How our house has changed in 3 short years

It amazes me how much our life and our house has changed in the three years since our first child was born. I seem to be continuously drowning in "stuff" and no matter how hard I try the house never seems to get completely tidy anymore. A friend who has two similar aged boys mentioned that "at the end of the day, once the kids are asleep, she puts the house back together" - I know exactly what she means.

This week I walked around our house to examine the kiddy impact and was amazed to discover that only one room (our bedroom) remains relativley kid stuff free although first thing in the morning it is often invaded by the kids themselves! The playroom is obviously the most overloaded, it looks a little like an explosion in a plastics factory, but it often spills over into the rest of the house as well. I'm dredding the day we discover that red, yellow, green and blue toy plastics are all highly toxic and our house will be declared a no-go zone for years to come.

The stuff isn't just restricted to the toys though - there is all the other kiddy related material that we are all told we just can't possibly do without and it keeps growing and growning. Here is a quick photo tour to show you what I mean.

The nursery

The front door (whatever happened to a nice welcome mat?)Juniors roomThe playroom (which was once a nice lounge)What was once a pleasant outdoor entertaining area

The bathroom

it goes on and on.......

Perhaps one day hubby and I may be able to reclaim our home but in the meantime I continue to battle to keep all this "stuff" in check.