The Battle of the Toys, AKA Fourth Time's the Charm?

If you are a parent of littles, you know that the biggest battle of the day is NOT what to wear, or even when to take your shower-- it is what to do with all the toys! Over the years (all five of them since my oldest was born), I have tried every way possible to keep the constantly multiplying little toys, blocks, and trinkets at bay.

First up, the traditional "Giant Toy Box" Method of toy control-- this was a dismal failure from the start. It never failed that, by the end of the day, the box was empty, and dumped out all over the floor, because the toy of interest was ALWAYS at the bottom!

The Bookshelf Method-- in one of it's "more organized" moments... :/

So on to Toy Management Method #2: the "toys lined up on a bookshelf/everything in sight" method. This time, not only did the toys still all end up on the floor, but they NEVER looked neat, no matter how many cute labels I put on the shelves! (Seriously, have you ever met 2- and 3- year-olds that like to line toys up neatly???  Definitely not mine...) So Method #2 bit the dust...

Then I found this at my local Goodwill:

The heavens parted, and light shone down... "Success!" I thought, "It's the best of both worlds... they can easily see and get out what toy they want-- and cleanup just requires throwing the toys back into the bin!" Well, that may have been a good idea, in theory, but somehow every single toy STILL ended up on the floor every time! (Please tell me this isn't just my children!) And cleanup was still a struggle (what kid likes to pick up fifty toys at a time?) So, sadly to say, the bin method became Toy Control Failure #3. :(

Method #4: Divide and Conquer

It wasn't till I finally realized, that, in my urge to give my kids every possible toy that they would enjoy playing with, I was actually burying them in so much stuff that they couldn't have fun! (It doesn't help that my two oldest share a bedroom-- and that this room is also the toy room! Who wants to sleep in a pile of toys?)

I finally (reluctantly) decided that the only way to reduce the number of toys that ended up on the floor every night (and give my kids enough space to actually enjoy their playthings), was to reduce the number of toys they had access to! No, I didn't take all of their toys away (though I may have been tempted once or twice). :) I did,  however, go through the toys (with my children's help-- they were actually more willing than I was to say "goodbye" to some of what I thought were their "favorite" toys!), and culled them down to about half of what there were before.

Then I broke down and purchased white plastic stacking bins from Walmart (they were $2.50- $4 apiece), and two packs of Martha Stewart adhesive chalkboard labels (from Staples). I sorted the remaining toys into "sets"-- building blocks, Lincoln logs, army men, train set, Potato Heads, Duplos, and Matchbox cars. One basket was also allotted to generic toys (toys that don't belong with a "set," like squirt guns, plastic horses, or balls)-- since we still ended up with a giant Tupperware tote full of generic toys, the plan is to restock the small "toy" basket with new, different toys every month or so (the rest stay in the storage room). Each "set" has its own labeled box, and since they are stored on the top shelf of the closet, only one set can be played with at a time! VICTORY!

The few large toys that we kept-- a couple Tonka trucks and a dollhouse-- were now able to be lined up neatly in the bottom of the closet. Now not only can you see the floor in their bedroom (most of the time!), but they can actually enjoy their room now-- one box at a time!

Sorry for the blurry cell phone pic-- these were taken before I got my new camera :/
I've since made the next step in the Adventure Kids' Room plan--
a navy striped curtain for the closet that I hope to show you soon!

Yes, it is still a constant fight to keep the toys from multiplying and taking over the world! But the Divide and Conquer method-- having them pared down, sorted, and, most importantly, having access limited-- seems to be, by far, the most effective way of winning the Battle of the Toys! (at least for my kiddos!)

What is your solution for fighting the Battle of the Toys? Do you struggle to teach your kids orderliness... or do your kids automatically pick up after themselves (and if so, what did you feed them to make them do that?)? How do you balance the desire to give your kids everything, without smothering them in it?

It's a New Year... Now What?

Is it just me, or does the "new year" bring some sort of requisite "life revamping" with it? When the bustle of the holiday season (somewhat) fades, and the Christmas baubles are packed back into their snug boxes for another year... that is the time that I sit back and look at the empty space and go, "hmmmm... I think I want to do something different here!"

I've always loved soft, grassy greens, but lately I've found myself
being drawn to the soft, rejuvenating blues of the sea and sky.

Source: bhg.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

At the beginning of January, I chose "FOCUS" for my "word of the year. Hey, if multi-tasking was an Olympic event, we moms would ALL have gold medals, right? But lately I've been realizing that sometimes multi-tasking robs my attention from the really important things-- like my three precious littles who are growing up so fast. Just because I can blog, talk on the phone, fold laundry, and keep three kids from killing themselves at the same time, doesn't mean it's the best idea! Yes, I still find myself checking the email on my smartphone while folding laundry, but when one of my kids needs my attention, I need to give it to them fully. And I need to take certain times of the day to just be with them-- look them in the eye, smile, and play with them! (The same goes for my husband, too!)

Source: spirituallythinking.blogspot.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

Which led me to my next "word of the year": SIMPLIFY. I actually confess that I have done NOTHING yet for after-Christmas decorating. Decorating blasphemy, I know. But, for the first time in my life, I'm actually enjoying some empty space-- some room to breathe. In the past, my decorating philosophy has been "something beautiful to look at in every view". But now, I'm beginning to believe that even the most beautiful things need some breathing space around them to let them shine!

And so I sit, and do nothing (decorating-wise, that is). Well, not NOTHING. I'm actually embarking on a purge-fest-- getting rid of anything and everything that isn't absolutely necessary. Okay, maybe not quite that radical, but I am trying to take to heart the William Morris quote:

Source: contentinacottage.blogspot.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

(The same goes for life in general, as well-- doing nothing that does not improve or bring beauty to my life!) And so my "word of the year" has actually become two: FOCUS, and SIMPLIFY. Resisting the urge to constantly multi-task, and paying attention to the job/person at hand-- and reducing distractions in my home and life.

Hence the reason that I haven't been around here as much lately-- I've come to accept that this blog, as exciting as it is, must take a "back seat" to my children, home, and our church ministries. :) As much as I'd love to have hundreds of followers here on "A Heartful Home"-- and maybe even bring in some sort of income-- I just don't have the time to write 3-4 posts a week, juggle sponsors, or host a link party (*sigh*)-- at least not and still have meals cooked, dishes washed, lessons taught, and clean clothes for my family. :) (I'm not saying that if you do any of these things, you're neglecting your family-- just that, at this stage in my life, I haven't mastered that yet!) ;) I won't be stopping, but I will be keeping it in it's place as a hobby, and I'll be content with posting 1-2 times a week-- rather than taking time away from something more important, or beating myself up for not posting "enough."

"Focus and simplify"-- that's what my New Year is about! :)

What are your "resolutions" or "words" for the New Year? Any major life epiphanies going on? Or just minor goal adjustments? I want to hear them!

P.S. Another reason for my mid-winter decorating stalemate is that I'm still trying to figure out my decorating style... but that's another post in and of itself :)

The Christmas Cards That Weren't

I had very high hopes for our Christmas cards this year. I've never gone the professionally printed route (mostly because I'm too cheap... LOL), so each year I spend hours designing the "perfect" Christmas card to remind all of our far-flung relatives what our family looks like ;) This year was no exception-- I laboriously selected the photos, created a layout, and tweaked it over and over again until I was happy (I always have a hard time being "satisfied" with my own work, but this one I actually liked!)

But then, the unthinkable happened. When I hit "print," our printer gave a cough, shuddered, and collapsed. (Well, okay, maybe it wasn't that dramatic. More like, I pressed "print", walked away (fully expecting it to do its job like always), and returned 5 minutes later to find a stack of photos with hideous white streaks across them!) One way or the other, after much research, troubleshooting, and weeping, our printer was declared deceased-- and the soonest we could afford to replace it was AFTER Christmas. :(

This meant that December 25th came and went with nary a Christmas card in the mail. This in itself is, unfortunately, not a new thing for me-- I am known to deem it acceptable as long as the cards are in the mailbox by December 31st! But when the calendar changed to 2013, and my Christmas cards were still giving me the stink eye from my computer, I gave up and went to Plan B-- New Year's cards!

Granted, these are not nearly as fancy-- I literally threw them together (on Microsoft Publisher) in less than 15 minutes! But the best news is, with a blank inside, they double as "thank you" cards for all of the gifts and cards we have received! I think I may have just started a new tradition!!!

So here's my big holiday tip to you: if you want to cut extra stress before Christmas, skip the "Christmas cards"-- just mail a New Year's thank-you card that contains the annual family picture/relative-reminder as well! Hooray!!!

So what is your holiday card M.O.? Do you design your own Christmas card, or do you fork out the money and let someone else handle it for you? Do you adhere to the traditional schedule of pre-Christmas card mailing, or do you (accidentally or on purpose) choose to wait until a different time to send your annual letters?

Christmas Gift Ideas for $10 or Less!

So, if you're Mark Zuckerberg, or Bill Gates, or Kim Kardashian, or anyone of those insanely rich people out there, you might want to skip right on by this post. But if you're on a budget (and who isn't, these days? well, except for those extra-loaded people on the Forbes Richest Billionares list), and DON'T have an unlimited amount of money to spend on Christmas gifts, then this is for you!

No matter what your Christmas budget is, ($300 a person? $30 a person? $3 a person?) it always seems to be a challenge to find the right gift in the right price range. (And I'll be honest, my budget is a lot closer to the lower end of the spectrum.) So here I'm rounding up a collection of gifts that have caught my eye in the last few weeks, for $10 and UNDER!


For the Little Adventurer:

$9.99 with FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING from Amazon.com

What little explorer wouldn't like a six-function whistle that also contains a compass, LED flashlight, magnifier, thermometer, and signal mirror? Walmart also carries a four-function version for only $4.95!

For the Little Snow-Bunny:

Only $8.99 on Sassy Steals (originally $18.99!)

Every little cutie needs a winter hat (well, unless you live in the Caribbean or Hawaii...), and what better winter hat than one that's (nearly) as cute as they are?

For the Fashionista:

$7.29 with FREE SHIPPING on Amazon.com

Any style maven will love this totally on-trend bubble necklace-- available in your choice of red, pink, rose, black, yellow, or turquoise (actually more like emerald green-- which happens to be Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year!)

For the Car "Buff" (pun intended):

An even $10.00 at Walmart!

Every true auto aficionado likes to keep his ride shiny-- be it an 78 Chevelle or a 2013 Viper! Help him out with a Turtle Wax car care kit (and maybe throw in a certificate for a "free car cleaning"-- or at least some assistance-- from you!)

For the Aspiring "Cake Boss":

$7.00 on Walmart.com (with FREE in-store pickup!)

Got a little (or big) person that likes to bake or decorate cakes and cupcakes? This Wilton 18-piece decorating kit has all they need to get started-- for only 7 bucks at Walmart! (The website says it's "Online Only", but my store has it in stock-- if yours doesn't, you can still get FREE site-to-store shipping!)

For the "Foodie":

Only $4.50 plus shipping on Etsy!

Forget those giant tins of mass-produced popcorn... here's some homemade sweet-and-salty caramel popcorn that will please even the most discriminatory tastebuds!

For the Anglo-phile:

$8.00 + $2.50 shipping on Etsy

Yes, I know the shipping puts it just over the $10 threshold... but seriously, who could resist this gorgeous "Keep Calm and Carry On" keychain? (Though, if you buy more than one-- say, one for you and one for someone else-- shipping is only $1.25!) Oh, and if you'd rather personalize it with a name or different quote, you can do that, too!

For Your Little Pirate (or Princess, or Astronaut):

$2.99 plus shipping from Amazon

Give your kiddos the gift of imagination with a dress-up costume they can play with year round! Amazon has a great selection of inexpensive costumes that will keep your little one's creativity revving high!

For the Techno-Geek:

A very affordable $2.96 + $2.44 shipping on Amazon.com

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but these touch screen gloves will let them use their iPod, iPad, iPhone, or any other touchscreen device while staying bundled up and warm!

For Everyone Else:

You know the drill: "if all else fails, buy a gift card." For the most "bang" for your buck, go with a Dollar Tree gift card-- you can purchase them in any amount from $5 to $100!!! Just think of all the goodies that $10 would buy!

Hope this helps those of you who, like me, are still working on your Christmas gift lists! ;) What is your favorite under-$10 gift (to get, or to give)?

P.S. I have no connection whatseover with any of the people, companies or websites whose products I featured here, nor do I receive any financial remuneration from your purchase of said items or from said sites. :/

Kiddy Craft: Pop Tab Christmas Tree Garland

Why string popCORN for your Christmas tree when you can string pop CAN tabs? My 4- and 5-year-old kiddos had a blast making these sparkly, colorful garlands for the Christmas tree! (Okay, I made one too... they're not just fun for kids!)

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

A good stash of pop (AKA soda, or Coke, for all you Southerners) can tabs
        (Someone gave us this little fruit container full, and we only used about half of it for 10 feet of      
        garland)

Thin ribbon, twine, or yarn (We used green ribbon to match our blue-and-green tree decor!)

Willing helpers!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut ribbon into 4-6 foot lengths, and tie a pop tab onto one end.
      This length was short enough to string, and long enough to wrap around the front of our tree. If you need longer pieces, you could splice two finished lengths together. We kept them shorter and just draped them around the tree at different levels to simulate one long garland wrapping around and around.

2. Thread other end of ribbon through both holes of a can tab, then slide it along the ribbon till it touches the first one.

3. Keep stringing until the ribbon is full, then tie a knot around the last tab!

4. Drape your sparkly, eco-friendly garland around your Christmas tree! TA-DA!

Psssst... this craft is not only fun, but it's CHEAP! (Free if you already have the ribbon!) I used one 12-foot spool of ribbon that I got at Joann Fabrics for 70% off, so it only cost me $0.49! (Oh, and it's eco-friendly, too, since you're recycling the pop can tabs!) ;)  

P.S. I hope to show you the whole Christmas tree Friday! ;) It's my favoritest tree EVER, and not just because my kiddos made the garland for it!

Pumpkins and Family Pictures!

Last Sunday we had Family Picture Day at our church. Nothing fancy, just some pumpkins from our church's pumpkin patch in the front yard of the church for a backdrop, and yours truly as the "photographer" du jour.

It was the perfect day for outdoor pictures, gorgeously sunny, if a bit nippy! It actually turned out to be the last beautiful day we've had, since we started getting nasty weather (including the very very outskirts of Hurricane Sandy).

But the best part? In between taking pictures of the church families, I got to snap some pics of my sweet little kiddos!

Little Princess was the first to have her picture taken, and she wasn't at all sure that she wanted it!

My handsome Mini-Superman didn't mind posing, though!

When did my first baby turn into a sharp little man? :0

Even my littlest monkey sat still just long enough for me to snap a couple pictures!

Some of the church kids were begging to use the camera, so we even got a few snapshots of the whole family! :D

Isn't my Superman handsome? ;)

(There may or may not have been a promise of a special treat from Daddy to Princess for smiling!)

A funny story about these pictures: I took them to Walmart to have them printed (we gave a copy to each person that had their picture taken), and the kid working the photo counter (okay, he was MAYBE 20 years old) got all uptight-- I think he thought I was printing some other photographer's copyrighted pictures! 

He flipped through the pictures, then pointed to one and asked me very seriously, "Can you tell me who took this picture?" "Uh, me," I replied. He got even more uptight... "THIS one???" He was pointing to our family picture (which obviously had me in it)... "Ummmm, one of the other kids took that one... but I took the rest!" You could tell he TOTALLY didn't believe me, but thankfully he gave them to me anyway! :) Maybe I should have offered to show him the originals on my little $50 point-and-shoot camera? LOL

Speaking of, does anyone have any photography tips for getting good INDOOR pics with a plain-Jane point-and-shoot camera? That seems to be what I'm having the hardest time with-- getting good pictures of projects and furniture makeovers (especially since the lighting in our north-facing parsonage/apartment leaves a LOT to be desired!) I've tried the whole just-drag-it-outside-for-pictures thing, but even in the summertime the weather can be iffy-- and you can totally forget about that in the winter (unless pictures of an object buried in snow are your thing!)

So did anybody else get any nice fall family pictures in before the weather got nasty last week? Are you having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that it's already November, like I am? I am soooo not ready for winter to be here! :) But I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, and hunting season! (I hope I can get a nice buck this year! We love venison!) So, I guess I'll go ahead and say it: Happy November, y'all!

P.S. Check out my "Project Gallery" up on top bar, and see if there are any projects you've missed!

Small Things, Great Love - FREE PRINTABLE!

I saw this inspiring quote on Pinterest, and immediately knew I had to hang it somewhere in my home. It is a great reminder, especially to me as a mom, when it seems like life is a never-ending succession of "small things"!

Source: nanacompany.typepad.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

I thought the original picture was rather plain with a white background, so I found a clip-art photo of a weathered fence to put behind it. I found the turquoise frame at a garage sale I stopped at this Monday, where I got an entire bag full of goodies for $3! Together the weathered wood and aqua accent the beachy feel of my summer-decorated bookcase.

As with my last printable giveaway, all I ask is that you become a follower of my little blog-- either by email or via GFC! Then right-click on the link below and click "Save Target As," to enjoy this inspiring poster!

Download Printable

What are some of your favorite quotes that keep you inspired?



Fine Print:  This poster may not be sold under any circumstances, or given away without a link back to my blog as its source. I do not claim to have any proprietary rights to the quote or the design of the text. (Sorry, gotta say it! :) )