5 Easy Ways to Organize Your Baby's Nursery

With the new year just a couple of days away, we're probably both thinking New Year, New Me. I want to welcome the new year with an organized state of mind. I am a big believer that a cluttered room = a cluttered mind.

While I was pregnant with Luna, I organized her nursery to perfection. Every sock had a place. Every outfit was hung and organized by size and color. I naively questioned how anyone could every have a messy nursery...then I had a baby. It was suddenly clear that this mom thing is a lot of work, and hanging outfits by sizes and colors was no longer a priority. Let's all take a second to laugh at pregnant/optimistic me.

Our first month with Luna consisted of washing her clothes and just throwing it in a drawer. Luna often wears mismatched socks and hand mittens because who actually cares! We're in the middle of a pandemic people. No one is seeing my baby but me and my husband, so the mismatched sock thing really isn't a big deal.

While I no longer put a ton of pressure on myself to have everything perfect, I still think organizing when you can is beneficial. The virgo in me wants to open a drawer and see things nicely folded. It makes me feel good.

If you want to take baby steps at organizing when you can, here are a few tips. (and yes, pun intended, always.)

Tip 1: Drawer Organizers

My Ikea and Amazon drawer organizers are a lifesaver! They definitely help keep me organized even when I'm being lazy.

The first drawer in Luna's dresser is filled with extra diapers. I personally hate looking at diaper boxes, so I stock up our baskets all around the house, and any excess diapers go in her first drawer.

The second drawer has all of her hair bows. I use the organizer above for a clean looking system. The first pocket has random bows. The second pocket has all the same bow styles but in different colors. The third pocket has any bows that aren't tied yet. Finally, the fourth pocket has her hair bows that also serve as baby hats.

The third drawer has all her socks, bibs, hand mittens and baby hats. When I have the time, I like to match her socks and hand mittens just in case I need them when we're leaving the house. I find that it saves me time. One of the pockets in her sock organizer is filled with all socks that don't match. This makes it easier to find its match when I wash her clothes.

Her fourth drawer has most of the clothes that don't fit her yet. We'll get into this in a later tip.

Her fifth drawer has all of her bodysuits and pants. I like to separate her short sleeve bodysuits from her long sleeves. Personally, it makes it easier to find what I'm looking for.

Tip 2: Hanger Size Organizers

I love that Luna's closet looks like she has her own little store. I use hanger size organizers to organize her onesies and jackets by size. It makes it easier on me and my husband to find her clothes quickly. Luna could be crying at the top of her lungs because she pooped herself, so it's time sensitive to quickly grab an outfit that fits.

You do not want to struggle to find an outfit while your baby is crying. Trust me, it will drive you insane.

I display all her 3 month and 3-6 month onesies and jackets closest to where I will see them. I removed all of her newborn sized clothing to declutter. The bigger sizes are the farthest away from me in the closet, so I can hardly see them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Tip 3: Put Away Sizes You Aren't Using

It's important to find a way to store sizes that are too big or too small. They are most likely pretty to look at, but they serve no purpose but to clutter your environment.

I put away any clothes that are way too big for Luna. They go in a drawer that I hardly ever look at. We're lucky that our friends and family gave us so much baby clothes, but some sizes are for 9-12 months from now, so I washed and folded them. Then, I put them away in the "too big" drawer. As Luna goes up in sizes, I check that drawer to see if there's anything I can take out and place in her every day drawers.

I also put her old clothes in the last drawer in her dresser. My husband and I personally want more kids, so we're all about recycling clothes. Any clothes that I feel she has too much of, I give away to my friends and family that are also having babies. Personally, I am so thankful my best friend gave me all of her hand me downs. It saved me so much money, so I pay it forward to other mommies when I can!

This also includes extra diapers that no longer fit. Diapers are expensive and pretty much necessary, so I also store them, and give them away to my mom friends.

Following this tip, I recently started putting away costumes and holiday clothes in a chest that I store on a shelf in her closet. Her tutus, Thanksgiving and Christmas outfits all went into the chest. It's fun to open that chest and see the fun outfits she wore.

Tip 4: Put the Dresser in the Closet

Putting your baby's dresser in the closet isn't absolutely necessary, but it's something that was a nonnegotiable for me.

Luna's room isn't too big, so I wanted to create as much play space for her, but the number one reason I put her dresser in her closet is because I am terrified of sliding closet doors. I watched a YouTube video of the door getting unhinged and falling on the mom's baby. Luckily her baby survived, but I decided then, that having sliding doors is not a risk I am willing to take.

Instead, we removed the sliding doors and replaced them with pretty curtains. I personally think it gives an extra touch of decor to the room, and it allows me to put her dresser behind the curtains to create more play space. Plus, all of her clothes are now in one designated area. It's a win-win!

Tip 5: Basket with Immediate Necessities

If you have a 2-story house like me you know how annoying it is to forget something upstairs or downstairs and having to run down to get it.

Before I gave birth, I filled three small baskets with necessities. We keep one in the nursery, one in our bedroom and one downstairs, and we try to keep these baskets full at all times.

Our baby baskets are usually filled with diapers, wipes, two outfits, a cleaning cloth, a burping cloth and socks. Doing this has been a life saver! No matter what room we're in, we don't have to look around for things when she poops, pees or spits up. It's your one stop shop for all emergencies.

There you go friends, my top 5 organizational tips for your nursery! Help a mama out and share your top tips!

Xoxo, Mars