I love sharing parts of our home. They are intimate. They are personal spots, but I just love them so much not to share them with y'all. I have always loved decorating, and it is sad to think about how our fixer upper is almost all fixed up. "All fixed up" once meant to me that the house would be "done" -- which is nice in a way -- but it also means that I do not get to decorate as much as I would like. However, it occurred to me a few weeks ago that I get to continue decorating here and there as the kids grow as I update their spaces to grow with them, and today I get to show you the newly updated playroom.
Our upstairs play area was one of the spaces that sold me on this house. It is a landing spot for the kids. A place to keep the toys out of their rooms (which was important to me) but allowed them to have some things near our rooms for when I'm doing household chores or getting ready in the morning. It has taken a few different transformations already since Ollie was born from our remodel to some additional decor designs added along the way (see here, here, and here).
Since Lillie has been born, our playroom has transformed the most. Ollie's toys have gotten bigger and he has started to have to share his playroom space a bit with his sister, thus some changes have been in order.
Thank you, Hurricane Munchkin, for sponsoring this post, Our Fixer Upper :: Ollie’s Playroom (Update). I was selected for this opportunity by Hurricane Munchkin; the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Many of these links are affiliate, which means that if you buy a product after clicking through from here, I get a small referral commission.
Workspace
The first thing that I wanted to ensure that Ollie had in his new updated space was a workspace. Something that allowed him to get his things off of the floor and out of a crawling baby's reach. We had scored this IKEA play table from my father-in-law and I quickly added a fresh coat of paint to it for a great update. This workspace has been great to add a place for him to set up his LEGOs, color, or do a puzzle without "sissy" getting in the way and getting her hands into something she doesn't need to.
Learning
At the heart of most of our play and toy space is learning. Cultivating a love of learning in our kids is something that my husband and I talk about a lot. We love imaginative play as well as helping Ollie learn key things such as letters, numbers, and shapes. When we were able to snag this art easel from Delta Children starring one of Ollie's favorite characters, Mickey Mouse, I feel in love with it! It has been a great way for him to work with his colors, shapes, numbers, and letter alike!
Storage
With two children in the house, we have been in some major need of better storage solutions for our playroom. More toys meant more hiding places to keep the area looking and feeling less chaotic and clean. Although we try to be minimalists in this house, somehow toys creep into our home here and there. Since we had Lillie pretty soon after Ollie (less than two years), we still haven't necessarily hit the portion of their childhood where one of has outgrown a toy, thus we just are accumulating more and more...
So when I partnered with Hurricane Munchkin to try out their new toy chests, I could not have been more excited. Their newly designed toy chests aren't your typical collapsible toy organizers. It is sturdy and is large enough to fit plenty of Ollie's smaller-sized toys that we don't want Lillie to get her hands on or even some of his medium-sized toys. We chose the Tiger design which is so playful and cute. It has velcro for easy open and close, and I love that the lid is attached so there isn't a way to lose it. Hurricane Munchkin designed their toy chests so that the handles on the side make it easy to lift but it's also a sleek design where it's not seen or bulky.
I was also really impressed on how well the toy chest was made. As a collapsible toy organizer, I wasn't quite sure how long it would "last" with a little rowdy toddler boy; however, the sides and bottom of Hurricane Munchkin toy chest have been reinforced by cardboard inserts allowing it hold up against kids’ regular wear and tear. The high quality felt material used for animal designs is thicker than other brands and is carefully embroidered on the cubes to prevent it from peeling off. It is also made with removable bottom insert that makes it easy to fold flat, saving on space when not in use. Therefore, it can be easily tucked away in closets or under beds when we are not using it.
I fell in love with all of Hurricane Munchkin's designs honestly. The designers are parents too and just like us, they have been hit by the 'Hurricane Munchkin' regularly in their homes. Their toy chests are designed with children in mind, and unisex gender neutral felt animal patterns (Tiger, Bee, Cow, and Elephant) are appealing for both boys and girls. It has really made our pick-up process as we rush out the door in the morning or right before bedtime so easy with our new playful toy chest!
To check out Hurricane Munchkin's toy chests along with other toy storage solutions, visit their website or Instagram page.
