Hallway Update

We are very lucky to have quite a large entrance hall, well for an average UK house it is! However this does mean that it ends up as a dumping ground for all sorts! We bought the wardrobe about a year ago hoping that would help with the storage, it has 2 hanging rails in 1 half & 4 shelves in the other. Next to the wardrobe is our large rat cage, which we bought when we got rats under the advice to buy the biggest we could. I love my 4 ratties to bits but they are very lazy & didn't ever use the bottom half of the cage so we decided to downsize them. When Joseph (5) started school in September the daily bags & shoes got worse & it was hard to find everything to get out the door on time. 

Our mess of a hallway before...

We decided to go with an IKEA Expedit bookcase on its side, as it would fit the rat cage on top & storage underneath for all of their bits & pieces. In order to do this we had to clear out the corner next to the wardrobe, so it could move along, most of this was done prior to the before picture as it was stacked nearly to the ceiling with boxes!! We were left with the cat litter to home, they don't use it often but was keep them in when its dark outside so in the winter they sometimes need to use it. As we didn't have another room it could live in, we opted to put it inside the wardrobe on the shelf side, with a 'flapless' cat flap in the door for entry. 

We still had half the expedit spare & we decided that these would be the boys 'cubbies'. Each boy using the top for their school bag, swim bag, gloves & hats, & in the bottom their shoes. We have been using the cubbies for a couple of months now & they are really helping to keep the boys mess at boy, as they each have a designated area. 

So when Fast Motorcare asked if I would like to test out some of their chrome letters I knew exactly how we would use them - to label the boys cubbies. The chrome letters are very versatile, being self-adhesive, they can stick to any smooth flat surface, not just a car. Though if you do want to add a name or e-mail address to your car they are perfect. They don't just have capital letters they also have numbers, @ signs, & sings, full stops & the cutest love hearts! The letters are just 85p each, or just 75p each when you buy 10 or more. Postage is calculated by weight & starts at just 75p, with free delivery on all orders over £40.

One lucky reader can win a set of 10 chrome letters, numbers or signs of their choice, with free postage on any additional letters. Fast Motorcare will also offer free postage (on chrome letters) for 5 runners up. Giveaway is open to UK residants only.

Good Luck

x Jo x

P.s. My Heroes Of The City competition is still open until 7th Feb.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To make sure you don't miss out on any posts follow/like us on:
Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Instagram & Bloglovin

Cardboard Box Storage

So I'm on a bit of a tidying & organising kick this year, I've not started let alone completed much yet however I thought I would share one small project that I have managed to do!

All of my Le Baby Bakery stock has had to live in our under stairs cupboard since we had Daniel, hes now 2.5 years old and I've never got round to organising this cupboard! Every time I need to choose the things to go in a nappy cake I end up taking nearly everything out spreading it all over the stairs & then having to put it all back! 

Before...

As I use a lot of nappies for my cakes & previously for the boys, I use a lot of Huggies boxes for storage. As I was taking these boxes in & out of the cupboard & searching for the contents, it occurred to me that it would be easier if i stood these boxes in their sides so that i could get things out & see things more easily. As I sorted through my large collection of Huggies boxes I had an idea to make something more permanent than a stack of boxes, a stack of boxes duck taped together!

Luckily I had several boxes that were the same width, I arranged these from tallest to shortest. And standing them on the floor (so the back would be flat) stuck them together using duck tape all the way round & back again. Once at the back & once towards the front. I then taped down the flaps of each box, which made this even more sturdy.

I then had the big task of taking everything out of the cupboard (hopefully for the last time) & then organising it in to the boxes. The top box has all my baby blankets, ready to use in nappy cakes, the next 2 hold all my fleece fabric for sewing. The second box up has several bags each containing all the things I need to make a cake, just add nappies, which are in the last box!

I'm really pleased how this quick & easy DIY project has transformed my cupboard, I even have floor space to walk in! I just need to find the time & motivation to organise the shelves on the left had side, which includes the rest of my fabric stash!

If you are looking for some organising tips & inspiration check out I Heart Organising, which is an amazing blog & they are focusing on home offices this month.

x Jo x