There’s a lot of stuff that comes along with babies & kids, all of which take up space in the home &, therefore, the mind. Even as a mom who considers myself a minimalist in terms of baby items, there is a lot of space taken up by all. the. things.

As someone with ADHD, it’s incredibly easy to become overstimulated by tons of extra things coming into the home, especially when storage space is minimal. We live in a three-story duplex with one linen closet.. there isn’t even room for a vacuum! Here are a few ways I’ve helped minimize visual clutter in our home to reduce overwhelm for our entire household.

1. Choose furniture & everyday use items that blend in

When it comes to the items you’ll see & use every day, such as a high chair or crib, choose pieces that mesh with or blend into your current decor. If you have a dining table and chairs with minimal space for a stand-alone highchair, opt for one that attaches to your current dining chairs. We just grabbed this one from Target and my brain is already so much clearer! Plus, the tray stores inside itself- genius. If you’re tight on space or sharing a room with your little one like we are (whether by choice or necessity), opt for a sidecar bassinet or pack-n-play rather than a crib. These options are movable & more compact than a regular crib! We just invested in this pack-n-play for Shay (& future littles!) and I love how versatile it is. We have this sidecar bassinet, too- if I could go back, I would’ve just opted for the pack-n-play right out the gate, since it has a bassinet mode.

2. Opt for toys with simple colors & functions

I know there are mixed feelings on neutral-colored kids’ toys, but I have to say, beyond helpful for minimizing visual clutter. Of course, color is important for developing creativity and instilling learning. However, it is possible to have color in moderation and without all the flashing lights or overstimulating noises that tend to come with toys these days.

The Lalo Play Gym has been one of our favorites since Shay’s early tummy time days. It comes with a few black & white toys (great for newborn developing eyes!) which can be used far beyond the newborn stage, a play mat (which can double as a changing mat for on the go!), and a mirror that Shay loves. We also love Mushie for their high-quality, beautiful, practical toys. Here are a few of our favorites:

3. Don’t go overboard with multiples

Hear me when I say- just because it comes in bulk, doesn’t mean it needs to. You don’t need 30 bottles, pump parts, or even diapers right out of the gate- storage = visual clutter. We loved this natural diaper & wipes trial set from Babylist! Rather than buying diapers & wipes in bulk before Shay was born, we opted for this set, which set us up with four kinds of diapers & wipes to try before we committed. As first-time parents, this was a God-sent- allowing us to see what worked for us and for Him. They also make trial boxes for bottles, pacifiers, & sleep sacks to help you find what you & your littles will love.

4. Keep it practical

If it’s not practical, it’s not only taking up visual space, but it’s also frustrating you just a little bit every time you encounter it. We received a hand-me-down changing pad for our nursery, and while I’m incredibly grateful for the generosity, it’s up there with the most impractical items we own. It’s supposed to have a fabric cover on it and, well, I’ll spare you the details of why baby diapers + a white cotton sheet don’t exactly mesh. My plan is to replace it with one of these Padded Micro+ mats from Gathre as soon as it’s in the budget, so it’s easy, wipable, and not mildly irritating.

5. Give everything a home

Perhaps the #1 key to reducing visual clutter is making sure you have a place for everything to be put away. Oftentimes, our spaces feel messy because we don’t actually have a home for our items. Therefore, our “tidying up” is really just moving things around- which isn’t helping you or your brain. Then as our kids get older and we ask them to put their things away, they don’t even know where “away” is (because neither do we). Since our home lacks severely in storage space, we just recently picked up this Leather Storage Ottoman from Target to keep Shay’s toys in our living room. Previously, they were in a few thrifted baskets on the floor, tucked behind a chair & driving me nuts. This ottoman provides a beautiful storage solution, as well as extra seating in our living room! A win-win.