Day 4 - Linen Closet

I paid my daughter to organize this a few months ago but things don't last long around here with 7 kids digging around looking for the perfect towel or cute sheet set!

Before:

Look at all the towels on the floor. This would be because the kids can't pull a towel off the top of the pile they have to look for the "perfect" towel that is usually in the middle of the pile. And Whooo (adding emphasis) would ever think of picking up the towels that drop in the process.

I can't blame everything entirely on the kids. I really dislike putting away laundry. I usually assign a child to take the neatly folded and stacked towels, sheets, etc. and put them away. Since the linen closet is in the kid's bathroom I don't check very often.

Here are some interesting finds from the closet:
A "Zupe Dude" - my oldest (now 14) used to ask to go to Denny's a lot as a toddler because they had these toys. We've only lived in this house 5 years so I'm not sure how this made its way to the closet.

And not sure why this was hiding under the towels. His grades are pretty good. He can pull those B's up no problem.

Alright - here's the finished product.

Looks pretty good and hopefully the bins will help it stay that way. It will be perfect once I get my label maker (long story) up and running! Oh and I am putting away the swim towels and getting towels all the same color with the kids names embroidered on them. No more digging for towels!

Day 5 - Under Kitchen Sink

Okay - I am still playing catch up but should be on track by the end of the weekend. I was gone all morning for a birthday lunch for my wonderful mom, but got to work when I got home.

Believe it or not this was organized at one point or another but the bags have decided to overtake the cabinet.

This was a good excuse to get the bags under control so I went to Walmart and bought a bag holder which really helped control the chaos of the cabinet.
After:

I won't take a picture of my counter! We're creating piles of things that we're getting rid of and I also have a tub of tools for my husband to take back out to the garage.

My oldest came home from school and told me he was going to need a tour of the kitchen --- it's his chore this week! Funny

Organizing - Day 1 & 3

This was  a busy day.  I realized I needed to go out and get supplies so I would be armed before I entered the war zone that is my house.  :)   Since I am playing catch-up I decided to stay in the kitchen and do the junk drawer & the tupperware cupboard & save the desk top for another day. (... really, that will be an all day job and it wasn't the right day for me...)  To take it another step further I did many more drawers and an extra cupboard in the kitchen.

Here are the before and afters:

Junk drawer At one point this entire drawer was organized and full of those bamboo dividers BUT they all broke from the kids digging around for pencils and various treasures.

After - I went with a hard plastic with less joints to rip apart

Junk Cupboard Before

After

Silverware drawer - this was already organized but I still cleaned it out.

Utensil DrawerBefore

  
After

Knife drawerBefore

After

The Tupperware Cupboard - Dan organizes this very regularly so I only had to re-stack

After

Organizing Challenge! Seriously needed!!

I was just telling my mother-n-law over Christmas Break that I needed to fly my sister-in-law out to my house to help me organize.  (Although with my giant brood it wouldn't last long!)  Then one night I lay in bed and told my husband that it is very obvious that I can't keep up with everything and that we should hire a maid .... which I still haven't done yet. I say this often but never do it even though I feel like I am constantly swimming upstream. 

A few weeks ago my husband was at home for the day and decided to deep clean the kitchen and keep it that way all day.   I watched as he diligently worked throughout the day to keep up with the demand that our kitchen takes.  After his third load of dishes and constant care throughout the day I mentioned how exhausting it is and that just that one room in the house is a full-time job.  He couldn't believe it but agreed.  He tried to stay ahead of it for a few days but then his enthusiasm failed.  I told him I just have to pick up in the morning and then at night or I would spend my entire day in the kitchen. 

Anyway all these stories are to tell that I'm feeling like I want to be more clean and organized but that it is often overwhelming in my house of kids.  Last night I saw that my cousin-in-law took a cleaning challenge and decided I'd do so too.  It is great because she just gives you one task a day for 21 days and it will help clear the clutter in the house in places that I don't get to as often.  Only problem is that I'm started on the 5th so I have to play catch up over the next few days!  I'll post pictures of my progress. 



I'll probably still hire a maid!!