18 Reader Space: Laundry Room Love Affair!

OK Dudes and Dudettes... You know I rarely play favorites.  And I have seen a lot of makeovers in my time.  Like, a lot.  And I have to say, this one ranks super duper high on my list of ohmygoshicantbelievemyeyes makeovers.  The before and after photos are jaw dropping, but what really gets me is the final budget.  I think that is why I am so over the moon obsessed with this laundry room transformation.  Kelly, from the blog View Along the Way, used a total of $157 smackaroos to create an absolutely priceless space, thanks to a little elbow grease and oodles of creativity.

Here she is now to share all the details on how she made a laundry room to lust after!

What is the main function of your space?

"Laundering our unmentionables."

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"An oldie but a goodie: designate a place for everything.  But especially in a space like a laundry room that exists only for function, keep everything in a spot that's comfortable and accessible.  I keep the laundry detergent right over the washing machine, and I'm on the tall side so it's within easy reach for me.  Stuff I use less often, like my iron {*ahem* #iliveinyogapants}, stays on the top shelf.  Everything that's not cute stays hidden behind those cabinet doors."

What items did you find were essential when organizing the space, and why?

"One thing that's been virtually lifesaving is my drying rack.  My baby girl wears cloth diapers, so we used to have to haul out a free-standing drying rack every few days and put it back when the diapers were dry.  Except we rarely actually put it back, so it just got in the way and gave me one more excuse to put off doing another load of laundry." 

What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

"I stenciled the back wall with a peacock stencil and iridescent paint.  Totally not functional, but it makes me happy, so that counts for something.  My husband made the fancy geometric light fixture, which we ended up loving so much that we're starting to wonder if we should move it to one of our main living spaces where we can see it more often!"

What items did you DIY to stay on budget?

"We DIY'd everything!  The floors were a yellowed, old linoleum, and to save a few bucks, we decided to take a chance and try painting them in chunky horizontal stripes.  I'm so glad we did because it worked so much better than I expected.  They still look perfect, without a scratch to be found.  The cabinet came from a yard sale, and we built the shelves out of scrap wood in our garage.  {Which, by the way, could really use your expertise, Jen!}"  

How has this space impacted your life for the better?

"Not once since we did this room makeover have I ever fallen behind on laundry.  Okay, that's not true at all.  But when I DO finally get around to catching up on it?  It's a hundred times more enjoyable!  We used to just have one wire shelf on the back wall so our laundry products were overflowing and falling off the shelf, and I could never find what I was looking for.  Now everything is within reach and I know where to find it.  Before, no matter how much I scrubbed I could never get that floor to look clean, so it always felt like an uncomfortable space to be washing our clothes.  Now it's a happy space, and the extra organization means I spend less time doing chores and more time hangin' with my kiddos."

Let's take a moment to glance at that absolutely awesomepants laundry room before and after....

Oh boy, where do I begin.  Why do IHeart this space so much?  Hmmmmm.... do you have a few hours for me to explain the reasons?

• She painted the floor.  Wait.  One more time.  She painted the floor!  Totally resourceful and to make it even better, she painted the floor with stripes that make a huge impact!  Heck yes.
• She also stenciled a focal wall.  A girl after my own heart, I am a focal wall addict.  
• She only spent $157 to make her room look like a million bucks.  Enough said.
• She found storage from a thrift sale.  Talk about poppin' tags!  And then she DIY'd shelves out of scrap wood.  Looking at it, you would never know that the entire setup wasn't a high-end custom install. 
• She really thought about placement when storing away her laundry room gear.  Frequently used items within reach, less used items up higher.  No worries Kelly, #ilovemesomeyogapantstoo
• That wall mounted drying rack is such a smart way to utilize the small space.  No more tripping over the rack on the floor.  
• High fives for tucking the non-pretty necessities behind doors and keeping the good lookin' stuff on display.  
• Who wouldn't want to do laundry in that space?  I am sure she definitely whistles while she works!

Stunning right?  You can find even more eye candy and specific details about the laundry room transformation over on Kelly's blog here.  And what is even more exciting is that she is also sharing some exciting news and details over on BHG's Style Spotter's blog.  Wahoo!

This makeover story got me wondering, what's the best $157 you have ever spent?

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

2 IHeart: Luv Chicken Boosters & a GIVEAWAY!

You know I luv you right?  Like to the moon and back.  And I know that you all luv the little chickadees in your lives, whether it be your own kiddo, a niece, a nephew, a grandchild or just someone itty bitty and uber special.  With all of this luvin' going on, I couldn't be more smitten to be bringing you a super sweet giveaway this week!

Luv Chicken Booster Cushions for Kids solve the problem of boosting kids up to the table once they have outgrown their plastic baby booster seat.  They are stylish, functional and fun!  The handle not only makes the cushion portable, but also easy to store.  They can be hung on a hook and out of the way when not in use.

The kid-safe, coated fabric makes the cushion easy to clean so you don't have to worry about spills or splatters.  Good-bye chunky buckles and ties!  These cushions have a non-slip material on the bottom that helps them stay put.

Great when eating, crafting and doing homework. They also make wonderful floor cushions and can even be taken to the movie theater and restaurants!  They work great for little ladies and lads between the ages of 18 months and 7 years.

Raise those hands if you are excited to snag one of these awesome cushions for that special little someone in your life!

Awesome!  Time for one lucky IHeart Organizing reader to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All IHeart Organizing readers can receive 15% off your Luv Chicken Booster order by entering the code iheart15 at checkout!

Good luck everyone and...

IHeart Organizing official giveaway entry rules can always be found here.

38 May Mini-Challenge: A Cleaning Plan for our Clan

How has the cleaning been going this month?  I was struck with the flu so things slowed down a bit this last couple of days, but I still have big plans to get things done within the last 9 days in May!

Although I have shared bits of this in the past, I figured there was no time like the present, given this month's challenge, to share another super quick cleaning tip!

Create a cleaning plan!

I have plans to go into much more detail on how we work together as a family with our chores, in an upcoming post, however, I thought it was worth popping in to share a high level version today.

We have tried every reward system and chore chart system in the world.  And nothing really stuck or worked until we placed all of our daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual cleaning tasks, in a single happy home.

Here's the deal.  Our home doesn't always sparkle.  We are not living in a magazine ready home and it is very loved and lived in by five crazy folks and two furry pets.  That said, if I don't give myself and my clan some sort of cleaning plan, the house goes downhill, and fast!

The process to create a cleaning plan was quite simple:

First, I started out by going through the rooms in our home and jotting down on a scrap sheet of paper, the different cleaning tasks that should take place within each.

Second, I assigned a frequency to each task.

Third, I categorized each task by frequency, on a more streamlined cleaning checklist.  With so many items I want to tackle each day/week/month, having them on a single checklist ensures I remember to wash our linens and cycle clean our dishwasher.

Fourth, we are a clan that works together so we can play together.  Rather than having separate chore charts for each kiddo, they actively use the family cleaning checklist as well.  Each chore is assigned to a member of the family to take ownership of.  That way, no one person is left managing all of the household tasks, and everyone can find a routine. 

Fifth step is to pop that checklist into a nice big frame.  The glass front acts as a dry-erase board so that we can clear the checklist each day/week/month, etc...  Since I have OCD list making tendencies, this method prevents me from writing and re-writing our tasks.

Final step is to dedicate a spot in the house for the frame to be mounted.  I try to keep fridge clutter to a minimum, but the frame keeps it looking more polished.  And the side of the fridge isn't all that visual from other areas in the home, but it's a nice little nook to dedicate to our lists.

The frames are mounted with Command Picture Hanging Strips, and can easily be removed down the road if we should need to.

The other frame you have spotted above, is our nightly routine and schedule.  It is just a simple way to keep the fam on track with time management and prioritizing simple daily habits {such as helping with chores, doing homework, reading and brushing teeth}.  Because we have learned the hard way, without schedule help, our days slip away fast!

Do we stick to our schedule every. single. day?  Nope.  We like to live on the wild side and skip a day from time to time....  Of course no day is predictable and things come up and life gets crazy busy with school events and play dates, but the checklist is a simple way to keep us on task and ensure our home gets some love along the way.

Anyone else use a checklist to stay on track with cleaning and household chores?  What's your favorite cleaning task {mine is cleaning glass}, or how about your least favorite {that would be toilets, ew}.

 

Pssst!  For a limited time only in the spirit of the monthly challenge, you can snag your free cleaning checklist printable here!  You can also purchase a customized version from my Etsy shop here.  Love y'all!