house related "creativity"

In an attempt to be "thrifty" aka "not buy a dryer right now", I have installed a retractable indoor/outdoor clothesline in our hallway next to the washer/dryer closet where I hang everything until they are 99% dry then put them in the squeak machine for a cycle with fabric softener. I don't know how much we've saved in energy cost for lack of having to run them on multiple cycles, but it takes about the same amount of time because I either get distracted and forget about the clothes all day, or they take forever to dry, but at least I'm saving our sanity for not having to listen to it squeak all day :) It was $12 at Home Depot including the hardware to hang it. I also used a plant hanger for the center to cut some of the slack created by the weight of the wet clothes lest I have Polli roll all over them on the floor. The only things it obstructs on that side are the hall closet where sheets/blankets are and part of my "studio room" which I haven't used lately so it's not a huge deal.


In order to keep the boys' growing stuffed animal collection out of the way and off the floor, Joey found a net you can hang 3 different ways at Babies'R'Us for $9 (again including hardware to hang it) and I strung the 3 oversized animals from screws in the ceiling with medium weight yarn. I tried fishing line at first but it broke before I could get it up there. Before they were sitting on the floor in front of the mural and had to be moved every time I needed to vacuum. They obviously aren't playing with them right now so it's all good.

I have started repainting the stairway and living room as well. The hall from the foyer to the living room is now all one color (same as foyer) and the same color is now in the stairway and the wall to it in the living room. Without anything hung yet, it looks like we just moved in. We're going to start a family picture collage on the hall wall as soon as we pick out pictures and get frames and we haven't decided what art work will be rehung or switched out yet.