Organized New Mom Tip #29: Change “Make Room for Baby” into “Camouflage your Baby Storage”

With a new baby comes stuff. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. If you have a “cozy” home like I do, this can create a division between your before-baby self who wants a hip, modern space to hang and your after- baby self who wants your little one to have everything she needs.

Being creative about how to store your baby’s big items is a nice compromise between your old and new lives. Don’t be fooled-your living space is going to change. There’s no way to hide that ridiculously enormous Jumperoo unless you happen to have an extra walk-in closet just aching to be filled. There are some things you can do to make your home look less like a baby shower threw up all over it. Being a new mom, you deal with enough spit-up as it is.

Some quick easy tips for de-babifying your home:

·         Buy Baby Gadgets that do Double or Triple Duty-This ensures you have everything you need, but you’re saving valuable floor space.

·         Buy Baby Gear that Folds up Easily-If it lays flat it’s much easier to store under the sofa or in the closet.

·         Ditch Your Hard-Cornered Coffee Table for a Cushy Large Storage Ottoman-It can be expensive, but it’s worth it, and it’s the quickest way to access and hide baby toys. When it’s closed, it functions as another mobile seat in the room, and even works well for quick diaper changes.

·         Avoid Cutesy Baby Themes and Use More Sophisticated Storage Bins-You can’t tell what’s in them when they’re tucked away neatly. We still store my son’s books in a set of 3 elegant woven bins under our kitchen buffet.

·         Use Closed Door Cabinets Instead of Open Shelving-Out of sight, out of mind.

·         Clean out the Hall Closet-Do you really need 10 coats or your husband’s skateboard from high school taking up room there, or would this valuable storage space be better served hiding the bouncer away?

·         Designate a Play Space for Baby-You’re not going to be able to hide everything, and when you have a small play area already set up, you’re more likely to keep it neat, tidy, and manageable.

·         Rotate Baby’s Toys into the Play Space-You don’t need the play mat, the bouncer, the swing, and the saucer out at the same time. Take turns bringing them into your child’s environment, and they will always be new to him.