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Kingdom Toy Madness: ‘Managing’ the Chaos!

Kingdom Toy Madness: ‘Managing’ the Chaos!

4 Feb

This post was most recently updated on September 23rd, 2019

Seems no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get a handle on the toy madness in our house!

Toys, toys, and more toys. Everything from exersaucers to tiny polly pockets and everything in between. In every room. Everywhere.

Our den, converted into an American Girl salon.

We do have a designated playroom, so why is it that they aren’t content to stay in there?  I blame toys with wheels.  It’s too easy an escape, lol.

And have I shown you my latest kitchen decor? It’s oh so chic…

The darn thing is as tall as  my 6-year old!
Blame Santa.

Then there’s the baby stuff.  Oh the baby stuff.  And did I mention we have two of EVERYTHING?  Two exersaucers, two ride-ons, two bouncers…two, two, two!

 

When our twin baby boys were old enough to start playing with toys, I had to figure out a solution that would work for my 6-year old daughter. You see, she was used to ruling her fortress (aka the playroom) without anybody challenging her territory. But now, she had four other little (boy) hands grabbing her Barbies, destroying her tea parties, and ripping up her masterpieces.  Not to mention that most of her things are small enough to be severe choking hazards. I’m pretty sure that Barbie’s stilettos and Polly Pocket’s surf board might hurt on the way down 😉 . 

Sometimes she learned to have fun with it, but more often than not, she didn’t.

When they weren’t mobile, they made good mannequins!

  Yes, there’s been many a toy crisis in Kingdom Toy Madness…

An uninvited guest at the tea party.

Ah, I’ve got it all to myself!

What do you mean I can’t play in here?

So last summer we purchased a storage unit for the playroom from Ikea (from the Expedit series).  This allowed me to put the baby toys in the lower cubes, and put my daughter’s teensy wheensy things in containers (see aqua tubs) in the higher rows.  Bingo!  I thought that I had struck gold.

 

These IKEA bins are great. They can see what they want before they dump it!




Her crafties were rounded up in this built-in.  And this dress up station housed The Queen’s many costumes.   



But, no, not really.  It was only a matter of time, before that system broke down too.   As soon as they played together at the same time, things got all mixed up.  Clean up time meant let’s dump our stuff in the nearest bin!

So now I am back at square one.  I’ve tried baskets.  I’ve tried cubbies.  I’ve tried labels.  I’ve tried everything!  It’s a battle that can’t be won.

Perhaps I just need to give in.  Should I hoist my white flag?  After all, toys aren’t so bad.  Perhaps, I just need to embrace them.

Note to self: Toys mean kids.  Toys mean fun. Toys mean fun, happy kids.  Toys mean a fun, happy home. Of course!

I just need a little reminder now and then. 😉

PS. So how do you manage the toy chaos in your home?  I’d love to know!

Have a fun-filled weekend!



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By Kerri, February 4, 2011 Filed Under: Life, Family & Travel, Organizing, Parenting

About Kerri

Kerri Roche is the owner, editor and voice behind A Pop of Pretty, a Canadian home decorating blog, where she shares her love of modern coastal and cottage home decorating style, from beautiful Newfoundland, on Canada's east coast. Home decorating has always been in her blood, even while earning a Marketing degree and MBA, and working in strategy and planning in a busy ad agency for over a decade. She aims to inspire other style seeking home lovers to decorate their own homes with confidence, by sharing home decorating ideas, shopping tips, and DIY tutorials from her own suburban home and lakeside cottage - all l while juggling the schedules of a world travelling husband, 3 busy and energetic kids (including twins), and a scrappy little Havanese named Finnigan.

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Comments

  1. Kerri says

    February 5, 2011 at 3:44 am

    Hi Amy! Thanks for visiting and commenting! I LOVE your idea, and I think it might work for me. It's worth a try!

  2. Anonymous says

    February 5, 2011 at 2:34 am

    This is my first time reading your blog, but I love it! As a mother of two I have the same struggles with toys (I have a 4yr old and a 2yr old). So far printing pictures and taping them on buckets from the dollar store has worked for my son (4yrs old), but honestly even then it's hard to get them to "CLEAN UP" after their done playing.

    One of the best things that has worked for me is I play a song (we have this upbeat jazz song that's fun) and I tell them that's the "clean up song" every night before or after dinner. The song is always the same and the goal is to have everything picked up by the time the song ends (the song is almost 6min). They think it's so fun that I don't even have to ask. I just simply push play and usually end up laughing with them by the end. Then whatever is left by then I don't really care and feel like it's better than nothing. Don't know if that helps, but it at least will make everyone smile hopefully!

    Good luck! Will be interested to hear other people's ideas!

    Amy

Hello & Welcome

Welcome! I'm Kerri. I love pretty modern cottage and coastal home decorating style. I aim to inspire style seeking home lovers to decorate with confidence, by sharing decorating ideas, shopping tips, tutorials + inspiration. Read More…

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Instagram post 2198771720970315221_180915959 Happy Saturday vibes. Hope it’s a great one no matter how nutty it is with recitals and gift wrapping (shopping?) and decorating and parties and oh me oh my. This last stretch before Christmas Eve can be stressful. My plan: put my favourite Christmas music on blast and do some deep breathing 🙏🏻 . What are your favourite Christmas songs? For me: Snoopy’s Christmas, Do They Know it’s Christmas (1984), All I Want for Christmas is You 👏🏻
Instagram post 2198045651741073220_180915959 Hope you are having a happy Friday 🙌🏻 I used lots of plaid in my Christmas decorating this year! Plaid doesn’t have to be a traditional red to feel cozy or festive. This more neutral, grey and cream plaid ribbon does the job in this space without feeling too busy or overwhelming. Have a great day! #alltheplaid
Instagram post 2197584273452407676_180915959 Binoculars or magic Santa tracking 👓 ? 🤔 I’m sure they’ll be used as both in the coming weeks lol. We’re getting excited around here about the upcoming school break and Christmas festivities. Counting down the days! Are you feeling the holiday spirit yet?
Instagram post 2197275828505338429_180915959 Plaids and chunky cable knit textures are giving our cabin all the cozy vibes this holiday season! I think I’m going to leave the plaid pillows and throws out all winter. It’ll feel so bare in this space once the Christmas decorations come down. It’s usually so neutral and airy, but the red definitely makes it feel more festive. Do you love traditional plaid too this time of year?
Instagram post 2196821717846656015_180915959 Anybody else love a Christmas village as much as I do? 🙋🏼‍♀️ This little nordic village has been on my mantel a few Christmases now. (Swipe to see this year’s version.) These were white when I bought them, but you could always paint an older set. In fact, I think my friend Christina @thediymommy had a tutorial on her blog last month for a dollar store set that she painted white and they turned out 👌🏻. Have a great evening!
Instagram post 2195778852643198838_180915959 I have a feeling these might be the only snowmen we see this Christmas ⛄️ . We’re back to rain and high winds, after a pretty sprinkling of snow this weekend. My hopes of skating on the pond during Christmas are slowly dying.😭 Elsa, where you at? I need your magic. #frozen
Instagram post 2195310366066415524_180915959 My latest blog post is all about how to get a cozy lake house vibe in any space, and without adding too much extra decor. I’m sharing some pics of our cottage decorated for the holidays, along with my 5 best tips for cozying up your home with a rustic, cabin-y charm. I’ll link up the post in my bio, or find it on my home page at apopofpretty.com.🙌🏻 Hope your Monday is going great!
Instagram post 2195059738064742916_180915959 Just your 2-week-before-Christmas reminder to keep calm and carry on. This is the point in December when the frenzy gets real. But, my new motto is #dontgetyourtinselinatangle 🌲 It’ll all get done, it always does. And, even if it doesn’t, the world won’t come to an end. 🤛 Instead of stressing about my to do list, I’m going enjoy my kids’ excitement.
Instagram post 2194542220233603524_180915959 The older I get, the more I realize how drawn I am to things that have childhood memories attached to them. Do you find the same? This is especially true when it comes to Christmas decorating. Take this sign, for instance. Did I need another sign? No 🤣. Did I immediately #addtocart? Yes 🤣. Our childhood Christmases and winters always involved a snowy hill and wood toboggans. I have vivid memories of sledding 🛷 with my sisters as soon as it snowed. So when I saw this sign, I knew it would be a perfect addition to my Christmas decor. I buy very little in new Christmas decor these days (I have way too much) but I’ll always make room for reminders of happy memories.❤️
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