An Organized Pool / Laundry Room

A recent client called me because her family was getting a pool put in (!), and she needed help revamping her laundry room to fit all of their pool stuff.....think: wet towels, bathing suits, pool toys, sunscreen, etc. As usual, I was up for the challenge!

 But first, let me back up for a moment....

Some of you may not know this, but when a client first contacts me for help, I ask for a few pictures of the space in question. This helps me to brainstorm organizing solutions, as well as pick up a few organizing supplies that might help us. By no means is the client required to keep the items I bring, but I've found that 99% of my clients love this *free* service that I offer. Who doesn't love a personal shopper?! (Of course, I ask to be reimbursed for the items, but just don't charge an additional fee for my time.)

I got super excited when I found this wrought iron ladder with 5 hanging baskets. My client wanted to get rid of the old shelving in her laundry room, but still needed a storage solution. And one that didn't protrude too far from the wall.

I put a 3M Command hook rack like this on the back of the door for her kids to hang their wet suits, while they are still small. Once they are taller, they can use the hooks on the newly installed gray shelves (see below).

 Here's a closer look at the ladder, plus a few shelves with hooks that I picked up for wet towels & bathing suits. Now each of her kids has a basket with their swimsuits, and the bottom basket holds 2 hats for each family member. We purged quite a bit of items from the existing shelves, and moved the pet food into the adjoining room.

 Quite the difference on the laundry side of the room too! We purged some items, moved a lot of the cleaning supplies into the cabinets, and relocated the pet supplies to the adjoining room.

Whenever I see a blank wall, I see usable space. Now, on the wall to the right of her dryer, are her most-used laundry items. Super accessible and easy to reach!

This client's dad lives nearby and was able to come over and install all of these shelves during our appointment. What a lifesaver!

Friday Favorite: My Pool Bag

I don't know about you, but me & my kids spend A LOT of time in the summer at the pool / splash pad / beach. Anything involving water really, since Alabama is HOT in the summer!!

I must say though, I get quite a few looks every time we roll up to the pool and I have my H.U.G.E bag over my shoulder!!! Let me tell you though................it is the absolute best !!!

Local friends, I found this ginormous Scout Bag at Anna Kate & Co. a few years ago. And by ginormous, I mean that it's 24"w by 12"d by 18"h. (It's big. And amazing.)

*For those that aren't local, Amazon has a similar option. Click here to see that!*

And I promise you, it holds everything!!!

 I think the key with *anything* big is to break it down into smaller sections. So, I use 2 buckets from the Dollar Store in my bag:

The orange bucket holds all of our swim/dive toys & goggles, while the pink bucket holds our suntan lotion, bug spray, wipes, and my daughter's sunhat. These buckets really help to make sure all those small items don't get lost. Then I pack my daughter's puddle-jumper, the kickboards,

and water squirters on the sides.

For Layer #2, I put our towels on top of the buckets. There is still room left in the bag to store a small cooler or whatever else you might need on the left side.

Finally, I attached a small pouch on the outside of the bag - with a carabineer - that holds all my essentials.....ID, money, keys, comb, lip balm etc.

So tell me....what does your pool bag look like?!  Are you carrying 3 small bags plus towels plus a cooler plus - oh yeah - having to hold your kid's hand so they don't dash across the parking lot?! If so, I recommend you invest in a large bag like mine. It's so nice to have everything in one place. And, as an added bonus, it weighs 20+ pounds once everything is inside. So, you get a workout in too! :)