A-Z Entry Closet

It is a happy happy day here at the MacDonald/Gaudett household! Not only is it Roberts arrival day, which we are up and over the moon about, buuuttt it is also entry closet reveal day!

Booya Grandma! Woot Woot! Bow-chicka-wow-wow! What What!!

Alright...maybe I am getting a little carried away here. But truthfully, the only thing that makes me more excited than a well organized, highly functional space is the arrival home of my opposite-sex common-law partner! And they are both happening on the very same day so I am officially loosing it over here. {Finley and Moe are too but they just cant seem to express it in as many words!}

But I digress... Back to the closet. Shall we recall the original state we founded it in {Introduced here}.

Blah! This closet was just not doing the trick - which is clear as day in these photos. It is a small space to begin with and having every bin and basket overflowing did not help matters. 

But today that same space is whistling a different tune. 

Much easier on the eyes. Don't you think? And honestly, I am lov-ing how user friendly it is for the whole family. 

Care for a closer looksey?

First things first, we added this second shelf for easy rotation of seasonal items. I've always been a firm believer that closet space is prime real-estate in a home, so why not maximize it?!

And continuing with that train of thought, we added basic hooks to this narrow wasted space for additional storage. I picked up three buckets at the local Dollarstore to separate those everyday, quick in and out, items. 

1. Mail, Keys, Sunglasses, iPods, & Chargers

2. Bitty Shoes

3. On the Go: Umbrella, Sunscreen, Chalk, Puppy Poop Bags, etc.

Finn and I are loving these buckets - but for different reasons. I find it so handy to have everything in one spot. This avoids dealing with misplaced items and helps lessen the likelihood of forgetting anything when rushing out the door. Finn on the other hand enjoys his new game of emptying his shoes onto the floor. {Little does he know, soon he will be asked to go fetch his own shoes because they are within reach.}

*Keep in mind, when hanging your hooks, that your family is ever evolving. You want your design choices to change and grow with you. For that reason, we opted to make the top hook a tad farther apart than the bottom two. This will allow me to change up what I place here in the future - yoga mat, backpack, Finley's coat when he is a bit taller, etc. Planning ahead will make all the difference in how you are able to use your space.

*Already I have switched up the order of the bins to have the Mail & Keys in the centre for easier access.

As far as the shelving goes, we switched out those oh-so-small plastic bins for these larger-than-life collapsible ones {marketed as magazine holders}. Nothing will be overflowing out of these bad boys! And with the homemade tags we whipped up, everything will easily find its way home. This space is fool-proof! {Which honestly - who are we kidding - is exactly what this household needs!}

Another angle of these beauts for ya!

We have gone from the top of our heads, now down to the shoes on our feet. Which I personally always struggle with in an entry space. I don't love those flimsy shoe racks you can buy and am not willing to commit to cleaning low built ins at this point in my life, so am left twiddling my thumbs {or toes if you will.} I have in the past resorted to a huge bin or basket but can never seem to find my shoes mate in a hurry and end up scampering outside in my slippers. So this time we are giving a few smaller baskets a whirl {along with the seasonal/less active footwear stored in the trunk - pictured here}.

Shoes do not make for the most appealing photo - my apologies. But you get the idea. I am findingthat the two separate baskets for different styles of footwear really seem to do the trick. You can quickly locate and grab the pair you want and just replace them to the front when you are done. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

And if you are wondering what is hidden in that smaller basket with the lid...

Surprise! Shoe cleaning supplies! {And Finn's inflatable pool for the summer - which I don't want to forget we have.}  I have honestly had these guys in every logical spot I can think of around here - the cleaning supplies closet, our master closet where most of our leather shoes reside - but they just never get used because they are a hike and a half away. They really need to be readily accessible if they are going to get used. Heres to hoping!

Put that all together and what have you got? Bippity, Boppit, Boo...

...a fresh, well organized space that can basically maintain itself.

Can I get a, 'Booya Grandma! Woot Woot! Bow-chicka-wow-wow! What What!!'

*Ill keep you posted on just how 'fool proof' it really is!

Chat soon!