This Just Makes Me Happy

I so desire to live in organization. It's extremely challenging in a family of 6 to have a place for everything and everything in it's place but none-the-less I strive for it!  The girls and I began school August 3 so we could take the entire month of December to celebrate and prepare for Advent - the time of year we celebrate the birth of our Savior!! I'm extremely excited about the whole month, the memories we will make and the things we will do together. Additionally, I have decided that every day I would pick one thing to declutter and organize so that 2011 will atleast start off neat, decluttered and organized!

Monday I chose my closet. It didn't take but about an hour to get together a Goodwill pile and spruce up my closet. Yesterday I enlisted the girls to help me attack the game closet. I so wish I would have taken a before and during picture but just trust me - it was a mangled mess.  I am shocked at how much fit in that one closet. We took every single thing out of the closet and it was all over our entire hallway, kitchen and den. Six hours, one large trash bag, 6 new tubs and a car trunk full of toys to donate to Goodwill we finished! My girls were extremely helpful in this and I am grateful for their willing hearts!  The end result is amazing and I'm thrilled they can all easily go to this closet, select something to do and have a place to put it back. Oh, how I pray they will put it back! ;  ) My hope is that since they worked so hard to get it this way it will mean more to them to keep it this way. If that's not true just let me live in the disillustionment.

Here are a few shots of the 'after' -

Labeled and in catagories

Believe it or not -cars and trucks get a lot of playtime

Legos, cars trucks and puzzles see a lot of action : )

I have to laugh a little. Since beginning this post Preslie came over and asked if she could get something from the game closet. I took a deep breath and said, 'uh, okay, if you must!' Not really, I said 'sure' and she walked in the closet and said, 'Oh Mom, our game closet STILL looks so clean!' I think she's watched Toy Story 3 too often thinking the toys get up and play while we sleep! I love having a small child in our home!