Organizing: Child's Play?

This week's challenge from Simple Mom was kids' stuff, and when I first found out about it I groaned so loudly my whole street heard it.  I *hate* organizing kids' stuff because it feels like the Neverending Story.  Just as soon as the toys are put away, they are all pulled out again.  Just as soon as I get the right clothes in their drawers, they grow out of them.

Ya feel me?

But I did manage a measly effort this week, enlisting Biggest to help me pull some toys out of the playroom.  We did this right after Christmas out of sheer necessity.  We did it again in January, and now we've done it a third time in three months.  He loves it!  He starts pulling out toys he played with 5 minutes ago and saying, "I don't need this anymore!  We should sell it!"  (Yep, even my child is down with Dave Ramsey).

So another box of stuff has moved out of the playroom, never to be seen (or even missed) again.  Still, I'm light-years away from where I would like to be with this room.  It used to be my office/craft room.  Then my baby's toys started exploding.  Exponentially exploding (say that three times fast).  So, as my Realtor predicted, it became the playroom.

Yes, this is what I look like when I am clean.  You should see me when I'm messy.
You can't because That Mommy forgot a "Before" picture.  Sorry.

I have yet to paint the walls, really decorate it as a kids' space, or fill up that shelf with more bright bins to replace the worn-out beige ones.  When I do all those things I will post a real "After" picture.  I keep reminding myself that Tsh challenged me to organize, not decorate.  I do like these labels I made a couple of weeks ago:

Supplies: 29-cent wooden circles, a can of chalkboard spraypaint, ribbon, and a drill.  Easy peasy.

And a couple of years ago I made the letters that spell the word "PLAY."  Those are the only two things I love about this room.  Therefore, my favorite view of the playroom is this one:

I know I am lucky to have a playroom with doors, so please forgive my moaning.  I don't mean to be so whiny, I just am.

As for clothes, I was able to do just a little organizing in Biggest's closet this week.  Have a look at the Before:

Yeah, it's bad.  And I hate it that this is the first picture I have ever shared of his room!
The rest of it is slightly cuter, I promise.

And here's the After:

Yeah...they're not so different really.  BUT I did take out all the clothes that don't fit my big boy anymore, as well as several things that really didn't belong in his closet anyway.  Those bags have items that he will grow into any day now, and the sweater-organizer holds his clothes that fit but are more wintry (all his Spring & Summer has been moved to his dresser).  Blankets are neatly folded on his shelf.  Behind him is his luggage.  I couldn't resist showing you my cutie and the outfit he picked out for himself yesterday.

Next up: Littlest's closet, and it is even worse.


P.S. You know I'm lovin' the Linky at Simple Mom!