Thanks for all your great homework suggestions from last week’s Talk To Me Tuesday post.  I’ve already put several of them to the test.  You guys are going to be a fabulous resource for me!  Keep up the great comments.

I love sweater season.  I yearn for the first chilly days of fall like most people look forward to the first signs of spring.  As soon as the temperature starts to drop I stock my closet with stacks of cozy cashmere, cotton, and wool.  Of course the downside to all that sweater binging is that by mid-January my favorite sweaters and jackets are inevitably showing signs of wear. 

Little fuzzy balls and bits of woolen fluff can make even the most expensive sweater look cheap and unattractive.  Over the years, I’ve tried several sweater shaver gadgets and gizmos but never been pleased with the results.  Then, a few weeks ago I was watching a home makeover show and saw the host use a cheap little plastic razor to remove the pilling from the cushions of an old sofa.  I immediately thought about my sweater pilling problem and wondered if this easy solution could work for them as well. 

I whipped out one of my favorite sweaters and grabbed a little pink daisy razor from my bathroom drawer.  Much to my surprise it worked fabulously.  Thirty minutes and two razors later, I had managed to remove the annoying fuzz balls from 10 sweaters, 2 jackets, and my favorite wool coat.

Generally I’ve found that I get the best results if I lay the sweater out flat on the kitchen table but if you’re in a pinch it also works when you’re wearing the sweater.  Just pull the section you’re going to shave very taught use short vertical strokes.  Sharp razors yield the best results and you’ll want to replace it when you find the razor rolling over the pilling instead of cutting it off.  Don’t worry about using the more expensive multi-blade razors, the cheap one or two-blade razors work just as well.  One package of those little pink disposable wonders can save a whole closet full of sweaters and cost you less than a dollar.  It’s tough to beat a bargain like that.  Just through I’d pass it on. 

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As I mentioned before, moving to a new house always has its challenges. In addition to finding new spots for our ocean of toys, I’ve also had to come up with a new solution for our mudroom. In our new house, the entryway from the garage is a small mudroom/laundry room. It’s only about 5 feet wide and the washer and dryer take up a significant portion of the width. I needed a place to store backpacks, keys, jackets, purses, and other ‘out the door’ essentials without interrupting the traffic flow.

As I was wandering the aisles of Target searching for a cheap solution, I came across these awesome peg boards. Yet another successful Pottery Barn knockoff from our friends at Target, these square peg boards are a perfect solution for tight spaces. In addition to the cool peg boards, they also offer coordinating dry erase boards and cork boards to allow for tons of configuration options. But of course, the best part is the customization. Much like their garage wall predecessors, these peg boards offer tons of flexiblity. Target sells a wide variety of hooks, boxes, racks and clips to help you create a perfect spot for all your must-haves.

On our board, I’ve got several small silver key hooks, a few sturdier hooks for my purse, a box for things like sunglasses and sunscreen, and a 4-arm swinging hook for the kid’s backpacks and jackets. At first, the hooks seemed a little loose and tended to pop out if I pulled at the wrong angle. I solved that problem by picking up a pack of ticky tack and placing a small dot of it around the peg of each hook. Now everything stays in its place and can the hooks can stand up to my kid’s toughest yanks.

In addition to mud rooms like mine, they’d be a great addition to any kid’s rooms, garages, craft areas and much more. We’ve used the system for a few months now, and it’s held up beautifully. The total set up cost me around $35. Considering I haven’t lost my keys or tripped over a backpack yet, I’d say it’s well worth the price. Just thought I’d pass it on.

[ratings]

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This is not a novel idea, just a new twist on an old one. I really wanted my kids to be able to get themselves dressed in the morning, but found the current systems were not designed to be kid-friendly, they were designed to look nice in perfect magazine closets. I created this system as a handy alternative.

I bought a rolling under-bed wrapping paper box from WalMart. I created the dividers by trimming a sheet of white foam core posterboard and then attached them with clear packing tape. I also covered the edges with clear packing tape to add durability. I printed the labels onto white cardstock and then attached them to both the bottom and side of each section with clear laminating film.

On laundry day, I sort the kids clothes into baskets. They pick the shirt, underwear and socks they want to wear each day and I help them find the pants to match. Whatever is left in the basket gets put away in their drawers and the bin rolls back under their bed.

This solution is great because it’s completely kid friendly. Nothing has to be neatly folded and it’s all within reach of even the smallest arms.  Just thought I’d pass it on.  You can find the free file download for the ‘days of the week’ labels below.

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