Organizing the Junk

I don't really have much storage space in my home. This is the "dump"

This was the only coat closest in our house that we turned into a shelved closest so we could stash "the junk" Can you tell???

I took everything out that needed a new home somewhere else, or no longer needed to be in this closest.

 More organized now...still lots of stuff, but remember this is pretty much my only storage.

 I was able to get my sewing machine and supplies in!

All the pink bucket of shoes are for my baby and toddler. The other shoes are my husbands biking shoes and helmet, golf shoes and other athletic shoes. I have 1 pair of tennis shoes there.

On the second shelf up there is a stack of "books" all that stuff is my daughters "Sunday/Church" activity stuff...Stuff that only gets played with in church so it doesn't become boring during the week.

The LARGE sterilite tub is full of just scrapbooking paper. I need to go through THAT!

The top tubs have ribbon, wrapping items, and cards, Tools, Batteries and Light bulbs all have their own individual tubs. My Camera bag is in there, an "Important Papers" tub, vacuum attachments, and the tiny drawer organizer holds things like paper clips, rubberbands, post it notes, tape, etc.

The stuff on the floor was taken out plus, Tons of stuff on the kitchen counters and dining room table. Must find another home!

SO Then I had to move to the Laundry room right next to the Closest!

I took all the stuff out that needed a new spot and adorned the walls with some nails for hanging things...really classy I know, but it needed to be done.

 Don't mind the tiny pile of laundry on the floor...it was getting put in right away!

I really want to put some of those modular storage cubes that have options for shoe spots, shelves, cubby's etc...Target use to have them years ago but I don't think they do anymore...Anyone know where to get that type of thing? I want them for the Laundry Room.

Next...."The Craft Room"

A Few Minor Improvements

I few minor improvements around the house:

I bought one of these key hanger things! This spot on my kitchen counters is always piled HIGH with Stuff, Stuff from everywhere. It's the biggest catch-all in the whole house. So now I have a place for the keys that always get lost in the 'stuff'.

(do you like the new tiered plate thing and the coordinating plates?)

My baby has more clothes than anyone in the home. Babies always have matching jackets for their outfits, so this is the pile of jackets laying on the chair. I needed a place for them to go. The closet was not very convenient I wanted a quick hang-up and take-down area for them. 

I got this cute coat hanger and placed it just right inside her bedroom door so I can get to them quickly and hang them up even quicker! 

 So here's to a good start of getting organized

Tota Storage

 I was given 2 of these Tota Storage cases. They are meant to be used in the trunk of your car to help keep your groceries from rolling all over the car (Which happens in my car because I lay my third seat down so there is a lot of room for things to get lost in). I have actually found one to be very useful sitting by my kitchen area because it seems like I always have a plethora of things to go down stairs. So I load it up and send the Hubby down to put all the things in there places.

 This was one day when I had tons of stuff sitting on my counters (after the holidays) of stuff to go back to neighbors and family, etc. I put it all in my Tota and set off to give things back!

One day I had a ton of things to take back to my moms house and rounded it all up in this handy little storage bin and took it in to my moms house. She saw it and was very impressed. She and I came up with all sorts of other possibilities for it.

She works at a elementary school and she said it would be so great for teachers to take homework home in and whatever else needs to go in and out of their  cars when coming each day to school.

She also thought of someone who does genealogy (because she does) she always has tons of binders and computer papers and disk, etc. when she goes to a family history library.

These also would make great storage for hanging files folders...I don't know how well they would hold up completely loaded with files but would be great for several of them...I think it's the perfect size to hang them on the sides.

http://www.totastorage.com/

I love that they help you stay organized. That's on all our lists of things to do right?!

Organizational Love

 So, we are currently finishing our basement! WooHoo! I can not wait for it to be done and have ALL that space to use to organize the madness at my house.

I have been thinking about how I will organize the new space down stairs and the space upstairs that will have less "stuff" in it.

 I have just been perusing the internet for all sorts of ideas in how to organize my life. We will have an Legitimate Playroom!! Hurray!! My husband will get his study...Finally! I will get my much anticipated craft room, EEK! the Joy I feel in thinking about it! Plus...a guest bedroom and a family room and bathroom and second storage room. 

I'm can't tell you how glad I will be to get rid of all the toys and put them down stairs. It's hilarious how every time kids come over they go and stand at the stairs and say "Can we go down there and play??" All kids just know that's where the toys should be at...down stairs and out of sight.

Pantry

 House of Smith's adorable Pantry

 

This would be a great "Food Storage space too.

Not extremely functional, but it was so pretty...I mean seriously, who would use that many potatoes? And the wine rack would by a waste of space!

Playroom

Linen Closet

Craft Room!

 I don't know that I would love this for a Craft Room, but I LOVE this as a Laundry Room...So much space and storage (and mud room).

 Cute Vintage stuff to store things in

Holiday Planner

I seriously love this adorable Holiday Planner. This could be made the combination of the months November and December! If you were planning on hosting lots of get-togethers and dinner parties and had lots of gift giving to keep track of this is what you need!

The girls over at eighteen25 have done it again, seriously love them!

Go to their blog to view all 10 steps to complete this cute binder. They have all the steps written out there.

STEP ONE: Download 10xmasplanner and print it out.

STEP TWO: Gather all of your supplies...

• composition notebook
• ribbon (we picked black grosgrain)
• 3 sheets of 12x12 pattern paper (we used My Mind's Eye - I Believe papers)
• adhesive (glue dots work best)
• 3" circle punch (to punch out Christmas Planner tag)
• a 4" scallop circle cut from a Cricut (optional)
• 2 6"x9" envelopes with clasps
• stapler
• black ink pad (optional)

And you're done!!

Mud Room

When my husband and I make a million dollars and buy/build another house one day we have both talked about having a "mud room." It's so funny that whenever we go and look at model homes we always stop and "ohh" and "ahh" over the mudrooms and laundry rooms. I get giddy thinking about having a spot one day to put the daily clutter that comes in the house every time I walk through the door: Jackets, shoes, diaper bags, hubby's things that come home from work and sit on my counter, hats, gloves and winter items, etc.

My ideal mud room would have a long wall with locker type thing for each person to put their belongings with a long bench for seating. A full bathroom would be nice, for those dirty kids that come in and need to be hosed off before they set foot anywhere else. A laundry room either part of it but ideally just attached in a separate room (this room would be huge and amazing too). I have seen in parade of homes that drinking fountains can be installed, but I would want one that is esthetically pleasing, not your typically school drinking fountain (again, for kids that track dirt in just for a drink of water).

Here are a few pictures I found of some great spaces. Tell me what you do for a mudroom?

Box of Goodies

I do not have kids that go to school yet so I would not be able to make this for a school teacher, but I love this idea for Christmas gifts or Shower gifts too. I thought this would be cute done up to be almost like a jewelry box and give it with a couple pairs of earrings inside. I love the idea of all the push pins, and tiny knick knacks. I would love this to be in my junk drawer so I could be way organized. How about for all those scrapbooking embellishments and stickers. The people and eighteen25 thought up this beauty.

It also looks way cheap to assemble and not hard at all. Love that kind of project.

so grab yourself one of these boxes.

sold at most crafts stores... and even wally world.

you'll find them down the aisle with all the pretty beads.

take a piece of computer paper and trace around the top piece of the box.

cut it out. now you have a pattern.

next take some ribbon. wrap it around your box. make sure you have plenty to make a bow.

go through your scrapbook paper stash and find 3 coordinating papers.

or head to your closest scrapbook store and pick up some of this adorable paper by my mind's eye.

using your pattern. cut out a top piece out of one paper and a bottom piece out of another.

then cut about a 1/2 inch strip of your third paper.

glue all three pieces on to your box.

using some stickers. write out the lucky teacher's name.

and then finish it off with a die cut or something.

(this little birdie is from my mind's eye also)

once you have the outside decorated it's time to fill up the inside with fun stuff.

sanitizer, push pins, paper clips, magnets and CHOCOLATE!

(i found all of it at walmart except for the hand sanitizer i picked up at bath &body works)

and even though we're still a little upset mrs. olson decided to have a healthy teeth party on

valentine's day... we still appreciate all she does!! :)