Oh no...we have grown...

Any family with small children feels the growing pains and the need for more space. Before organizing your house, make sure to purge the things you really don’t need. After that, its time to organize. Here are my favorite space saving ideas for your house so you won’t have to upgrade to a McMansion.

1) Organize your Pictures

I seem to own thousands of pictures and hundreds of picture frames but have nowhere to put them. Here are some ideas on how to get them organized.

• Picture Ledge – Using two long picture shelves on a large wall not only shows off many pictures in a small space and acts as a piece of artwork. I rotate the pictures on a regular basis.
  
• Wall Display – Use chunky frames with mats to create a unique wall display. Use different size frames and different types of images to make it interesting.
  
• Photo Storage – Purchase a photo archive box for hard copy photos. Store by date and throw away the really bad ones (and also the ones you never want your kids to see).
  
• On-line Service – Use an on-line service to store, manage and e-mail photos.

2) Smart Sleeping Options

Beds take up a large amount of space so here is an opportunity. We only have two bedrooms, so our children either share a bedroom or sleep in the car. However, even if you have plenty of bedrooms, you still will need flexible sleeping space for your children to host sleepovers or for the overnight guests.

• Bunk Beds – In small rooms, this takes up the least amount of space. Look for twin over twin or a twin over a double combination.
• Loft Beds – This elevated bed frees up floor space underneath for a second bed, desk, storage or play area.
• Trundle Beds – Need more sleeping spaces? Try a bed under a bed.
• Storage Beds – The new trend in beds is for built in shelves and drawers to maximize storage.

3) Multi-Functional Furniture

Because space is tight, I try to find furniture that serves more than one purpose. Here are some simple solutions.

• Futons - Forget the sofa bed which are uncomfortable and heavy to move. Try a futon in your family room or study to get additional sleeping space. Many people still have the image of the college student on a budget, but futons have come a long way baby. Not only do they come in a variety of styles and materials , the fabric can be customized to work with any decor (and if you have kids, the covers can be washed).
  
• Ottomans – Need an extra table? More storage? More seating? These versatile pieces can be customized to fit any social function and are easy to move around. Many ottomons now come with built-in storage to hide blankets or anything else.
  
• Chairs – The Stokke Tripp Trapp chair is a fully adjustable chair that can be used by infants and adults (note to adults, clean it before you sit on it because there will be banana encrusted on it). Get rid of the bulky highchair and have your child sit at the table with you.

4) Finding Room in the Kitchen

I always need more space in the kitchen that I don’t have. But there are some quick and easy things you can do to make it seem more spacious.

• Pots and Pans. Think about wall or ceiling mounted pot holders to free up valuable cabinet space and allow easy access. Also look at brackets to organize lids.
  
• George Foreman Grill Anyone? Get rid of the crap you don’t use – ice cream maker, chocolate fountain, pasta maker, etc. If you use it great. If you don’t, why are you taking up valuable cabinet space?
  
• Spice of Life. Take an inventory of your spices and organize them so they are easier to find. I had a custom spice rack made that is close to the stove. All the spices are in the same kind of container organized by name. I even put the date on the bottom when I purchased them (I realized many of my spices were from before the Berlin Wall came down…ugh).
  
• Hang it Up. Are there four or five gadgets that you use in your kitchen often? I use a vegetable peeler, wine opening, cheese grater and measuring spoons almost daily. I use a gadget rack that I found at Ikea and can find things quickly.
  
• Recipes Everywhere! I have a recipe shelf in the kitchen where I keep all my recipe books and magazines. I also have a folder where I put all the recipe clippings that someday I will organize. My next project is to put all my recipes online and have them indexed for easy search. I should get this done by the time the kids are in college.

5) Organize the Kid's Artwork

Everyday my kids seem to come home with arts & crafts projects from school. Often the artwork is related around a theme and the latest one is penguins. I really didn’t know you could make penguins in so many different ways – drawings on white paper, construction paper glued together, created from toilet paper rolls, made from pom poms, created from paper plates, etc. Here are some tips for managing this mess:

• Display it. We have a corkboard in our study for displaying the kid’s projects. Other ideas is using a piece of string between two nails and using clothespins to hang the artwork or using a specific artwork peg board. Make sure to rotate the artwork periodically. For the very best stuff, use some simple frames to show it off on a wall at home or in the office.
  
• Recycle it. When they are not looking, I recycle some of it. My kids have caught on and will often go through the recycle bin and take everything out so you may need to be sneaky about it.
  
• Send it. Mail a couple of samples to the grandparents, family members or their friends. They get to enjoy it and you have less to deal with.
  
• Scan it. Of course this only works with 2D projects but you can store this on your computer and use it as a screen saver. You can also take digital pictures of the bulkier stuff. Make sure to organize the images by child and date.
  
• Store it. We have a clear storage bin that I store the kids artwork in. I label it by date and then periodically will go through and purge. If you have room under a bed, use a bin designed specifically for this space.