Mommy Tip: Organized Chaos - The "Go Back Box"

This box is basically a bunch of junk which is very important because most of the time this type of junk is spread all over our house now that our Son is walking and climbing and exploring everything. That means he is disorganizing all the organizing I had done for the 8 years in this house before he was born. What that also means is I usually am going crazy about the amount of random things in odd places. We finally came up with the "Go Back Box" like they have at grocery stores for things that need to get re-shelved. 

Basically, it is just a shoebox that we keep in our pantry and throw all the random "stuff" we find around the house once our Son is done playing with it. Then about once a week or so I grab the box and take the items back to the places they really belong. Of course some things stay in the Go Back Box longer than others or are favorites of his and I should just leave them out. Some of the things lately range from various child proofing supplies like cord keepers and parts for drawer latches, a box of binder clips, mardi gras beads, a hoop earring, a bag of old Legos and a 1950 Charlie Brown toy I keep meaning to sell on eBay but never do, Star Wars Easter stuff I got on sale after Easter for 75 cents, a night light bulb, butt paste, a bag of screws (collected from all the ones I find around the house from the day he opened all the childproof sets to get all the screws out), oh, and our webcam that had been lying by the TV for about 2 months. 

Anyway, it is a great way to have one place for the random miscellany (I love that word, never get to use it) that is strewn about our house, to make me feel a little more like my old organized self but so I don't have to go around constantly organizing and cleaning up. 

(This was not a sponsored post. All the junk really is ours and I am sure we actually paid cash money for it at some point.)

Mommy Tip: storing wrapping paper

This is a really handy, easy, space-saving tip for storing wrapping paper. All you do is put as many nails into the wall as you have rolls of wrapping paper, just space them apart depending on the size of the roll. Then get some binder clips in the office supply section of your local store (they come in fun colors, not just black). Clip the clip to one side of the roll of paper, and hang the loop over the nail. The wrapping looks very organized, you can find it when you want it, it says rolled (finally!) and it takes up no floor space. This way you can take advantage of unused closet wall space. I have mine in the hall junk closet, four on each side. Keep in mind for really big rolls you may need bigger clips. 

(This was not a sponsored post. Photos were taken by me and are copyright by me, not that they are that great.)