Home Re-Organization Project

Our house has been in need of some major re-organization.  Adding a new child to the family has made our home seem suddenly small, and our laundry seems to have quadrupled.  I'm not sure if it was because I was just too busy, or it just never seemed like Ben was actually ever going to get here, but the nesting instinct didn't kick in until recently.   Still, I needed a plan.  And a system.  I needed space.  My laundry room is tiny.  

Then one day the stars seemed to align just right.  Marney moved.  No, not out, just across the hall.

The girls now share a room (their brilliant idea one quiet afternoon), and I have some space to work with.  

I love the idea of a family closet.  After reading this post.  And my sister having success with theirs, 

I wanted to give it a try.  Now I know we are certainly not a mega family, only slightly bigger than average, but I thought if it could work for them, it might work for us.

{Marney's old room, now our family closet/laundry sorting room}

{Clothes for all 4 kids hanging and in dresser}

The family closet idea also fits with our new chore system.  Rather than assigning a bunch of random tasks, I decided to give each child an area.   Madeline's current area is laundry.  This might sound overwhelming for an 11 year old, but both girls have been doing their own laundry for about 4 years now.  This idea came from my brilliant friend Dana, her girls learned to do their own laundry at about the age of 5.  Yes, it is agonizing watching a 5 year old "fold" a basket of laundry, it takes forever, but they can do it!  And eventually they get faster!  Knowing they have to wash it, cuts down greatly on the "I just threw it in the dirty clothes pile, because I didn't feel like hanging it up" syndrome.  

Jim and I still pitch in quite often to keep things going.  Madeline's main job is keeping a mental inventory of kids clothes, and keeping them organized.  She has embraced this new role, she likes to be in charge.

Moving the clothes freed up room in the boys closet for toys that used to be in the loft area, and a dresser that I can now use as a diaper changing station.

All off season/off size clothes are all sorted, labeled, and stored away.  Better lighting in this area is on the to-do list.

Owen's new lego area.  It's been a challenge to keep them up and off the floor.

It was a big project, but well worth it, and I knew there was nothing Jim would rather do on his vacation, than help his wife.  I'm considerate like that.