In case you missed it, a few months ago, we moved again! It was the 7th move of our 8 years of marriage! Although the process of packing, moving and unpacking is not my favorite thing to do – i am grateful for the opportunity it provides to sift through/purge belongings that have accumulated throughout the years and the “fresh start” slash “new beginning” feeling it always brings!
Our current home is much smaller than where we were previously staying and there are a few things that we had to adjust to (no dishwasher, no bathtub for the kids, smaller living area, not too much storage space indoors). Although these were adjustments we had to make, they have been easy to do because of some cool knick knacks we have found along the way. It’s been fun trying to find creative ways to store things and maximize the smaller space and we have come to looove our new place and it really feels like home.
i’ve been meaning to share these things for a while now…but I had a hard time finding the “perfect” time to do it..Our place always felt too messy/crazy/chaotic/not picture perfect — and then 3 months passed us by. So, i decided to just forego those expectations and throw caution at the wind and spontaneously took these pics to share with you today. So as I post these photos “as is” and not bother spending any time editing it (LET’S JUST KEEP IT REAL GUYZZ!).. try and not mind the mess and the low quality photos/lack of filters etc….lol! Here are the things that have helped us to save space and maximize our new place and make it a home!
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CLIP-ON SIDE TABLE TRAY
one of the first things i tried looking for was somewhere to put my coffee when i was sitting on the couch (Because…priorities.). Eugene didn’t want to get any additional furniture like a side table or coffee table, so this proved to be the perfect solution! It’s great because it clips onto the side and i can easily take it off and stow it away when the kids are hopping and climbing on the couch.
OVER-THE-SINK DRYING RACK (currently $10 off!)
Prior to moving here, I very rarely handwashed my dishes. For years I had grown dependent on my dishwasher and I would usually load my dishwasher twice a day! However, we have adjusted quite well to the sans-DW life and this over-the-sink drying rack has been a game changer! (Sorry i didnt bother to do the dishes or clean up prior to taking the photo
ORGANIZER RACK and OVER-THE-CABINET-DOOR ORGANIZERS
These aren’t anything new but these have been a huge help too, especially in helping us to maximize our smaller kitchen space! Using every nook and cranny.
ROLLING CARTS (!!!!)
I honestly cant remember where I got this rolling cart from…but they have carts like this available on amazon, target, michaels and Ikea! (I linked the amazon one!) This has been an awesome hack for us in the kitchen– especially because we have a ridiculous number of sauces, spices, oils that i will never, no matter what house i am living in, have room for. However, another plus to having it in a roling cart is that you can move it wherever! I absolutely love having all of these shelf-safe condiments ready in a rolling cart because it’s easy to stow away, and also easy to roll up to the kitchen counter or in front of a stove while cooking!
Another way we have loved using these carts is for the kids school/craft supplies! This one below is the one I purchased from Target this past month and i absolutely love how sturdy it feels! Once i get this better organized, i’ll have to do a more thorough post about the contents inside and how it’s organized (or in this case..not organized LOL) but we’ve loved having all of it consolidated in one cart and makes for easy clean up! I organized the kid’s workbooks and notebooks in these magazine organizers which come in a pack of 12!
3-TIER LAUNDRY CART
Uhhhh so this is also a photo that depicts just how little I care about seeming organized or giving a false sense of perfection because – look at this monstrosity, lol! Clearly, i was trying to find something in this cart shortly before taking this photo haha.. But this very narrow and petite cart has helped us to maximize the oft unnoticed wall behind our bedroom doorway. I will eventually organize it better (hence the little basket full of things that wouldnt fit…), but for today this is how it will be. Even if its not pretty and pinterest-esque it is AWESOME. (Check it out, it is even holding my neem oil spray. It’s the best!)
STORAGE 6-CUBE BOOKSHELF ORGANIZER (aka our supply closet)
Now presenting our extra, unused shower area turned storage/supply closet haha. This is our attempt to again, maximize our space and find creative ways to store things. There was a shower that we weren’t using so we decided to use that space for storage! This 6-cube shelf was the cheapest and easiest way to maximize this space! I’m thinking of maybe getting another set so i can organize it a little better..just have to convince Eugene that we need another…..
OVER-THE-TOILET BATHROOM SPACE-SAVER (this is literally what its called)
I feel like at this point i’m being redundant but i’m sure you are seeing a trend here. limited space + need to maximize the space we have = SHELVES FOR DAYZ or anything over-the-*blank* (sink/toilet/door etc) I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to minimize my bathroom things so if you have tips, send them my way.. I am currently working through a 1,000 pack of individual flossers that we accidently purchased..we have problems.
Because Eugene works in the hospital, we wanted to have a separate area to hang his work clothes. We also wanted to have a “dirty” container where he could put all the things he brings to-and-from the hospital. This garment rack has been so helpful to that end! The rod also extends if you want to put inside of a closet!
When we moved here, we gave the kids the bigger room so that it could double as their play room so our bedroom pretty much can only fit simple bedroom furniture and not much else! We had no room for a bedside table, so this has been a great way to store necessities within arms reach. This is usually where my phone sits overnight – but for this summer, the most important item in this little caddy has been my anti-itch medicine for the massive mosquito bites that have been keeping me up at night *SOB*
OUTDOOR RECTANGULAR BATHTUB/POOL
aka a doggie tub aka our kids’ bathtub (LOL)
This was probably our most expensive and most thoroughly researched item that we purchased for this move. When we found out that this place didn’t have a bathtub, we wanted to figure out a way to work around it since our kids LOVE bathtime. We knew that an option was that we could just teach them to take showers, but we were hoping to find a solution that would allow them to still enjoy bathtime together before they get too old and it gets weird to bathe together. After weeks of researching different options, I found this awesome, sturdy, foldable, easy-to-drain, mold-resistant ‘pool’ and it was a literal perfect fit in the shower area. Although it is a little tiring to empty and clean this thing after every bathtime, it’s been a huge blessing to our family! Also – i figure if they grow out of it, this will be a nice little outdoor tub we can use on hot summer days without having to inflate anything!
Also, I call it a doggie tub because this was the picture on amazon when I first found it..and apparently it is more often used for pets. I love this picture HAHA. It sold it for me.
Thankful for the ways we can use different means to maximize the space we have and to really make this place feel like home for us. We feel so so grateful that we were able to safely move in the midst of the pandemic and we are so happy to be here!
Now if only i can finally finish unpacking and organizing everything….
Until next time!
life with the tsengs 