Keeping organized with twins!

Keeping organized is an ongoing battle for any parent.  I don't know if it is harder with twins, or not. 



I was on bed rest prior to bringing the twins home, and so I did not have a chance to "nest" and prepare as I wanted to.  Since I have finally begun to have a few moments to accomplish things, organizing my house has become my main job.  I am an organized person by nature, but having twins has turned all my planning upside down.  Every day is a challenge to stay on top of things.  Still, it is so important to keep our lives functioning smoothly and happily. 

I thought I would share (in pictures) some of the ways that I have found to stay on top of things since the addition of two little rascals into my life.

Nursery Closet

The nursery closet is one of the most important areas to stay on top of.  It still may not look pretty, but it functions very efficiently to keep things in order.  On the left side I keep clothes and diapers.  The baskets have quick-grab cloth diapers and extra disposables ready to go.  The drawers are full of onesies, pants and socks, and extra cloth diapers.  Sweaters are hung above.

On the right side is all the "extras."  The tupperware totes hold clothes that are either too big or too small, all arranged by size.  It is important to stay on top of keeping clothes current since they grow so fast at this stage. Once every few weeks I clear out all the clothes they have outgrown. The "keepers" go back in the bins and the ones I don't want get washed and packed into a consignment bag so they are ready to be parted with. It helps keep the clutter to a minimum.   The shelves hold baby carriers, diaper bags, boxes of hats and shoes, and all my extra craft supplies (since we don't have a craft area organized yet). It helps that everything had its place. 

Change Area

At the change table I use baskets to keep the most used supplies nice and handy. (You will find that baskets are your best friends!)

Below are burp cloths/face cloths, hats, and the supplies for cloth diapers.  Above are diapers, and a miscellaneous basket of common used toiletrees. 

Toys!
 
One thing that we are already overwhelmed with is stuffed animals - and the boys can't even play with them yet!  To keep them from taking over, I purchased this large tote to keep in the room and filled it with stuffies.

Books are kept by the bed in a basket (did I mention how much I love baskets?) for quick access.

That is basically all we have in the nursery. However, as anyone with kids knows, kids stuff is not limited to the bedroom. It has a way of creeping into the rest of the home. 

In our living room is where we spend the majority of our time with the boys. During the day we set out blankets and play mats with toys. Once the boys go to bed, I tuck everything away. It is so nice to have a grown up living room for a couple of hours while we wind down right now the boys' toys all fit in a basket we keep under the TV. We also keep a basket full of go-to supplies in case one baby is napping in the nursery - burp cloths, diapers and wipes. 

Organization Tools
 
On the side table is our ever-so-handy notebook that keeps track of everything baby related!  Meals, poops, medicines, and any other notes. This has been such a helpful tool since we have had other people helping with the babies.

On the hutch I keep a basket of current books, documents and papers relating to the babies for easy access. Right now it's full of feeding information as we enter the world of solid food. 

Then by the phone is command central station!  A calendar is a must!  A white board that is magnetic keeps shopping lists and to-dos that need to be tackled. A file folder holds important documents for the boys. A basket holds any loose ends.  And on the shelf below (not pictured) is a binder full of baby information - recipes, health info, phone numbers and more. This is the go to spot for information!

Other Tips

• Clean up as you go.  This is hard sometimes, but if you deal with the dishes/food/toys/clothes mess that you are making as you go, it makes the end of the day much easier!

• Create an end-of-day routine to clean up as much as you can.  Ending the day cleanly helps to start fresh the next morning.  Our end of day routine includes: washing/sanitizing bottles, cleaning up toys and play area, folding laundry, filling up diaper station, and washing dishes.  Nobody likes to start the day with a sink full of dirty dishes! 

• Try to fold laundry as you do it.  This is a tough one, and one that I have not mastered (I usually leave laundry in piles till my mom comes over and folds it).  I just set up a folding station in the laundry room to help me get motivated to fold laundry as it comes out of the dryer.  Fingers crossed!

• File away papers/mail EVERY day!  If you leave it to pile up, it gets overwhelming.  Have some easy access spots to put things away as you read them.  

• Keep a handy spot for lists of things to buy (groceries, baby items).  Also keep a calendar to write down all those darn appointments.  I have now started to schedule my weeks on a special calendar that includes to-dos, meals, and appointments.  

And that's about it!  I'd love to hear YOUR tips for staying on top of clutter and keeping your house organized.  Anything to make life more efficient is helpful.  Please share!