Putting things where you always need them
Making the best of use of my time sometimes means putting things in odd places. I was thinking tonight about some of the items in our house that are quirkily placed in order to help life run more smoothly. I'm not sure why I think the items are placed quirkily, except that my mom didn't put them there, and my friends don't put them there. Who defines quirky, anyway?
- Hairbrush in the powder room, for last minute kid's combing on the way to school/church
- Gum in the basket beside the door, just in case :)
- Sunglasses hanging on the rack beside my keys (beside the garage door)
- Candles and matches next to the jacuzzi bath and the dining room table
- Rags and workgloves in the mudroom/laundry room
- Plastic grocery bags and cleaning rags under the bathroom vanity
- Sharpie marker in the sippy cup cabinet, for quick labeling
What are some of the oddly-placed items in your house that work really well for you?
Labels: home and garden
posted by Ann @TheAssetEdge @ October 17, 2007
8 Comments:
I keep both kids' pajamas in the bathroom, not their bedrooms.
That way, we don't drip on the way to their bedrooms, and I'm never tempted to leave a child in the bath to retrieve pajamas.
Great ideas! I enjoy organizing this way, too.
Cate's hair bows and brush and the kids' toothbrushes are in a divided plastic container in a kitchen drawer. I always do her hair just before we eat breakfast. And we brush teeth right after breakfast. We kept forgetting to brush their teeth when we had to go back upstairs to do it.
We keep the straws (when we have them) in the cupboard with the drinking glasses instead of having to dig around in the utensil drawer or pantry.
Having a small flathead and Phillips screwdriver in a kitchen drawer is helpful for changing batteries and making small fixes. (And we keep batteries close by, too.)
We also keep a lighter hidden (from the kids) in our bedroom for bathtub and bedroom candles.
Many people probably do this already -- store a handful of trash can liners/bags in the bottom of the trash can under the bag you're currently using.
You've got me thinking now! :-)
These don't seem quirky at all! I'm all about "whatever works best".
I keep a Sharpie in my drawer with the Ziploc bags for labeling when I do freezer cooking.
I keep all my tea bags in the cupboard with the coffee cups & coffee press. My Splenda jar is located right below on top of the microwave. That way everything is together for tea {I love tea!}.
Those are the only "quirks" I can come up with at the moment ;>)
Right now I have extra baby items in my bedside table drawer - diapers, burp clothes, breast pads, baby clothes - for middle of the night needs.
I keep a flat head and phillips head screwdrewer, a small hammer and batteries in a kitchen drawer.
I keep extra headache medicine and stomach medicine in the kitchen cupboards.
I have a basket beside my couch with all my shoes! I always kick them off when I walk in so instead of having them all in the living room (or putting them neatly away in my closet) I just toss them in there!
Hi Ann!! Thanks for some great ideas & getting me to thinking!
One thing we do is keep a king size sheet in the cabinet of the built in entertainment center in the 'little den'(a very small playroom) so that it's ready anytime for an indoor picnic. Just spread it out on the carpet & enjoy. Afterwards, the clean up is as easy as folding it up & taking it outside to shake out. If there's ever a spill just toss in the wash.
That's the only one that I can come up with for now!
I wanted to say HELLO & though I don't often take the time to comment(as I ALWAYS get to long-winded!) I'm still enjoying your blog.
I've thought about you several times since school started & wondered how things were/are going with y'all.
RoseAnne
Great ideas on the PJs - it'll keep the kids much warmer if they dress in the bathroom!
Toothbrushes in the kitchen make that last minute brushing before school go much more smoothly - thanks Christy!
Sharpies, Rebecca, I agree should be in every room in the house (up away from little toddler hands!)
Shannon, your shoes make me laugh! We have a shoebin next to one of our doors for that very reason!
Roseann, your blanket in the den made me think about keeping a blanket in the playroom for spontaneous forts.
THANKS for so many great ideas ladies!!!
Ann
I just found another "hiding" place. I keep baby clippers and a baby file on my end tables, so during play or nursing, I can catch those snags in W's nails.
One more - keep windex & paper towels under your bathroom sinks. When you have unexpected company, you can excuse yourself to the restroom and do a quick rub down of sink and mirror. I read that somewhere over a year ago and it has worked wonders for me. I was thankful the first time, because my grandmother and aunt and uncle called and said they were 5 minutes away. I used the five minutes to brush my hair and pick up the living room. Then when they arrived, I excused myself and cleaned the bathroom (and brushed my teeth there too!). And they thought I just had to pee....;)
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