Bucket Loads of Fun

I am one of those people that is constantly organizing.  Before you start to hate me, realize that I am absolutely horrible at staying organized.  If I could have just three days to myself (wishful thinking, I know) I'd have the entire house organized right on down to the junk drawer!

But since I only have three minutes to myself at a time, I have started small.

Problem #1:
We have too many toys and they are everywhere (which is quite common in a two story house, right?)

Solution #1:
Buckets!  My daughter and the babies each have their own bucket (cloth bins purchased from Wal-mart) that fits nicely under my side tables in my living room.  That way they can play downstairs without dragging toys everywhere.  The rest of the toys are nicely organized in our game room closet upstairs.  My daughter does have a few babies and their things in her room that she plays with during quiet time.

Problem #2:  (which arose from Solution #1!):
My oldest daughter never plays with the toys in her bucket.  Since she is either too lazy (which being my daughter is quite possible) or too attached to my hip she never goes and gets any of her other toys from her room or the toy closet upstairs.

Solution #2:
Each Sunday we will refill the buckets with new/different toys.  I plan on saving a few things to add into each basket every once in awhile to keep this fun and new.  I think this will help with the boredom of the bucket.  I let my daughter fill her own bucket and encouraged her to put a few books and puzzles in her bucket so we could have them downstairs.  We also put in one of our projects we have been working on (an alphabet book) and her latest Highlights magazine.   She enjoyed this task a great deal and it will allow me to see what she wants to play with and what should just be donated to Goodwill.
Out of this new task came a new idea...a mommy bucket!  I made myself a bucket and put things that I would like to get to during the week.  I tried to fit the laundry in there, but the bucket was too small.   Ha ha! So, I just filled it with little odds and ends that need to be put away (mostly papers) and a few projects that have to be done.  I also included a little notepad of things I need to do this week, but don't have anything to put in the basket yet to represent these things.  I did not put any household chores in there.  I did put some catalogs and magazines that came in the mail.  I figure if I don't get to them this week, then in the trash they go!

Here are our buckets:

After the buckets were filled, I put the children's under the table and then thought about where to put mine.  I don't like counter clutter, but I did want it to be where I would see it often throughout the week.  So, I sat it in my office chair in my scrap room.  That way before I sit down, I have to move that bucket. 

I sure hope this works! For awhile anyway!

~Jenn
Mama Scrapper