Lego Storage: shout to Twitter and it shall answer

Once upon a time if you had a storage problem that needed a storage solution you might have walked around your local mall or shopping strip, made a few phone calls, asked a few friends and one month later purchase something that doesn't fit when you get it home.

Now, however, there is Twitter.

This was our living room floor last week. An inch thick in Lego. This does not do the Lego problem justice as you can make out the beginnings of a sorting system (the very designer-looking ice cream containers).

Later that week the Lego was looking a little tidier but we realised we needed a real storage system because the all.in.one.bucket approach is no good when the 8yo wants to re-build Darth Maul's spaceship and it takes two hours to find the pieces.

On Sunday I sent out the following cry for help via Twitter:

I need ideas on how to store Lego. Not all lumped together. Sorted by colour, transportable from room to room for rampant 8yo fantatic.

And Twitter answered.

Thanks to Ikea aficionados H&B and Kim and a non-Ikea idea from DancingMorganMouse I had plenty of ideas to start with and then the Ikea blog This is Home wrote this post based on my tweet with even more ideas.

Today I went out armed with my new knowledge and now looky at our Lego storage system:

A slide out box for each colour.

And sometimes two interlocking Trofast boxes. I love these smaller Trofast boxes and next time I schlep all.the.way.out to Ikea I will get some more. But that will be in another, oh, two years so I have a while to wait. That place is crazy. Even on a Thursday morning people line up outside waiting for it to open.

For the itty bitty wheels, cockpits, clear bits and rarer colours this partitioned tackle box from Howard's Storage. Mind you this box cost as much as all the Trofast boxes put together. Bleh.

On top of all this a yellow Trofast with all the unsorted Lego because sometimes one cannot be fagged to sort RIGHT NOW.

All these boxes can slide right out and be carried from room to room. The boxes are quite big and shallow because one needs to see all the Lego pieces at once, too deep and you never find them. You will also notice no lids (except the tackle box). I'm not good with lids, I like to throw things into boxes from a distance and this is the technique I've taught my kids.

And of course, one has to have a place for all those manuals. Really we are growing out of this box and will need a larger one very soon.

Now that I've done this I just hope the kids can honour the system. Perhaps that's the next shout into cyberspace - how do I get my kids to put things back where they're supposed to go?

Two Year Blogiversary Giveaway!

Who would've thunk that a tentative entry to the world of blogging two years ago would've seen me start six blogs (three remain active, one is private for immediate family only) and meet so many wonderful members of the blogosphere.

My blogiversary is actually the 25th April but given that it is ANZAC day in Australia and New Zealand I feel our minds should be with those who have given their time to military service. So today I celebrate instead.

In celebration I am offering the above hand-crocheted washcloth to one of my commenters. It has been crocheted in 100% cream cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills and is hanging artfully from a trophy Firegazer won at a corporate ice-skating event (trophy not included, sorry).

So leave a comment and be in the draw! Giveaway is open worldwide until next Sat 2nd May.

The filing is done

I say enough! to filing.

You can iron a tutu? Who knew?

Yesterday I found out that you can starch and iron the netting on a tutu. This I didn't know. I imagined it would just shrivel up and burn.

Now the tutu Blossom has borrowed for this year's Eisteddfod will have the appropriate amount of perkiness and bounce.

Not to mention the shimmer and the sparkle.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Spent

After years as an over-worked and unpaid mother I will, next week, re-enter the world of paid employment. And thereby become an over-worked paid mother. I signed my contract over the weekend, filled in a gazillion different forms and posted it today.

Yesterday, as a pre-celebration, I spent a goodly proportion of my first pay cheque on re-invigorating my work wardrobe because methinks a denim skirt and t-shirt will not cut it in the office.

I went with the express intention of buying dresses in any colour other than black.

Not successful on that front. I tried on outfits in red, green, grey and multi-purpley numbers but all were just a bit meh . I think I must just accept that black is my signature colour and run with it.

Besides, I won't be dressed in black from head to toe because look what I found this morning. When I want to go home I'll just have to click my heels three times.

These shoes even come with Tween approval.