When I was in my teens, I used to dream about the immaculately organized home I would, one day, create.
Working with classic colours and patterns I would fashion a house worthy of the Style at Home magazine cover. Damn, that floor would shine like the top of the Chrysler building.
*Sound of a record scratching*
Then I grew up, inherited a bunch of useful and ugly crap, and had a baby. Welcome to thinking creatively about how to make your home organized on life’s terms.
Thankfully, many parents are unbelievably good at making beautiful decisions with life’s necessities. Take, for example, the challenge of storing diapers.
I recently started cloth-diapering my daughter part-time for a variety of reasons. I’m finding it to be a great choice for when we are just hangin’ at home. Plus, the diapers we usually buy are handmade, one-of-a-kind, squishy, and totally adorable. Sometimes I rub them on my face.
I dare you to check out the Orange Diaper Co. Flickr page and not begin making a list of the ones you want. Dare.
However, cloth diapers take up a lot of space. In fact, I began to notice that the cloth diapers were taking up more space than the disposable ones…AND there were STEPS involved (launder, hang-to-dry, assemble with liner...).
I wanted to stop. I wanted to run straight back into the arms of disposable simplification 24-hours a day.
I decided to call in the experts: Cloth Diapering Mums. Trust me, these mums know bums.
Following a little thread on their Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook page I could see these cloth-connoisseurs sharing their diaper-storage solutions. It was amazing. Creative. Without clutter.
I asked them if they wouldn't mind sharing their ideas with the world...and these are some of the results:
1) Jessica's Easy-Access Stash
Jessica uses a toy organizer for storage, which can be found here.
2) Kara's Simple Solution
Kara uses stacking bins, which are from Walmart.
3) Nadine's Helpful Hangers
Nadine even has little hangers to dry the wool covers she is using that day!
4) Susan's Basket Trio
Her set-up comes from the Pottery Barn. She’s made great use of hanging baskets for easy access.
5) Jill's Re-Purposed Bureau
Jill has created a more traditional bureau set-up, and uses a bar to hang her fleece covers.
6) Rae's Modern Change Table
Please note the re-purposed Peri Bottle on the table. We all remember using that that, yes? (*shudder*). She has up-cycled it for wipes solution. Genius!
7) Jenni's Easy-Reach Answer
Jenni has both newborn and one size diapers, so being organized is a must. She's got it nailed with the open shelving unit atop the change table.
So here are the Rules of Order for creative and clutter-free diaper storage:
1) Choose a set-up that works in action. (Is everything within easy reach? Is there room to move? Do you have to step away from the baby to get essentials?)
2) Keep your supplies well-stocked. When your supplies are organized, you can easily see what is running low. This alert system means no more panic-filled midnight laundry.
3) Function IS fashion. This is your workspace. Having an organized and beautified area in which to change diapers may seem like a frill, but not when you think of the amount of time spent here. Most people feel stressed and unproductive in a cluttered office – think of this as your mini office.
I want to give my sincere “thank yous” to the amazing Orange Diaper Co. mums for sharing their photos with me. There were so many other excellent ideas, but only so much room to post.
And, we're giving away **ONE ORANGE DIAPER CO. ONE-SIZE DIAPER CALLED "STRIPE IT LUCKY"**! Check it out:
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below and tell me **WHAT DO YOU USE FOR ORDERLY DIAPER STORAGE? BETTER STILL, POST A PHOTO IN THE COMMENTS!**. You have until **DECEMBER 30, 2013** to enter. You must be a YMC member and please be sure you've registered your email address in our commenting system so we can contact you if you win.
Yummy Rules and Regs: You must be a YummyMummyClub.ca member to win. Click to sign up! It's free and filled with perks. One comment per member. Entries accepted until **DECEMBER 30, 2013**. Contest open to Canadian residents (excluding Quebec). Winners will be picked using www.random.org. See full contest rules.
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