The crazy school year has come to its close and the kiddos are geared up for a much-needed summer break! Whether you’ve been using an area of your house as a makeshift schoolroom or just accumulated the normal end-of-the-year pileup, this is a great moment to streamline and declutter before summer fun commences and more stuff comes marching into your home.

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We’ve sat down with Lauren Weldon May, Certified Professional Organizer, for the essential tips on owning your space this season. And with new products to help you streamline the kids’ rooms, White Loft has you covered in at least one corner of the house as well!

Problem: We love going to the pool and beach, but the stuff can be overwhelming, damp, and messy. How should I store and handle these items between uses?

Lauren Says: Whenever possible, don’t actually let it all the way into the house! When you can, carve out a space where you enter the house to allow pool towels to dry. If that’s in your garage or mud room, that’s great! If you live near a beach, dedicate a solid-sided laundry basket at that entry point to carry these items to the laundry room so you’re not getting sand everywhere. 

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Problem: Summertime revolves around the kitchen and the snack chaos is endless! What is the best way to keep my kitchen functional while my kids have fun? 

Lauren Says: I say, give each kid their OWN snack bin during the summer when they are around more. I label the bins with each kids’ name so they have ownership over their stuff. Then no one has to ask where their snacks are or what they’re allowed to have. 

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Problem: Some of my children’s fall and winter stuff still fits… Where and how should I store it during summer when they’ll be living in shorts and tees? 

Lauren Says: This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t love separating seasonal clothing out completely. I often find that this practice encourages people to fill up their closets multiple times over. We tend to fill space no matter how abundant it is; [keeping it out year-round is] a good exercise to edit so the entirety of your wardrobe fits in the space you have. Obviously I make an exception for special seasonal clothing like ski gear, but you get my point!

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We Say: This is where we have to chime in with the newest product in our fleet of handmade wood baby and family heirloom gifts! White Loft is now offering closet organizers for toddlers and babies that can keep you on track with seasonal planning and sizing up.

Shop our New Closet Organizers Here!

If your kids have sized out of these, don’t fret, because we’ll have you covered with something for bigger kids by back-to-school! But for now, if you’ve got littles size 5T and under, or are helping a new mama get organized, you can check out our baby and toddler organizers on our website!

Need more inspo to get organized and take control of your home? Check out Lauren’s Instagram @manifestohomeandoffice today! 

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We’ll have more fun tips to share with you and new products soon; make sure to follow us on IG and FB in the meantime. We are wishing our White Loft family a smooth transition out of virtual or in-person learning and a healthful, joyous, relaxing summer break!