How to Survive Life in 1350 square feet with 4 Kids

I'm not going to lie. We need more space. Half of our stuff is in storage because we moved from a 2100 sq ft house to this condo. Major downsizing, my friends. My poor 10-year-old is sharing a room with her baby sister...who is still in a crib. Which starts off my small-space-large-family list with:

#1- If you have two kids in a room and bunk beds aren't an option, buy the cute curly room divider from IKEA. Gives them a sense of their own space in a tight space. We only put it up at night when Minnie goes to bed so she doesn't see Hermione.

#2- Speaking of small rooms, if possible, try putting a small dresser in a closet for clothes, it saves significant floor space.

#3- Staggered bedtimes. Little kids to bed early, older kids an hour later. It cuts bedtime chaos in half and gives the older kids some more one-on-one parent time.

#4- Make your bed in the mornings. This is kind of a funny one to me because prior to this move, I rarely bothered with bed-making. I just didn't see the point. However, our small space gets cluttered (okay, okay, cluttered is an understatement), ahem, destroyed in a matter of seconds. Being able to see my bed just down the hallway, nicely made, with throw pillows arranged just-so helps me keep my sanity. Just glancing at that small space of organization allows me to take deep breaths and relax just enough to tackle whatever is at hand. A made bed also provides a welcoming safe haven behind a locked door for a quick mommy time out. As a bonus, made beds allow for a safeway house for clean laundry to go in order to avoid trampling. Just make your bed already. It looks nice!

#5- Need a quick room clean-up? Tell everyone to freeze. Set a timer for 2 minutes and tell your munchkins to pick up 15 things each (or more depending on the severity of the mess). You'll have a clean living room in no time! If you're really wanting a clean look, bribe one of your kids to vacuum after your clean-up. I don't know about you, but vacuum lines make me happy!

#6- Clean out and donate or sell! I probably do this every few months or so. Outgrown clothes, broken books, forgotten toys. If it's not getting used, you don't need it. We just cleaned out some Barbies and dress-ups tonight. Yay! Less mess for me! If you have enough stuff, try and sell it. Our condo complex hosts an annual garage sale, it's awesome. Be proactive! Host one yourself! Multi-family garage sales are usually highly successful. Craig's List is also a great way to sell stuff, just beware of creepy buyers and don't invite them to your home.

#7- Get out of the house. A lot. You don't want to start going stir-crazy. You especially don't your kids to go stir-crazy. That can only result in bad news. We go to the library, to the pool, the park, sprinkler park, the dollar store, visit my two sisters, go on small hikes, go on bike rides, get a treat, visit dad at work, go to museums, occasionally we just head downstairs to the common area and kick a soccer ball around. Sometimes you just need to get out of the house!