Attic Organization Speedy Fix

I took off one Friday, around early June, to organize my attic. The project unfortunately took the whole day, save lunch, and then a few hours during the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. But I did finish, and finishing is what's important!

Here's the story, organized chronologically.

My husband brought all. the. things. down from the attic and into our living room.

Yikes, that's a lot of things!

I started placing the things I definitely wanted to keep in front of our TV (so, moving them away from the couch area). When possible, I tried to use clear storage bins. And label, label, label! I mean that literally, as I labelled at least two sides of each box, sometimes three!

The not-yet-sorted pile grew a tad smaller.

Break for lunch - Indian buffet!!

The pile of stuff to take back up to the attic grew larger. Note that I don't really like Space Bags because they tend to open up, making the items you're saving inside them smell like, well, an attic. Plus, Space Bags tend to fall over.

How was there still this much stuff left to sort?

I started moving things back into the attic in zones (groupings based on type of item). I put the stuff I was least likely to need the farthest back.

This is what it looked like at the end of my Friday.

Living with the living room was challenging, probably more so for the adults of the home than the kiddos.

 Progress...

Clothing sorted by age and gender, yes please.

And now, a break in order to sell this piece of furniture on CraigsList. Do I recommend doing more than one project at once? No. Do as I say, not as I do here.

Look, a deer! When you go to the zoo with your kids and they find animals that aren't part of the exhibits... (so, yes, I did make time for fun during the weekend).

So. much. free. space.

This is the other side. Not sure where to mention this so I'll just say it here - I found that it made sense for us to have one box of Halloween Costumes and one box of Halloween Decorations. Why I used to just smush them together in one box, I don't know, but sometimes you need a costume and don't want to sift through, say, pumpkin-carving stuff.

 Ah, the new (green) dresser, a secondhand snag from CraigsList, pleases me so much!

 Labels, for when you're brain is exhausted and can't even. Labels = less thinking, more doing.

 Yes, that's a lot of donations!

 Another angle of the giveaway stuff.

 Wow, so little left to deal with!

 Oh, hey there living room without an entire attic's worth of stuff in it!

 Still some space in the attic, for whatever life throws our way in the future.

 The sports and camping stuff (my husband's).

 Kid clothes. Boy stuff on the right, girl stuff on the left.

Another view of the kid clothes.

Couple things to clear up here. First, why are we keeping so many kid clothes? Some of them are in sizes that are larger than our kids - they are hand-me-downs that our own children have not yet grown into. Second, one thing I keep in the attic is Toy Rotation toys. What's that? It's toys that are age appropriate for our kids right now, but that don't all fit in the playroom. If the kids want one of them from the attic, they can trade out one of their toys that's in the playroom for it.

Rosiebebe is One!

A. Her Schedule – She usually wakes up at about 6:30 a.m., eats breakfast, then takes a nap at 10 a.m. (early, I know). She also takes an afternoon nap, usually around 3 p.m. She eats dinner with us but usually starts getting cranky at 6:30 p.m. and is fast asleep by about 7:00 p.m.

B. Her Size & Health – At her one-year checkup she was 20 lb 2 oz (55th percentile). She was 30” long (80th percentile). Her head circumference was 17.75 (55th percentile). Her hemoglobin was 13.8 (good). Her lead was none. It seems like she’s hardly ever sick – I don’t know if that’s because she’s at a home-based daycare or if she’s just been lucky in that way. She did wear a helmet from about January 1 to about April 22.

C. Her Personality – She’s the sweetest, friendliest baby. She is very interested in engaging with people. She wants to make a personal connection. She’s not too worried about strangers.

D. His Favorite Things

• Colors: Can I say pink?
• Shows: Yo Gabba Gabba. She is fascinated by the TV and our cell phones, but we heavily limit her screentime.
• Toys, Play, and Art: She has some baby dolls and pretend makeup that she plays with.
• Time of Day: I would say after she wakes up from her first nap. She’s always so happy to see us when she wakes up.
• Bedding: She has some pink fuzzy blankets.
• Foods: She loves fruit, especially strawberries. She’s only had chocolate a couple of times but she loved it. She wants to eat whatever we’re eating.
• Activities: She likes being held. She likes being around people. She’s never one to voluntarily leave a party. I'm trying to take her to stores and restaurants with me so that she gets used to being at these types of places.
• Animals: She can now say “cat” and “dog,” so I think she likes our pets, but she’s far more interested in people than animals, it seems.
• Heroes: I can’t say. She does seem to really enjoy my company. I wonder if I’m her hero?

E. Things She Does Not Like – Pasta.

F. What She’s Thinking About – I’m not sure, but she seems like a mellow, good tempered person. She doesn’t seem anxious, although she is cautious. I’m sure that she has the ability to walk but chooses not to because she’s afraid of falling.

G. Surprises – I’ve probably said it before on this blog, but having this girl has been the best surprise – I went from wondering if I could handle being the parent of a girl to relishing basically every minute.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best things: I look forward to her growing up and developing lasting, positive relationships with her brothers and me too.
• The worst things: When she does scream or cry, her voice is a higher pitch than my sons, and it drives my husband up the walls. It sounds fine to me, but to him it’s apparently very painful.

I. Family and Friends – I worry if our family is getting too large for people to comfortably invite us over to their homes.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – I am so excited to have the chance to explore parenting a daughter! I don’t want to go completely crazy with pink and rainbows and unicorns. But I do want the world to treat her as sweetly as befits her sweet personality. She’s such a gentle being.

Serious Kiddo: 5.5 Year Update

A. His Schedule – He wakes up earlier than anyone else and can invariably be found on the couch, frequently watching something on TV that he’s chosen himself (he can now operate the TV skillfully).

B. His Size – About average, I think.

C. His Personality – He’s a bit shy and seems to be prone to sit quietly, reading or watching a show. He told me he’s very much an “indoor person.” He’s willing to do art but he takes a long time doing things just right, so consequently, he very rarely finishes anything. He can get riled up if another child is encouraging him, but he does seem to tucker out before the other child does.

D. His Favorite Things

• Colors: Gold. Definitely gold. Though he still likes red.
• Shows: Japanese animation.
• Toys: He likes Pokemon toys and Transformers.
• Time of Day: Probably the early morning because he has the house basically to himself while we’re all still asleep.
• Bedding: He recently chose a blue blanket with stars on it for himself. He sleeps with that and a regular pillow. He’s finally too big to use a toddler blanket.
• Foods: Chocolate. Sweets. Desert foods. Cookies. Grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Activities: He likes swimming and is advancing nicely in his swimming class.
• Animals: Cats. Dogs. He can make a lot of dog-like noises now and will sometimes pretend to be a puppy. Sharks.
• Heroes: He likes superheroes, but I don’t think there’s one in particular that he likes. He recently chose a Thanos piggybank, the bad guy from Avengers Endgame. I’m not sure why he chose Thanos but it may have to do with the gold glove and gem-like infinity stones that Thanos has.

E. Things He Does Not Like – When his brother bothers him. Not winning, like at a boardgame or for a race.

F. What He’s Thinking About – He’s looking forward to learning how to read. I think he’s looking forward to starting Kindergarten too.

G. Surprises – How some of his characteristics are so opposite to his brother’s characteristics. For example, his brother is thrill-seeking, whereas he seems to be hardwired to avoid thrills.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best things: When he is nice to his little sister. Watching them become friends is the sweetest.
• The worst things: When he’s feeling moody (sad).

I. Family and Friends – My coworker says that as adults, you wind up becoming friends with your kid’s friends’ parents, and that becomes your social circle. I do try to keep him connected to the kids he’s chosen to become friends with, but it is difficult in this area due to distance, traffic, and work, not to mention our various moves (we moved homes, and he also switched daycares twice). Sadly, due to the crazy district lines in our area, most of kids at his current daycare will be going to a different elementary school than he will.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – I’m trying hard to keep our home in order, which means encouraging the kids to keep their toys in one central location (the playroom) and to pick up their items every night or risk having their items be put in “time out.”

The Bear at Almost 4 Years Old

A. His Schedule – He likes to stay up late and sleep late. He seems to be chronically tired but also habitually unwilling to nap or go to sleep when we put him in bed. If he does finally fall asleep for a nap, expect him to be out cold for at least a couple of hours.

B. His Size – He seems to be a little smaller than average.

C. His Personality – He is so outgoing. He is always trying to connect with people. He has a powerful drive to be loved. He wants to help people. He wants to make people laugh. He wants to do things with people (teamwork). He wants people to give him their undivided attention. He is, in that respect, like a sponge – the more attention you shower on him, the happier he is as he soaks it all in. The other kids at his daycare seem to like following him, as if his joy and fascination with whatever he’s doing at the moment is contagious.

D. His Favorite Things

• Colors: “Rainbow.” Also, "your favorite color."
• Shows: He likes scary shows, like Goosebumps and Scoobie Doo. He asks us to let him watch scary movies that are designed for adults but we keep saying “no.” His drive to be thrilled seems higher than average to me.
• Toys, Play, and Art: He likes his stuff dog, Zoie. He loves to collect and put on makeup, face paint, camouflage Army makeup, etc. I’m not sure if his fascination with makeup is because he enjoys the act of collecting things – pirating makeup from my dresser – or if he actually likes the makeup itself. I suspect it’s a bit of both. He likes painting (like with watercolors) and applying real paint with a brush and makeup with a brush seems quite similar to me. Speaking of art, he creates it very quickly and passionately. It’s not unusual for him to finish all three art projects in his Bible class and do an additional art project to boot before we pick him up – in the course of that same hour, it’s not unusual for our other son to have belabored over the very first assignment and not yet completed it. Bear also loves mixing things, i.e. making slime. He also loves Play Doh. In the future, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes an artist or a chemist. Though I also wouldn't be surprised if he becomes an actor.
• Time of Day: I don’t know, but I’d probably say nighttime, especially if there’s cuddling on the couch.
• Bedding: He still loves his cloud blankies, and will frequently carry a couple of them around, and also his rainbow-colored pillow.
• Foods: Meat. Cheese. Pepperoni. Fries. Chips. Lemonade. Iced tea (very rarely has access to this). Popsicles.
• Activities: He enjoys swim class. He also enjoys gardening with his dad.
• Animals: Cats, especially ours. He also likes bugs, especially spiders. We had a worm farm that he was pretty interested in (sadly, the worm farm did not last). He seems to really enjoy all animals, especially friendly animals.
• Heroes: He loves superheroes. He seems to prefer powerful superheroes like Disney’s Maleficent, but he also loves Batman.

E. Things He Does Not Like – Following orders. Being criticized (no one does). Being told “no.” Being told to take a nap. When his brother pulls him back so that his brother wins a race.

F. What He’s Thinking About – He’s already looking forward to his birthday party.

G. Surprises – Sometimes he’ll say really funny or cute things. He has a wonderful sense of humor.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best things: When he’s cuddly. Or being funny. Or being nice to his sister. His little hoarse voice. When he mispronounces words. When he gets excited about doing something, which happens a lot.
• The worst things: His temper. When he does something mean to another child, like spit or tear up their artwork. I think he does these things when he feels rejected by others. For example, when one of his friends told him that she didn't want to be his friend, that's when he decided to tear up her artwork. It's not an excuse, but it does shed some light on what he's thinking. He's a sensitive guy.

I. Family and Friends – So far, when his brother gets invited to something, we’ve taken him. So, his friends are essentially the same as his brother’s friends. Oh the joys of having two kids relatively close in age.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – I’m trying to use the love language of touch more with Bear, as I believe that may be his primary language. I’m also trying to say “yes” more, even when it’s a bit late, or when what he wants to do is messy.

My Husband's Clothes, part of my Massive Memorial Day Organizational Palooza (Part 5)

For the full weekend's schedule and links to the other parts, see Part 1.

His Dresser

Odd socks

One of the smallest drawers contains socks that have temporarily lost their mates. A cardboard box separates the kids' socks from the adults' socks.

Athletic socks and Acorns

If you've never heard of Acorns before, they're like bedroom slippers except that they have a leather bottom. They need to be kept out of the dog's reach because he will chew and destroy them. Sometimes my husband forgets to stow his Acorns away, so I added a label in the bottom of the drawer where they go using white masking tape.

Labeling is important

Loosely folded shirts

In order to try to reduce the amount of time I spend on laundry, I've stopped folding in the Marie Kondo way - shown above is what I think takes the least energy for my husbands shirts. Fold once in half, hamburger style, and done.

Pants and pajamas

In an effort to spend less time on laundry, what I've done above is to fold pants once in half and be done.

Shorts and swimwear

Zip-ups and sweatshirts

Sweatshirts are really bulky. There was no room in his wardrobe/closet for these.

His Closet

We have a medium-sized wardrobe that we originally purchased from IKEA that serves as his closet. It contains his work clothes (suits, dress shirts, and dress shoes).

Card-shaped things

I used a small wooden box to corral card-shaped things such as ID badges.

Sentimental items

My husband's collection of foreign currency is now stowed inside of a 4" x 6" clear photo container from The Container Store. A caddy now holds small miscellaneous items (think rings and spare change).

Dress socks and cufflinks

He already had the cufflinks box, but I added a sentimental bandanna to the bottom of this shelf.

Neckties

The favorites

The rest

Keeping all 41 neckties in his closet didn't work well because they took up too much space, making the whole thing crammed. I separated out the 11 neckties I thought he used most frequently and put those on his tie tree. The other 30 I neatly stowed in a small dresser drawer.

Entryway Closet, part of my Massive Memorial Day Organizational Palooza (Part 4)

For the full weekend's schedule and links to the other parts, see Part 1.

Zoomed out

This closet is 4 feet wide. Our jackets are hanging to the left and right of the handing closet organizer. Since the right side of the closet is easier to access (because of how our doors are situated), I put our most frequently used jackets on the right side.

On the top shelf are my hats and the baby's shoes. Since she can't put on her shoes by herself, I didn't think they needed to be kept within her reach.

On the floor of the closet on the right-hand side are the boys' shoes and my shoes. One the floor of the closet are my husband's shoes.

Hanging closet organizer

Within the hanging closet organizer, from top:

• My husband's hats, as well as flashlights (for walking the dog at night)
• The dog's items (see below)
• Winter children's items, like mittens
• Winter items for my husband and I (like gloves)
• Extra coat hangers

Dog items

I am using a small white box to keep the pets' medicine corralled. I am using an even smaller blue box to keep the dog's brushes and comb corralled.