Tackle-It Tuesday: Front Hall Closet

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

I finally got tired of the mess that is our front hall closet. It's pretty small for how large our home is and for how many people live here, and it was time to take control of the chaos.

I had this 12-pocket organizer over the door for years, and it just wasn't working, as evidenced by the overflow in the closet.

It would not fit everything we had, which I lamented on Instagram, wondering (among other things) why I had 75 million hats when there were only 7 heads in my household. And you can't even see the inside-right part of the closet, where there were maybe 5 cheapo drawstring bags hanging.

So for under $10, I bought this 24 Pockets - SimpleHouseware Crystal Clear Over The Door Hanging Shoe Organizer, Gray (64'' x 19'') from Amazon (yes, just click on the link if you want to check it out).

Tackle-It Tuesday: Sheets and Pillowcases in the Linen Closet

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

I finally got tired of stacks of sheets and pillowcases toppling over in our linen closet. Plus one of my husband's love languages is Acts of Service, so I have been trying to get things more organized lately for him. The bonus is that it helps me to feel more at peace in the house, and the kids can find things more easily too!

I went looking for a solution and saw that people on Instagram were doing an organizing challenge and some were placing their sheets neatly into bins and then labeling them in their linen closets.

This is my friend's cousin, who has 11 kids and staying organized is very important in her household!

 Yes! So I went to my bestie Amazon and ordered these beauties after measuring our closet:

Tackle-It Tuesday: Linen Closet Door Organizer

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

We were spoiled in our previous home of 17 years with a huge linen closet in our main bathroom, so big the kids could even hide in it for hide-n-seek. I longed for a closet that was NOT in the bathroom so people could grab things they needed without having to wait for someone to get out of the bathroom.

Then we moved to THE DREAM HOUSE and have a cute little hallway linen closet. The challenge is that it is not deep and the shelves are not wide.

Here's a BEFORE picture of our entire linen closet. I feel like we have fewer toiletries and medicines than a lot of people do, but still it's an unorganized mess no matter what I do. Looking for allergy medicine results in everything getting knocked over.

Tackle-It Tuesday: Meal Planning

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

*Originally posted 9/18/12 but I had to pull it out of the blog vault and move it up in the lineup.

Confession: I stink at meal planning. And I hate grocery shopping. And I don't fully embrace cooking in general.

But now I have some hope!

Last week my friend brought over this lime, avocado, baby shrimp, rice salad thing with Ranch dressing. It was AMAZING. I thought, "I want to make stuff like that but don't have time to troll Pinterest and cooking sites for recipes!"

Enter Grocery Shrink Plus by Angela Coffman. Andrea told me that the recipe was from a new meal planning email dealy jobber she signed up for that is only $5 a month! I figured I could handle that financially, especially since Andrea told me some of the meals are meatless and will save my family money instantly! I signed right up!

"Get Organized, Stay Organized" by Christine D. Shuck

Yeah, I'm putting this in my Holiday Gift Guide for 2013. I mean, I know you would have to carefully slip this to someone as a gift, since giving someone a book like this is like telling them they are a bit of a slob. Oh, I know ... give it as a Secret Santa thing and then never reveal yourself! Or give it to:

• that person who is always griping about their messy house (like me, except I already own this book) as a friendly gift. 

• to that hoarder down the road. G'head, just slip it in their mailbox! I dare you.

• as a wedding gift for a new bride who is clueless about combining two households of junk.

Tackle-It Tuesday: Kid Shoes

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

I have a very nice problem: too many kid shoes. We receive shoes from all over the place. We have shoes for Sam that his brothers gently wore. We have shoes from older boys for our older boys. We have shoes from older girls for our girls. Sometimes we find we don't have a particular size and have to go buy a cheap pair. I can't remember what happened in Wyoming but I do remember having to stop at Target in Salt Lake City to buy new shoes for Eva. We accumulate shoes around here. Not me, but the kids. Definitely not me. I wish!

So the only thing I've been putting off longer than SPACKLING (yes, I will get around to it ... probably when the weather is colder. Then you will be sick of spackling and sanding and painting pictures, mark my words.

Tackle-It Tuesday: Homeschool Bookshelf

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

Here's a picture of my messy bookshelf from over 2 years ago. You have to hit the link to see it. Then hit this link to see the AFTER shot from then. It obviously did not stay that way because we are discussing it again. My excuses include (cue whining): I have a lot of kids; I'm a homeschooler and we have a lot of paper; I'm a writer so I'm a creative type and don't like to clean; my parents made me their only child slave so I am rebelling against my husband daily by not picking up. Didja like those?

So here she be last weekend. Don't get me started on all the stuff on the walls and the floor. We like to draw and create and save stuff, but not in a hoarder way.

Tackle-It Tuesday: Kitchen Junk Drawer

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

I don't know about you, but I am digging Tackle-It-Tuesday! It's the only way to get me actually working on projects that need to get done. You know how you do dishes and laundry and cooking and stuff like that DAILY? It's so refreshing to do a project that you know you won't have to revisit for months! I can do basic upkeep on these Tackle-It projects whenever I encounter them, and they (probably, hopefully) won't get out of hand!

So here is our drawer in our kitchen. Can't find a thing. It got to the point where we couldn't even fit the other white tray in there! What is all this stuff, anyway?

Tackle-It Tuesday: Swimming Stuff

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

YIKES! This has gotten out of hand. This is the cardboard copy paper box that we use to cram all things swimming into. It lives at the bottom of our linen closet, which is in the main bathroom. Over the years we have acquired many swimsuits and other items. It's time to clean it out. Sure, we need to keep some extras on hand for growing boys and girls, but the trunks that are too small for Sam need to go. And the suits too small for Eva need to go. I mean, if we do have one more kid, people will give us this stuff as hand-me-downs or else we can probably afford the $7 to get a new suit at Target, you know? I have to learn to let things go!

Anyway, this situation gets as out of control as our Winter Situation (boots, hats, scarves, gloves, etc.), which we will tackle on another Tuesday!

Here is the finished product!

Do you like how it's by the toilet brush and plunger? I have to be breaking some sanitary laws or something. I think a nice Target basket it in order for the swimsuits!

Here's the giveaway bag:

These were hard to give away. Michael and Joel had twin trunks, so I only saved one pair for Sam.

Also hard to give away because I got these for tiny Sam.

Also hard to give away. A teeny little hippie bikini my girls wore.

Okay, are ya'll happy now? I'm cleaning this mess up! I know my husband will be thrilled. Let's hope not TOO thrilled or you'll be seeing the I'M PREGNANT post in a few weeks ... haha!

UPDATE: October 10, 2024 and we moved to the country-ish in 2017 to a HOUSE WITH A SWIMMING POOL! So now we have swimming TUBS of floaties, towels, much bigger swimsuits (they just stay in their rooms in their drawers now), etc. I used to keep a bunch of extra swimsuits and swim trunks around for those who would come over but forgot their swim things. I don't do that anymore because I just don't have the room, even in our much-bigger home!

Tackle-It Tuesday: FINALLY My Closet?!

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

Before we begin, I'd like to remind the class that I am in a rockin' giveaway hop that runs through July 31. You can check out my offerings here and enter to win my prize package! Now, on to my closet ...

I love to organize. I could come to your house and see a problem and fix it immediately. I recently helped my friend find a home for her Kitchen Aid mixer. Her husband  had told her to take it out of the kitchen; it was too big and there was no spot for it. I was like HUH? Where would you put it? You use it all the time! So I checked around and in her pantry I asked if I could move some things around to make a home for the mixer in the bottom of the pantry. I enjoyed moving things around and combining things to make room and it fit perfectly!

Alas, it's like those therapists who fix everyone else but their life is a freaking mess (equals over half of the therapists I've known in my life; no, I have not been to lots of therapy and when I've gone I've been told I don't need it. I used to work at a place with therapist and even dated a psychologist ... who was dating me, half his age ... see what I mean?). Anyway ...

So here is the post where the BEFORE pictures were. And here are the AFTER shots. My husband can send the swag to this chick right  here because she kicked my butt YESTERDAY and I knew I had to get on it. I mean, she's a professional organizer!

Voila!

Note how all the crap hanging on the door is gone?

Yes, this is like all the shirts and skirts I have, including maternity! And this seems like a lot of clothing to me, much of it I never wear.

I maybe have like 10 pair of shoes. Note the black color scheme. And how often do I wear those stripper heels?  Well, like 3 times last year. But they are so pretty and were bought by my man (and Jordan)!

Yep, here is what I took out of the closet to make it look clean. To make room for my shoes I took out the scrapbooking/memorabilia tub and put it on the cedar chest. Then stuff that was hanging on the door goes on top of the tub, right? Look, Aron is coming home Friday and maybe for a long time. I will have more time to work on this THEN. For now my head is barely above water with this house and if I can keep laundry done and dishes done and keep my kids healthy and happy and fed and clean and all that while doing it all by myself, then I'm doing a good job. I'm sure scrapbooking will be another post someday ... I do it very simply but have so much stuff to scrap and I save everything my kids have ever touched!

Tackle-it Tuesday: My Closet at the Grant Street House in Overland Park, KS and Vintage Barbies

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

Let's see what my closet used to look like:

What a mess! Kids' stuff always ends up in my space! And clothes fall off the hangers onto the ground and intermingle with my sparse collection of shoes ...

I need to find a new spot for hiding their toys that are in time-out. See that pink stool? We call that The Death Stool because Aron made it and Callie kept falling off of it. He balanced it out and the kids were STILL getting messed up on this stool. So I have it temporarily hidden until I can learn to administer stitches all by myself. (Just kidding, honey ... you build amazing furniture and I love you so much!)

I worked on it QUICKLY this past weekend so I would have something to post for you. See the effect you have on me?! You are forcing me to clean my house. My husband should send each and every one of you a bag of swag or something.

Well, never mind. I actually did not finish it. I did SOME of it, but then Monday kicked my butt so I will now distract you from that fact with some cool pictures of my vintage Barbies and my favorite piece of her clothing. My mom has given these to me/my girls and I keep them put up because they are a big deal and my kids would trash them. They are original dolls from the 1960s and their clothes are, as well. Some of their clothes were made by my Great Aunt Eva. Enjoy! And maybe I'll clean that closet for you by next week!

I could just die when I see that black and white suit with the hat on that vintage doll, and I don't usually give a crap about clothing. But when you get those 1950s and 1960s clothes in front of me I'm in heaven!

The original cases!

Tackle-It Tuesday: Callie's Closet and the Magic Cleaning Fairy (me)

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

This is my 7-year-old daughter's closet BEFORE! Actually, she will tell you it's also her 4-year-old sister's closet, too, when she's trying to get out of picking it up! Eva sleeps in our bedroom, but plays hard in "the girls' room."

The right-hand side of the closet on the floor.

The left-hand side of the closet floor.

The right-hand side. Note how I use her top shelf as scrapbook storage. I have like a zillion of them before I stopped having time to scrapbook because I'm too busy entertaining YOU. Yes, you're welcome.

  
AFTER!!!!! Sue me, I did this by myself. I find it easier to get rid of stuff when the girls are not standing over me picking through the trash! Don't worry, they have more hanging clothes than this, which live on the LEFT side of the closet. They are pretty much in order because I purge that stuff regularly.

Holy Guacamole, I can see the floor! I am magical! The Magic Cleaning Fairy!

The left-hand side on the floor is still a challenge. I at least got the shoes in a box and some toys in a little basket. Stuffed animals are in another box. Barbies are in a drawer in her dresser. Dolls go in the 1950s vintage baby crib.

I can't stand empty space and had to sneak her desk in there since it fit. It's how I roll. She can drag it out when she wants to play.

I had to give some props to my amazingly talented husband, who found this wasted space when we were redoing the girls' room in early 2011 (when he was NOT traveling). There was just a wall here, and he knocked it out and put in shelves. There's room for so much here, as well as her dress-up basket down below!

I hope I have inspired you to clean up your own nasty house. Now get on it, write about it and share the link with me here!

If you like giveaways, check out my friend Kelly's blog, where she is giving away Brave, the video game, Fit Moms for Life DVD, What to Expect When You're Expecting book set and more!

Tackle-It Tuesday: Puzzles

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

If your kids' puzzles are all organized perfectly, then this post is not for you because you will judge me harshly. You see, I used to have mine all organized. I would take them from their cardboard box and put them in a plastic sandwich baggie. I would cut out the small picture of the completed puzzle and include it in the baggie. I even used to write on the back of each puzzle piece so I knew which puzzles went together if they were ever, say, all tossed up in the air at once.

What a mess!

Fast forward a few years and a few kids and the puzzle pieces DID end up everywhere. And I finally just tossed every piece I could find into a box like you see below (used commonly for scrapbooking or holding fabric in my family). For Tackle-It Tuesday I decided to tackle this project and trash all the puzzles that were not complete. This was hard because I am a very nostalgic person and tossing incomplete Dora puzzles was like tossing one of my children into the trash. I got over it when my daughter reminded me they are only puzzles and we have a few left that are complete AND we can always get more if someone gets a puzzle hankering. Here's my progress:

Putting puzzles together with my kids.

This is the kind of box I use for such things.

This is how they look now. Only a few puzzles, but they have all the pieces at least. Kids 3, 4 and 5 weren't as into puzzles as my first two kids.

What are your household projects you want to tackle? I have lots to come during upcoming Tackle-It Tuesday posts ... painting a kitchen wall, tackling a junk drawer in my bathroom, tackling a file cabinet full of paper ideas for writing, my bedroom closet.