Recently I got a great question from April regarding my many charts.  She wondered where I stash my charts in order to keep them accessible without making things look cluttered.  Although the fridge is a tempting solution, I like to reserve it for things like my Kid’s Weekly Planners and their current homework.  Consequently, I have to stash my other charts and lists elsewhere.  My favorite stash spots?  The inside of my kitchen cupboards and doors.

For example, the picture above shows the inside of the cupboard door nearest to my fridge.  On it I keep my Mom Game Plan, my Stash Box Challenge sheet, a pack of post-its and a clip of quick-reference school sheets (like the lunch menu, and the school calendar).  I’m not crazy about taping things to the inside of my cupboards and doors, so I use removeable hooks to hold things in place instead.  When used in combination with small binder clips they’re an inexpensive, flexible way to keep everything close at hand.

I use the same basic solution on the inside of my pantry door as well.  Here the clips and hooks hold things like this ziploc bag of clipped box tops, the kid’s lunch boxes, and my Reuseable Grocery List.  As for your question regarding the Picture Job Chart, April, I keep that one on a similar hook inside the hall closet door.  When Saturday morning rolls around I grab the chart from the hook, adjust the jobs, and then post it on the outside of the pantry door for easy viewing.

So there you have it, April.  By keeping my charts and lists in these hidden stash spots around the house, I’m able to keep everything accessible without adding clutter to the public areas of the house.  It’s a simple, cheap and easy way to keep things organized and out of view.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

I wasn’t up for destroying the living room, so we used a corner of a bedroom instead. First, we rearranged the furniture to create a nook. We used bookcases, but kitchen chairs or dressers would work too. Next, I grabbed a spare twin sheet from under my son’s mattress (thanks for the comment on that, by the way).

The big problem with your average blanket fort is all the slippage. To keep the blankets in place, I grabbed a few adhesive hooks from the junk drawer. I used 3M Command Adhesive because they’re easy to remove and reposition. I placed the hooks on the wall above the nook and on the bookcases. Then, I used simple binder clips to grab the sheet and hook it to the walls and furniture.

Over the last four days the fort has been well-used.  It’s been a circus tent, a makeover salon, and a transformer hideout. The hooks are still holding strong and I haven’t heard about the wonders of ‘Air Wick Freshmatic Minis’ in days. That’s a win-win for me. Just thought I’d pass it on.

Of course, the downside to all this aquatic activity is the piles of soggy suits I find all over the house. I can’t count the number of times I’ve found a sopping wet suit in the back corner of a closet or in a heap on the bathroom floor. Not to mention the time I’ve wasted hunting for misplaced suits when we’re trying to get out the door. I needed a simple solution that would protect my floors from the drips and teach my kids a little responsibility at the same time.

Thankfully, an easy solution was only a few dollars away.  First, I purchased some inexpensive but sturdy suction cup hooks from Wal-Mart ($2.50 for 2 hooks). Next, I placed the hooks on the shower wall in the kid’s bathroom; one hook for each child.  I wanted the hooks to be accessible for all of the kids, so I positioned them fairly low on the shower wall.

The results have been fabulous. Now, when we come home from a day of summer splashing, the kids know right where to hang their suits. Better yet, they also know just where to look when it’s time to suit up again. Friday’s my day to wash the linens (see Mom Game Plan post), so on that day I simply add the swimming suits to my towel load and throw them in the wash. When I’m restocking the linen closet later that day, I just toss the suits back onto their hooks.

I know it’s not a particularly creative solution, but it works…and it costs less than $5.  It’s tough to beat that. Just thought I’d pass it on.