Taking Back the Living Room... One Corner at a Time.

I have a secret to share with you: I'm a really REALLY bad housekeeper. No, don't worry, you don't have to call Children and Family Services on me. I don't mean DIRTY, I mean CLUTTERY. You know, like the kids may grow up understanding to check the dryer for the shirt they want because Mommy hasn't had time to fold laundry for the past 4 days.

I set my stuff down in a pile and it finds another pile and then the happy pile couple have a gaggle of baby piles and next thing you know I can't see the counter. When you add a husband and two kids to the mix it's disastrous. As much as I may want to rant and rage about the messes that THEY create, it really seems hypocritical. However, last week I just couldn't take it anymore. It hit me: my problem is lack of proper storage! I mean, if I had a place to hide put all the toys I could make the living room seem like a place that adults would want to be in, right?

This was the living room:




So onto Amazon.com I hopped. (What, like I could go out to the store with both kids in tow and find anything? I'm lucky I make it out of Target with detergent and ziplocks without going insane. I'd end up coming home with two more laundry baskets saying "To hell with it!")

I was convinced that if I bought just the right toy chest suddenly my living room would look like this:


(Photo from HGTV.com)


Okay, so we all know THAT isn't happening. But I DID find a toy chest. Fortunately I had proper help. If you ever find yourself putting something together you really must find a helper who can twirl in a princess dress and point at things for you.



And at the end of the day what did I get?


( Yes, GFP did decide she needed a costume change. Yes, she might be the most dramatic 4 year old ever. And yes, there are still toys everywhere.)

It's a start, right?



*sigh*