips.

3 Tips to Help you Simplify Without the Overwhelm

You're ready and willing to simplify your home but for some reason it keeps getting put off. It's not that you don't want to streamline the nooks and crannies but it's sort of, overwhelming in a really huge way. 

If this sounds like you, you are not alone! That much I can promise. Oftentimes the biggest reason we as simple-seekers find ourselves not simplifying is because we get overwhelmed with feelings that it's too time consuming, too confusing (you just might need that one sweater for another rainy season... maybe?) and/or it's hard to face the music and actually rip off the bandaid of too much stuff.

It's important to keep in mind that just because you may feel overwhelmed (and yes, you may have stuff lying around) those things don't categorize you as messy or even a hoarder. Stuff just accumulates. It's a part of life. So cut yourself some slack and don't sweat it. Follow these 4 tips to help overcome the overwhelm when it comes to simplifying your home.

1. Start somewhere. The hardest part about doing something (doesn't matter what it is) is starting it. Once you start it you'll feel a sense of accomplishment after you make the first move. This motivation will help you get the ball rolling. For example, I hate the paper clutter that accumulates in my house (I loathe junk mail). I purge all the time, I have a paper shredder, I recycle but the paper still builds. Instead of letting overwhelm beat me, I force myself to dive in on a weekly basis. Once I start separating piles (what to file versus what to shred), I feel better and then I find the motivation to keep going until I see the piles gone.

2. Set a goal. Don't stop until you've met a goal. It doesn't have to be a lofty one. Something as simple as, I'm not going to stop cleaning the closet until I've spent at least 20 minutes doing it. Another goal could be, I'm going to keep organizing until I can easily hang clothes on the top shelf (no more cramming shirts in between shirts). If you set a goal and you achieve it, you'll feel like an organizing rockstar. Trust me.

3. Many hands make light work. According to this article in Psychology Today, a mess can cause stress for a variety of reasons and tackling it with the help of your family, roommates or whoever else lives under the same roof is a simple way to divide the load. Bottom line? Don't do it alone soldier. You weren't the only one collecting the clutter in the first place so invite everyone to help lift the burden.

And remember, living more simply takes constant practice. Similar to eating healthy, you've got to keep at it to see the results. One binge purge might feel satisfying but you'll see lasting results if you make a conscious effort to work on it every week. The more you do it, the easier it will come!

Are you looking for a little (or a lot) of help with your own home organization? Click here and schedule a complimentary 15-minute consult and chat with Britnee about your home organization goals.

RELATED POST: Decluttering: How to Organize Your House One Room at a Time and Keep Your Sanity

What is Minimalism Anyway?

So what's the big deal about minimalism? What does it mean and how exactly can it make life noticeably sweeter? I've discovered that minimalism isn't necessarily about the bare minimum. It's definitely about streamlining and paring back but it doesn't have to be about living with nothing at all. Face it, we need things. We should be using things that are useful to us! Those things will be different for everyone. Minimalism is about choosing your material possessions wisely and simplifying your life so you have time for your loved ones and the things that are most important to you. That alone makes life sweeter! In most cases, this will mean saying no to things that you really don't have time for. This may also mean cleaning out areas of your house. It could also mean that you refrain from shopping as much and make fewer purchases consisting of higher quality items. In fact, I recommend all of those things. :)

I gave the internet's definition of minimalism my own spin because I think it's a [life]style. It's not just about one area of your life having less and being organized while the rest is bursting at the seams with stuff. It's about simplifying all aspects of your life - home, work, personal time, etc. 

Not sure where to start? I've included a brief questionnaire below to help you think about a few different areas that could be the most congested for you right now. My suggestion is to start on one that is most bothersome and then go from there. Once you take a stab at it, I think you'll come to understand and even love the power of minimalism.

• How are you spending your time when you're not at work? Are you bombarded by the demands of others or is your schedule full of appointments? Think about what exactly is taking up your time.

• How often do you wear the articles in your own closet? Could you take 15 min and sort out a few items to open up some space?

• Think about the paperwork in your home. Is the mail piling up in a kitchen cubby or cabinet? Is your home office becoming a dumping ground for miscellaneous, loose paper that you can never seem to stay on top of? 

• Open your kitchen cabinets and take inventory of what's really in them. Are they full of outdated food or ingredients that you forgot you had (make sure you look behind things and in the far back of your cabinets). Do you have appliances that you no longer use or never used at all?

These questions should help jumpstart how you start thinking about the areas of your life that can be simplified. You can get a lot more detailed and a lot more thorough but don't try to bite off more than you can chew. Like I always say, start small first. 

Are you looking for a little (or a lot) of help with your own home organization? Click here and schedule a complimentary 15-minute consult and chat with me about your home organization goals or follow me on Instagram here for daily organization and minimalist-living tips.

RELATED POST: Millennials and Minimalism: Why My Generation Is Clinging to Less

Minimalism and Motherhood: The Trick to Accumulating Less

When I gave birth to my son 6 months ago my life changed in the most amazing way and now I can't imagine life without him. If you're a parent, you know exactly what I mean. Our kids ARE. OUR. WORLD. 

As part of our world, they need things (and if you're like me and millions of other parents, you want to buy them things because you love them and want the best for them). Now, since I call myself a minimalist, I tried to be as selective as possible about what I added to my registry (quality over quantity!). It was important that I felt equipped to take care of my little guy but at the same time walk that fine line of making sure I didn't have too much or too little. Naturally, I didn't want to forget the essentials. 

I was methodical about what I thought we'd actually use. I read, researched and studied. What did I find out? Just about the same stuff that everyone else was telling me and I felt like in the sea of items "that are necessary" I was coming out even more overwhelmed. You've seen the lists: minimal must-haves or the top things you need for a minimal nursery. The problem with these lists is that while they've curated beautiful, high quality baby items, they left me feeling like I needed to add a lot to my registry.

Fortunately, I'm happy to note that after all was said and done, I felt like I had crafted a very manageable registry and 6 months later I can say I've used everything except just one item (and I found a purpose for it just last month). 

So, how did I do it and what's the trick you ask? I'll tell you. It's about defining and using your best judgment to predict how much you or your child will use something. Sure, you may want to also consider things like the quality of the item and aesthetics of it but at the foundation, I suggest you try to guesstimate how much use it will get. This can be applied to apparel, toys, baby dishes, strollers and equipment, etc. To get a comparable estimate, consider how much use it will get per week.

I'll use my son's clothes as an example. If I want to buy him something because I think it's too adorable to pass up, then I'll factor in how many times he's going to wear it before I purchase. This applies to items of all price-points - be it expensive or cheap. If your child is going to wear it every week -- maybe even multiple times, then you know the item is worth it.

On the flip side, I've eyed a few "items for convenience" during the occasional trip to Buy Buy Baby and I swear like 95% of the time those things aren't necessities. So save yourself time and money by estimating your child's usage of stuff you're considering buying and I really believe you'll be better off for it in the long run.

Are you looking for a little (or a lot) of help with your own home organization? Click here and schedule a complimentary 15-minute consult and chat with Britnee about your home organization goals.

Mental Shift: Focus on What You Don't Need Instead of What You Don't Have

I am re-listening to Brene Brown's Power of Vulnerability lecture on Audible. (This is my third time listening to it because she is... amazing. I soak up her data and research like water in a sponge every time I hear it.) One of the first points she makes is about how we live in a society of scarcity. We can't get enough and we never have enough. So many of us can't stop worrying about not getting enough sleep or not getting enough done in the day and the list goes on. I imagine you're thinking about what you feel scarce about right now. Am I right?

This had me thinking. We really don't need more. We shouldn't feel these feelings of scarcity even though we do. In fact, I'd argue that it would help the majority of us if we felt less burdened by what we can't seem to get enough of and instead shifted our thinking to focus on what we can do without.

Have you ever decluttered a storage closet? It's like taking an eraser to the marks of chaos. It's not that the world sees these places (many are hidden by doors) but you know when they're neat and tidy. You know the feeling you get when everything has a place. If it's been a while since you've had this feeling (or maybe you've never felt this feeling) I encourage you to start trimming. Bit by bit you'll see what you really don't need.

Most of the time, we really don't need the new clothes, shoes, endless toys for the kids in our lives, [insert whatever it is that you buy here]. Now, you might be saying, Britnee it's easy for you to write about it rather than do it. You haven't seen my house. It's crazy! It'll never be where I want it. To that I say, it takes time and patience and practice. I'm still practicing it. That's another reason I started this blog! To chat about what works for me as I practice simple living.

If you're willing, then you can tackle it. 

Let's talk about some of the pitfalls - the things that deter us from this idea of having less and not needing it all. Once we identify those, we'll be more equipped to properly handle them and say BYEE to the excess. 

Pitfall #1: Shopping. Whether it's online or in-person, shopping is fun. For some people, it's so fun it's become an addiction. Bored? Go shopping. Happy? Go shopping. Reunited with family for an afternoon? Go shopping. This is a very real pitfall that's working against you. Good news is, it doesn't have to win! 

Pitfall #2: Significant other who may not see eye-to-eye with you on your simple vision. I've heard it more than once. Many people wish to do away with the excess but their significant others aren't on board. This can be a toughy. In those cases, I recommend taking it SLOW. Start a real conversation about why you want to trim and let them know why you want to do it. You might consider sharing a Pinterest or Houzz board of what you want your house to ultimately look like. Sharing examples can show someone with hesitation what exactly your end goal is. Show them that it doesn't have to be scary and the end-goal will be well worth it.

Pitfall #3: Feeling overwhelmed. I think we can all agree that this type of feeling is a natural response when we see a pile of anything staring back at us. My suggestion is to start small. You don't need to organize your entire garage this weekend. Think about cleaning out a few shelves first. The idea is for you to experience a few small wins to help motivate you to continue on to the big stuff. And once you have a few small wins under your belt, you won't want to stop because it really does feel good.

How cool would it be to simplify our homes and focus solely on streamlining them? Make them more peaceful. Make them more aligned with a feeling of calm instead of worrying about buying or accumulating whatever we thought we needed before. For me, that's living. 

If we're honest with ourselves, we know that there is so much that we really don't need. My challenge for you is to consider what you can do without this week when you're at the store debating that impulse buy. You went to Target for sunscreen and a card for your mom but you're debating whether or not to snag the mini-chalkboard easel, the blouse that screams spring and a few other non-essentials. 

If nothing else, have a little internal convo with yourself. You'll recognize your real needs if you know that 1) you're going to use those additional items and/or 2) you really won't and your impulse purchase is really just a whim to satisfy a fleeting craving.

RELATED POST: How to Declutter Your Home: Why, How and When to Help You Succeed

Top Ways to Simplify Your Closet & Get It Looking Cleaner in Minutes

Dayne and I bought our mid-century home one year ago. With it came his-and-her closets (small and sweet in size). Mine is pictured above and below. (Fun Fact: In 1973 the average size of an American home was 1,660 square feet. In 2010, the average was 2,392 square feet.) Where did they put all of the extra square footage? Most definitely in the master closets. And a bunch of other places but for the sake of this blog post, I'll stick to talking about closets.

Aside from maternity clothes, which are boxed up nicely in the garage, what you see is all I got! I have a few drawers for items like t-shirts, PJs, swimsuits and the delicates but in front of you is my main wardrobe. 

I know what you're thinking -- how can you say you're a minimalist and have THAT many shoes? To that I say, I believe minimalism is about using the things you have. If you have an actual use for it - then great! I recommend going through your closet frequently and either donating or recycling anything that you don't wear. I do wear those clothes and I do wear those shoes. Minimalism doesn't have to be about seeing how sparse you can make your closet but encourages the use of what you have inside of it.

Back to my example pictured above. You can see that I don't have a lot of space, so making use of it as best I can is key. Most of this is attributed to the fact that I frequently get rid of the items I don't wear or that have worn out. This keeps the volume of items to a minimum. I also color coordinate my clothes to give my closet a cleaner, more organized look. Below I've made a list of top ways for you to streamline your closet and get it looking cleaner in minutes. 

1. Color coordinate. If you color coordinate the items in your closet it will instantly look "cleaner" and more organized. This closet system can be applied to any apparel - blouses, shoes, pants, dresses. 

2. Be consistent about purging. I go through my stuff often. Do you buy items once per year? Most likely, no. Going through your clothes on a regular basis will help you rid your closet and drawers of the things you no longer wear or need on a regular basis. Remember, the idea is to keep only what you actually use!

3. One in, one out. Along with step 2, consider getting rid of an item every time you buy something new. I'm not advocating waste or getting rid of perfectly good clothes here. I am saying don't buy things you don't need, get rid of anything that you don't wear. 

Let me know how your closet system cleans up in the comments section!

Interested in the whole less is more idea? Click here and schedule a complimentary 15-minute consult and chat with me about your home organization goals or follow me on Instagram here for daily organization and minimalist-living tips.

Decluttering: How to Organize Your House One Room at a Time and Keep Your Sanity

I grew up in an organized, simple house. It was a typical 4 bed, 3 bath house in a Phoenix suburb. My dad skewed toward most minimalist habits when it came to accumulating things and my mom was constantly cleaning. (I attribute the joy I get now from cleaning to her!) Overall, they were tidy when it came to stuff. Neither liked dark, contrasting colors on the walls or prints that detracted from a room. They gravitated toward neutral tones and less instead of more. Of course, I didn't realize when I was little. It wasn't until I ventured over to other peoples' houses and saw the ratio difference. Even the outside of our house was streamlined. No weeds, a manicured lawn and the cars were always parked inside the garage. A wild concept for a large population of people with garages. Am I right?

This rubbed off on me throughout the years. I think a person's upbringing and environment has a lot to do with how they end up curating and grooming their own space - be it good or bad. Having said that, it doesn't determine how your space will be. Nope, you've got the freewill and power to do it all on your own regardless of what surrounded you as a kid. 

For me, my idea of decluttering became an even more important part of my life after I got married. My husband is AMAZING at organizing. He could do it all day if you let him and he's good. So good that I'm confident he could make a living doing it. I thought I was organized until I married him. I have him to thank for the true organization of our house. 

No matter your upbringing or current status now, I'm here to share 4 simple ways to declutter and organize your house one room at a time without feeling overwhelmed and while keeping your sanity. End goal? Create a calmer, more enjoyable living space. Here's how:

1. Start with one room at a time. Tackle your house room by room so this way, you experience small wins each time a new space has been simplified. Any kind of win is a great thing! So start with one room and take inventory of what's inside of it. Especially when you're overwhelmed and burdened with the load in front of you. So, let's say you start with your living room. What's taking up the space? Do you have a couch and love-seat and chair and ottoman? What about on the walls? Do you see a plethora of frames hanging every which way? Take a visual inventory and notice every single thing that you can see by staring at your room. 

2. Begin sifting and sorting everything in sight that doesn't serve an actual purpose. For example, if your electronics work, then they serve a purpose. If they're broke then they don't. Shelves and entertainment centers can be really bad collection zones. Try tackling those first. So let's say you have an entertainment center full of what makes sense and then layered on it and in the drawers you find books, warranty manuals, old remotes with broken parts, movies, CDs, etc. In this example, an entertainment center might best serve you if it holds your television, electronics and supporting media such as DVDs (if you still buy those), a few magazines or accessories. What's left after that? Remove any loose paper, miscellaneous toys or items that were put there but don't belong or that are broken. Keep repeating this step until you have only what makes the most sense for that given area. (You're a smart one, you'll know what makes sense after you keep after it!)

3. Pair back on the decor. I know, this one may sound a little strange and can put some people on the defense but the point is to streamline your space and limiting the amount of stuff you have out will do just that. Promise. Once you've eliminated the stuff that doesn't belong, take another pass and be honest with yourself about the amount of decor you have in that space. Ask yourself, what can I remove that should not be here? Perhaps you have one too many candles or vases. Can you see the surface of the furniture? Pair back things like the amount of books you have. You'll be amazed and what this sort of trimming does to your space. Repeat steps 1-3 until you are satisfied with your new, calmer, simplified space. Then move to the next room. Again, go through your house one space at a time so you don't get too stressed with the stuff. Decluttering can be extremely overwhelming if you bite off more than you can chew. 

4. Find your own Feng Shui. I'm not saying you need to go out and study the actual way to achieve Feng Shui but I am saying that if you want to create a calmer, simplified living environment then ask yourself if you feel a sense of calm when you're sitting, sleeping, talking, walking in your space. Will others feel this sense of calm, too? It might be necessary to make adjustments to your decor such as removing a few more decorations or toning down the visual display of clutter if there is still too much. It might be that you've organized and purged as much as possible but the space can still seem too overwhelming. If that's the case, then take a look at what items are still out (meaning they aren't in drawers or closets). If you can put the items you want to keep out-of-sight, then I'm confident you'll see major improvements in your space.

Follow these simple steps and you'll be well on your way to creating a more organized and calmer living environment. Keep me posted!

RELATED POST: How to Declutter Your Home: Why, How and When to Help You Succeed

Top 4 Things Creating Clutter In Your House & Why You Should Get Rid of It

There is always room to clean out the stuff that is cluttering your bedroom, living room, kitchen, closet, car, (insert any place where garbage or junk collects). There are some things, though, that try as we may never end up in the donate pile. Every time we come to that object we know we should purge but we can't because we either can't separate ourselves emotionally or we think we'll eventually use it. Here are the top four things creating clutter in your house and why you should get rid of it all:

• Free stuff. Not all free stuff is worth keeping. Truth be told it probably wasn't worth accepting to begin with. You don't need the lanyard from the corporate sponsor. You don't need the pens. You don't need the magnet. You don't need the coffee cup. You have MORE THAN ENOUGH coffee cups.

• Unmatched socks. We all find the floaters. I'd love to know where those long lost sock mates have gone. If you take laundry out of the dryer and you only find one sock. Wait for it to come out of the next few loads and if it never appears, don't keep the other one. Disregard and say so long to the solo sock.

• Paperwork. Invest in a quality shredder. Then you'll have no excuse for hanging on to important papers that you don't want getting into the wrong hands after you trash them and you can keep your space spic and span.

• Items you haven't worn in more than 6 months. I'm not talking seasonal must-haves like coats or wool socks. I'm saying that shirt that you keep looking over because it doesn't work with anything else. Or those shorts that have somehow gotten shorter over the years. Toss 'em. You'll be glad you freed up the space and you'll be even happier that you don't have to turn down those pieces anymore. Send them on their way!

Once you're able to tackle these common clutter-makers you'll be well on your way to stopping them before they become a problem the next time around. Remember, you're not the only one who has clutter. We all do. Except for the select group of zero-waste folks, we all have to stay on top of the stuff that accumulates around us.

Let me know how your purge of the common offenders go. I'd love to hear!

Interested in the whole less is more idea? Click here and schedule a complimentary 15-minute consult and chat with me about your home organization goals or follow me on Instagram here for daily organization and minimalist-living tips.