Organizing Winter Gear

Yes, winter is technically over.

Yes, I am insanely behind.

Yes, this is worth sharing now...

because I am staying in chronological order.

I might

(but probably won't)

be caught up eventually

so I can actually show you guys 

current stuff...

but like I said...

I doubt it.

With 6 people in a house,

you can imagine there is a lot of winter gear.

We spent 18 months in Texas

and it stayed ever so neatly

packed in a box.

I knew what it was stored in

(a clear plastic bin).

I knew where it used to be stored in 

our last NC home.

But I had NO idea

where it had wound up

in the new house.

NONE!

I hunted

and 

searched

and

hunted

and

search

and 

REFUSED 

to buy more because I knew

we had a TON

and 

didn't need anymore!!

The hubs finally found 

it...

in a box

in the bottom of our closet.

(which is a disaster!)

See why I didn't find it

and

why we didn't need any more!

I HAD to figure out a way

to organize these things

because the box was not going to cut it

and 

my crew

(well my oldest)

is insistent on keeping his stuff his

and not sharing with his younger brother.

Whatever,

I remember what it was like being the oldest.

I will oblige him this on some things...

So I got to work.

Pinteresting

Googling

Surfing...

I finally had a plan...

a CHEAP one too!!

They were going to 

live in the coat closet

downstairs...

but I had to make it work!

This is what I was starting with...

yikes!

I hit good old
Wally World

and 

The Dollar Store.

I purchased a "hanging sweater closet shelf" thing

with 6 "shelves" (imagine that!)

for about $7.

Then I purchased 6 plastic baskets from

the Dollar Store for $6.

So do the math,

This little project cost about $15 with tax!!

(I am guessing the coffee was for right then,

and the wine was for that night...)

I laid out all of the baskets 

and the kids then got to sort out

all of the gear.

Each person got a basket...

They sorted while I cleaned and organized the closet.

Then this is what we wound up with!

Quick,

easy,

cheap!

Right up my alley!!

I have considered making labels for the 

front of the baskets,

but haven't.

Everyone knew EXACTLY

where their winter gear was,

for our rather snowy winter in 

NC this year!

They knew exactly where to return their gear

when they were done with it.

It works like a champ!!!

So now that the winter season is 

officially over.

This whole apparatus can 

be easily transported upstairs into 

the master closet

and stored until next winter.

I will tell you that this is 

NOT 

what the closet currently looks like.

Looks closer to the first picture again...

just with more stuff.

Sigh...