• Organized Chaos: Kid’s Closets

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     What a mess!

    We live in a home with imperfect people.  Life has a way of getting messy.  Over time the busy messiness of life over spills into other areas such as our closets.  It happens to all of us, including our kids.

    On this particular day when I opened the closet I noticed several things out of place – clothes out of their specific baskets, shoes not lined up, headbands askew, and the hair accessories organizer not even hung up, hang up clothes in the wrong spots, crafts all out of sorts, and more disorganization.

    Thankfully with the system we have in place it usually doesn’t take too long to get everything back in shape and looking good again.  The kids are not always “excited” about cleaning out their closets, but they do enjoy it once it is done.  It does look much better to Momma too!

    Here are some closet organizational systems we already have in place that make the closet clean up easier:

    Once all the items listed above are checked, organized, and put back into their proper places there is only one thing left to do.  Make sure all the hanging clothes are properly on the hangers and put them in their correct places.  For our family we switch out cold and hot weather clothes depending on the season.  In South Carolina we typically have a longer warm season then some other places so we are a little heavier on the short sleeve shirts and tank tops than on the heavier winter long sleeves and sweaters.

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     I used a picture from the colder season (the long sleeves show the different sections better than pictures with tank tops).  As you can see her long sleeves / vests are on the left side of her closet with her short sleeve shirts in the middle and her dresses on the right side.  In the summer her tank tops would be on the left where her long sleeve shirts / vests are located in this picture.  We do pull out the kids winter dresses and replace them with summer dresses as well.

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     Looks so much better with everything put away and organized nicely!

  • Organized Chaos: Kids Crafts & Activities

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     Kids crafts

    Our kids love doing a variety of crafts and fun activities.  Anything from artwork to bead work to pottery and so much more!   A lot of times for their birthdays or Christmas they will get some neat crafts and activities gifts to do.

    We wanted to find a convenient place to store them until they had time to do the craft. Originally, we had all the craft items stored together in one general location, but not in their room(s).  As the girls got older we had to start putting names on the boxes or items so each one knew which ones were theirs when they went looking for a craft to do.  Since they are twins it is important as parents to make sure that each child has some items that are specifically for them. We felt like this was something easy to do regarding their crafts and it has worked out well for our family.

    Once the kids moved into their own rooms we decided to put their individual crafts on one of their higher shelves in their closets.  Each kid has their own individual craft or activity shelf so they can pick out their specific item whenever they want to do a craft.  Some of the crafts on their shelves are the same while some are completely different.  They can easily get a chair or step stool when they want to pick out a craft to do, but with the crafts being on a higher shelf it isn’t as accessible so when we have younger kids visiting the crafts stay in place and don’t get all spread out.

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     Crafts lined up, visible, and ready to be used.

  • Organized Chaos: Closet Clothes Baskets

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    Baskets of clothes in the closet

    On the bottom shelf in the kids closets we have 3 baskets of clothes.  Each of these baskets contain specific items.  The clothes are easy to access for the kids.  The baskets make good use of the space between the the hanging clothes and the bottom rack.

    The 3 Baskets contain:

    1. Basket of Blue Jeans and Pants
    2. Basket of Shorts and Skirts
    3. Basket of Outside Play Clothes

    In the Spring  and Summer the short and skirt basket will be in the center with the jeans / pants as well as the outside play clothes are on the sides.  During the Fall and Winter the jeans and pants are in the middle with the short / skirt as well as the outside play clothes are on the sides.  All the girls have to do is grab a shirt from the hanger above, a bottom (jeans, pants, shorts, or skirt) from one of the baskets and they have the majority of their outfits picked out.  When they are going to play outside they can pick a shirt and bottom out of their outside play clothes.

    They usually do pretty well with keeping the correct items in the right baskets.  Although, sometimes when they are in a hurry or if they are digging for a specific pair of jeans they don’t always keep all their items folded nicely.  For the most part they keep the baskets looking good.  If the baskets do get messed up we can just pull out one or all three baskets and fold or organize them again.

    We have been using this system for a few years now and it works well for our kids.  It helps makes those busy mornings go more smoothly.  Even though they are suppose to lay out their clothes the night before sometimes they forget or decide to switch into something else at the last minute.

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    Basket on the left is full of shorts & skirts.  The middle basket is full of jeans and pants.

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    The middle basket is jeans / pants and on the left side the basket is full of outside play clothes.

  • Catching the Kids Reading

    Summer Reading

    Brina relaxing and reading on the couch

    I love walking into a room and seeing my kids reading a good book.  There is one kid in particular in our family that is always reading any time she gets a chance while the other one I do a silent cheer every time I see her pull out a book to read on her own.  It is great seeing them get swept away into the story and hearing their little giggles as they are reading fun part makes me smile.

    Reading came really easy for one of our girls while the other one it has been a lot harder.  Thankfully we were able to figure out what was holding her back (dyslexia) and have spent the last few years working with reading tutors to help her develop her reading skills.  It has felt like a long (and sometimes painful) process for both me as a Mom and my sweet girl, but we have gone so far.  Anytime I see her reading on her own it makes my heart so happy.  I love my girls and always want to encourage them as they learn various skills throughout their lives even if it means putting forth a lot of extra time and effort on my part.

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    All smiles as she relaxes and reads

    Summer Reading

    Soaking up a good story

  • Organized Chaos: Kids Shoes

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     Organized Kids Shoes

    We live in an older house.  Most days it’s fine, but there are a few things (like any house) that we would love to change.  The closets in this house are pretty small.  When the girls shared a room their closet was full even though they were babies.  All the closets had in them when we moved in was a small wooden shelf with one metal bar underneath to hang clothes on.  We have slowly been converting the closets to a rack system* which allows us to use the space we have more efficiently.

    The kids are now in their own rooms and we have updated both of their closets with the rack system.  We decided to leave a space underneath the bottom rack for their shoes.  They have enough space to stack both shoes from each set under their bottom rack and line them up.

    The shoes that are stored in their closets are slippers, sandals, crocs, dress shoes, and ones they were for special occasions.  The girls dirtier shoes like their school shoes, outside boots, and other outside shoes or sandals stay in a basket by the back door or the garage.  It makes me happy when I look into their closets and see them neat with their shoes lined up.

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    Shoes lined up in the kids closet!

    *If you are looking at converting your closets to a rack system you can locate them at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or another store. 

  • Organized Chaos: Hair Accessory Organizer

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    All Brina’s headbands, flowers, decorative hair ornaments organized and in one spot

    A few months ago I showed you our  Easy DIY Headband Holder.  As you can see from the pictures on this post we are still using it.  It works very well for our girls.  Since they wear more than just headbands I wanted to find a solution that would help organize all the pretty, fluffy, and decorative hair ornaments they have as well.

    My qualifications for getting these items organized:

    • Must assist in making these items more organized
    • Able to be hung in a visible location and still look nice
    • Easy to see, reach, and get access to the items when the kids need them
    • Reasonably priced organizer because I will need 2 (one in each of the kids room)
    • Something that we could hang near to the headbands (which were already hanging on the back of their closet doors).

    It took me a little longer to find the perfect organizer for these items.  Part of the reason it took longer is I wasn’t really sure what I wanted for the decorative hair accessories.  I wasn’t in a rush so I just kept an eye out for ideas while in various stores.  One day when I was going through CVS the clearance section happened to catch my eye.  I paused for a moment and these little blue and black organizers were in the clearance section marked down to $1.*  After looking at them and thinking about them I decided to pick them up and see if I could make them work for the kids hair accessories.

    It was exactly the type of item I was looking for and at a great price!  The organizer fit all the current hair accessories items I wanted to put in it plus had room for some extra ones too.  When I am on top of things (which doesn’t always happen) I will put the kids seasonal hair accessories in the extra pockets on the organizer too (ie. Christmas, July 4th, Halloween, etc… hair accessories during that specific season).

    The organizer hangs on the back of the closet door where the kids can easily reach it.  It goes right under the Easy DIY Headband Holder  so everything is available in one spot.  The items are visible and easy to reach.  It meets all my qualifications for getting the kids hair accessories organized.  These have worked very well for our family!

    *I tried to find these on the CVS website, but either they do not carry them online or they are not available.  You can look in your local store or I am sure there are other stores that carry a similar item.  This one on Amazon or something similar might work well too if you are looking for one.

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    Looking down on the Easy DIY Headband Holder and Hair Accessory Organizer as it is hanging on the closet door

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    Organized and ready to go!

  • Organized Chaos: Jewelry Organizer

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    Necklace & Jewelry Organizer

    Having girls in the house means you are bound to have some jewelry around.  As the girls got older they continued to accumulate more necklaces.  It slowly became harder to keep the necklaces organized without them getting tangled or putting them in a spot that was hard for them to easily access.

    I wanted to find something simple, easy, and reasonably priced.  It took awhile of looking around to find one that I liked and could hang on the back of their closet doors.  I ended up finding this one at our local Michaels store and bought it using a coupon.  At first I only got one because I wanted to make sure I really liked it before getting another one.  After a couple weeks I still liked it so I used another coupon and got the second one.  It has been nice to having all their necklaces organized and visible.

    Our kids are using it mostly for necklaces since they do not have pierced ears yet, but you can use it for earrings, belts, watches, scarves, rings, bracelets, ties, or a multitude of other things.  I like that it is  simple design, not too big, and yet pretty.  It hung on the back of the closet door so it is accessible for the kids to reach when they want to wear one of their special necklaces.  All of these necklaces were given to them from family or friends and have special memories so I am happy that they are now displayed well and tangle free.

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    Brina’s necklaces are organized now!

  • Organized Chaos: Keeping Track of Water Bottles

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    Labeled Water Bottles

    Since we have two kids the same age and gender they have several items that are identical.  A common identical item that both kids have are their water bottles.  Like the blue water bottles with the owls on the outside pictured above.  A few months ago we had some issues with everybody using whatever water bottle they wanted (even if it was their sister’s), however, during the course of the school day their sister’s water bottle would get dropped, dented, scratched, broken, or misplaced. The next time that sister wanted to use her water bottle it was gone or had additional marks on it.

    I know it seems crazy, but there have been some serious discussions between the two kids in our house over damaged or lost special water bottles.  I am pretty sure no other household has these types of discussions in their home, but there were a few times I had to intervene in these conversations.  Although, items will get dropped or damaged the more they are used I had to find a solution so that these discussions would not be happening on a regular basis in our house. Prior to this year neither child cared which water bottle they took, but the older they get the more they want their items to look good and last longer.  I am happy they they want to take good care of their items we just had to find a method to track which water bottle belonged to who.

    My initial solution to the problem super easy, took only a couple seconds, and was very inexpensive.  I wrote their names on the special water bottles with a permanent black sharpie.  The names were written on the bottoms and / or sides of the water bottles so that each kid could easily see if it was theirs before taking it out of the drawer.  It was amazing how quickly the issue was resolved, however, after a several washings the permanent marker would wear off making it harder to tell whose water bottle it was again. Now I use several different methods to identify or keep track of the special water bottles:

    • Write the Names on the Water Bottles with Black Permanent Marker (easy and inexpensive, but washes off over time)
    • Use a washable Label with their Individual Names Printer on it – My personal favorite are the thin Lovable Labels ones because they stay on through MANY washes (anywhere from a few months to years as long as your kids don’t try peeling them off)
    • Purchase water bottles with their Names printed or engraved on them (usually more expensive, but works really well). My favorite place to get printed or engraved names on water bottles is Oriental Trading.

    There are several generic water bottles that anybody can use at any time in the drawer, however, the special ones have each child’s name on them.  The special water bottles usually have the child’s name written in permanent sharpie on the bottom and a label (or name printed / engraved) on the side of the water bottle.  Occasionally someone accidentally picks up the wrong water bottle, but for the most part everyone uses their own or a generic one.

    Now if they lose or damage their water bottle then they are the only ones inconvenienced by their actions.  One of our kids tends to be a little rougher on water bottles (clipping or tying them to her book bag which is bumped against everything in its path, dropping, or just forgetting it).  She has gotten a lot better as she is getting older, but I have to smile when she brings home just the water bottle top because I know that means the water bottle itself did not survive it’s nose dive to the concrete floor at school.

  • Tooth Fairy Visits and Braces!

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    Karlie tooth fairy reward

    There is a lot going on around our house lately regarding teeth.  Recently, Brina got a spacer and braces for her teeth.  Both girls have lost some of their baby teeth too.  The tooth fairy has been staying busy at our house.  We do a variety of different things for the tooth fairy.  Typically we give a note, cash and a special gift.  The special gift can be a book, necklace, toy, or a variety of different items that appeal to the specific child.

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     Brina showing off her new braces!

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    Another tooth fairy gift for Karlie

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    Tooth fairy is now visiting Brina’s room

  • SMILING IT FORWARD™ with Tylenol®

    The makers of TYLENOL® were so inspired by the “feel better” smiles shared organically by moms across the country online that they’ve teamed up with How I Met Your Mother star and mom of two, Alyson Hannigan, to launch the SMILING IT FORWARD™ campaign

    Today I’m SMILING IT FORWARD™  because there’s nothing in this world that makes me smile more than seeing my children happy and healthy!

    Our girls were born 7 weeks early so they started out in the NICU.  We have made numerous trips to the pediatrician and various doctors over the past few years.  You know you’ve been to the doctor a lot when you are on first name basis with the staff at the doctor’s office!

    As a mom I have learned that one of the most stressful times is when your child is sick, especially as infants when they cannot tell you what hurts.  I usually see the first sign of sickness in my daughter’s eyes then I start noticing that she’s not really playing or acting like her normal cheery self.  Sometimes if I catch it early enough we can ward off the sickness or at least lessen the severity of it, with some extra liquids and rest.  But, unfortunately it is not always possible to get them feeling better before the full sickness sets in.

    Sick kids usually mean more snuggles and attention from mom.  It also usually results in a tired mom who is being woken up in the middle of the night, running to the store for extra Gatorade, holding a cool cloth on their forehead while waiting for the medicine to kick in, encouraging them to eat or drink tidbits, cleaning up sick messes, and many more tasks.  While a sick kid is exhausting for mom that moment when she gets to feeling better and you see that smile break free it is worth it all.   Shortly after you see that smile you know she’ll be back to her happy self soon!

    Here’s the picture I shared on SMILING IT FORWARD™

    What makes you smile? What picture will you share?

    More About SMILING IT FORWARD™

    Between September 17, 2013 and January 31, 2014, McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®, is inviting anyone 18 and older to share a photo that makes them smile on SmilingItForward.com. Each photo approved & shared will trigger a $1.00 donation from TYLENOL® to Children’s Health Fund, with a minimum donation of $75,000 and a maximum donation of $100,000. Review Terms and Conditions for complete program details. For information about Children’s Health Fund, visit www.childrenshealthfund.org

    In addition to sharing your photos, you can also visit:

    I have received information and products from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks.