Organizing Entertainment

This topic sounds a bit odd to be listed as our fourth installment of  the organizing series but the completely unorganized person has to start from somewhere! 

You can find the first three installments about regular cleaning schedules, deep cleaning, and office organization at the links provided. 

When I first began to live on my own I didn't know where to begin, over time I realized that organization was going to be my friend and I needed to accept it without any more delay. So I began with the cleaning schedules, and the office space, the next thing that "had" to be fixed was my "entertainment" spaces. 

These spaces typically are the entertainment center or television area and where ever it is that you may keep your games.

Let me start with the games area first. 

This was a big task for me since I had the Princess by this point- her games and mine had been mixed together and typically were thrown on a book shelf and praying that we could find what we were looking for when we wanted it.

So I started with a fresh slate, I bought a shorter bookshelf specifically for the games from Wal-Mart for less than $30 that fit perfectly in our living room without being gawky or in the way. On the bottom shelf I placed small plastic bins that I had purchased from Dollar Tree. The shelf was wide enough that I placed 5 side by side neatly (even matched the colors ha!). Once I was ready I placed small games of my daughters in them. This was things like "Go Fish" "Old Maid" "Memory" and even alphabet flash cards. These were at her disposal for whenever she wanted a quick game.

The next shelf was also a few games of hers, in her reach of course "Chutes and Ladders" "Hi-Ho Cheery-O" and a few other odd and end board games as well as a few coloring books and a small box of crayons. Also on this shelf I placed a few games that were actually mine that she liked to play with like "Jenga" and "Sorry."

On the top shelf I had placed games that she was not allowed to play due to the small pieces involved or the fact she wasn't quite old enough to understand, like "Monopoly" and a small plastic bin for my card games that she couldn't play just yet. She knew the top shelf was off limits and that was mommy's space.

Having the games stacked neatly on the shelves where the names could be read and I could see what game she had out made it a lot easier to keep up with these items and be sure they made it back to the right place. She still to this day (5ish) years later still has some of these games to play with.

Now on to the entertainment center!

To this day this is the only place I actually look at on a daily basis- guaranteed! Here's my big question to you though- how do you have your DVD's organized? I love hearing some people's responses! Alphabetized, how often we watch them, genre, year of release... the options are endless! Personally I have mine in 2 different organization options. 

First, my VHS's (don't lie you know you still have some!) are all tucked away hidden in a cabinet at the bottom of the entertainment center, within those they are split between "Disney" and "Non-Disney" because let's face it I was still a kid when DVD's were coming out and I mostly owned Disney and a few comedy VHS's. Within each category they are in alphabetical order. This makes it easier for my kids to find something they are looking for, if we don't have the DVD version.

My DVD's are actually out and on each side of my TV on the shelving units. I love shelves but if you do not have these available to you then invest in some that hang up on either side of the TV. On one side of my TV I have **MY** movies, the ones that the kids are not allowed to touch, these consist of only THE best movie genre EVER- horror! Within those they are alphabetized. I have everything from "Christine" to "Saw 6" and everything in between. The kids are not allowed to mess with these and to be sure of it- they are placed up out of reach on a higher shelf. Also on the shelf directly under my horror movies are my romance movies, a few Nicholas Sparks movies and yet another section my kids cannot watch. LOL.

The rest of the movies are split up into "Kids" "Comedies" and "Historical" because I'm a weirdo and love history and documentaries. Hate on me for it- go ahead- :LOL!

Extra Tips:

*To have a more conformed look use storage bins that match in color shape and size anywhere possible.

*Tag your plug ins before putting them in a surge protector so you know later what goes to what.

*At your discretion put children's movies in their reach- you can also chose to have these away from their reach as well.

*Video Games can also be placed in bins or on shelves in their own category.

*When placing coloring books and crayons in a space use bins for extra organization.

I have a ton of shelves on my entertainment center and no where near that many movies so let me school you on what to put on those extra shelves. 

*DO NOT overload them with pictures of your family- have one or two but do not overdo it because you will catch yourself wanting to stare at pictures rather than whatever you are watching.

*DO add a little piece of yourself to the shelves- pick something you are passionate and place pieces of whatever it is around the shelves. For example: my husband and I are VERY passionate about University of Kentucky Men's Basketball (yes yes I know- more hate coming my way!) so on a couple of our shelves are things that we have picked up over the past couple of years. Such as; Sports Illustrated "National Champions" magazine, autographed Coach Calipari picture, a build-a-bear in a basketball uniform, two mini basketballs... okay it might be an obsession but you know what I mean. 

*DO have books. If you have the extra shelf space add a few magazines or books to one for your guests to flip through at a party or just for appearance. 

Stay tuned for more organizing tips- next we'll attack the dreaded kids bedrooms! (AAAAHHHHH!!!)

-SC