Falling (Back) in Love with Legos and a Lego Storage Round-Up!

No doubt about it, my most popular post of all time is my Lego Storage and Play Table, an Ikea hack I did more than three years ago:

I think this project has struck a chord with people because it encourages creativity in children but protects mom's sanity.  My table is easy to build, adjustable in height, and provides ample storage.  However, it has been three years so Legos have now taken over the train table, among other surfaces! And as a result I was starting to fall out of love--just a little bit!--with Legos.

However, I was reminded of the benefits of Legos the other day through the website Brick Dave, a blog dedicated completely to Lego.

It's so true: playing with Legos has created so many opportunities for creativity, persistence and patience for my boys.  What I find especially interesting is how their personalities shine through in the ways they play: Biggest Boy methodically follows all instructions, enjoying the process of building; Littlest prefers to get wacky and build his own amazing creations.  Either way, I love to see them playing with Legos.

So I've rounded up a few storage options for Legos (as well as renewed energy for tackling the mess once again)!  We love our Lego Head Storage (affiliate link), but I really need options for storing those partly-built and oddly-shaped creations.

How cute are these DIY buckets from Chubby Bunny?  I love these because they would fit partially assembled sets along with their accompanying loose pieces:

I'd love to be handy enough to build these under-bed storage trays from the happy housie:

Another great solution for sets that might be partly disassembled (you know, because someone's football or entire body landed on them)...huge fabric bins!  This tutorial by The Scrap Shoppe has me convinced I can make some:

Of course the sky's the limit when it comes to how to organize Legos!  You can see more ideas on my Lego Pinterest Board.

Or share with us here...what methods have worked for you?  Do tell!

Before And After Kitchen Reveal (and updated with new black windows)!

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% mine.

As promised!!!  Last week I said I would show you my latest greatest paint project soon and today is the day!  Don't feel like waiting?  Okay fine let's jump right in:

SO much better!  Lighter!  Brighter!  I've never liked the wood trim in my kitchen. It has bugged me since Day One in this house (going on three years).  So I painted it.  And the walls.  And I'm still not done but getting to this point is a major victory.  I've literally been working on and off on this project for nine months.  As my husband said the other day, "sometimes...do you think maybe...its better to pay a professional for some of these things...???"  Yeah babe you are correct. My lower back agrees with you.

As you can see, I still haven't painted the trim around the widows.  I can't decide whether to go all white, or white on the outside with black on the inner mullions.  What would you do?

***BREAKING NEWS UPDATE***

Y'all. I am coming to you from the FUTURE to provide an update to this post. I don't even blog here anymore (these days, find me right here), but I simply couldn't not update you. It is now July, 2023--7 full years after I asked what you'd do to these windows(!)--and I want to show you what we decided! I also want to encourage those who feel like making a home takes forever. Have patience...sometimes it does, and that is okay! That is real life for those of us not making a living as DIY bloggers or pros. So, here is what the breakfast nook looks like today:

In the last 7 years I have refinished the tabletop, purchased new chairs, painted the walls white and the ceiling gray, installed bistro-style shelving, replaced the light fixture, and worked with Marvin Windows to install these beautiful new sliders. These are the Marvin Infinity fiberglass windows in black.  

How about another view of them?

By the way, working with Marvin Windows was an awesome experience. Every single person I met with the company was fantastic! And I am loving the final product. This isn't a paid endorsement, I just really like the company!  

My whole goal was to create a little bistro for my family. I love the Serena & Lily Bistro chairs (of course) but I chose these knock-offs and I am so happy I did):

I enjoy styling my long, narrow DIY bistro shelves. I used wood boards, these shelf brackets, and Grecian Gold Rub 'n Buff to "age" them for that bistro look I was going for:

And for anyone curious about other updates, here is the biggest additional change in this space:

Yes! I yanked up the carpet and refinished this entire staircase BY MYSELF in the summer of 2020. I was super cooped up and didn't have anything going on. This is one I am super proud of!

Sources for this update: Windows: Marvin Windows; Chairs: Amazon; Chandelier: Amazon; Paint: Sedate Gray by Sherwin Williams (kitchen walls); White Dove by Benjamin Moore (trim and breakfast nook walls).

And now, I will return you to your regularly scheduled programming: this blog post from 7 years ago!

***THANK YOU***

I'd also like to either paint the doors or restore them to their original wood glory.

Similar question here--should I go all-white on the window trim?  I need help, people.

I love this change.  Remembers eons ago when I was asking you how in the world I should handle that awkwardly-placed light switch?  This chalkboard wall is my solution!

I painted the wall, of course (and by the way made that frame myself with only a little help), and then spray-painted a plain switch plate with chalkboard paint.  Now the light switch is just integrated right in and even looks cute.

Yes, this is an actual rule in my house, although it applies mostly to foam swords and finger-guns.

The "mudroom" is mostly the same; I even re-cut the vinyl 'grateful' sign because we like it.  As you can see, the trim around the stairs remains unpainted.  I just plain lost my steam, people.  Oh!  Isn't that lamp adorable?  It's from World Market (affiliate link).

How about another view of that?

Angus at four months.

Angus at nineteen months.

And just because I love showing you some details...

Some of the items still on my list for the kitchen:

• Paint the stair spindles and risers.
• Paint the trim around the windows, as well as the doors.
• Install new light fixtures throughout.
• Install some kind of ceiling treatment.
• Install curtains in the breakfast nook.

Even with so much left to do I am enjoying this fresh look every single second I am in here, which is a whole hecka lot of seconds every day.  Don't you love what some paint can do!?!

Sources:

Wall Paint: Sedate Gray (SW 6169) by Sherwin Williams

Trim Paint: Benjamin Moore White Dove color-matched by Behr

Console: Everett Foyer Table at World Market (affiliate link)

Baskets in Console: Ikea

Table: World Market for similar (affiliate link)

Chairs: Walmart
Faucet: Kohler Cruette (affiliate link)

Easy Fix for Cardboard Magazine Files (Ikea Fluns Upgrade)

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% mine.

So, back to the open shelving in my kitchen.  It vexes me.

I told you recently that I was gonna restyle it soon...and here's what it currently looks like:

I meant to get a plant up on that top shelf. before I shot this pic...whoops!

I also wanted to add some magazine files to corral all those catalogs, magazines, and papers that tend to clutter up my kitchen. Enter the Ikea FLUNS magazine files, which are white cardboard and will set you back a whole buck for four. FOUR FOR A DOLLAR???  Yep.  Great price, but unfortunately they look as cheap as they are:

If you don't have an IKEA near you, you can buy the exact same ones for a little bit more by clicking here.They are just so plain and so white, so I used craft paper and little label frames from the craft store (spray painted gold) to spruce them up and allow them to blend with my summer-y coastal blues and browns:

Spray adhesive worked great for this project.  If you want more of a tutorial, let me know!  By the way, my very favorite gold spray paint is Rustoleum Metallic Gold.

The categories are "Read" and "Plan:"

I did this quick project a few weeks ago and (in spite of being cardboard) the magazine files are holding up great!  This would be fun to do with a pretty patterned paper, too.  Let me know if you try it!