organization tips

**emtmama04** · 07-28-2009, 11:09 AM

I am currently pregnant with my 5th child and we are unalbe at this time to buy a bigger place.
does anyone have and tips for organizing my 3 bdrm 1 bath house?

TIA

BTW i have no basement and the town ordinances prevent us from adding on to it.

**nuisance26** · 07-28-2009, 02:05 PM

~What areas are your biggest problems? I'm guessing bedrooms?
I'd probably get a bunk bed with a trundle and have your dd's all share the biggest room. There are free plans online to build bunks and trundles.
Your most immediate concern should be purging stuff. Most kids have way too many clothes and toys. As a matter of fact most adults have too many clothes and toys!
I have a 2 bedroom rancher(800sq ft)with no basement. I'm constantly purging for 4 of us to live comfortably in this space.
Something I've focused on this year was to 'live' outside more. I take the kids out for at least 2 hours daily. I have a few chairs outside and a cheap patio set with an umbrella. There are a few trash picked kids' toys along with a tree swing for them to play on. We mowed a path in our weedy back field for more play space.
By making our backyard more inviting and actually using it I get a 'playroom' for the kids and reduce the need for indoor toys. I've given so many toys away! The patio table is my 'office' and I often work while watching the kids. I spread a blanket on the grass under a tree and I have a 'chapel' and great place to read.
Are you allowed to have a shed on your property? My hubby built one from a kit and we use it to store furniture and stuff we want to keep but don't have space for in the house. It's not ideal running out to the shed to get something but it has worked alright over the last 6 years.
Congrats on the baby!~

**pollypurebred39** · 07-28-2009, 02:26 PM

I agree purge. But what you don't purge you need to organize and maxiumizing space is critical in a small home. We live in a small for us space too, having less then 750 sq.feet living space for our family.

I would suggest a trip to IKEA. I'm in love with IKEA. If you don't have one near you you can shop online. The good points of IKEA are:

~ Inexpensive-my husband says he could not buy the wood for the price of the pieces
~ very creative space saving furniture-our one son has a loft bed and storage underneath
~organizational things-We had no where to store most of our kitchen items and Ikea had some brillant ideas
~ well made-we've had our pieces for many years still strong and look new.

I hope this helps some

**pollypurebred39** · 07-28-2009, 03:01 PM

Here's a link you might find useful

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ca...uth_room<br />

Sign up for them to send you a catalog so you can really get a good feel for what they have and can find their best bargins.

**monkeywrangler71** · 07-28-2009, 03:13 PM

Look up. Most people waste a lot of vertical space, build shelves to the ceiling wherever possible. Most closets can fit an additional shelf above the existing shelf.

**Palooka** · 07-28-2009, 08:49 PM

Yeah, after cleaning out, the shelves is a great idea. I have a small house as well so I am always organizing.

**ladykemma2** · 07-28-2009, 09:48 PM

i know a family that had 4 girls, 1 boy and the couple. they put the 4 girls in the master bedroom, the couple got the medium size room and the boy got the small bedroom.
this kept them from having to move.

**Palooka** · 07-28-2009, 11:53 PM

I think whoever discovered to build lofts was a master mind. Even if you look at the small house in "Little House on the Praire," they took that small house and went up with it. When the kids are little it's easy to co-sleep or share a room with them.

Even Japan doesn't have much room for the population on that island so they build up instead of out. (silly thought, I know)

My post is pointless.

**frugalfranny** · 07-29-2009, 12:48 AM

Neat idea ladykemma.......some creative friends you have.

EMT ...Might not be able to purge all that much if you are doing hand me down clothes. But there must be some things you can get rid of...good luck with that. I am not good at it.

Emt.....do you have a garage? Tons of stuff can go in a garage and shelves can be done cheap......a used door makes a great shelf when laid out horizontal. Many people have even made another room out of the garage, depending on how it is connected to the house.

thanks for the ikea link pp39...I will check it out too.

**pollypurebred39** · 07-29-2009, 01:02 AM

FrugalFranny, your Welcome. Make sure you sign up for a catalog. Great stuff in there.

Polly

**emtmama04** · 07-29-2009, 01:41 PM

I should actually clarify that what i live in is a trailer house. so no garage and no ability to build one.
the bedrooms are the biggest issue and we have the youngest 2 (atm in the largest room and the other 2 rooms are the same size (almost 9x8) with a closest sticking out from the wall instead of built into the wall.

I have also had ppl tell me that it is illegal to put my 8yo in a room with anyone under 5 (could become a CPS thing) and also my 2 yo in the same room as my 1 yo (all they do is sleep in there).

thanks for the ideas so far. i will be getting bunkbeds for the girls and putting them all in one room as it was so you read my mind there. I have a office type area and that is where most of the school work is done; any ideas for that area as well?

**MaryCarney** · 07-29-2009, 02:22 PM

With younger children, their clothing is physically smaller, and so installing a second pole to hold hangers in the closet worked well for us. Just buy a dowel rod, screw an eyelet ring into each end, and attach a length of chain. Hook the chain over the upper rod by means of a shower curtain ring. Voila' double closet rod.

I hang up EVERYTHING except socks and undies. Each child could possibly get by with one drawer each this way.

I'd not believe that bit about being 'illegal' to configure your children to bedrooms. That seems a little over the top, even for a zealous CPS person, UNLESS you had a problem with that child and CPS in the past, or if an ex / non-custodial parent decided to get hateful. Good luck!!!

**Siebrie** · 07-30-2009, 04:40 AM

Ikea is great as long as you don't plan to move the furniture, it gets rickety after moving, as I know :-( But they do have great ideas for small spaces! They also sell bunk beds where the bottom bed is a queen size.

**kita** · 07-30-2009, 09:42 AM

l think each state would have its own rules about bedrooms. But the rule you said may have been explained wrong. In NY the rule is that after 4 yrs of age a child may only share a room with someone of the same gender and no adults. They also could not sleep in the living room. This law was only applied if children's services was involved. This came up in a conversation in NJ with a former social worker who thought the rule was silly in NYC. It meant very few children got returned to their homes because if you had children of both genders, you had to have a three bedroom apartment in a city that (in some of the medium priced areas) can charge $1000 a month for a STUDIO.

Do you think the rule is that a child of 5 must not share a room with an adult of 18 or more?

I would use bunkbeds..using a full or queen on the bottom...and then have a "nursery" for the little ones.

You could also use a toddler mattress for the little one that gets shoved under the bunks during the day. She could have the "privilege" of sleeping on mom and dad's bed for naps during the day.