Simple Tips for A More Organized Home

A new year always makes me want to get organized. Do you feel the same way? The clutter of Christmas gifts and the need to "start fresh" is a great motivator. So, today I am sharing FIVE of my best tips for creating a more organized home.

1) Get rid of stuff you don't need or love - The best way to feel organized is to have fewer things. It's a huge job to de-clutter an entire house, so take it room by room... drawer by drawer. Pick a drawer or space, empty it out, and only put back the things you use. Everything that is left over should be donated, sold, or thrown out.

When it comes to sentimental items, only keep what you truly value. I have designated one bin for each of my boys. Each bin contains special items of clothing, report cards, special stuffies, and favourite art pieces. If it doesn't fit in the bin, it doesn't stay in the house.

2) Make leaving the house easier - Finding things you need on the way out the door can be a challenge, but I have a few tips to make it a bit easier.

• Quick grab basket - A few dollar store baskets by the door will make mornings a little easier for everyone. Everyone gets their own basket, and every pair of mittens has a home. (Click here for more details.)

• Makeshift mudroom - A few hooks in an unused corner is all you need to create a makeshift mudroom. It's a simple and inexpensive storage solution when space is limited. (Click here for more details.)

• Backpack hooks - Hang some hooks on the back of a door, and you won't trip over the kids' backpacks ever again. It will also make your mornings run a little more smoothly too. (Click here for more details.)

• Clean and dirty mask baskets - Having two dollar store baskets by the door to manage masks is simple... and genius. I even designed "dirty" and "clean" baskets that you attach to the front of the baskets with a bit of twine. To download the tags I designed (for free): click on the picture of the tags below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

3) Organize the bedrooms - Bedrooms can quickly get out of control... especially childrens bedrooms that are filled with clothes (in multiple sizes) and tons of toys. Here are a few ideas for getting the clutter organized.

• Fold clothes correctly - In my house, the socks are flat, and the clothes are folded in thirds and stored vertically. It looks super-tidy, and my boys can easily find the items they are looking for in their drawers. Check out the video below to see exactly how I do it.

• Use baskets and bins - A couple of baskets on top of a dresser are perfect for all the odds and ends in a child's room. Kids can put their miscellaneous items in these baskets... instead of on the floor.

• Store stuffed animals in a bean bag chair cover - Instead of having stuffies all over the floor, they can be stuffed into a bean bag chair cover. It contains the chaos, and it makes a comfy reading seat too.

• Use a clear shoe rack on the back of the door - I use these clear shoe racks all over my house, and they are awesome! The clear pockets make it easy for kids to store and access their stuff. I use them for LEGO, but they work well for clothing, craft supplies, and any small toys.

• Make books organized and accessible - Make sure all the books have a "home". You can use a nightstand, baskets, or shelving. Also, rotate books on a regular basis... out with the old and in with the new.

I made a little video in my son Jack's room you might find helpful.

4) Organize the kitchen - The kitchen is the heart of the home... and cupboards and counters can get out of control and untidy very quickly. Here are a couple simple ways to calm the chaos:

• Cupcake wrappers - Dollar store jars make perfect storage containers for cupcake liners... and they look cute too.

• Containers for snacks/school lunch staples - Taking snacks out of their original packaging and putting them in plastic containers from the dollar store is an easy organization HACK. This little trick helps save money, makes lunch items quicker to access, and frees up cupboard space. (Click here for more lunchbox HACKS.)

5) Create a place for odds and ends - Accessible over the door shoe racks - Clear shoe racks hang on the backs of doors, which is a wonderful way to utilize unused space and see a variety of items at a glance. Over the door shoe racks are great for holding craft supplies, hats and mitts, stuffed animals, and pantry supplies, LEGO kits. (Click here for more details.)

A shoe organizer also makes a wonderfully organized homework station.

Organizing an entire home can be daunting, but it becomes much more manageable if you tackle one small area at a time . 

Try out one or two of my ideas, and let me know what you think. (And if you have any ideas to share with me, I'd love for you to leave them in the comments.)

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Tips for Organizing Kids Clothes for Fall... and our NEW Gongshow Gear

*sponsored post*

Switching seasons can be a pain when it comes to kids' clothes. When summer comes to an end, my growing boys never seem to have any pants or hoodies that fit. I wonder if their arms and legs will ever stop growing? lol Getting organized for heading back to school can be tough, but I have a few tips for organizing kids' clothes that you are going to make your life a little easier!

1) Get rid of what you don't need - Take everything out of your kids' drawers, try things on, and only put back things that still fit... and that they will wear. Anything left over can be donated or sold on a "buy and sell". 

2) Buy second hand - If you are looking for Fall / Winter clothes for kids, make sure to check out consignment shops and "buy and sell" sites. There are many opportunities to buy quality clothes at reduced prices. You can use the money you save to buy a few NEW high quality pieces.

3) Organize drawers - If drawers are organized, it is easier for kids to see what you have, and they are more likely to wear more than just a few of their favourites. I always fold my clothes this way (see below) so that my kids can see what they have without ripping everything out.

4) Buy what they like - There is no point spending money on clothes that kids are not going to wear. Get them involved in the buying process, and let them pick out the things they like. I prefer shopping online with my kids. It is much easier... and if they take a long time to make a decision, I don't go crazy! lol

Gongshow recently gave my boys the opportunity to check out their new Fall / Winter 2020 line, and my boys LOVE the items they received. The hockey themed clothing is a favourite in our house.

My youngest (who is a goalie) picked the Crease King Junior Hat. I love the smaller fit of these hats. They fit my 11 year old perfectly!

My middle son chose the Snow Shower Jr hoodie. I love the quality of this sweatshirt and the subtle tie dye design.

My oldest son chose the Jr Comfy Hour joggers. The material and style are both top shelf. I love the hockey lace detail too.

And, of course, no 2020 back to school wardrobe would be complete without the season's hottest accessory... the Gongshow adustable face mask. 

Are ready for the transition from summer to fall? We still have a bit of clearing out to do, but my boys are pretty happy with the new additions to the wardrobe. If you are looking for a few new quality pieces for your hockey fan, I highly recommend checking out the new Gongshow line.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW products for free in exchange for my honest review and promotion of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely loved everything they received.

You may also be interested in seeing how excited my boys were when they received their new clothes from Gongshow. 

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A post shared by East Coast Mommy (@eastcoastmommy) on Sep 3, 2020 at 12:09pm PDT

Pantry Pancake Mix... with free printable tags

When it comes to cooking for my busy family, I love a good shortcut. It's always helpful to have ingredients for quick meals in my pantry, so this "make ahead" pancake mix is wonderful. It's great to have on hand for making a quick breakfast before school... and the leftover pancakes can be cut up and popped in a thermos for a simple school lunch.

To make pantry pancake mix:

Mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl, and use a funnel to put the mixture into a jar:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

Then, add a fun tag to the jar. 

To print the tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

When you are ready to make the pancakes:

1) Dump the contents of the jar into a bowl.

2) Add:

• 1/4 cup melted (cooled) butter.
• 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tbsp vinegar and enough milk to make 2 cups)
• 2 eggs

3) Stir (just until most of the lumps are gone).

4) Add approximately 1/4 cup batter to a buttered/heated skillet.

5) Cook pancakes on one side until bubbles appear, and then flip.

6) Cook the other side until lightly browned.


We serve our pancakes with maple syrup and fruit, and they are delicious!

Pancakes are fantastic served fresh, but you can make them ahead of time and freeze them too. 

Let them cool, put them in a freezer bag, and place them in the freezer. When you are ready to eat them, pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or reheat them in the toaster.

I absolutely love having this homemade pancake mix in my pantry. It's simple to make and the pancakes are light and fluffy.

My kids love pancakes, and I love a good shortcut, so this pantry pancake mix is perfect for my family. What's in your pantry that you couldn't live without? Do you have any good mealtime shortcuts to share? I'm always looking for new ideas.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more family friendly recipes here.

5 Ways to Up-cycle and Re-purpose Toys

Is it just me, or do you also have a mountain of toys taking up space in your home? Ideally, toys should be purged / sold when they are no longer used, but up-cycling and repurposing old toys is another fantastic option. Today, I'm sharing a few of my favourite ways up-cycle and re-purpose old toys.

1) Create custom art supplies - Every parent has a bin of old, broken crayons... and it is super-easy to transform useless crayon bits into adorable custom crayons in fun shapes. Simply:

• Peel the paper off the crayons.
• Break up the crayons and put them in a silicon muffin tin or candy tray.
• Melt the crayons in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes. (Make sure you place the silicon tray on a regular cookie sheet so that you can easily remove the melted crayons from the oven.)
• When all the crayons have turned to liquid, carefully remove the tray from the oven, and let the crayons cool completely.
• Pop the crayons out of the tray.

These crayons make cute party favours, and you can make fun holiday versions too.

2) Make unique picture frames - Start with a dollar store wooden frame, and use hot glue to attach old toys. I used old LEGO pieces to create a fun piece of decor for my son's room, but any small toys would work. I think it would be adorable to use old toy cars or old scrabble pieces.

3) Create toy covered monograms - Big wooden letters are easy to find in craft stores, and they make adorable pieces of room decor when they are covered with old toys and craft supplies. Consider using a glue gun to cover a monogram with old crayons, pom poms, toy cars, bouncy balls, etc... It's a simple and fun idea.


4) Transform old sports equipment into room decor - Kids often have tons of old sports equipment gathering dust, and some of it has sentimental value. I turned my boys' first hockey sticks into room decor by attaching wooden letters. You can find the full tutorial here. 

5) Re-purpose old books - When you spend hours reading the sames books nightly to your kids, it is easy to form sentimental attachments to the stories. I love the idea of using old books to create artwork for a child's room or playroom using inexpensive frames. Book artwork is perfect for a reading nook too!

There are many simple ways to up-cycle and re-purpose old toys. Do you have any ideas that I could use? I'm always looking for DIY inspiration!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Tips for Organizing Summer Clothes with Kids... and a Little Online Shopping with my Boys

*Disclosure - I was given GONGSHOW clothing for free in exchange for my honest review of the products. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely love these items... and you are genuinely going to love these ideas for organizing kids' clothes.

Switching seasons can be a pain when it comes to kids' clothes. There are always tons of things that no longer fit, and there are often many new things to buy. Sorting through clothes and getting organized can take a lot of time and money, but I have 5 tips for organizing clothes that you are going to love!


1) Get rid of what you don't need - It's can be a painful process, but you need to take everything out of your kids' drawers, try things on, and only put back things that still fit... and that they will wear. Anything left over can be donated or sold on a "buy and sell". (I always find it easier to sell things in groups. You may not get as much money, but it all gets taken away at once, and it's a lot less work.)

2) Use what you have - Don't just pack away all the winter clothes. You may be able to make some things work for summer. For example, I always buy inexpensive t-shirts to wear as "cooler" tops with winter PJ bottoms.

3) Buy second hand - If you are looking for summer clothes for kids, make sure to check out consignment shops and "buy and sell" sites. There are many opportunities to buy quality clothes at reduced prices.


4) Organize drawers - If drawers are organized, it is easier for kids to see what you have, and they are more likely to wear more than just a few of their favourites. I always fold my clothes this way (see below) so that my kids can see what they have without ripping everything out.

5) Buy what they like - There is no point spending money on clothes that kids are not going to wear. Get them involved in the buying process, and let them pick out the things they like. I prefer shopping online with my kids. It is much easier... and if they take a long time to make a decision, I don't go crazy! lol

Gongshow recently gave my boys the opportunity to check out their new Spring/Summer 2020 line, and my boys LOVE the items they received.

My oldest son picked out the "stay classy polo" golf shirt, "beach view visey", and the "natty hatty strapback".

My middle son picked the "mesh missile" hat and the "off season go-2" t-shirt.

And my youngest son (who is a goalie) picked a goalie hat and a "roof daddy explosion" t-shirt.

I have a few things left to get my boys for summer, but we are well on our way to getting organized. I hope you find my tips helpful. How do you get your kids organized for summer?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

5 Tips for Organizing a Child's Room

When it comes to organizing my home, my boys' bedrooms are particularly challenging for me. My three boys have tons of books, toys and clothes, and I struggle to keep it all tidy and organized. Today, I am sharing my 5 best tips for organizing a kid's room... and you are going to love them. The new way of folding clothes is going to rock your world!

1) Fold clothes right. - In my house, the socks are flat, and the clothes are folded in thirds and stored vertically. It looks super-tidy, and my boys can easily find the items they are looking for in their drawers. Check out the video at the bottom of this post to see exactly how I do it.

2) Use baskets. A couple of baskets on top of a dresser are perfect for all the odds and ends in a child's room. Kids can put their miscellaneous items in these baskets... instead of on the floor.

3) Store stuffed animals in a bean bag chair cover. Instead of having stuffies all over the floor, they can be stuffed into a bean bag chair cover. It contains the chaos, and it makes a comfy reading seat too.

4) Use a clear shoe rack on the back of the door. I use these clear shoe racks all over my house, and they are awesome! The clear pockets make it easy for kids to store and access their stuff. I use them for LEGO, but they work well for clothing, craft supplies, and any small toys.

5) Make books organized and accessible. Make sure all the books have a "home". You can use a nightstand, baskets, or shelving. Also, rotate books on a regular basis... out with the old and in with the new.

You may want to check out this video I made in my son's room. It's less than 4 minutes, and it contains some get tips and tricks for organizing a kid's room.

What are you best tips for organizing a child's room? I love the way my boys' drawers are organized, but all the tips I've shared are fantastic. They are easy, inexpensive, and effective. Let me know your favourite in the comments below.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)