I adore Spring! It is by far my most favorite season of the year. As Robin Williams so brilliantly puts it: “Spring is nature’s way of saying “Let’s Party!” “ It is such an uplifting season and, as my fruit trees explode in to blossom, my lawn turns green, the smell of jasmine fills the air and the days get longer and warmer, I cannot help feeling upbeat. Winter is over and the silly season is almost upon us.
Along with the annual feeling of renewal and rebirth that comes with Spring, I find it such a cathartic season. Being an anally retentive Capricorn, I cannot help but look forward to the prospect of Spring Cleaning and the annual clean up and de-clutter that takes place every September in my home. So this September seemed like the perfect time to launch our brand new range of vinyl storage labels – just in time for your Spring Cleaning and sorting. In designing them, we have given much thought to the storage solutions that we all need and long for in our own family homes.
I always giggle at Phyllis Diller's quote: "Cleaning your house while you kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing" How very true! There are times when I feel as if I am drowning in an explosion of my childrens' toys! But the one thing I have quickly learnt is that tidying up is made so much easier if everything has a clearly marked home. Our new vinyl toy storage labels will change your life and are a bright and fun way to label your kids' bedrooms, playroom, art essentials and toy containers.
Available in either fizzpop, candyfloss or yankee colorways, each pack includes 40 vinyl stickers (70mm round) - 32 of which are pre-designed, with the ability to personalise 8 stickers yourself. We have carefully chosen the pre-designed labels according to the most popular toy ranges and art essentials, covering most bases, so you will simply need to add in your own few quirky labels is your child collects stamps or has a rock collection! ;-)
The key to organising your childrens' spaces and belongings is to first declutter and sort. If this is done annually, you will ensure that your playroom and bedrooms are only filled with toys that are age appropriate and played with or that are classics. Empty all existing cupboards, draws and storage areas and divide your room in to three areas: Keep, Donate and Throw Out. Spend some time sorting through their toys with them and deciding which they want to keep, which they want to donate to those more needy, and which are broken and should be discarded. This system will automatically slim down the range of toys that you need to store.
The second vital ingredient to good toy storage is your storage containers. I find that clear containers work best as you are able to easily see what is inside. In my own home, I predominantly use large clear storage boxes from Plastic Land that fit perfectly inside our cupboards. Each box is clearly marked with one of our vinyl toy storage labels. For classic smaller toys such as marbles and art essentials such as crayons and khokis, I use clear classic glass jars from the Consol Shop - these make perfect storage containers and look great when marked with matching vinyl labels.
Finally, you need to get your kids involved in the process. Let them help you sort the toys before storing and make sure that they understand that after they have played with something, they pack it up and return it to their marked home.
Our vinyl workspace and kitchen labels are also a must-have in your Spring cleaning process. Our pantry label pack will ensure everything in your kitchen has a home and a name. Beautifully designed for stylish organisation, they are available in a wide range of Macaroon's signature colors and will ensure that you organise your pantry in style. The pack includes 93 labels - most are pre-designed with the most popular names of goods and essentials needed in a kitchen; but you have the opportunity to personalise 8 round, 4 window and 5 small banner labels.
In my case, I love having my baking essentials and icing tools labelled - so I used some of my extras for unusual icing and baking labels. Having an organised pantry and baking cupboard makes baking that much more fun.
As with your toy storage, clear tupperware containers and glass storage jars work perfectly when organising and labelling your pantry and kitchen. There is something incredibly satifying about opening up a kitchen cupboard and everything having a cleary marked container and home. It avoids so much wasteage and over-shopping when you can clearly see which goods are running low. Every Sunday evening, I use my Macaroon menu and shopping planner to do a meal plan for the week ahead. Alongside my meal plan is a shopping list for the week and my Macaroon pantry labels have made the shopping process so much easier (not to mention the fact that it has put a stop to my husband opening up every container to find what he is looking for! Do you remember the Cremora advert growing up? It's not inside, it's on top!")
So use this Spring to declutter - it will leave you feeling purged, lighter and uplifted. It is amazing how much space decluttering and sorting can instantly create. Pop some music on your ipod, get your children involved, open the doors and windows to let the Spring air and sunlight stream in - and get started with the process of sorting. You'll be happy you did. Until Tuesday, from The Macaroon Team, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes by William Morris who says: "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful". Happy Spring!
