Benched

The kids have been in school for two months now, and we are finally settled into a routine.  Bedtimes are established once again, and I finally got the kids into the habit of laying out their clothes the night before so that they aren't running around in the mornings looking for socks or underwear.  My only issue is that I don't have a place for them to lay out their book bags, shoes, and coats.  Right now, they are thrown on a chair in my kitchen, and I really want to find a spot specifically for these items. 

I looked around a little online, and found some pretty awesome log furniture.  There was this one bench in particular that I love, and it looks perfect for what I need.  What do you think?

  It's long enough to hold all three book bags and coats, and their shoes can be placed underneath it. They could even sit there to get their shoes on in the mornings, instead of fighting over space on the couch.  I will never understand why one kid needs to sit exactly where another kid is already sitting.  This is a constant, everyday thing in our house, and it drives me crazy.

This bench might just save my sanity.

Getting Organized

Ryan has spent the past few days organizing our shed. Junior has a million and two tools, and they were just thrown in there. Ryan has been going through them and putting them in tool chests. I don't think these tools have ever been so organized.

Ryan's energy has been rubbing off on me a little, and I have been cleaning up inside the house. My kitchen needs to be organized better, but I just don't know where to start. When we moved in, I couldn't unpack much because I had just had surgery. The kids tried to help, but most things just got stuck in the cabinets without much thought to organization. It's been almost a year, and I have left everything where the kids put them. I really need to take everything out of the cabinets, and start over.

The kitchen itself could use some updating, too. I would love new linoleum on the floor, and a new sink would be nice, too. Right now it has a tiny little sink that doesn't hold many dishes. I was looking at stainless steel sinks and found some that have a lower middle bar. It's called a "smart divide" sink, and it is designed to make it easier to wash cookie sheets and long pans. I wouldn't mind having one of those. I do a lot of baking, and it would make washing those dishes easier. If I was a little more "green" I would chose a granite sink made from environmentally friendly materials. Those do come in some pretty awesome colors. But, since this is a rental, I am sure the landlords will put in whatever is cheapest. When I finally get my own place, everything will be exactly what I want.

But for now, I need to start emptying the cabinets. Sounds like fun, right?

The After Pictures

I think I made good progress. I still have some things that I need to find a home for, but I think I need more drawers first! lol! I didn't picture the bottom drawer...maybe I'll tackle that tomorrow. For tonight, I am tired and ready for bed. I will be dreaming about organized yarn baskets, too....