Extreme Makeover: Playroom edition

I couldn't take it anymore. 

Every time I walked into the playroom my stomach churned.  I vowed that my girls would never get another toy in their lifetime.

Santa was hereby banished from the Walker house. 

So on a chilly Monday while Caroline was home from school (Yes, I made her work during her day off.  I'm a big meany.) we conqured that mountain together.  Brynn's only job was to stay out of our way and not make a bigger mess.  I give her a B-.

Here is the playroom before.  Can't you just feel your blood pressure going up just looking at it?

 I had a system all in place.  The first item on the agenda was all the art supplies.  I took all of it out of the playroom and into the living room and we sorted, organized, tossed until it all fit into the 3 drawer plastic storage it was spilling out of. 

Next we took all the canvas boxes you see into the living room and sorted through those.  I set up a laundry basket away from our project.  I told Caroline that if she could fill up the basket with toys she doesn't play with anymore, that are broken, or that she is too old for I would let her go with me to the Goodwill to donate them to kids who could really use them and she could pick out one "new" toy to bring home.  She got down to business.  Now let me remind the audience out there that this is MY daughter Caroline.  The child who can't let go of ANYTHING!  She usually panics at the thought of getting rid of toys, paper, books, you name it even though it hasn't seen the light of day in a solid year.  But on that day, she was amazing.  She honestly thought about each item and realized that to make her playroom better and to make room for more toys she had to let things go.  By the end of the day she filled not one, but TWO laundry baskets and one storage container full of toys to go in the garage to use later.  I was so proud of her and I told her so.  I also kept asking her if she was proud of herself.  I want her to remember this feeling of accomplishment to help motivate her. 

We sorted through books, games, puzzles, the toy box, etc.  After SIX hours, 2 HEFTY bags full of trash, 2 Goodwill baskets, and one garage box later...MOVE THAT BUS!!!

I am so proud of that girl!  She literally danced in the open space after we were finished.  She was able to sit at the table and color.  She also found a lot of toys she had forgotten about.  Later that night we went to the donation store and she picked out two toys that she loves.  It was the best $6.58 I ever spent.