Kid clutter anyone?

My 3 monkeys create some major messes, and have a lot of stuff! So here are some places I keep their stuff so our living room looks less like the aftermath of a Toys R Us explosion and more like a place that actually has a floor.

So the key for me is to have a place to hide it! I have 2 vintage make up suitcases, one I inherited from my Grandma, and one my mother in law gave me when she saw what I did with the first one!

One holds baby toys and one holds matchbox cars. They can be toted anywhere, which the kids love! They dump them out, I lock them back up to avoid pinched fingers. Just pile everything back in when the kids are done and slide them under the chairs in the living room when not in use.The next trick is classic, it's the storage ottoman! Specifically, this is the Ektorp Bromma leather ottoman from IKEA. Love that place. I bought rubbermaid tubs to organize the inside, and voila, train storage! I was quite surprised how much of the Island of Sodor fits in there. I may reassess the whole plan as K got more trains for his birthday and they may need to get bumped somewhere else. But basically I put our current obsession in here so it is readily accessible but not always visible.

There you go. My contribution to the taming kid clutter linky party hosted by the Shabby Nest and Pretty Organized Palace. I can't wait to see all the other ideas so I can deal with the clutter in other rooms, like the playroom, oh the playroom!