Quick post.....I would love some input from anyone with experience with the next few things.....
Double Strollers.......easy to maneuver, lightweight, cup holders, accommodates an infant carrier
Storage Tubs (with lids) for kids clothes.....where, best price, etc.
Stuffed Animals.....best way to display, storage?, deciding what to keep or give away??
Kid's Birthday cards (for the non-scrapbooker)....which do you keep? how do you keep them? box, baby book? do you keep them?
What age did your kids start sharing a room??
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storage tubs, i like the clear ones so i can see what's on the inside and i always label them w/ size/season/etc! target and walmart usually run good sales on them! :)
stuffed animals, we have one of those nets that hang in the corner... we let him get down one or two different ones that he wants to play w/, sleep w/, etc... every once in awhile
birthday cards, i keep the ones that have things written on the inside, ya know? like special little notes or what not, that way he can read what people wrote to him when he gets bigger, i keep them in his baby book (it has pockets for this) otherwise, if it is just signed i usually throw them away... okay well i just started throwing them away this year, there got to be wayy too many! Lol
I love my Graco double stroller! Nothing fancy, but it has been a lifesaver! It came with a carseat that attaches to the backseat. Alex can also ride standing-up or sitting-down on the tray in the middle. It really works well for all three!
Stuffed animals??? I'm stumped as well. I pile a few on their beds after they're made and it looks pretty cute. They like to help doing this part.
I have a Graco Duo Glider that I use when we go to the mall. I love it. I wouldn't recommended a side by side stroller as it's hard to fit them down clothing aisles in most stores. As for heaviness... it's a little heavy and you might want to borrow one to see if it fits in your truck as it can be long. I was at Kid to Kid the other day in Watauga and they had some nice double strollers. You might also try placing a want add on Craigslist for one or checking on Craigslist to purchase.
I buy most of my plastic tubs at Big Lots as it's cheaper than anywhere else. I buy longer but shorter one's because they fit nicely under beds or you can stack them better on shelves. Also, I buy clear with white lids so I can see without opening it.
With our stuffed animals I use these big plastic tubs with rope handles. Walmart carries them in several colors as does Garden Ridge. Britney has one for stuffed animals. Then Brady has two for all his toys. He can drag those two bins around the entire house but when it's time to pick up, it's easy and back into his room.
We have a rule that all his toys (other than his vacuum, riding car) have to fit in those bins. It really helps with clutter and helps weed out the toys he doesn't play with.
Our kids shared a room before we added onto our house. We didn't move Brady into Britney's room until he was eight months old. I would prob. put the two older kids together and then have the baby a nursery. That way nap times might be easier.
For cards. I save every card from grandparents and godparents. Other than that the rest get tossed. I write the date on the back of the card too. Then I bought each of them a nice big rectangle box covered in either paper or fabric (I think I got Britney's/Ben's at Garden Ridge and Brady's at Marshalls)to put them in. I have similar boxes but different sizes to stack on my armoire in our room. I have a box with my wedding dress in it, then my veil and then a box for all the cards/notes Riley and I give each other. Those boxes (for you or the kids) can really be great treasure chests. I love to open them up and see cards, birthday trinkets, etc.
I am pretty good at organization. If you need some help I would be happy to help you. Sonya, Sage and Brady could play together while we figured out the organization for you.
Sorry if I wrote a novel.
I would definitely agree to get storage bins at Big Lots or a dollar store...some place cheap. Wal Mart can have cheap ones too though. We have a shed in the back that has a loft and it's basically full of bins filled with Timothy's old clothes. Amazing how at just two years old he went through so many clothes already!
I can't comment much on the double stroller, I have one, it's a side by side Peg Perego and I've used it with Timothy and other friend's children and it seemed to work nice. I like it because he can get in and out of it easy and it folds up relatively small. I have used a friend's Graco double stroller and felt like I was pushing a bus! I think with Charlotte, I'm going to use our single Graco stroller for the infant seat attachment and buy one of those stand and ride attachments for Timothy for when he gets tired of walking.
I have a canvas tote that I got from potterybarn kids for Timothy's stuffed animals. It keeps them out of the way, but it looks nice too.
I throw away birthday cards. We've moved so many times that I just can't afford to keep boxes of things like that. I kept some from his baby shower and a couple from his first birthday in his baby book, but all the rest get recycled.
Sorry this is so long, hope it helps!!
...No, it's not intended to be a sit and stand, but it works just as well. Between the two seats is a foot rest (intended for the back seat) and then there is a tray that attaches to the back seat. Alex will stand on the footrest and sit on the tray. If the child in the back is not an infant, they will have to adjust their legs some. We do this all the time!
Ours is actually a Graco Duo Glider as well. I used it today and thought about you. :)
I have to say you ask great questions Kristen, thanks for doing it here so the rest of us can learn :-)
stroller - i just got rid of my tandem, it was a beast! i recommend the cumbi double umbrella stroller, it has a carrier to go with it but i've never tried it
storage tubs - big lots
stuffed animals - only the ones my parents or dwight's parents give us make the cut
birthday cards - family only
I get Sterilite storage tubs from walmart for a few dollars a piece.
My daughters have always shared a room. (I kinda wish they didn't...)
I have never tried a double stroller.
Birthday cards - save the ones with really sentimental hand written messages in them. Keep them with the baby book or get a small box (like a photo box) to keep them in.
Stuffed animals. We have a mesh hanging sorter thing from IKEA. We have way too many, so we have to purge often. I used to keep the ones close family gave, but as my girls got older I realized that they didn't like some of them and liked some of the ones I wanted to get rid of, so then I decided it was pointless to keep stuffed animals they don't like. Now they get to pick the ones they want to purge. Probably when they get too old for stuffed animals, we'll only have TRUE favorites left. They can someday be stored away. I still have my favorite childhood stuffed animal, and each of my babies has slept with it at some point. ;)
I have a side by side Kolecraft for my kid and my niece. I don't use it all that much, really just the mall or some stores and it's fine. It was cheap and lightweight and didn't take up much room in back of the SUV. (since I also have a single Graco and an single umbrella back there and it's a small SUV)
I don't use storage tubs for B's clothes, I use the Large ziplock bags. I also use these for various other baby stuff, like bibs and burp cloths that have already gone up in the attic. The are a little cheaper and sometimes you can get coupons. What I don't use stores easily in the box.
Probably because my kid is younger and male, we don't have a whole lot of stuffed animals and they fit easily on a shelf.
I keep cards in a nice box on the closet of his shelf. (have not been writing the dates on them, but will now. That's a good idea!)
I know I only have one "full timer," but I hope that helps some.
I hated our double stroller!! It is an Eddie Bauer. The nice thing about the monster is that I didn't need the carrier all the time, I could put up the end and make a bassinet or sorts for the baby, it worked well at the airport and stuff. We also have a side by side jeep umbrella stroller. I love it for things like the zoo and outdoors. It is too wide to shop with, but super light weight and again...great at the airport!
We haven't used tubs. We used vacccum bags. I took about 2 boxes of Bekah's baby clothes and fit them into one bag about the size of one of the boxes. They cost a bit more, but they keep everything airtight. Shoes are the only thing that don't work well in them...they can tear them up if you are not careful.
Stuffed animals...we have too many too. We have our Ikea hanging things, but I realized now the kids don't even glance at them. They only play with the few that are down. We need to purge some of them!
Kids birthday cards, I only keep handmade cards or cards that people write little messages in. I have a box for each kid. I sometimes save little things from their birthday party in there too, like handmade wrapping paper, or a party hat.
I guess that is all I can say to your questions, we haven't crossed the bridge of sharing rooms yet...I am sorta dreading it with a girl and boy.
I have the graco duo glide....I love it, yes it is heavy, but for a doulble stroller it is easy to manover and it has cup holders!!!
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