During the cold, harsh, weather-beaten, snow-shoveling months of winter our Mud Room (garage entrance) of our home is shut off from the world to keep the cold at bay and the snowy, muddy, yuck of the season contained. With the spring season comes the opening of the door to the kitchen. Yes, folks, that is when the winter's "pitch and run" bounty becomes an unsightly eyesore. On Saturday Stoney went to Menards for some watch-a-ma-call-its and do-dads that he needed for his current desk rebuild and refinish project, so I asked him to pick up another wire shelf and brackets for the Mud Room (we had been 1 shelf short since the shelves were hung a couple of years ago) and he came home with a shelf for the Mud Room and a second one for the Laundry too! Bonus!
That could only mean one thing...I could no longer put off the inevitable clean and purge of the Mud Room. So about 2:00 I began the challenging process of unloading the room. How could such a small room hold so much crap, uh, I mean stuff? At 6:00 the room was fully unloaded, and the kitchen island, the kitchen table, and 2 card tables were loaded with treasures. I stopped and warmed up some leftover
Sloppy Joe for a sandwich supper and fed Stoney. While we were eating I mentioned that now would be the time to paint that room since it was empty and it was, well,
NASTY. I asked how late Menards was open and said I would go pick up paint. It was at this point that Stoney became a hapless (victim?) participant in my project. He had the misfortune of saying, "Before you do that let me check the garage, I think there is paint left over from painting the kitchen."
After he checked the garage, we did indeed have a full, unopened gallon of ceiling paint, AND a full unopened gallon of wall paint. I merely asked if I should take down the shelves or paint around them...his response...a very heavy sigh...and then wait for it... "give me a little bit to clean up the desk for the day I'll help you." The man may as well have whispered some sweet nothings in my ear!
We took down the shelves, brackets, and wall mounts and while he painted and then mopped the floor, I washed the dishes, pans, and do-dads that had been in the Mud Room and planned the best way to reload the room. I also had to decide what was really worthy of remaining in the room and what needed to find it's way into a garage sale this summer.
Well, now is the time to unveil our handiwork. It is also the time that I am very thankful that my mom doesn't have a computer to see this mess...a crash cart would need to be nearby to resuscitate her. Brace yourself, it is an ugly scene!
The "pitch and run" room! That empty shelf is the one that Stoney put up that morning and got this makeover rolling!
Ah, what a difference! The stainless roaster is only used a few times a year, so it doubles as the Britta water filter storage unit! I covered the boxes holding the Ball canning jars with a burgundy and white gingham contact paper...(Note to self: next time don't choose a pronounced stripe or check for future "contacting!") The box on the table is currently home to gloves and hats...the bucket will be for Stoney's shoes...until he builds or I can find a reasonably-priced small cabinet to fit in that space. The blue bag contains Stoney's bowling balls and it has to reside somewhere! The Dawg's food is stored in the large pickle jar that is currently in the sink...once again lookin' for a cabinet. The little washtub above the sink holds the berry picking boxes that hopefully we will need soon and the two large canners hold several pieces of canning "stuff" that is used during food processing.
The shelves above the freezer and the freezer top kinda gives you the "twitches" doesn't it?
Much better...and yes that is a folded paper towel on top of the freezer. There is always a large pitcher of iced tea there in the fridge next door...if there is a paper towel there perhaps the dribbles will be wiped up when they happen?
Above the refrigerator was a huge catch all. Twitching again aren't you?
The basket tower on top of the fridge contains medicines and leashes/collars and such for The Dawg. Behind the party bowls is the big torch flashlight for when the lights go out. I am going to look for a flat back basket to put either on the wall between the fridge and the door or on the fridge to hold Campbell's Soup and Box Tops for Education tags at garage sales and flea markets this summer.
The doorway to the attic, (another scary project in the works post-Mud Room Makeover recovery.)
The old picnic basket holds potatoes, the old Easter basket holds onions. The mirror and the picture used to decorate my cubicle when I worked outside the home. The plates once hung in the kitchen. Once a cabinet for the North wall is obtained, I will switch the little table to this location to hold the baskets at a more convenient height.
Well, that is the end of my true confessions of a person guilty of helping to create a pitch and run room. Now that I am home full time, I couldn't stand closing my eyes on the way through any longer! My total Mud Room Makeover cost was $5.47 for the contact paper. (Stoney purchased the shelf and brackets, so I don't know what they may have cost.) The rest was sweat and items we already had on hand. And that concludes what has been keeping me busy the last few days instead of blogging!
For more organizing tips and ideas visit:
orgjunkie.com to see entries into the recent 28 Day Challenge or visit
Money Saving Mom for the Clear out the Clutter Challenge.
Recently I found a recipe for Bananas in Pyjamas at Pursuit of Scrappyness that caught my eye (yep, a recipe name will do that) and I decided to adapt and give it a try (click on links above to see original recipe). This adaptation has received the Stoney Seal of Approval. I individually wrapped and froze the muffins after they cooled for an alternate to Stoney's Granola Bars in his lunch...
Wondering about the background on this shot...my crocheting wonder indeed! Just completed a a new dish cloth...I had just pitched one and needed to make a replacement! An hour of television watching and this is the result. If you want to crochet (or knit) one, just be sure to use 100% cotton yarn. They dry out much better than the "store bought" variety and wash up in the washer and dryer like a dream. For crochet, I used a tighter gauge single crochet stitch and, no, I did not follow a pattern, I crocheted to fit my personal size preference of about 8" square.
