Zone 4 - The Laundry Room (Post 2)

Yesterday I posted about my Laundry Room.  (Wildly exciting stuff, I know.) I showed pictures of the layout change and hinted at the organization change.

Now (If you think you can handle the thrill) today is all about the organization. Fun times!

First, I brought IN this cabinet. It has been sitting in the garage since the girl room was overhauled...almost 6 months.  But I couldn't get rid of it. We have used that cabinet as a pantry in 2 houses, and in each child's nursery (4 different houses!)! I knew it was much too versatile and useful to just pass on. So it collected dust and cobwebs in the garage while I tried to figure out its perfect spot. 

Next, I went through every item in the laundry room and decided if that was where it should be located....or just where it was dumped. I was shocked to find only a few items did NOT need to stay. 

(Most of those were just relocated to the garage....i.e. The Final Dumping Ground. That is Zone 6.)  :)

Here's the breakdown of the metal bins in the cabinet:

Top bin - SUN BLOCK, bug spray, and bubbles. Basically, stuff I don't want the kids getting into - but I need on a daily basis. 

Middle bin - Laundry supplies. Bounce sheets, detergent cups (I throw mine in the load to get it clean - so I need a bunch!), and tennis balls for when we wash comforters and large blankets.

Bottom bin - Flashlight and hanging supplies. (PICTURE and CURTAIN hanging; not Friar Tuck.)

The shelves behind the door hold paper towels (we go through them quite slowly - so I don't buy them in bulk), and our shredder. The small box to the right of the shredder holds all papers in need of shredding....when the box gets full, we plug it in and go to town. 

(By "we," I mean My Love. I always forget to do that! And file stuff. My word I hate filing.)

Onward we go....four bins fit on the shelf above the washer and dryer with a perfect amount of space for my detergent. I was entirely too thrilled about that. Have I mentioned how much I love these bins???? They are fantastic! And they were the EXACT sizes I needed. On sale. I'm sure that excitement will wear off eventually....but not today. :)

So, I broke each bin down to a purpose - Light bulbs and other soft/light items....

Rarely used cleaning supplies and large refill containers. (Don't judge me about not using my towel mop often. I have a swiffer mop and I LOVE it. My floors get somewhat clean fairly often.)

This is my most used bin  - my cleaning supplies! I carry that around with me when cleaning, so it has everything I need. I don't store cleaners under the sink because... 1. I have the space to keep it elsewhere, and 2. My kids would totally break into them and I would have called poison control quite a few times if I kept them in reachable locations. I also don't keep tons of different cleaners - I've found exactly what I like and what works for me...and I only keep those items.

Finally - the LARGE Laundry supplies bin. OxiClean (always comes through and is THE BEST stain remover EVER.), bleach, the next detergent, a delicates bag (I have never used this...I think it is a holdover from camp or some deployment or something), and my tissue box with extra bags in it!

The spare paper bags and potty fit perfectly under the sink. Soon (hopefully) that potty will be retired from this house. I am sooooo excited. Although, I hate potty training...so that part is not exciting. But the end result? No more Diapers? I might just have to throw a party.

The sole piece of decorating in the room (at the moment) is this Ikea curtain which I hung by myself. Thankyouverymuch. First time ever! It really made a huge difference in the room feeling pulled together.

On to the other side of the room!

That island/cupboard was actually wedding gift. It has been used in every house we've lived in - 9 and a half years and still going strong! This may be the ONLY thing we registered for that was practical and useful. I was 21 when filling out our registry...it had a LOT of picture frames and pillows and vases and frou frou extras. Pots and pans? Notsomuch. (I think I did eventually end up registering for pots and pans at the wise prodding of people who knew better. Like our Mothers.)

This cabinet holds all of our beach towels and reusable bags. 

The drawer is still full of various odds and ends - measuring tape, batteries, head lamp....the normal stuff.

Finally, a bucket sold to hold drinks (bought on clearance last year) stores all the swimsuits for the kids on top of the island.

And the very BEST thing in the whole room???? 

This organizer! 

It was a Pinterest project I had pinned months ago, and it turned out great. (Thanks to My Love and a good friend!) I took a pegboard, covered it with a .50 thrifted sheet (which I've made 1 dress, 3 skirts, and 4 bean bags from already), and then asked the men to frame it. Which they did. 

Not the way I wanted. 

At all. 

BUT

It turned out great and I like it better than my original plan. 

So all's well that ends well - right? :)

Eventually, that big open space in the middle will have a wire basket in it with dusting spray, dusting cloths, and windex so I can grab it for a quick touch up. 

Whew. There you go. More than anyone ever should want to know about my laundry space. 

If you've powered through to this point, you are either desperately trying to organize YOUR life....or bored out of your mind and need a life.

 Either way, thanks for reading. 

~Whitney Copyright 2013

Zone 4 - The Laundry Room

So, I've mentioned a time or two that I must organize, clean, or create something tangible when I feel completely out of control. Something about toys being put away or counters being clean or fresh vacuum marks in the carpet just helps me calm right down.

(Which does not translate to a spotless house, surprisingly enough. It just translates to an orderly spot with less stuff in it....while the rest of the house is being demolished. If you don't understand, please scroll to the right and inspect my beans.)

And, I decided I would use 2013 to finally get some order in my life instead of just treading water. I am shocked at how much easier EVERYTHING is without a newborn/pregnancy/child under two. My youngest is 2 and a half - since we started this whole kid-thing, I have always had a new babe-in-arms at this point. In fact, the widest age gap between beans is 25 months.  So this moment in time feels CRAZY. 

This year of organizing has led me to My Kitchen (Zone 1), My Living Room (Zone 2), and the Girl Room (Zone 3.) Moving through each of these spaces has been wonderful. I'm getting rid of all sorts of things we don't use or need, and I'm finally putting items in the best spot for them...instead of just in the room they should belong. 

Which brings me to this month's project....

The Laundry Room. 

First, I always thought it was kind of dumb to make your laundry room all pretty. I mean, it is about as utilitarian a space as it comes, right? It seemed like a complete waste of time. If you could see your washer and dryer and soap and dryer sheets and maybe some Oxiclean and your laundry baskets, you should be good. 

I do a LOT of laundry.  I am in there all. the. time. And I don't even fold it in the laundry room! All I'm in there for is to sort, load, flip, and empty. So I completely thought making the space look pretty in its organization would be just a waste of my time and money. 

Well, world. I was wrong. Again.

Organizing my laundry room hasn't made laundry more fun or exciting....but it has made it easier. Like, LOADS easier. (That is funny. You should be chuckling. Or it is just late and I think I'm extra funny.) Here is what I had to start with....

What you see when you walk in the door....

a bit of a mess. 

I mean, it worked, if you didn't mind moving something every time you needed to do anything.  

 I was really starting to mind moving stuff. The space is plenty big enough to hold all the junk in that room - and then some! So why wasn't it making sense and working smoothly?

Because it was a dumping ground. 

Stuff was just thrown and shoved and precariously perched. 

Not a very good system for efficiency!

(The white cabinet wasn't always right there...I had just brought it in from the garage, when I remembered to take pictures!)

We had tried to get organized in the past - we even bought the cool sunburst hook thingy to hold brooms and mops and stuff....but it didn't work for most of them because the poke-out-parts were too short. 

And behind the door? Unused space. How very, very sad.

However, that sad feeling has gone far away. :) Because after going through every item in the Laundry Room and being sure I needed it, wanted it, and needed it in the space - it looks about 10 million times better!

(I tried to put the same order of camera angles for comparison with the pictures at the top)

Note the super-awesome-curtain. I hung that. By. Myself. :)

Yes, there is a MASSIVE space between the dryer and the wall. Apparently, I'm supposed to have HE machines. But I don't. So, the vent has to go behind the dryer, instead of below it. Minor cosmetic issue. My machines work great - so I don't care!

New bins to corral all gear....thank you Wal-Mart for being awesome.

And having a great sale.

These are exactly what I wanted - but didn't think we could get because of how expensive they were everywhere else. Wal-Mart came through in the clutch!

Below is a picture of the non-laundry stuff in the laundry room. :) The blue bucket holds all dry swimsuits for children, and the cabinet has all of our beach towels in it.

The great PINTEREST project that actually turned out right! woohoo!! (There is going to be a wire basket with some cleaning supplies on the bare double hook....but I haven't been able to find the basket.)

So there is the overall tour of the new, improved, and CLEAN laundry room! (For the record, these pictures were taken on a 4-load laundry day. It just works that much better!)

More on the actual organizing in the space....soon.

Until next time - roll with the TIDE, and keep a BOUNCE in your step!

Stay clean.

~Whitney Copyright 2013

Honest!

So, I could write a post about today outlining how it is only 1:15pm and

.....I already have dinner cooking in the crock pot filling the house with yummy smells....

Chicken cacciatore :)

....We only have to review our spelling words and school will be done for the day - even with some extra-fun of hunting for videos all about caves,

....all 4 children have been fed - TWICE! - and kept with clean bums!

(As in rear-ends, not a tidy person off the street)

....all beds have been made,

.....I made 2 days worth of fresh applesauce for the boy.

And, while all of the above is true...it is NOWHERE NEAR the whole story.

I haven't showered yet.

Not a single dish has been done.

(Including emptying the clean dishes from the dishwasher.)

The house is swiftly exploding on itself.

And I still need to get to the commissary.

Oh well.

Just keeping it real folks.

I hope you get your "have to's" (and even some of your "want to's") done today; but if you don't, it will be okay.

We can both rest our feet on the pile of laundry currently procreating throughout the house.....

Copyright 2011

Ahhh....Nesting

So THIS is what the books are talking about! The overwhelming urge to reorganize your linen closet...go through all your clothes...scrub everything in sight...rearrange...clean...bring order. I am sure I have experienced this feeling before - I just never realized that is what it was.

How can that be???

Well, this pregnancy is an odd one for me...it is the FIRST time I haven't moved while pregnant. Yep. So when all "those" people in the books had the urge to alphabetize their spice drawer...I was still hunting for which box my spices were in! I guess it put the pregnant-crazy-nesting-hormones to good use at least.

We moved - across the street - in my 2nd trimester with String Bean. And 2 days later My Love deployed again.

We moved - from Virginia to Florida - in my 2rd trimester with Jumping Bean. My Love was in OCS during that one...so it was completely solo.

We also moved AGAIN just around the corner...when Jumping Bean was 6 weeks old.

We moved - from Florida to Virginia - in my 1st trimester with Bitty Bean. My Love had already reported to duty in Virginia...so that one was solo also. It was an especially memorable one...2 weeks before Christmas we had our packout...String Bean had an upper respiratory infection, Jumping Bean had a cold, I had a sinus infection AND morning sickness AND a pretty severe cough. Fun times. Did I mention it was 17 hours driving in the car???? (Although that was actually a TON of fun!)

So this odd ball pregnancy...where I'm due in the winter -not the summer; carrying a boy - not a girl; craving fruit - not BBQ or ice cream; not packing on weight like an Eskimo preparing for winter - as opposed TO packing on weight like an Eskimo preparing for winter; and actually staying stationary...is a very fun, very new, experience for me. 

I'm really enjoying whipping my house into shape. Especially since it is not for someone else! This odd phenomenon of nesting is really insane.

I woke up one morning recently and HAD to clean my bathroom sink. Did it matter that I had already overslept and was running behind schedule? Nope. This sink had to be sparkling. Before ANYTHING ELSE COULD HAPPEN.

I have been having trouble sleeping at night....because I had not been able to label the bean's drawers/cubbies! (We ran out of permanent marker.) 

 Why is this something built into pregnancy? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to be struck with an overwhelming need to sleep? Apparently not. Because I CANNOT sleep if there are dishes in the sink. Or laundry left unfolded and not put away.

Before you go and write me off as some looney tunes cleaning fanatic....you must understand - this is not the normal me! I like a tidy house - who doesn't? - but I normally have NO PROBLEM with putting my feet up and pulling a Scarlet O'Hara...."I'll deal with it tomorrow." But this baby boy of mine is a huge fan of having his mommy accomplish....well....everything in sight. If only he wouldn't suck all the energy out of me at the same time!

I must go and continue to feather my nest...I hear my spice drawer calling.

Copyright 2010

Wonderful, spectacular news...

Today some wonderful news was shared with me. A scientific breakthrough has occurred that will deeply impact my life. What could this good news be?

Is it that they have found a way to make pregnancy not cause your back, hips, and legs, ache?  

Is it a cure that causes children to time their wake-ups with your need to answer nature's call so you wake up less? 

Is it some new thing that makes children NOT desperately need their mother as soon as she takes a shower? Perhaps it is a self-cleaning house! 

Or dinner that makes itself! 

Or a diaper bag that automatically re-stocks itself! 

Nope.

Although pretty much ANY of those WOULD shake my world upside down!

The news was this:  The magic eraser has a product for the BATHROOM!!!!


Now, that may not seem like news worthy of exclamation points and boldface type...which means you don't know me well at all. Cleaning the bathroom....especially the shower and tub....is the bane of my existence. I hate it.  Truly. I think an outdoor shower is a worthwhile investment...you can clean that with a hose!

Early in our marriage, My Love became aware of my deep disdain for cleaning the bathroom. Most would assume that my husband wouldn't care - probably didn't even see it getting messy. Oh no. Not my new husband.  This man I love likes things CLEAN.  He was trained exceptionally well by the Pennsylvania Dutch on the fine art of cleanliness and for some-unknown-reason thought I would be a neat-nick too. 

I was reared in a very clean family - he had assumed I held to the same standards. He was wrong.

So now, almost-7-years-in, I have finally found a tool that might help this particular domestic dilemma be solved. Thank you, Magic Eraser for helping my marriage! 

Now, if someone would just work on any of the invention ideas I had at the top of this...

 
Copyright 2010