Monday, March 15, 2010

20 March Featured Space: Kids - Stuffed Friends

This month's featured space is all about the kids!  And even if you don't sport any of your own, no worries, I will make sure to keep mingling in some other interesting {even if I am the only one that thinks so} topics and posts.

I have been noticing more and more that even individuals that are not all that super stoked about decor and organization in their own personal spaces, go above and beyond when it comes to their kid's and baby's personal havens.  And being organized when it comes to kids will help you more than anywhere else!  Ok, so that be more of a personal opinion than a fact, however, I do believe that if you keep things organized, kids are more apt to help because they can easily understand "how" to help and "where" things belong.  Plus, kids are amazing little people because they actually enjoy lending a helping hand, they feel a sense of accomplishment and proudness, which I find to be refreshing and inspiring!

That being said, hopefully throughout the rest of the month I can lend my helping hands electronically,  and share a couple of ways to keep kids and kid's spaces organized.  Oh and pretty please make sure you submit any questions you have regarding the topic of kids and organizing, to iheartorganizing@gmail.com, and selected questions may be featured in an upcoming IHeart answering post!  Also, because we all love inspiration from many outlets, I would feel honored to share some of your spaces with the readers as well!  So submit any uber organized kids rooms, playrooms, nurseries, etc... my way for a Reader Spaces post!  Eye candy is good candy!

So, I thought I would get started by gearing this post on something very simple and basic, that can completely overtake any kiddo's space in a single heartbeat.  Stuffed Friends.  First off, what kid doesn't completely heart making besties with a soft and furry creature?  I mean, they are totally the best kind of friends since they are so cuddly, adorable and don't talk back!  Second, what is the first thing that most relatives heart to give to their sweet and loving grand babies, nieces and nephews?  That's right, stuffed friends.  And if your kids are anything like mine, they refuse to see them go and adore them so.  

In some moderation, stuffed animals can be OK if sporadically placed around the room for decor or if a long time fav is strewn upon the bed, however, multiples of these little guys can quickly go from cute to clutter.

The solution you ask?  The answer is simple my blog reading friends!  Just snag a storage bin of ANY type, and toss them inside!  Yep, that's it, can you believe it?! 

Here is how we gather the bundles of cuteness in our two boy's bedroom:


I had stumbled across this perfectly sized and perfectly priced bin at Crate & Barrel Outlet:


It was completely in line with the kiddos color theme, and really safe and durable, so it was crystal clearly orange that it was meant to be:


Doesn't Melvin look so excited about his home?


And in our other boy's room, a crate on wheels that used to be a home to many toys, is now the case de monkeys and a penguin:


The other great part is that it couldn't be easier or more fun for the kids to put the animals away after dragging them around all day and playing with them in their forts.  All they have to do is pretend they are an NBA All Star and shoot some animal hoops!


Don't you just heart super easy 10 second storage solutions?  And, it could be a completely free one also if you just scour your home from something that looks like a cozy home to the furry creature, like a 

Or a fantastic large canvas bin {wouldn't this look delish in a little girl's room?}:


And if you are one of those super extreme type folks, one of my favorite companies for things kids, Boon, has created a special Animal Bag, which doubles as seating!  Gotta heart those two-for options!



So there you have it!  A ten second clutter fix for the ultimate kid's room.  

How do you keep your kiddo's stuffed animal fetishes under control?  Anyone else find something around the house, that was meant for one thing, and is now the home to a gazillion little stuffed critters?  In this case, secrets DO make furry friends, so please share with us!





20 comments:

  1. I made a copy-cat of the Boon bag.... http://bradbergrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/03/stuffed-animal-bean-bag.html

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  2. When I was a kid I had a bed with a bunch of drawers underneath - that's where I kept most of my animals. Also on top of my bookcase and on top of my desk hutch, and of course in my bed!

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  3. I know this is over a year later, but I just found this post! I use a net strung up in a high corner of the bedroom - we don't have much floor space available, and this keeps the animals up high but easily accessible for playing and cuddling. Plus, throwing them in at night is always fun :-)

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  4. DARN--EVERR SINCE WE SAW TOY STORY, WE DON'T FEEL RIGHT BOUT GIVING AWAY ANY TOYS--SMALL HOUSE --WHAT NOW??

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    Replies
    1. Ha, that made me giggle. Don't watch Toy Story and donate the toys. Seriously, you will make another kid so happy, it's worth it! And you gain space and simplified living which is also a win.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  5. Not sure how much you paid for those crate and barrel ones, which are super cute, I found some exactly like those 6 months back at walmart for $3. I bought 2 yellow and 2 gray having no idea what I would do with them. I laugh because this is exactly what I did. I love it.

    p.s. I love organizing and I thought I was pretty good at it but your blog inspires me so much and gives me that itch to go in every space in my home and make it better. It's a good thing so thank you for all your awesome ideas and inspiration!

    We just bought our first house 6 months ago so I finally feel like I can really put money into organizing stuff knowing it will be here a while. So much fun! So thanks again for all the help.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I see those flexi tubs EVERYWHERE now. They were super cheap when I got them from Crate and Barrel since it was through their outlet.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  6. I've had my eyes peeled for a flexible tub since I read this post about a month ago. At Costco last week, in the Easter Section, I saw a two-pack. Wonderful! Perfect for those guys. Thanks for the awesome idea!

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  7. i got this net thing from ikea http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70115578/
    to store my daughter's stuffed animals in.

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  8. I know this is old, but where did you get the rug for this room at?

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    Replies
    1. It was a Circo rug from Target. I am not sure they still carry it...

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  9. Thanks for your quick response. I love everything you do, SERIOUSLY there isn't one thing you post I don't love!!!

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  10. I use a large white wicker basket in my daughter's closet and a brown faux leather storage ottoman in my son's room. My rule is "sure you can buy that stuffed animal with your money but you'll have to give one away". Because all the stuffed animals must fit in those two containers! Then they have to decide who stays and who goes.

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  11. I got each of my kids one of the flexible plastic tubs for Christmas! $5 each at Five Below. Great deal!

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  12. We use a tall, collapsible (spring-up, tie down) laundry hamper. It's made of that netting so that we can see where most of the toys are. It's great because our 2-year old asks for a different "best bud" every night.
    Really looking forward to reading more of your blog! Found a link on Pinterest!

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  13. I use a collapsible hamper and a netting bag-type thing in the girls' room. My 6yo uses an eco bag from Disney for transporting her friends during play...they sometimes stay in the bag for a few days. Even though my son is getting older (just turned 9), he still has a few Build-a-Bear friends. When they aren't on his bed, they hang out in the closet on his bean bag chair. I also saved ONE Build-a-Bear box for him to store their outfits/accessories which is also stored in the closet. The girls have a Closet Maid cubbie box for their stuffed animal clothes/accessories that goes into a 3x3 storage unit.

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  14. I know this is ages past the orginal post, but I have one of those Boon bags. Conceptually, they're great, but you need to make sure that they're where you want them to be because once you start stuffing them with animals they get HEAVY. They're also not nearly as comfy as you'd think. The animals are lumpy.

    All of which doesn't mean I'm not planning on pulling it back out to use now that my four-year old is gathering her stuffed animal army around her in a push to take-over the house.

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  15. us.tubtrugs.com I LOVE the flexible tubs! Great idea!

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  16. My girls have a million stuffed animals--not one of which I have purchased. To corral them, we built a version of this shallow bookshelf on the outside of their closet and facing the door to their room:

    http://ana-white.com/2010/04/plans-wall-book-racks-easy-and-inexpensive-organize-your-playroom-today.html

    It is only 5 inches deep and can be unstuffed and restuffed in a matter of minutes. AWESOME!

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  17. I wrapped the outside and inside of a sturdy cardboard box in pretty (and durable) wrapping paper. And then we got rid of half the stuffed animals. Quick and easy.

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