The last closet

Well we are finally getting things rolling for summer around here.  There is a lot of swimming bicycling, gardening, water and dirt play.  With all that goes on and finally consistent weather I figured it was safe to re do the hall closet.  These are the before pictures which was quite messy.

Now after the clean up...

I keep a canvas shoe holder not for shoes but for items needed for the season sunscreen, sunglasses, hair burshes combs etc.. I also keep anything we might need before run out the door. 

Up top on the left is one of those crunch laundry baskets from The Container Store.  Very handy for extra swimsuits, google and hats. The right basket is for extra bags for when we are on the go.

Down below I was inspired by a blog for this shoe holder.  I apologize I can't find the link so I don't know who to give credit to for this idea.  I absolutely love this shelf  from Lowe's it 's great to keep everyone's summer shoes handy.  I'm hoping this will still work for fall/winter when footwear is bulky.  If you notice I have hooks on both sides of the closet for easy access to jackets instead of up high on hangers which can be hard to reach for some of the kids. 

Well that's the last of the closet clean up.  Well actually except for mine.  I'll spare you the pictures and details but you can just picture sweatpants, summer skirts mixed with tank tops and sweaters.  Yes it's bad in there for me.  It's funny as moms we set up a home for the whole family piece by piece and we are always revamping and improving but who is usually at the bottom of the list?  Hmmm.. not too fair but it's a sacrifice I make to keep the rest of the household running.

Sorry for the long absence but last week was an exhausting week. My energy was just zapped from Memorial Day Weekend.  Not from barbecues, the beach, gardening or anything. I was clothes sorting and closet organizing.  That can be quite an undertaking with 5 kids.  Worst of all I didn't have a great system to begin with when we moved in so I basically reinvented the wheel. 
Since the weather finally stabilized and it no longer feels like winter I figured it was safe to change the clothes.  My first plan of action was to go to The Container Store and see what baskets they had to help me organize and that would fit on those Ikea Billy Bookcases.  I found these baskets in 3 different sizes that worked for the shelves.  It did take some figuring out because of the different need and sizes.
First up I have the two older girl rooms Stefania & Valentina.  I tried to start with what I thought was the hardest because they have things to be passed down to the next sister.

 Since there are no bureaus or typical bedroom furniture the kids have bookcases with baskets which makes  it easier to grab socks, tights, leggings, leotard, tops and coordinated outfits.  Each girl has two baskets of clothes.  One is for the coordianted outfits and the other is the random t-shirts and shorts. All socks go in 1 basket, in another basket all leggings and in another basket leotards and tights.  I did not separate by size because after laundry is done it's easier to put away.

 Up top is where I do my storage.  I don't keep bins of clothes in the basement and attic and sort by size or age to be honest it's too much work lugging them up and down.  I prefer to keep clothes they will grow into or that they will use in the next season in their room up high.  I found these laundry baskets at The Container Store that fit above the book shelf for spring/summer clothes.  The left one is for short sleeve tops and the right for shorts, skirts and capris.  Again they are sorted by category not size because it's easier grab and store.

 The girls closet was also organized.  Left hand is the younger girl and right side older girl.  Each side is broken down by category first section are clothes they would wear right now, second catgory are spring/summer clothes and the third category are fall/winter clothes.  This make movinging clothes around easier when I have to switch the seasons or when someone outgrows something it gets hung to another side of the closet in the right category.

 On the door I came with this idea for a shoe holder.  The past couple of special occasions/holidays I didn't have the right size tights/nylons or undershirts and that was very frustrating.  With so many girls it would have been nice to see what I had or didn't have before running out to buy whatever.  So now with the a clear holder there are compartments for tights nylons and undershirts.  The shoe holder is pretty long so I folded it in half and held it together with binder clips.

 Almost forgot in the closet 2 more of those laundry basket 1 for long sleeves and the other for long pants/jeans. 
I don't have a picture of under the bed but I did need extra storage for fleeces and 1 for pajamas all sizes for the next season.   So that is how I got the girls room all in order with all their clothes in the room and also makes it easier when family and friends pass things along that won't get used for a long time.

Next the Sophia and Melania's room.

 I actually made this mess not them.  But then I cleaned it all.

 Same idea for the younger girls for the closet sorted left side younger girl and right side older girls.  Up top clothes for next spring/summer.  Everyone has hooks on the closet door to hang their towels instead of in the bathroom.

 The younger girls didn't get new baskets I just took all the ones from the older kids rooms and brought them here so it's coordinated now and organized.  On the irht side the three lower shelves are for clothes they wear now and pajamas.  The higher up you go is more for storage next season pajamas, fleeces, fall/winter clothes etc. 

Finally a little nook to read and snuggle.
Thanks for reading this lengthy post but now you can see why I was tuckered out last week.  To be honest with all that hard work it doesn't  always stay that way.  I just wanted pictures of the proof of all that work and that it can be picked up and put away. 
What's next ?  How about a hall closet cleaned up today.  Hope to have pictures of that for Thursday can't wait to share in the yarn along tomorrow.

In the sewing studio & Monday Lists

This is a a very late night Monday post but it's the coldest and quietest time of the day for me. It's too cold to head into my basement and work on some other projects so why not snuggle up with my computer, crochetting and a book. Since last week I'm proud to show you the progress in the sewing studio.

I'm breathing a sigh of relief because it's finally cleaned. Everything has been thoroughly sorted, organized and refolded. Phew!
Part of the sorting was going through my hope chest and seeing what fabrics and unfinished projects were in there. A lot has accumulated without any direction so I decided to leave a list in the basket along with a few items that I have specific projects in mind. It's a place that I can go to throughout the year when I want work on something.
While refolding clothes I found about 5 shrunken sweaters and since it is cold I thought how about turning those sleeves into legwarmers. The same worked for tights that the little one out grew.
Legwarmerss for everyone of all ages.

Now just a quick Monday list of links.

• Don't you just love this kitchen table?
• My favorite post even grown ups like to daydream.
• I want to try these doilies too.
• Love her felted hat .
• I like the design of these doilies I was thinking I should trying different textures and make a few for scrubbing pots.

My Hope Chest

"...my hope chest differs from the traditional version. Instead I use a wicker picnic hamper filled with projects that I hope to do in the future. ...Until I can set aside time to sew them, I'm storing the material in my hope chest."

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Simple Abundance

After reading this daily passage I thought to myself hey that sounds like me I have a hope chest. In the past month while cleaning up I decided to put together a basket of upcoming projects I would like to work on next. At one point it was filled with paper printouts of recipes and articles. Filed those away but added a binder. It's a place to add or take things that I have on my mind right now that I could get to some time soon. I didn't want it to be for future long term projects just something to keep me going. Right now it looks like this:

In there right now a recipe binder, cotton yarn to be made into wash clothes or dish clothes and the latest Stitch magazine.

The project I'm eyeing is a potholder made from felted wool. Those sweaters I shrunk a few months are going to come in handy for this future project.

The recipe binder well this I finally put together and tabbed for new recipes that I have not tried yet. All those recipe printouts go in here once they have been finagled (to be allergy friendly) and family tested and approved they go into my cooking or baking binders.

Well that's what's in my hope chest. What I love about this concept anyone can have one. Big or small, wicker or not it's for you to work on in the near future or much later in the future. A typically traditional idea but with a modern twist that hopefully will carry on for generations around here.

Spring Cleaning Week: Clip Art

What to do with all that art work we love to look at? Hang it up like laundry.



I have tried many methods of hanging artwork and nothing has worked. This is what I am currently trying out. I used the long chains of yarn that the kids finger knitted and hung up the artwork with laundry pins. Hoping that this is my last attempt to figuring out what to do with hanging artwork. I'm thinking of a similar idea for near my desk to hang my inspirations.

Spring Cleaning Week: Under the sink

Starting this weekend I began a small crusade of spring cleaning. With all the sun and fresh air it certainly got me motivated to get some things off the list from one of my clipboards. So this week I hope to share the completed tasks and tips that have helped me along the way. I should warn you I will be showing before and after pictures so there may be ugly pictures involved. So here is the first one.

First off the list is cleaning under the sink. What's going on under there? No answer.

What should be under there spray bottles filled with homemade cleaning solutions, laundry detergent, dish soap, borax, baking soda, bleach( sorry but that was a last resort purchase) rags and a bucket for cleaning. Why all the other spray bottles those are for the kids to fill with water when it's hot out. It's better than those water guns that don't hold too much water or the super huge soakers.

I try to keep away from the lemon and pine smell nasal burning cleaners and make my own. What I have found useful in cleaning my home is Green Up Your Clean Up. This book is a handy reference on cleaning the home inside and out using homemade recipes. It's a good cleaning guide to keep around the home because of the green cleaning methods, glossery on the dangerous ingredients and other references. What's odd is that with a few essential oils to added to vinegar and/or water while cleaning actually made my home smell clean not deadly and dangerous. And if you can believe it we even survived the flu season using the recipes from this book. Makes me wonder about all those 99% germ figthing disinfecting products marketed out there.

After all that under the sink cleaning I found some homemade recipes on one of the spray bottles to pass along.

• General Cleaner: Add 2 tablespoons baking soda to 16 oz. warm water.
• Window Cleaner: Add 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar to 16 oz. warm water.
• Disinfecting Cleaner:Add 10-20 drops of tea tree oil to 16 oz. warm water.
• Floor Cleaner: To 16 oz warm water add: 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap, 1/2 teaspoon borax, squeeze of a lemon or splash of vinegar. Spray floor with solution and mop as usual.
• Linen Spray: Add 5 drops of your favorite scented oil to 8 oz. water. Use to freshen linens and curtains.

Some of you may know these recipes and some may not but no harm can be done by making a small change for the sake of the environment or passing it along or gift giving a couple of spary bottles of homemade cleaners with a recipe card.

Happy and healthier living.

New Year's Games

Game shelf do over....

....so we could have some New Year's game fun.

Happy peaceful (and for some of us a snowy) New Year!

Looking forward to a new year filled with crafty creations.