We bought a toy chest - a beautiful Mission-style one that blends with the rest of the decor - with the hope that it would corral and conceal the toys at the end of the day. But there are only so many toys that a toy chest can hold for one spoiled little girl. There are toys all around the toy box now - beside it, in front of it and on top of it. A pile of toys has also collected 10 feet away from the toy box - a little annex of the toy box if you will. I don't mind the toys. Joy needs her toys and we are happy to give them to her. It's just at the end of the day, I wish there was a giant black hole that I could shovel them in. And in the morning, they would reappear with the flick of my magic wand, all neat and tidy.
Since my magic wand is on backorder, I decided it was time to "make it work" (as Tim Gunn from Project Runway would say). Here is my "to do" list:
- Get rid of some toys. This is so hard for me because I am so nostalgic ("I remember when Joy played with this when she was 6 months old.." Now she is almost 3.). But I have to remember that some other little kid will enjoy it and his/her mom will have some beautiful memories too.
- Buy end tables with storage. Clever, huh? The toys will still be there - but they will be hidden, saved from my sporatic desires to throw it all in the trash.
- Remove coffee table and replace with a tufted ottoman with storage. Another clever and stylish solution!
- Make the upstairs loft a playroom. I have been wanting to do this for so long. I just have to move the crap up there to somewhere else that I'll have to clean eventually.
