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.