kids room revisited

Our beautiful baby has nearly outgrown her bassinet. So, the time has come to revisit the layout of our second bedroom so we can fit three little kiddies in there. New carpet (yay!). New bunk beds. New shelving. And the sides will go back on the cot before baby sleeps there of course.

Check it out...

goodbye precious food

After nearly 8 years, I think it is finally time to say goodbye to the sugar flowers that decorated our wedding cake. I've never felt so sad about parting with something edible before.

Now, if only I had the guts to do the same with my wedding dress. I'm never going to wear it again, but I really can't bring myself to part with it just yet.

The flowers are enough for now.

the boys' bedroom!

Presenting another (almost) complete room! My boys' bedroom has been a tricky one - and there are still numerous things in the wardrobe that I'm not sure what to do with, but I'm pleased with the massive progress that has been made. My aim was to create a more organised space to allow my boys to more easily do what they do best - play!

Here's what I started with:

I am extremely fortunate to have such a great space for our boys to play and (sometimes) sleep. It also helps to have the built in wardrobe - this was one of the first things we added when we moved in. But, I was not using the space well. The biggest issue was clothes! How a small person can have so many, I will never know. But, by storing outgrown clothes in large, sealed tubs in the garage, I managed to free up lots of space and start organising things better.

Check out what I've done so far:

Installing safety mesh on the window allowed us to adjust the room layout, but the major changes took place behind closed doors!

• I bought a pack of shelf plugs so that I could put the shelf back into the bookcase cupboard. This almost doubled the storage space and allowed easier access to the toys.
• To create more space for the boys' clothes, I bought an Ikea Jall clothes organiser and used large Ikea Kasset document boxes as makeshift shelves. I kept the lids underneath each one to add strength and protect the box. As you can see, they fit perfectly into the hanger and slide in and out really easily. It looks neat too! 
• I have also gathered bits and pieces from the top of the cupboard into a large Ikea Garnityr box with lid. These are the perfect size for the top of the wardrobe and can fit heaps in them.
• I have used cheap storage tubs under the single bed for storing extra linen and also different categories of toys. There is a 'car box', a 'Thomas set box' and a 'Duplo train set box'. Keeping the same kinds of toys together (or sets) in the one box or bag has made it easier to stay organised. The boys can find exactly what they want - and are able to help pack up again before we get something else out!

I want to share some organisational highlights with you too...

• Craft drawers: these plastic drawers from Bunnings, while not cheap, are a fantastic modular solution for storing craft things in almost any space. The different shelf options mean that almost anything can fit into them. The clear fronts mean that you can find what you're after at a glance. And, the drawers pull right out, so you can take the whole thing with you to the table.
• Shoe basket: after becoming fed up with only ever being able to find one of each shoe, I added a 'shoe basket' to the cupboard. The boys can put their shoes away in it - and also find them again!
• Pyjama bag: most mornings are a bit of a rush, so the pyjama tops and bottoms would end up wherever the owner happened to be when they were removed - and there they would stay until I had to search for them in the evening. But now, I spend a moment gathering all the pjs and putting them into the designated 'pyjama bag' which hangs on the back of the bedroom door. Pretty sure this one was my husband's idea. Yay!
• Laundry basket: not much to say about this. But, it helps for the boys to have their own place for dirty clothes. (Matchbox cars and the like also turn up in here from time to time - so it pays to check before I dump the lot into the washing machine.) This basket also becomes a fun toy on the odd occasion when it's empty.
• Compact toys: living in a two bedroom unit has heightened my radar for toys that can be folded down and put away. My latest find ($5 on ebay!!) is this multi-level matchbox car set that folds down into a wheel with a carry handle. (This one was fantastic to take on holidays too!) We also have a water play system, play tents and a tunnel that twist and fold back into compact storage bags that are all currently stored under the toddler bed. 

Things are about to change again as we soon welcome another child into our home. That will mean more clothes and toys in use - and another sleeping space to sort out. 

But, I'm confident that, with the organisational start I've made, we'll be just fine.

the kitchen!

I've been completing a little bit here and there in the kitchen for months now. From the start I thought I would like to have it completed by the end of the year.
Well, I've just scraped in!

Here is what I started with:

Surprise, surprise - another embarrasing mess!

Here is what I did with the kitchen, with help from my lovely husband...

I think the pictures will speak for themselves, but I'll still point out a few highlights.

1. Installing a shelf above the bench to keep the space clear for preparing food. ($50 from Ikea)
2. Purchasing a set of tins to keep bread, tea, coffee etc in. ($16 from Kmart)
3. Investing in Tupperware! The Access Mate "Veg Out" containers were $117.65 for both. I justified this expense by repeating a "they have a lifetime guarantee!" mantra in my mind. My husband loves these. They are much more suitable for potatoes and onions than the rotting box we had previously. And they are impenetrable for creepy crawlies!
4. Ikea shelf inserts in plates and glasses cupboards.
5. Large plastic tubs for plastic containers and bake ware. (About $6 each from Kmart). These allow the containers and drink bottles to be a little more organised and I can lift them out easily to access the "occasional use items" in the hidden corner of the cupboard.
6. Moving all the dishes, bowls and platters that I use all the time into a more accessible place. 
7. Getting a new bin. We now have a bin that has two sections; a smaller section on the left for rubbish and a larger section on the right for recycling. (About $70 from Bunnings from memory). Now the recycling doesn't float all around the place in an enviro bag. Much better!

I actually feel excited to be starting a new year with a new kitchen! My whole family has noticed the difference. We can find things we need more easily, and I don't feel angry every time I need to prepare a meal for everyone. I think a happy cook produces better food. 

And, just today, James came in as I was adding the final sparkle and said "thanks for cleaning the kitchen, mum!" Nice to know I am appreciated :)

The challenge now will be to maintain that level of cleanliness. All I can do is try.

Happy New Year to you all. May next year be full of love, fun and organisation!

command delete GIVEAWAY!

In case you didn't already know, I really value all of you who take the time to read my blog. Thank you for reading my posts and for your informative and encouraging comments. By doing this you are keeping me on task and excited about my goals to provide a more sane environment for my family.
So, to say 'thank you' - and also because I'm feeling
a bit festive - I am running a giveaway!

I am excited to be able to give one lucky reader a brand new Boon Frog Pod. Valued at $69.95, this funky bath toy storage system will keep your bath more organised and tidy than it has ever been. It's drainable scoop lets you gather and rinse toys, helping to prevent scum and mildew issues. The wall-mounted base, with built-in shelf, holds all your essential bath products. And it sticks really well to bath walls with semi-permanent adhesive strips, but won't harm tile or wall surfaces. (There's also an option to screw it onto your tiles if you prefer.) 

Bonus: With the Frog Pod your child may actually want to help clean up!

How to enter:

If you would like to go in the draw to win this prize, simply comment on this post, and tell me; what is your child's favourite bath toy? 
OR what is your own favourite bath toy?

Make sure you include your full name in your comment so I can identify and contact you if you are the winner. (If you have been referred by a friend, please include their name as well.)

This giveaway is only for people who have an Australian postal address.

I will be randomly drawing a winner on Thursday 1st of December after 2pm. 

Good luck!

a morning in Fänland

I just spent the morning being treated like a VIP in Tempe
at the brand spanking new
Ikea store! 

I entered a competition on Ikea's Facebook page to win tickets to Fänland at the Tempe store's grand opening. You had to submit your best fan photo or video to enter. They must have enjoyed my crazy photo, because I was lucky enough to be one of the winners!

So, after an early start - which was totally worth it, by the way - my friend, Jacqui, and I were treated to massages (!), hot drinks, a spread of yummy treats, goody bags, and gift vouchers. And all of this while sitting in a luxurious tent decked out with comfy Ikea furniture, cushions and rugs. No lining up in the rain for us. 

We enjoyed listening to some live acts on the stage nearby, including Abba tribute band 'Fabba'. It was great fun. We also got invited up on stage to spin the 'Wheel of Flatpack'. We each won a hotdog. Yeah! haha. I might pass that prize on to my husband. He's a huge fan of the dollar hotdogs.

I was relieved that I didn't win an allen key - because that was a possibility - we have about 50 of those at home already. Note to self: purge allen keys.

The friendly lady, who had been serving us food and drinks all morning, eventually led us and the other lanyard-wearing winners into the store through the back entrance. (So rock star!) We stood amidst a sea of yellow staff shirts and swedish flags while the 'official ribbon' was cut, then joined in with the crowd as they opened the doors.

We marveled at the beautiful styling of all the display rooms, while not really pausing to take too close a look (we were trying to stay ahead of the crowd), and I took many mental notes of the clever storage ideas I saw. I'm filing those away for future reference. We then picked up a couple of things we were after and were out of there. Proud to be still alive and in one piece.

That was one cool, yet slightly weird, morning!

(Last two photos courtesy of Jacqui. Thanks!)

the laundry

The laundry is the smallest room in our house. It was also a dumping ground for all of our bits and pieces that didn't quite fit anywhere else. I'm sure you are fully aware of this, but it is really hard to use a space for its intended purpose when it is full of junk.

The state of the laundry was a major contributing factor to the clothes washing never being up to date. If I needed to use the sink, I had to move things out of it, onto the top of the washing machine. Then, when I needed the washing machine, I just moved things back again.

It was also becoming a bit of a black hole. I had completely lost track of what was in there. The time for purging was long overdue. Here is what I started with:

I know. It was pretty bad.

Even after moving or throwing out things that shouldn't have been in there, more storage was needed. So, thankfully, when I was looking for a storage cabinet for the bathroom, I found a person selling a pair of cabinets! I put the matching one ($60 on ebay) into the laundry. It now holds some cleaning products and chemicals up the very top, as well as beach towels, swimming accessories, enviro bags and left-over plastic bags.

I created more space for the broom and mops by moving the washing machine closer to the sink. It is so much better with them out of the way. I also found a small bookshelf that just squeezed into the space above the filing cabinet in the corner. ($19.95 from DealsDirect). That space is no longer wasted and now holds the dust buster, floor fibres, spare tissue boxes and paper towel, laundry powder, and two small Ikea baskets (donated by a friend) that keep the tea towels and cleaning accessories in order.

A fantastic contraption that I was already using - the only 'organised' thing in the room - is an over-the-door ironing board holder. (I think it may have cost around $10 from Aldi). It's great and frees up more floor space.

A friend also recommended getting a split laundry basket (Ikea Skubb laundry bag $17.99) which allows you to sort dirty clothes and linen before you are ready to wash. So, I got one and it just fit in the space that was left. I couldn't believe how perfectly it all fit in. I was very pleased. I love being able to have things there, ready to be washed but out of sight. So much better than when I was just dumping clothes and sheets on the floor in the doorway.

Well, here it is. Another completed room:

It took a while to find the right things to fit in this small space, but the search was worth it. It has been so much easier to keep the space tidy and functioning well because everything now has it's own spot.

When I walk into the laundry now, rather than feeling disorganised and annoyed,
I actually feel a sense of achievement. Another small victory!

The down side?
I now have one less excuse for not being up to date with the washing ;)

I am now taking a deep breath as I look at the rest of the house. Two rooms down, four big ones to go...

I found the laundry to be a challenging space to work with, so would love to hear what struggles / solutions / stories you have with your own.

reusable shopping bags / green bags

Also known as 'green' bags, reusable enviro bags are now everywhere in many different sizes, colours and designs. It seems as though we have one of every variation in our house. We have TONNES!
They love to attack us every time we open the cupboard under the sink.

I went to sort through the bags we have when I started wondering...
"Do we have too many reusable bags?"
"How many do we actually need?"
"Where should we keep them?"
"What happens if they get dirty?"
"What should we do with them when they wear out or break?"
"What does all this mean for plastic bags?"

I started doing some research to find out more about them. I know, I know. Very nerdy.
But you are about to benefit from my nerdiness.

How many reusable bags do you need?
Did you know that, in a household consisting of four family members, the suggested number of reusable bags required is EIGHT? (greenbag.com.au)
I take that as meaning eight for general shopping use because I know we have way more than that, but some are used to store clothes and things in the wardrobes.
After counting them all I discovered that we actually have at least 36!

I'm thinking I should make an installation artwork with them. That would be awesome.
The Green Bag site suggests keeping the standard reusable bags at home and for each individual to keep a compact reusable bag in their handbag or backpack for day-to-day convenience shopping. Tick!

Do you have too many reusable bags?
Yes? Mission Australia gladly accepts donations of any unwanted bags. Most op shops would happily take bags to give to customers too.

Where should reusable bags be kept?
This question had been plaguing me for a while since I am very unhappy with where they are at the moment. We access the cupboard under the sink regularly and they fall out every time the door opens. Also, our garbage bin resides in that same cupboard which can't be very healthy. Germs!

I went to the brains trust (ie, my friends and family) for some ideas:
30% under the sink
25% boot of the car
15% kitchen cupboard
15% laundry
10% on or next to the fridge 
5% garage

So, really, keep them wherever they are most handy for YOU (probably not next to your garbage bin, though). I have decided on keeping a bunch in the car boot, another bunch neatly folded (I'm allowed to dream) in the laundry cupboard and a couple of compact bags in my handbag.
We'll see how that works out. 

How do you clean a reusable bag?
It's inevitable that all reusable bags will get dirty. Things spill, leak, and flake into the bags.
So, it's important to keep them clean.
It is recommended that you clean your reusable bag with a damp, soapy sponge to get the longest life out of them. Occasional machine washing is ok, just don't put them in the dryer!  

What should you do with old, worn out reusable bags?
Recycle them! Green Bag have a recycling program called RED to encourage the proper disposal of these bags. You may need to check with your local council to see where is the best place to drop these off for recycling in your area. Any non-woven polypropylene (NWPP) bags are classed as a #5 plastic which can be reformed into many things, like school chairs! 

So, what about plastic bags?
After we started using reusable bags for all our shopping, we completely ran out of plastic bags. I then had to buy some plastic bags for the rubbish bin! I hated having to do that, but I didn't really know what else to do. Someone did mention that you can buy 'biodegradable' plastic bags but that turned out to be an even less environmentally friendly option - much to my surprise.

Research carried out for the Commonwealth Government found that, compared with ‘green bags’, the manufacture of single use plastic bags created over three times the greenhouse gas and used almost five times as much energy. And, that same report showed that biodegradable bags are an even worse option than single use bags, stating:
“Little or negative gain was found to be derived from the shift from single use bags to other single use bags such as biodegradable bags and paper bags, with potential litter gains offset by negative resource use, energy and greenhouse outcomes.”

And now...
I care about the environment. Why? Because to love God and to be like Him is to care for the things that He cares for. I care about God's creation and everything that lives in it, including the people and wildlife still to come. Having said that, though - I am not perfect. Not even close. A lot of areas in my life need improvement. This is just one that I'm working on at the moment. And, it's a no-brainer - reusable bags are the best option to care for the environment while shopping.

So, right now I'll be sticking with the regular bin liners for the household rubbish and using our reusable bags for everything else. But, I will be sourcing the bin liners from a new shop, since Aldi only stock one size: huge. I'll also keep thinking about possible alternatives for our rubbish.

A lot of the regular plastic bags are now recyclable. A lot of the major supermarkets have a special bin to put them in. They shouldn't be put in your yellow-lid bin with the rest of the recycling, though, because they jam the machinery at the recycling plant and cause a lot of other problems. I also suggest tying them in a knot if throwing them out with the general rubbish so that there is less chance of them blowing away or floating on water and being swallowed by animals.

So, after all that... even though I am currently drowning in reusable bags - they are good and they are 'green' and they are one way of caring for what God cares for.

I now feel like I have some direction. We will cull down to what we need and donate the rest. They will always live in a convenient place and will never be forgotten when we head to the shops.
It will happen. I'm determined to make this work.

I hope this info has been informative and helpful for you too.

the bathroom is complete!

That's right, folks. The "Get Sorty" project in my bathroom is, more or less, complete! While things may have seemed a little quiet on the blog front, I have actually been at work. Chipping away here and there and getting all the more closer to realising my organisational dreams.

The reason I began with the bathroom is because it is a room that contains items which I have absolutely no emotional attachment to. It was very easy to get in there and turf unwanted and unused items. After I threw away (or gave away) a few bags of toiletries and other random items, I planned my solution. It took a little bit of time to research and track what I was after, but I think it was worth the wait.

This is what the bathroom was like before...

One problem I had was that everything was just shoved into the drawers or cupboard wherever there was space. This meant that no one could ever find anything and when you did locate what you were after, you would end up pulling out about five other things with it.

Another thing was the assortment of towels piled onto the towel racks. Not only did it look dreadful,
but nothing ever dried properly either. I don't know about you, but I prefer not to 'dry' myself with a damp towel. (shudder)

Finally, I thought the storage of the bath toys could be improved too.

So, here is my solution...

 

To address the major problem of clutter in the vanity, I invested in some drawer dividers ($4 from Kmart), a shelf insert ($4.99 from Ikea) and large woven bags ($16.99 set from Ikea). These allow us to keep most of our bathroom bits and pieces within different categories. It looks a lot neater and we can actually find things!!

I also spent quite a while looking for the ideal cabinet to fit towels and other toiletry items in. We were fortunate to have a space of approximately 400mm between the toilet and bath to fit something in. I'm sure you'll agree that what I found looks great and fits so much in it. It is originally from Ikea, but I paid $60 for it on ebay. I really love the frosted glass with floral design.

Initially for our towels I thought a freestanding towel rail might be the go, but my husband suggested that he could simply install another double towel rail. Genius! He had installed an extra towel rail two years ago, but unfortunately they no longer make that style in white. So rather than have a chrome towel rail sticking out like a sore thumb, we opted to get the cheapest white rail we could find. A hard task since the current 'in' thing is chrome. ($50 from Bunnings)

I also bought a plastic basket for the bath toys to keep them contained at the end of the bath. ($4 from Kmart) I chose this kind because I assumed that it would be likely to end up in the bath with the boys. And I was right. It ends up in the bath every time! 

One last thing I would still like to do is get my husband to make a small shelf insert for the cabinet. (I'm yet to tell him this - The Ikea ones were about 10mm too deep. Bummer!) This will allow us to fit our medicine bottles in a safer place high up in the cabinet

And there you have it! One room down, five to go...

the refrigerator of doom

We returned home on Monday from our week long holiday to find that there was a bit of a 'smell' coming from the fridge. The 'sorting' of the fridge was meant to have been carried out soon after I wrote my last blog entry but it never happened. So all of the problem items inside the fridge had been there significantly longer than the time we were away, but that extra week seemed to tip them over the edge.

(And, needless to say, I won't be including any photos with this blog!)

I browsed through the upper shelves of the fridge thinking back over the meals of dinner-times past,
"oh yeah, that was once a yummy shepherds pie..." and finding all of the small plastic containers that I had lost. "So THIS is where they all got to!" Some had a few left over veggies, or bits of pasta that I had intended to use later. I also found half a lemon face down on a dish that had become as hard as cement! You should have heard the sound it made when I tapped it with a butter knife.

Embarrassingly, it gets worse...

I took one look inside the veggie drawer at the bottom of the fridge, quickly shut it and walked away.
Oh my goodness!! Most of the veggies were almost completely liquified! I could make out some sad looking capsicums and the remnants of a bag of green beans. There they were, all dissolving away into a putrid juice. Liquid gold, er, mould...

I buy fresh fruit and veg every week, but don't keep a good track of what is there already, so just keep taking from the top of the pile. Dear oh dear. Mistake.

While there is absolutely no excuse for the state things were in, I am going to make one anyway:
More often than not, at the time I am accessing the fridge, I will be grabbing things to feed hungry small people. They love their food and don't take kindly to waiting any longer than they have to. So I may notice a container with food from two weeks ago, make a mental note to remove it, then walk away and promptly forget.

I have decided now that I should put up with an extra couple of minutes of whinging and remove the suspect items straight away. I am sure it is a massive health and safety risk to leave bad food sitting there. At least, on this occasion, the bad things seemed to be restricted to their own containers or bags.

I have also begun dating things when I open them, such as tomato paste, so I can plan to use them up before they start to rot. And less waste is also an extremely good thing!

My husband suggested that a good time to remove things is before they turn to liquid. Noted. And a fair call too, since he and his iron stomach are the ones to clean out that drawer and completely wash it with soapy water. It is so lovely and sparkly now. (A million times thank you!!)

Together we have turned our refrigerator of doom into a refrigerator of DESTINY!

and the food lived happily ever after...

Well, it's certainly looking that way at the moment. A few people have asked how I went with the rolling pantry. I can finally give you an update.

I took a two minute walk around the corner to Mitre 10 a couple of weeks ago. A member of staff saw me standing in front of the castor wheels looking a bit perplexed (there were a LOT of wheels!), so asked if he could help. [Sure. That would be great.] So, I explained, in detail, the issue I was having and told him I needed two inch fixed castor wheels.
He told me the kind that matched my description were out of stock.
[Of course they were. Sigh.]
So, he ordered them in for me.

Almost a week later a got a call saying they were in. [Yippee! - never in my life have I been so excited about wheels.] I took the boys with me straight away to pick them up.
I was just about to pay for them, when [hang on a minute!?], I noticed that they were SWIVEL castor wheels!! [how can it be this hard to find wheels that don't do anything fancy?? They just need to ROLL for goodness sakes!]

I returned home empty handed and a bit grumpy. I wanted the food out of our laundry. So, when the boys had their naps that afternoon, I headed straight for my trusty ol' pal, Ebay! I found exactly what I wanted within five minutes and for a fraction of the usual cost! They were shipped from Queensland and arrived two days later. I then attached them to the pantry myself. I had to sand back a couple of lumps on the wheels to get them running smooth (you get what you pay for), but the end result is a fully functioning rolling pantry.

All of our food is now either in the fridge, beside the fridge in the rolling pantry, or in the two drawers underneath the oven. My friend upstairs informed me that those drawers are the only place in the kitchen that cockroaches can't get into. Win!!

So, I am feeling extremely organised in the food department at the moment. We can see (and reach) all the food we have, it is fairly neatly arranged, and we now have a sensible amount of everything too. I am surprising even myself! Although, I haven't really sorted out the fridge yet. I have been stalling. I am very very afraid of what I might find. Will definitely be wearing gloves for that job!

But, I guess I got my happy ending.
Or is it the beginning...?

the 'rolling pantry'

We are lucky enough to have a decent sized kitchen. Unfortunately, though, it has one major flaw. There is no pantry. Which leaves us with 'the food cupboard.' When we moved in, this is the cupboard that seemed to make the most sense as a food storage area. To our dismay, after a few years of using this cupboard, what we are left with is an absolute atrocity!

Tins, jars, bottles and packets of food are crammed in, pushing whatever was unlucky enough to be there first further towards the back. Most of those items never to be seen again. I am certain a black hole has formed at the back of 'the food cupboard'.

Most of the time, in searching for, lets say - a can of diced tomatoes, we will remove half the contents of the cupboard only to discover that there are no canned tomatoes left. Instead, we find seven tins of tuna (!?) and a couple of packets of out-of-date pasta. As you can tell, there is absolutely no way to keep track of what is there or what we have run out of. It has been a source of much annoyance, too, when we reach in to get something and knock a dozen things onto the floor in the process. I feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it.

Enter the rolling pantry! In my Google search for some in-cupboard storage solutions, I came across this fantastic contraption. It roped me in with it's blurb... "Imagine having six extra shelves for storing your packets, cans, bottles and jars!... this mobile pantry will wheel out of the way or roll into the narrowest space." This is the answer to our problem! I wrote down the measurements and set to work with the tape measure. Yes! It will fit perfectly next to our fridge!

So much hope was pinned on this fantastic pantry on wheels. I waited in anticipation for weeks. When it finally arrived, the box seemed far too small. Upon opening it, I discovered that this thing required a significant amount of 'assembling'. All I saw were planks of wood and a million tiny screws and wooden pegs. Basically, we had to build the thing from scratch. My husband and I actually had a fun time building the rolling pantry on Friday night, which is just as well, because it took a good few hours.

I was so excited to see it completely assembled in all it's glory! We nudged the fridge across a couple of centimeters, adjusted it's feet (it seems our walls have a slight lean to them) and rolled the pantry in beside it. It fits! I grabbed the handle to roll it back out again and it wouldn't move. It was stuck! What was going on? We quickly realised that the swiveling castor wheels were swinging out from beneath the edge of the pantry and into the wall as they were turning. Garrr!

Long story short... gaffer tape fixes most things but won't stop wheels from swiveling and the pantry is now in the laundry. I am going shopping for some fixed castor wheels some time in the next few days. Will this solve the problem? Time will tell....

I really hope this story has a happy ending.

what do you do with a didgeridoo?

Here is a somewhat unique situation. My husband comes from a very musical family and I have also been known to play an instrument or two once upon a time. Therefore, we have managed to acquire a rather large number of musical instruments.

We currently have an upright piano, an electric keyboard, a Fender Rhodes keyboard, an acoustic guitar, a Spanish acoustic guitar, an African guitar, a trombone, a flute, a melodica, a tambourine, a various assortment of percussion instruments (one of which looks like a frog), a Nepalise flute, a full size djembe and a didgeridoo (pictured above).

My ridiculously clever husband can play all of these instruments and many have made appearances on stage at gigs. (Except maybe for the African guitar. It is a bit hard to tune and is more for 'decorative' purposes.) Our boys really enjoy listening to, and playing them. They are all used and well loved.

The problem. Where do we store all of these instruments!!??

The upright piano is like a piece of furniture, so has it's place. But as for everything else....

We have been using our garage to store the larger items that can't really be carried up and down the stairs. Also, things that my husband needs regularly for his band are down there to save lugging them around. But our garage isn't a very safe place for these things. I would have also added two more flutes (don't ask) and my super-sweet bass guitar to the list above, but they were stolen out of the cupboard in our garage last year. We also had been storing a complete drum kit in there but were finally able to move it elsewhere!

And there are only so many things we can fit under our bed...

A thought had entered my head that maybe we could put one or two on display. But then that is more things for me to not dust. Hmmmmm.

Help! What should we do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!