Many parents might agree that toys have a superpower where they seem to multiply overnight…not to mention appear under our bare feet when we least expect it (we’re looking at you, Legos). When we work in homes where there is an abundance of toys that are no longer be pulled out to play with, we love being able to share the impact that Project Play Inc. has on the community (and set up a Donation Pick-Up while we’re at it).

Project Play Inc. takes donated toys and redistributes to children and families in need. The team at Project Play Inc. works diligently to meet the needs of kids who do not have toys or books to use. Angie Lacy, Occupational Therapist, Preschool Teacher and Founder of Project Play, took the time to share with us what Project Play Inc. does and how we can rehome our toys and books while benefitting the greater community.

How in the Heck Do I Organize My...Kid's Toys

Mamas, I see you…staring at the mess of toys all over the house at the end of the day (or in our current times, all throughout the day). And I’m right there with you. But I’ve found some great storage solutions that allow me to pick up the house in five minutes or less and get on with my evening (whether that is cracking open a book, pouring a glass of wine or just crawling into bed a few minutes earlier).

Kids toys can be a whirlwind of clutter & chaos...strewn about your home in a matter of minutes. But is there a method to the madness? In my opinion, of course! I have a few tips to help keep those kids toys tidy & save you a few (ok, a lot) of headaches.

Kids toys are just one of those unavoidable things that seem to collect faster than the dust bunnies under your couch. It’s a birthday here, a holiday there & before you know it...piles of toys E V E R Y W H E R E.

Organized | LIFE, Organized | SPACESMaria BaerMarch 17, 2020The Baer Minimalist, LLCKids Space, ToysComment

PROJECT // A Not-So Neutral Twin Nursery

Let me introduce you to my new favorite room in our house…our twin’s nursery! We are less than two weeks away from our due date and this room has been such a labor of love. We still do not know the gender of our babies, but that didn’t mean that I had to keep this room neutral, did it?

I have never been one to shy away from color when it comes to decorating my home, so our nursery was no exception! The biggest design challenge was taking this relatively small space and making it work for not one, but two babies. That second crib really threw us for a loop.

I knew I wanted to have an element of whimsy in the space and wanted to bring that in with wallpaper. I searched and searched for a statement print that I could base the rest of the room around and landed on Hunt Slonem’s bunny wallpaper. When I saw this paper up at Drapery Street in the Design Center, I knew I had to have at least a touch of it in the nursery.

This was also the first time I have ever painted walls white in my home, so I pulled in my signature stamp of color for the furniture and added a dark chair rail to break up several of the walls.

Without any further ado, here is our not-so-neutral twin nursery.

3 Simple Hacks for Organizing Your Students

Let’s talk about the vibe of your house on a Monday morning. Is it hectic? Or calm? My guess is that the start of your week reflects whether or not you’ve had the time to prep over the weekend. If you have a few minutes to meal plan, help ensure the kids are caught up on homework and that outfits are chosen for the week ahead, your Monday morning feels like a breeze compared to the alternative.

I’ve written about helping your kids get more organized before, but wanted to take school organization one step further now that we are into the second half of the school year! I reached out to one of the most organized moms I know, Stephanie Starkey with My Greige House, to collaborate on this post. Follow her, you’ll be so inspired by her ideas for cleaning + organization.

So let’s get to it! We wanted to share a few tips + tricks to keep your family ahead of schedule and on top of homework. It doesn’t have to be something that only happens in your dream world - I promise you!

Tried + True Strategies for Taming Toys

Phew, we made it through Black Friday, but gift giving season is just getting started. In your house, this might mean that it looks like the Target Gift Catalog is being shot for 2019 the minute the gifts are torn into. I’m talking dozens and dozens of new play sets with 1000’s of little pieces that are strewn across your living room. Don’t worry, I’ll be joining you next year as we have twins on the way.

With that in mind, I wanted to address some ways to tame the toys without being a scrooge. I enlisted a few moms to help tackle this beast and the tips were amazing!

Toy organization is a different animal compared to general home organization. Toys can range from a thousand tiny pieces to over-sized and oddly shaped, but I promise you, there is hope. By creating a solid foundation, installing creative organization systems and taking the time to keep things organized, you can slay this giant.

Organized | LIFE, Organized | PARENTHOODMaria BaerNovember 26, 2018The Baer Minimalist, LLCToys, Kids Space, Kids, Organizing TipsComment

Back to School Organization Tools + Tips

Every summer growing up, I couldn't wait to go back to school shopping! Beefing up my collection of Lisa Frank products, multi-colored gel pens and planning out my locker decorations made me borderline giddy to get back to the classroom.

I had the chance to help a young client this year get organized for the school year and came across some amazing products that would help make the transition back to school much easier.

Taking Command of Your Summer | Essentials for Creating a Family Command Center

With a few weeks of school remaining, summer bucket lists have been dreamt up, camp is booked, and lake weekends are scheduled. But have you ever found the fun moments being overshadowed by the stress of keeping up at home?

Enter the Family Command Center, a solution that keeps the entire family on track with everything that needs to be completed during the week.

Here are five essentials to help you create one of your own:

PROJECT // Nursery to Kids Study Conversion

I'm SO excited to unveil this space to you as this was quite the transformation! The evolution of this room has been pretty interesting - initially it was a storage room when my client's purchased their home. About five years ago they converted it into a nursery, but their boys are now sharing a room down the hall.

So, it was time to transform this space into a little nook perfect for studying, crafting and building some pretty incredible Lego creations. I think we have a couple of future engineers on our hands with some of the designs I saw!

The Baer Minimalist® Blog -- Tips, Tricks and Hacks on living a more ORGANIZED + STYLIZED Life