This year, the start of fall feels a little different with many kids going back to school for the first time! So, we think it’s more important than ever to mark the start of the new season by making a fresh start for a new “year.”

This past week, as I was re-organizing my mudroom, I reflected a bit on what a key room a mudroom is in a house with kids, especially two active little boys! Our mudroom has become a catch-all with everyone’s shoes and coats (yes, even though it is August) piled up in bins, on hooks, and even on the bench. After months of thinking I would “get to it,” I finally attacked the mudroom, determined to make it as organized and functional as possible.

First Things First

First, I hung up all of the coats, organized the shoes (and for the most part, returned the majority of them to each family member’s closet). I then nicely displayed a few key items such as keys, backpacks, and umbrellas that we use all the time. Honestly, this reorganizing project made me feel like a new woman and very grateful to have this space.

With this renewed gratitude for having a mudroom, I decided to recommit to how I would use it. The room would be a quick and easy place to take off muddy/dirty/sweaty items and put them right into the hamper or laundry. It also serves as a place to store only our most commonly used bags, coats, and shoes. For the moment, it is also our “Covid” disinfecting station, with a sink (and lots of soap), hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, a digital thermometer, and of course, our mask collection. I keep a trash can in the mudroom as well so we can easily empty pockets and get rid of trash from the car.

No Mudroom? No Problem.

If you don’t have a mudroom — fear not! There are so many ways you can create a functional pseudo mudroom in several areas of your house. You can bring these same concepts to an outdoor space, garage, foyer, hallway, or closet. These same organizing principles and products (baskets, bins, hooks, etc.) can work in any space. You’ll love having things like winter wear, umbrellas, towels, backpacks, etc. all in one place. You may also consider, if you have space, adding a mail station and bulletin board to hold a calendar, invitations, flyers, etc.

If you have a mudroom or space to create one, get to work on re-organizing it for fall. You’ll be so glad you did!

Be sure to check out the rest of our weekend transformation series.

If you have a mudroom idea to share, please let us know!