How to Organize Baby's Nursery

When baby arrives what ever space you have gets divided by another third and most babies no matter how tiny need millions of things. The key to coping is organization. Most moms agree that the changing table and the bath tub are the most important places outside of the crib for the first few months in a new baby's life.

So make sure these areas are accessible and organized. Containers are the solution. Utilize baskets, bins and containers that are designed specifically with the changing table or bathroom in mind. Keeping like items together will help to create a system that will make staying organized easier. A beautiful diaper caddy in cute designs work well. This soft cotton 3 Sprouts walrus has plenty of room to store lots of diapers, creams and lotions together and is washable.  It even fits over a stroller handle for a day out and now you have everything ready to go and in one place.

If you are lucky enough to have a  closet, design it carefully to maximize the space.

A well-designed closet will really help to keep all the little items of clothing together. Shelving fitted with appropriate containers and baskets is the best for keeping folded items organized and categorized. Baskets can be hung by ribbons or tucked into shelves. A beautiful basket is the answer. And a nest of three matching baskets in convenient sizes allows you to create a feeling of continuity while organizing everything in sight. We love this nest of wicker baskets with either pink or blue gingham liners for this task. The larger baskets are sturdy enough to hold books and toys as well as clothing. The smallest basket is great for keeping tiny socks and onesies together.The liners keep everything fresh and clean and can be removed for washing. If you are really lucky, you might receive one of these basket trios with your baby's name embroidered on the lining or cellophane wrapped as a Personalized shower gift basket.

Small wooden hangers are great for holiday clothing and to keep upcoming sizes of special clothing in view. Frequently, new parents receive lots of clothing as baby gifts so organizing it by size is key. Try to keep like colors together for easy dressing and make sure that the clothing rod starts with the smallest size on the left and then continues with the larger sizes. If space is limited, you can put larger sizes away for the future. For example if a baby fits in clothing in the 3-6 month category for the first few months, then bigger sizes should be containerized and labeled with size and season. Make sure to put all of the sizes together or you might discover a beautiful outfit that you have forgotten about and baby will never wear it because he has outgrown it.

Skip toy boxes. They are a thing of the past.  Everything gets lost or broken in a large toy box and kids get frustrated looking for things.  Use baskets; you never have enough baskets. Put books in one basket, puzzles in another and so on. Hide toys in cloth bins, and switch to clear media boxes as your child gets bigger and his toys get smaller. Bins and baskets are better for storing all board books and more- bookcases have a way of becoming disheveled.

Rotate toys. Have two containers. Put one out and leave the other in storage. Switch them once a month to keep things fresh." The "new" selections will suddenly seem more interesting to your tot.. More smiles, less clutter -- cool!

Know when to let go. Don't let books and toys sit ignored. "Be brutally honest with yourself,"  "If your kid is no longer playing with a toy or reading a book, ditch it or donate it." You can recycle toys and fund future purchases through StorkBrokers.com (Like a Craigslist for kids' loot, it matches you with nearby buyers and sellers.) Don't save clothes in your closet. Store them away if you think you are going to have another baby; better yet give them to a friend or donate them.