2/3/09

Conquering Kids Clutter Party!!

Oh yes, you've been waiting. Welcome to a "Pretty" Organized home.  Not an organized home.. just prioritized... read the link above for more info. Hopefully you're all sitting with a fun drink and a hunk of chocolate in hand while you tour homes for inspiration.  Thought I'd start out with my bathroom towel organization... a creative idea born out of desperation.  We have 8 in this family and I was sick of trying to figure out who's towel was on the floor!
Lucky kids got towels for Christmas.... I sewed ribbon on for easy hanging...
I also attatched their assigned birthright number... (used for count off, chores, dinnertime seating... more to come on that in my new series Hassel Free Homemaking).  Each kiddo is assigned a hook, and that's where their towel goes... now I can always tell who's towels on the floor.
I keep bedroom doors open... (so I dont' have to see the ugly stuff behind them)  3m hooks are as miraculous to me as hoverboards are to my kids and orbiting space is to my husband.  I'm easy to please.
Desperation idea 1103:  Why the heck didn't a builder anticipate a family of 8 to live in this house?  We need a place to hang kids backpacks.  I finally resorted this year to screwing double hooks into my garage door. It's solid wood, sturdy for those middleschool weight backpacks and in the right spot.  Worries over!
Can we all bow our heads in reverance for this next picture... (while I bow mine in shame)?  This was the first lamp I bought when I got married... mothers intuition that I'd have a future need to hide clutter... these little drawers have been great for bedside treasures of my kids... wish the toothfairy figured it out earlier:)  Now the lamp has a broken neck and is awaiting spinal repair surgery when Mr. Fix is is out of school (THURSDAY!!!!  WhooHOO)

Toy room closet... notice the ugly, not matching storage. Priorities remember?  
I salvaged this dresser (you can still see where the drawers are supposed to go) from my neighbors bulk trash.  Didn't even bother painting it... meant to.  Mr. Fix it cut shelves, fit them into the existing drawer runners. Whalla!
Games in our house MUST go on the top shelf.  That desperate rule has come after many a game piece strewn throughout the house... I still have a zip-lock of dice, timers, and playing pieces to show for it.
They are neatly organized in none other than Xerox paper boxes and another shelf deep box.  Now they don't all topple.  When I'm 55 and my kids are all out of the house, I'm going to cover those babies with wallpaper to make them a little more sightly.

Other side of the closet... yep, another bulk trash item.  A 12 passenger van comes in handy for dumpster diving... ya'll are choking on your chocolate right now and thinking about un-following me.  Hey, I have a degree in classical voice... see, I'm high class in a few areas!
Our first piece of furniture purchased 10 years ago... dang thing won't fall apart and break so I have to keep it. I even gave it to my boys!
This hides more toys... the kind I want hid from the baby.  It also makes a great dress-up dresser.
Desperation idea 1142:  Where do you put all those Imaginext toys?
I covered an old dresser with paper and stickers that were music related and made a great focal point for the room AND it doubles as a toy chest!
Hope ya'll are having a great time at our Conquering Kids Clutter party!  Wendy at the Shabby Nest has been such a dear friend.  Go check her out!

Don't forget to check back here at the Pretty Organized Palace.  If you're not familiar with what this blogs all about check out this post and feel free to check out my past posts.  I'm a mom of 6 who is a complete technological twit but an expert at laundry for 8:)  I'll be sharing my homemaking, managing, surviving strategies here and hope to hear about your successful homaking tips!  Feel free to stop by and introduce yourself!

43 comments:

Carla said...

I love your towel idea. When we get moved I am giving everyone 1 towel and that is it. and having a hook in the bedroom for there towel and one in the bathroom. So they can take there towel back and forth. I am tired of 30 towels in everyone's bedrooms. So I love that idea. I love the dresser with shelves great idea.
I also have 6 kids and games have to go on the top shelf and I have a baggie of pieces also. But I like you games in boxes like that I am doing that.
I am all for dumpster diving. my hubby just brought home a small little stool tonight that was in someones trash when he walked home and thought I could do something with it. Awww how sweet. :)

Pretty Organizer said...

Carla... email me... We're soooo sisters in this stuff! I can't access your profile via blogger. You're even more mysterious than me girl! Your hubby's quite a guy... I'm sure all the other readers are squinting sideways at the two of us! Towels and socks will bring me to the grave.

Esther said...

I love your towel idea too. We've only got 2 kids but their towels always slide off the hooks. I don't know why I didn't think of ribbon sooner.

Meredith said...

Great ideas!!! I think we must have been married at the same time (I am 33 as well) because I have, no , I should say had, that same lamp - I think it may even a wedding gift! It went thru several reincarnations (painted a couple of times) before it finally bit the dust. It held all kinds of goodies in my baby girl's nursery, like extra pacifiers and (gasp) umbilical stumps! Then I wised up and threw those gross things away. What was I thinking?

And Michelle, I think I know you or at least know of you...can't tell from your profile where you are but it says the southwest. Phoenix SE Valley area perhaps?

Wendy said...

You and I have similar towel ideas. I think that's fun! (thanks for all your hard work!)

Sallie said...

Ribbon on towels is a great idea. I made all the kids towels hooded to stay on the hooks. I am sure they will grow out eventually. I am with you on the command strip stuff. Love the hooks for everything.

LuLu said...

Love all you have done to conquer kid clutter! Ribbon on towels with there number.... I'm doing it tonight. We have hooks we use already but no ribbon and numbers you are a brilliant mom!!!
I will be back for mor brilliant advice from YOU!!!! Have a great day,
LuLu

LuLu said...

I forgot to aske what kind of fabric did you use for your numbers?
LuLu

Cheryl said...

Very organzied!

Pretty Organizer said...

LuLu girl- I used grossgrain ribbon. Don't forget to light the cut ends with a match to melt them a bit for fray prevention. Super Easy. Numbers were just Iron on Patch numbers from JoAnns that I stitched on.

Amy said...

Love the towel idea! WHEN I get time to paint and get my boys bathroom finished, I was planning on hanging hooks for the towels. Love the ribbon idea. I will put their first initial since all 4 boys have different first letter.

Love your blog! I will be checking back often!

Erica Shurter said...

You are sooo creative and so inspirational! thanks! love your blog! :)

Sims Family said...

Thanks so much for the great ideas. I love love love the towels. And the dresser with paper? I have an old Ikea blue one I need redone for my baby girl! Thanks!

Darlene said...

I came over from Wendy's. LOVE all your ideas for conquering the kid clutter. I only have one and sometimes can't keep it all contained!

Amara said...

I love the towel idea too. I need to just get enough hooks to HANG all the towels first. That would be a start, but the number ID thing is inspired!

pink and green mama MaryLea said...

Great post! Wow you are the super mom of the year, I'm totally impressed. I love your solutions and am with you on the 3M hooks. I just discovered Scotch brand self laminating pouches and posted about them on my blog today.
I have been known to dumpster dive as well, most recently a desk that I spray painted to make-over for our daughter's room.

The Masked Mommy said...

What great ideas! And what a great party! I think this is the best blog party I've been to this year. I love how blogs allow us all to share our awesome ideas. I really liked your idea for board games. Those darn things are just so hard to store! Party on!

Steph said...

Love that toy box your covered! It's really pretty

Local Girl said...

I love the towel idea and I'm a big fan of hooks, they make tidying more simple for little ones. Thanks so much for sharing :)

Stacey said...

What a great idea with the towels! I only have 2 kids, so I am thinking they could just have different ribbons. I also love how awesome your recovered toy box looks!

Anonymous said...

I am going to have to number me some towels! I mounted 3 hooks straight into the studs in my boys' bathroom. Their names are painted above each hook. Guess I will have to post that another time... They usually have different colored towels that match the curtain, but I would love to have solid towels numbered. Love it!
~Misti

Unknown said...

You are just so sweet! "Queen of Creative" ha! I mean, thank you!! :)

I *HEART* that towel idea!!! Maybe if there were ribbons that would remind my son to hang it up, hmmm? By the way, love that pink dress! ;) I am still getting used to the twitter thing, I think I am just going to stick with being a twit with you. :-D

Jennifer@woodleycottage said...

what creative ideas! I just redecorated the boys' bathroom and used hooks in lieu of a towel bar as well. It should look nicer with their towels hanging there and not thrown on the floor under the 1 towel bar in the bathroom. Thanks for your super ideas. Hey, is your wainscot done in TIN? I LOVE IT! You are indeed one clever gal!!!
As for my organizational ideas. We just bought this house 6 months ago and did major purging prior to packing up and moving from the old one. And, what we brought with us is mostly nicely packaged in it's box and stacked to the ceiling in my garage. I pull out one box every once in a while and unload it. I have a massive Craigslist/Ebay stack going.
Have a fabulous day!
Jennifer

frillsfluffandtrucks said...

3M hooks are GREAT! Love them--and your towel idea is super cute!

~ Sarah

Unknown said...

Quite a list of great ideas! I especially like the towels. My kids are terrible about hanging theirs up, and can never remember which one is theirs.
Thanks for visiting my blog today, I appreciate your comment. Come back soon!

Rachelle@atticgals.blogspot.com said...

I have six kids too, all boys, and the towels are all over the floor (when I can get them to take showers!). Love that idea! Thanks.

Julie said...

Great ideas! Love the blog, as usual! The towel rack is my fave. I only have two little girls though. I thought laundry for my family of 4 was bad! Phew!

Jess @ Just a Blink said...

Hi I am Jess from Just a Blink. I love the old dresser idea...you have my idea sensor setting off all kinds of alarms!

Serendipity said...

I think you may have just solved my bath towel dilemma! Thanks for sharing!

Hideaway Girl said...

The towel idea is genius! lately I've been wondering if I should just give each of my kids their own color of towel to keep it all straight, but I love the idea of numbers so much better. The hanging ribbon is awesome too! I'm totally with you on keeping the games up high (drives me CRAZY when the pieces get mixed together & lost) and I also have a poor lamp with broken neck. I am going to have to read your older posts for more good ideas!

The Golf Widow said...

Great towel idea. My little ones can never hang them up.

knittingknirvana said...

You do great things with hooks! :) The towel idea is great and what a good idea to sew in a little ribbon for easy hanging. I also really like your new uses for dressers. We have more hand me down dressers then we need in bedrooms and these are great ideas! Thanks! :)

the blu moo said...

What an easy way to hang towels..w/a ribbon. So amrt and easy!!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

Such great ideas - don't you love hooks. I have them all over my home. I also like taking drawers out of dressers. thank for the inspiration
-Laurel

Maribel said...

I like what you did with the old dresser. I have one just like it that is in the basement. That'll be my project this spring when I can paint it outside.

Karin said...

Great ideas. And a kick in the pants to finally sew some ribbons on our towels too, otherwise they just don't stay on the hooks!!!

Martha said...

I love the towel idea! :)
Martha

Michelle said...

Just to prove that storage doesn't have to be pretty: my favorite idea of yours is how you store your games! We have ours on the top shelf, too, but I never thought to put them in boxes like that. I love it!

Julie said...

I love the towel idea and all your other ideas. I am going to buy some of those hooks...what a great idea....that won't break the bank...
Thanks for sharing! Blessings, Julie

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Great tips! I love the towels with the ribbons and numbers. I also have hooks on the back of all of my doors. So great!

Thanks so much!

Jen

Heidi said...

love the ideas! thanks for sharing! Dumpster diving is great!

Beckie said...

We do something similar with towels. I hung a pretty rack of hooks behind the bathroom door. Three of us use the rack, so to avoid confusion, I put our first name initial above our hooks with scrapbook stickers. Extra hooks are used to hang blow driers, curling irons, and straighteners (I have teenagers!).

My favorite of your ideas was the xerox boxes for top shelf game storage! I plan to implement that idea right away!

Rene said...

I am new to your blog, but let me tell you...I LOVE IT! 3M Hooks, who'da thunk? LOL I definitely have to get me a bunch of them. My daughter's coat rack inside her closet has pulled the nails through the thin drywall. So it's GOODBYE coat rack and HELLO 3M hooks! Same thing happened over the years with the towel holders in the kids bathroom, so gotta get some for the kids' towels! Oh, and you're paper covered "toy box" idea is AWESOME! Now I may have to start dumpster diving! Can't wait to follow your blog more!

 
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