Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Heard You Thought I Was Organizing My Linen Closet...

Okay all, I'm still backed up from the day of ick, and going back to work has put a snag in my progress in the challenge.  However, I'm trying to visit as many of the participants as I can to see what they're up to, because others' ideas can be so inspiring!

So, here's the thing.  My official linen closet is currently serving time as a makeship (and very messy) pantry and catch-all closet:

**If you have young children, you may want to take them out of the room.**



BEHOLD!




If this photo had a sountrack, it would be a blood-curdling scream. I look at this photo and ask myself: Why is it so very messy?  Why is my fall wreath on the floor?  Do I really need Peeps from last Easter? What must my DYSON be thinking? What is IN cheeseballs anyway?  I have no answers. 


Due to the monopolized (read: traumatized) linen closet, I store the girls linens in their bedroom closet, under and above some of their clothes bins.  It's not AWFUL, but it ain't good. 


And their stockpile of towels and washcloths reside in this here overwhelmed basket.  I would argue that they ARE in a container!  Objection!  SUSTAINED!   Fine.

So this is the state of affairs.  I'm pondering whether or not to restore some of the linen closet to LINEN space, or to better-organize my existing system. I would LOVE some input.

Meanwhile, my 5 year-olds are out-organizing me, and that's just sad.






 
IHeart Organizing

17 comments:

Jen @ By Jen ❤️ said...

I say you gotta work with the space you have. Maybe a few more containers, a few less peeps from Easter and there you go. Feel better soon!

Megan said...

I laughed when you said the comment about kids being taken out of the room. My 22 month old was helping me out and she climbed up in my empty closet and sat on the shelf for a few min lol.

Jenn @ Peas and Crayons said...

OMG you're hilarious! for some reason the peeps had me on the Ifloor laughing... and other random comments written on your photos -- love it!

Best of luck organizing! I'm doing lots of the same =)

xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

ps: OMG DYSON -- i cannot live without mine!

Andrea said...

Okay, I laughed out loud at your post! How fun! :)

I loved the little comments and labels on all the stuff. Peeps? You seriously eat those things? LOL

I don't have much advice on what to do, other than when all else fails, put it in Rubbermaid! ROFL!

Kristen said...

I say keep the make shift pantry as your pantry if you need to - that other closet is great for linens.
Maybe a trip to the Dollar store to get some bins and containers. (I feel better when I shop first...)
And the Peeps have to go...your Dyson is going to revolt if you don't get rid of them soon!! :)

Megan said...

I didn't do this challenge because my linen closet is already organized. Want to know why? Because it only has towels and there are only two of us. And I wanted to use the bottom half to store my games, which, by the way, are overflowing. Point is that I store the sheets in the same room with the beds (in a nightstand or dresser or in the drawer under the bed) and extra blankets are usually stored in the antique trunk in the family room but are sometimes laid out flat on the spare bed to help avoid creases.

Keeping Life Fun with one Craft at a Time said...

I hear your pain! Took me all day to do this one.

Anonymous said...

To me it looks like you're on the right track - just maybe a tweak and it'll be exactly what you'd like. I would keep the linens with the girls and continue using your closet as a pantry. Once you're up and running full steam again, a little decluttering and straightening will take you a long way.

Thanks for the laugh!

Unknown said...

Yay!!! You have my Get Clean button on your blog. THANK YOU!!! :)

appleandi said...

we live in a 1,000 sq ft house with three kids and one on the way. our coat closet is our pantry and all of our clothes are kept in our basement laundry room. when you have a smaller house you have to think outside the box, or as i like to say, outside the closet! your pantry/closet is working for you, it just needs to work harder at being organized, whip that closet into shape girl!

My world said...

hahahaah 9,000 candles :0)

Amanda said...

i think you can totally leave the closets for the purposes you are using them for now. looks like you have a good system going on. just need a little straightening and rearranging. i like having boys blankets in their room, so when its time ot change their bed in the middle of the night i'm not running all over the house to get new sheets.

hope you're feeling better soon. good for you for still posting and thinking about it

Sally said...

@ Donavan...give or take. :)

IHeart Organizing said...

Love your post, made me giggle! You are awesome!

Thanks for sharing with me!

xoxo,
Jen

Becky@Organizing Made Fun said...

You are very funny! Trust me, organizing takes tweeking, sometimes, just to figure out how to make things work in houses that don't always have things set up "normally"! Keep it up. I'm sure that soon you'll be very organized...cause it's fun!

Becky B.

Anonymous said...

You are cracking me up, but I want you to know there was a label maker ad just below this post. LOL!

Angie said...

I don't have a linen closet, or even a used-to-be linen closet. I have a rather large closet in the bathroom, but that holds the towels. I also keep respective linens in each bedroom. We just have two-three sheet sets per room. And we have some decent sized closets. maybe try some of those clear storage bins to keep on the top shelves in the closets for the sheets. Quilt folded on top?