The defacto storage unit

I think that every parent owns at least one piece of Ikea Expedit shelving. It meets all of the key criteria for toy storage: good storage space for small pieces, looks modern & clean, and is a decent price point (because let's face it - we want to have something that looks good but we know the wear & tear that kids and toys will have on it!). We have two of their units - a large one (4x4?) downstairs, and today we purchased the 1x5 for upstairs. Because toys have taken over our house.

Now the interesting thing is though, that there are limited options for the storage containers that you can insert. I'm not a huge fan of the plastic ones that Ikea sells, and the wicker ones I think will scratch the shelving too much (we've had lots of issues w/ wicker baskets and our floors -- look nice but they've done a good number in a couple rooms!). I went on a bit of a search for a nice basket that would fit it -- and came up a bit short. However, I didn't have a lot of time to invest, I will admit - as I wanted the unit set up this weekend. I did manage to come up w/ some cute cloth Reisenthel boxes at Storage Solutions -they don't fit perfectly but they have lids on them, and so they look nice and neat. I just thought, this MUST be a market opportunity for someone, to produce some alternative storage boxes for the Ikea Expedit shelving, that are a perfect fit?!

Here's how it turned out!

My first post

It has been 20 months since my second son was born. He was a wonderful surprise - a little miracle that we were hoping and planning for, but after struggling to conceive our first son, it was a true shocker to get preggers on our first attempt the second time around! And so, 20 months ago, life changed, for the second time, but in a much bigger way, at least for me. Keeping organized and on top of things has been MUCH more of a challenge. And so I spend alot of my time trying to figure out how to better organize and manage our home and our life to stay... well, sane.

I subscribe to alot of blogs - for parenting/mom tips, home reno tips, cooking (and batch cooking!), local events, work topics... the list goes on. All to say, I am constantly on the lookout for other great ideas, on a wide array of topics.

So what do I think that I can add to the blogosphere? I am hoping that I can share some of the things that I am doing as a working mom, in a bursting house, to keep all the ball in the air. I plan to blog on household organization, clutter, and cleaning, on juggling schedules, and on trying to eat healthier and live more naturally while being on the run. I hope that some of my ideas will be helpful to some of you out there!