Plastic Shoe Bins and Totes are a Mom's Best Friend

When reading Woman's Day this morning, it had a small paragraph about "Bin It". When my daughter was younger, using bins to organize everything in her play area was key. Not only to keep things organized and grouped together for my benefit, but those totes helped her find what she wanted easily and helped her put things away quickly.

Plastic shoe totes can vary greatly in price and shape. You can find them for .99 cents at the Dollar Tree or Big Lots or you can pay as much as $4.00 if you want a higher quality tote. I would suggest when you find a product and price you like, you purchase a large quantity. Even if you don't use them all now, having them the same size and brand will help with stacking and storage. We all know toys vary in size, so consider picking up some medium size totes while your at it. 

Once you have your totes, you can make this as simple or detailed as you like. Some suggest labeling your totes, other suggest photos or pics of items in the tote. Thinking back, I never did label my totes. If my daughter took something out, it was put back in when she was done. They were clear, so it made it easy to tell what was inside. 

 

Over at the Ducks In A Row ,  Laurel has some great examples.

 

If you are looking for something all inclusive, there are plenty of toy box options available in your local stores or online. I TOY BOX 

has some great pieces if you have a higher budget. 

 

Now, that we've covered the little ones, I'd like to say that storage bins aren't just for the little ones. Big Girls can use them for their "toys" as well. I'll share this great photo with you and save the details for another day!