Laundry Room Facelift

We’ve been in our house for 16 years now, and our laundry room cabinets had seen their better days.  

On New Year’s Eve, we decided to start our makeover.  First of all, for those of us who do home improvement projects on New Year’s Eve, realize that Lowe’s and Home Depot close at 6:00 on that day.  Second of all, if you like to start a project and finish it immediately like I do, don’t rip apart your laundry room with a “vision” until you’ve checked to see if stores actually carry what it takes to achieve that vision! 

We realized quickly that those stores don’t stock the items I was hoping to use.  At that point my husband said I could special order them. Well, my laundry room was already torn apart, and I decided I wasn’t up for weeks of a mess, I would just find something locally and be happy with it. Though it is not what my initial plan was, I am still very pleased. 

This was the laundry room before we started:

Sorry for the lighting in the pictures.  I quickly snapped these with my phone before my husband started demo.  I need to learn to use my nice camera for project pictures.  Sometimes it is too easy to just grab your phone. 

Fresh paint and cabinets, a bar to hang some things to dry, a couple of shelves with storage boxes, and a few accent pieces and this is what we finished with.  (And yes, I need a footstool, though I did before as well.)

This picture was hanging in the laundry room before the makeover and I couldn’t bear to get rid of it.  It is pretty much my happy place ~ a nice farmer’s porch with a comfy place to lounge while looking at the ocean.  I can do laundry and dream of being there :)

It feels nice to start the New Year with a fresh, clean laundry room! 

Here is a recipe for homemade fabric softener that I really like.  I feel like it really does make everything so fluffy and soft.  Hope you enjoy it as well! 

In a LARGE bowl, dump 1 cup of baking soda.  Very slowly and carefully, one cup at a time, add 6 cups of white vinegar, stirring until dissolved.  Stir your scent booster mixture in and put into a container that will allow for easy pouring.  I use an old orange juice bottle, and it’s perfect!

Thanks for viewing my post! 

Blessings from Kim ~ "With Jesus in her heart, and coffee in her cup.” ~ 

"Hi! I'm Kim ~ Blessed wife of Eric, mom of four and Nonnie to a sweet little grand daughter with another expected in January!  I'm a coffee enthusiast, baker, organizer and DIYer. My home style tends to lean towards traditional but, I must say, I can be a bit eclectic. Anything that makes me smile. Surround yourself with your favorite things and be sure you use the good dishes! Always look for extraordinary in what may seem ordinary. ~ Blessings to you and yours!" 

Basket Case

Living in a house with only a few closets (and only one on the lower level that is used as a pantry) has caused me to get creative with storage options. Since I can't really tuck much away, I have to display it in a practical and pretty manner. Enter: baskets. I've become a little addicted to baskets and if I find one I like, I tend to grab it since I know I'll be able to use it somewhere in the house. I'm always moving them around and switching one out for another but here is our current basket situation. It's a great way to add texture to a room and keep it nice and orderly. Target and Homegoods always have a great selection and are very affordable.

Kitchen

We just installed this island so I haven't had a chance to buy new baskets for underneath; I pulled this one from upstairs to show what I plan to do. I'm also on the hunt for baskets to hold potatoes and onions in my pantry.

Living Room

I only have one basket in the living room right now so it holds everything from books and magazine to chargers and blankets. Yes, it all fits in there! 

Bathroom

Baskets hold toiletries and laundry here. Only having open storage in a bathroom seemed a bit tricky at first but this works great.

Playroom

I need a few more baskets in here but they help to group similar toys together and maintain some order (some). 

Bedrooms

Laundry and books are kept neat and tidy in our bedrooms while also adding some color and texture to the rooms.

Happy organizing!

Ashley

"Hello, I'm Ashley from Three Wooden Spoons, a blog featuring my adventures in the kitchen and following our renovation of a 1940's farmhouse in Minnesota. I love to cook and bake, write, explore thrift and antiques stores, drink strong coffee, and dabble in home design. I would describe my style as simple and classic, but also eclectic. I love finding second-hand furniture and home decor, as well as antiques from various eras, and making it all come together for a cohesive interior."

Master Bathroom Organization

How has the Delightful Order January Organizing Challenge been going for all of you? I love that DaNita is making what could be an overwhelming task seem a lot easier by breaking it down into small tasks every day for a month. That’s exactly what I needed this New Year! We finally got moved in to our new home so there is the stress that comes with that, my husband is traveling a lot for school and work, and I spend my days chasing after an almost one year old. All of that makes keeping an orderly home that much more difficult!

Since both the master bedroom and closet were on the list this week, I decided to tackle the master bathroom as well. When we moved in, I just tossed everything in the general area it needed to go, so my vanity (along with the rest of my house) ended up looking like this.

Here is where things got really ugly! I literally just dumped everything in the drawers and lived with it that way for a few days.  It was a good idea in theory because it showed me what it would end up looking like if I didn’t get rid of a few things. 

That mess was driving me nuts though, and this challenge was just the motivation that I needed to get it in order. I took everything out and really focused on purging so that I was only left with items I use on a regular basis. I had a few extra bins that I bought for our pantry, which ended up working perfectly for the bottom drawer. Most of the time, I measure and research what size containers would be the best fit, but I got lucky with this project! 

I couldn’t have planned it any better. Then, it was time for my favorite part of any organizing project…putting it all back together!

I love opening this drawer now and although I am sure it will evolve over time, I’m just happy everything has a place. I’m not wasting time digging through the mess to get what I need, and I even had enough space leftover to store a couple of towels.

I can’t wait to see what y’all have been up to. What has been your favorite and least favorite area to organize? I always dread the office and paper related items as well as the garage. Give me a junk drawer any day though, and I’m a happy camper!

Hi! I'm Kristin from The Orderly Home.  I love all things organization and I'm a sucker for pretty storage solutions and anything that makes life easier for me and my family. A little about me: I'm 27, married to my best friend, and mama to a precious little boy. I'm a Texas girl who enjoys cooking and baking, spending time outdoors, and barre workouts. My idea of fun involves an iced coffee, some good music, and a label maker. My style has evolved over the years, and currently I am gravitating towards anything simple, clean, and neutral. 

Farm Theme Birthday Party

A few weeks ago, my little boy, Saelor Ellis, turned two! (How does time go by so fast?!) Last year, I did a lumberjack theme for his birthday and this year I wanted to do something that he's interested in right now. I decided to go with a farm theme because he loves animals, especially farm animals, and his favorite song is Old McDonald. After some quick searching on Pinterest, I got to work on some farm themed crafts.

 Do you see where I messed up on the Old McDonald sign? I realized my A's were backwards when I was almost done, but was too tired to start all over. 

I bought the cupcake toppers from "A Little Paper House" on Etsy and Saelor absolutely loved them.  My in-laws bought him the barn for his birthday and we let him open it a day early so I could use it as decoration. I think I only had time to snap a few pictures before it was taken down because he was so excited to play with it.

It was so fun putting all the crafts together and the birthday was a hit! 

I hope you enjoyed this tour of Saelor's farm theme party.  

Jodi

"Hello! My name is Jodi from The Whispering Pines.  I love to decorate, refurbish old furniture, create small crafts and come up with unique party ideas. I also have a knack for organizing and enjoy experimenting with new recipes. My style is rustic with a touch of farmhouse. If you ask my husband, I could live in antique shops and home decor stores. I love being inspired by others and hope, you too, can gather a little inspiration for your home!" 

Daily Habits to a Keeping a Clean Home

It's actually fairly easy to keep a clean home, if you create 8 daily habits.

BUT... first, let me explain to you how VERY important I think it is to get the children involved in this.  Chores for your children are the best things EVER!  Not only does it help moms and dads out tremendously, but I'm a firm believer that children need this! It teaches them responsibility and it teaches them how to work, which is an important thing in life. My children have chores and they get an allowance at the end of the week for completing their chores too.  

So if you haven't already, set up chore charts for your children. You won't regret it.  I sell TONS of chore charts in my Etsy shop HERE.  

Here are 8 things to do each day to keep a clean home:

* Make Beds

Make the beds every morning. Simple and easy and makes a world of difference in the way the room looks and feels.

* Laundry (1-2 loads a day)

Right off in the morning do a load of laundry.  I actually do at least 2 loads a day.  This means wash, dry, fold and put away.  I keep baskets in my laundry room for clean clothes.  That's where the clean clothes go each day after they've been folded.  They are put into their drawers/closets about once every week or two.

* Empty Trash

Empty all trash cans.

* Dishes

Unload and Load dishes - Unload in the morning, load dishes throughout the day and put the dishes washing in the evening.

* Wipe Kitchen Counters

Keep your counters clear of clutter and wipe them down with hot soapy water. Do this after breakfast, lunch and dinner.

* Vacuum/Sweep Kitchen Floor

After dinner, vacuum or sweep the kitchen floor.

* Pick Up Rooms 

Take a bit of time each day to keep each room picked up.  You can do this in the morning or evening or both.

* Sort Through Mail

Do not just drop your mail on the counter.  Go straight to the garbage can and sort your mail every single day.  Throw out junk mail immediately.  Put your bills and other important papers where they need to go.

There you have it.  Easy daily habits to keeping a clean home. Try it and let me know if you notice a difference.

May you be a little inspired!

Until next time,
DaNita 
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View more of my Most Recent Projects HERE.