{ Day 8: Entryway/Mudroom Organization }


If you are lucky enough to have a separate entry way or mudroom... I am totally jealous! My living room and dining room are all in one great big room. So, it's difficult to designate a "mudroom" type area. However, I have an old coffee table {that I got at a garage sale almost 6 years ago for $2} and an under the bed storage box for our shoes. I keep the "shoe box" under the table and the table near the door to our garage {where we go in and out most times}. My table is going to undergo a big makeover - which will be revealed at a later date {with a tutorial}. Hopefully you have a better space at your house for a mudroom or entryway.

So, what can we do to help our space {however big or small it may be} to be a little more organized?

Go through your shoes: If you are like most of us women you own enough pairs of shoes to wear a new pair every day for almost a month. Go through your shoes, your kids shoes, your hubby's shoes {if you dare} and pick out the ones you wear the most. If the others are in good condition, donate them! Try to narrow down the number of shoes you own and the organizing will be much easier!!

Go through your coats: Do you have a coat closet in your entryway that is in need of some help? Go through and donate the old coats that are out of date, or that you haven't worn in at least 2 years. Keep the essentials. Any coats that your kids have out grown can be saved for the future or donated.



Create a key place: By this I mean literally... create a place to put your keys. Then you aren't hunting around the house looking for them every time you get ready to leave. You can use command hooks for less permanent storage, or buy some cute hooks you can screw in to the wall. A simple box or ceramic bowl/plate works well too. Home Goods is a great place to look for small decorative things like that!



Create storage for your baggage:  Purses, backpacks, reusable grocery bags/totes all need a place to call home! Again, command hooks are great for this! Each child can have their own hook. You can even get cutesy {if that's a word} with it and add a nameplate, or a chalkboard, or a cork board, or something for each child above their hook creating their own personal space! Using a chalkboard or cork board also allows you - or others - to leave little notes for your kids!



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As with most organizing, minimalism is the key. If you narrowed down your shoes to your top 10 pairs, keep the 2 you wear most often in the mudroom and the rest in your bedroom closet. Same with your coats. Keep one or two that you wear constantly in the entryway closet and the rest in your bedroom closet. Once summer rolls around you can trade those winter coats for some light sweaters.

Don't let things pile up... and don't let your mudroom or entryway become a dumping ground. It is easy for kids to get home from school, take off their shoes, and throw their backpacks on the mudroom bench or floor. This is where the hard part comes in... you have to train them to use your organization system. They {whoever "they" is} say that if you do something 3 times it becomes a habit. Kids need reminding... lots of reminding... before things become habit. The more you can involve them in the organizing process that easier it will be for them!

Once you have your essential things for your mudroom/entry closet area it's time to organize!! The Dollar Tree or the 99 cents store are great places to get inexpensive storage bins or baskets. IKEA has great storage solutions for reasonable prices too! Make sure you take advantage of all of the space you have! If it is vertical space, add shelves. If it is horizontal space, add a bench and a shoe rack! You have to find what works for you in your space.

I would love to hear any ideas you have about how you organize your mudroom or entryway! Feel free to leave comments or links to any posts you have written about how you keep your space organized!

Tomorrow: Organizing the Entertainment Area

4 comments

  1. If only I had a mudroom. I feel like my whole 1st floor is a mudroom. Thanks for the tips, lets see if I can make a difference.
    Looking forward to seeing pasts posts on organizing. Need all the help I can get.
    New Follower.

    labarrielittles.blogspot.com

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  2. Love your organizing tips. Looks like you use them...LOL. I think i need you at my house. I am definately going to try some. :-)

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  3. Hello! I'm new and I found you via ExpatmamainToronto! Besides loving your blog design, I love your organizing ideas. I love organization and am always looking for new ideas!

    Just added you to my RSS feed and to your Google Friend connect too:)

    I look forward to participating in your Mingle Monday blog hop next week:))

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  4. I dream of a house with a mudroom...because without one every room is muddy!

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