I Think We Need A Bigger Mudroom

I'm thankful we even have one.  They don't exist in most houses in our area, and it was one of my favorite last-minute details we included when we put our addition on several years ago. Until then we didn't even have a closet on the first floor, so you can imagine how over-the-moon I was to have something as luxurious as a 4x8 place to toss shoes and hang coats.

But, you see, when the addition was in its design/pre-building phase, we were a family of three. We are no longer that family and our place-to-toss-our-shoes is barely adequate.

It snowed and this is the aftermath with 5 sets of snow boots, snow pants, accessories, rocks for treasured collections, back packs, grown-up stuff, sticks, shoe bins with covers to prevent the contents from being mistaken as chew toys, etc.  It would be one thing if winter was clearly defined around here because we could keep it simple. But winter in our neck of the woods means 61 degrees one day, stormy and mid-50's the next, followed by 8 days straight of temperatures so cold they'd make a polar bear shiver.  Because of that, we never really put away the spring or fall stuff until it simply becomes outgrown. 

I can't imagine what this will look like five years from now, when the shoes, jackets, and backpacks are even bigger.  And let's not forget about sports equipment. 

Yikes.