Finishing up the closet

Last fall, I re-organized our wrapping paper in the hall closet. I wanted to use the space to hold linens. We're suppose to start renovating the kids' baths so I really needed to finish the closet. Months later, it still looked like this.


This afternoon I swung by Lowe's and had them cut a couple of shelves. I got the boys to help me paint the shelves.


I shouldn't have done that because we all argued and complained the whole time. It did get done but I didn't have any great motherly moment during the process.

After I debated on how far apart to hang the shelves. I measured and re-measured. I spent time drawing level lines. Finally, I was ready for DH's help.  He cut the 1x2 into pieces and hung them on the wall for me.


Closet complete!



I have shelves. I have to wait a day or two for the paint to finish drying. The boys' painting efforts are still a bit tacky. By the time the contractor is ready, my linens will be safe from construction dust in the hall closet.

Airing out the closet

I've been making lists of things to do. One of the big ones was clean out the boys' closet. It had two feet of cr*p on the floor. You couldn't walk in the walk-in closet.

I forgot to take a before picture. Here is the pile of stuff that previously covered the floor.


Here is 'I can see the carpet' shot of the closet. Don't look up on the shelves. That will be another project, another day.


And the piles of stuff that was left. There are a few piles to go back in, and a few piles to donate and to trash.


I know as a mother I should have made the boys do this work themselves. They probably would have learned a good life lesson or something like that. However, the one hour of work on my part, done well and organized, would have been a 12 hour whine fest on their part. Stress free cleaning is much better than life lessons. At least this time.

Oh, the legos, part II

Last night DH & I put together the shelf we bought for the legos.



The boxes of legos fit well on the bottom two shelves and there is plenty of space for lego display above. We even have two extra shelves if the boys are especially productive in lego creating and need more room.

Oh, the legos

It started with trying to get the boys to change their sheets on Sunday. They have bunk beds and I hate changing their sheets, so I'm trying to get them to learn how to do it so I can give up the odious task. They weren't taking to it well and there were lots of complaints. I told them that we could take down the bunk beds and then it would be much easier to make their beds.

Both boys said no because there wouldn't be much room left in their room. I offered to move the train/lego table and the legos out of their room. That wouldn't do either. J did said he wanted some shelves on the wall so he could display his lego creations. My mind started thinking.

A couple times a year, I spent time resorting the legos by kits. It is the virgo in me wanting all the correct pieces together with the instructions. However, it bothered me greatly when a piece was missing and the kits were incomplete. I also found that the boys never played with them. I had all those bags of legos sitting in there collecting dust. Something had to be done. I had to give up on that method of organization and give into sorting by colors.

My friend Susan recently did a display shelf for her kids' legos. She got her idea from pinterest. I did a quick search there on lego storage and came up with this pin, ikea storage with shelves above. I couldn't Tuesday I spent the afternoon with DH helping him navigate the city to do three jobs and stopping at Ikea before picking up the kids.

I was going to copy her idea just as it was, but DH didn't want the permanent, non-flexible shelving. We adjusted our plan.

J, DH and I have spent the time the past two days sorting the legos. That was a job. We have a lot of legos.

Sorted


empty ziplocks


done

Now I'm onto Lego Organization Phase two. But can I convince those boys to actually let me take the bunk beds down? Maybe if I bribe them with promising to always change their sheets.