We have a back room that’s sort of a den, but we just call it the “toy room.” Lately it’s gotten so out of control, what with all the Christmas/Chanukah toys and such, that I finally convinced my husband to go out and buy some HUGE industrial shelves to help with the storage situation. He tried to convince me that it was a big mistake and I’d hate the shelves more than the clutter and we should just get the kids to throw out more of their toys, but after subjecting him to much screeching and waving of the arms he finally agreed to get the shelves.

Here’s just a sampling of what the clutter looked like before the shelves arrived:

Yes, that’s a $100 American Girl doll poking out of the bin in the corner. All those toys were piled up on an old coffee table that was supposed to be an art/project table when I stuck it in that room a year ago.

And here’s the triumphant “after” shot (same corner):

I know you can’t tear your eyes away from the FIVE American Girl dolls on the middle shelf. You’re probably thinking, “damn, that’s $500 worth of doll.” But we actually only bought one of those dolls – the other four were just given to us by a family member who outgrew them. I’m not even sure we should keep them because my kids don’t really play with them. I know there has to be a few little girls who who love to get one of those dolls but can’t afford it. How can I connect the dolls with those girls??

I guess I just went totally off topic. Aren’t you impressed with my organizational skills? Those shelves were $70 at Lowe’s!

| Category Toy Box Musings