29 Day Organizational Challenge- The Master Bedroom...DONE!

So this month I took on my Master Bedroom. I was so tired of all the clutter that was collecting. When it starts I just continue dumping. No more! My plan was to clean it up. I didn't do any decorating (not my thing), but I really enjoy a clean space. Someday I will add a bit more spice, but for now, it's back to a very easy layout. I even had several unseen places I cleaned. I feel really great. So without further ado, here's the before and after pictures.

BED

Before (above), After (below)

UPRIGHT DRESSER AREA

Before (above), After (below)

LARGE DRESSER AREA

Before (above), After (below)

CLOSET

Before (above), After (below)

Questions:

1. What space did you decide to organize and why? I chose this space because it was the messiest room in my home and I cringed everytime I had to go in there.  I like neat and clean areas and this room became a dumping ground.  I let things pile up since the summer.

2.  What steps did you take to ensure you completed the space within the 29 day timeline?

Well, I wish that I had made a better point of writing down my plan, but basically I started by picking up all the stuff off the floor.  Then I cleaned off the flat areas like the dresser tops.  This helped me to think clearly to work on the internal areas.
 

3.  What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and how did you overcome it?

Just beginning the cleaning was the hardest part for me.  I think that's why I just let this space go. I like to work in HUGE blocks of time, but I have 2 children under 3 years of age and the only time I can get anything done is during the short afternoon nap hours, but I took about 15-30 minutes a day and cleaning up the space made a world of difference to me.

4. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

I bagged up a lot of stuff and donated to Goodwill and I also took a few things out to the garage.  I didn't want anything extra crowding my space.

5.  Tell me one of your proudest moments during this challenge?

Always the proudest moment for me was taking pictures at the end.  I was amazed at how fresh and inviting everything looks!

6.  Explain any organizing “tools” you used to help you create additional space and to establish some limits and boundaries?

I feel very limited in my resources for organizing stuff, but in my closet I have a plastic box where I put all the miscellaneous pictures and cards that I had stashed under my bed!  I feel like there is a space for everything.  I have a lot of storage areas in my room and believe it or not I store all my recipe books, DVD's and CD's in my upright dresser.

7.  What is ONE piece of advice you’d give to someone else to encourage them on their organizational journey?

My one piece of advice is to work 15-30 minutes a day in one area until it is clean.  I loved taking a whole month to focus on one area and by doing just that I was able to make my bedroom a place I WANT to be now.

I'm hooked up with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

29 Day Organizational Challenge- the Master Bedroom

I am so tired of living in chaos.  I have challenged myself to clean out my house this year.  I am so tired of looking at piles and clutter.  I spent all of January cleaning the kitchen and I feel very pleased with my progress.  However, the room I hate most is our master bedroom.  It's the room I am in the least and so all of the junk gets plopped in there.  So here goes!  I have decided to attack the bedroom this month for this challenge.  My main goal is to get rid of the STUFF and if I can make it look enticing, that will be a bonus.

Here is what I have to work with: (I'm cringing!)

I'm hooked up with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

52 Weeks of Organizing: Reorganizing!

After several weeks, like two months at least, I'm semi-back to decluttering and organizing.  I won't be up to snuff for a long while since I'm a mom of a 2 year old and 2 month old.  But I decided to clean up a few areas this week that have been bugging me: the teaching shelf and my son's room.  I am doing a bit of teaching with my son and I just seem to keep piling things up on the shelf rather than putting away, so now I will be sure to put things away so it's not messy.  Also, since my son and husband were out the other day all day, I did a bit of reorganizing in his room.  These two projects, although very small, made me feel accomplished.

52 Weeks of Organizing...taking a break!

As much as I've enjoyed clearing clutter out of my house for the last 4 months, it's time for me to take a break, not because I'm giving up, but I will be entering a new phase of life in a few weeks.  Yes, my baby #2 is going to arrive on May 6 and I'm so excited.  Everything is pretty much ready.  I probably won't be doing much cleaning in the next month (ugh!), but I know that caring for my newborn and being with my toddler are more important.  But I will be back in the summer maybe every other week to get started on cleaning again.  I still have so many areas left.  I'm surprised that I kept at it this long.  It's been great accountability for me.  See you in the summer!

I'm linked with I'm an Organizing Junkie!

52 Weeks of Organizing with The Organizing Junkie Week #15

This week I tackled 2 closets: the baby room and my own. I have to combine a few cleaning projects since I most likely will take off the month of May as I'm due to have my baby on May 6. There has been nothing more motivating than having an upcoming addition to our house to get me cleaning. I'm also thankful for this challenge because it's DO-ABLE!! I'm a type of person who wants to clean everything at once and then I get discouraged because I can't get everything done. These bite size chunks have been just perfect and I KNOW I can accomplish one thing in one week. Thanks, Laura!

Baby closet- B4

Baby closet- AFTER

Other side- B4

Other side- AFTER

Before- my gift closet

After- my gift closet

I just want to say something about my gift closet.  If you saw in the first picture I had this HUGE gift bag where I put all of the gift bags that I've been given since 1996 (yes, I still have some from my first Christmas as a teacher).  I do use some of them, but a lot I don't, so I purged.  I also have been collecting gifts for family members for Christmas because I hate to wait until the last minute.  I organized those and made a list of what goes to who.  I have to get this taken care of and also I put more thought into what I want to give. 

I'm hooked up to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

52 Weeks of Organizing with The Organizing Junkie #14 & Project Simply Week #5

I'm at it again!  This week I'm combining my projects since with 52 Weeks I get to pick my project and also this week with Project Simplify I could pick my project.  So I've been dumping everything in the baby's room since we've moved things around so much with dismantling the guest room and moving our son in there.  But the time is drawing close and I want that baby room all set up!

BEFORE!

AFTER!

Now, I just have to get all the baby clothes in.  I also have the closet to clean, but that's for another week!

On another note, if you have been doing the 52 Weeks of organizing, have you noticed that as you walk around your house there is SO much less clutter?  I sure notice and it makes me feel so peaceful.  I'm also quick to clean up and this makes me feel good on the outside and inside.  That way I can focus more on my family and less on the stuff!  Good feeling!

I'm hooked up with The Organizing Junkie and Simple Mom.

52 Weeks of organizing with The Organizing Junkie week #13

This week I thought I would tackle a small space- my sewing area!  We had to move all the sewing from the dining room into our master bedroom and I've just let it go even though I just finished a sewing project a few months ago.  I still need to work on a baby quilt so it's time to get it set up properly because it's such an eye sore.  You will see a large plant hanging in the window.  I don't know what it's called.  I call it "Jezebel"!  My husband loves plants and he takes very good care of it and I could care less because it's in my way!

Before!

Sweet!

I'm hooked up with The Organizing Junkie!

52 Weeks of organizing with The Organizing Junkie Week #12

Theme: Daily Maintenance

Through this journey of decluttering, I'm becoming more aware of how quickly things can pile up, so I am making it a point to clean up daily as I walk around my house.  So refreshing!

When I get a call from the local donation center that comes to my house to pick up my stuff, I go to the places where I have stashed things and start cleaning them out!  This week, it was my downstairs hall closet.  I'm glad there's a door because I cringe everytime I open it and throw something in.  I can't believe I do that, but I have so little space in my house and I don't like to see messes.  So anyway, I pulled everything out and put back what belongs in a neat way and boxed up the rest to give away!  I'm so pleased with the results!

UGH!  Before!

Stuff I pulled out!

Whoa!  Much better!

I'm smiling!

Now that I've had a chance to look at the the fun games we have in our closet I want to play some with my hubby after we put the little guy to bed. Date night/game night!

I'm hooked up with The Organizing Junkie!

52 Weeks of Organizing #11 and Project :Simplify week #2

Theme: Conquer and Consolidate

Lately since I've been decluttering and cleaning my house I've had to let go of a lot of things.  I pick stuff up and wonder why am I keeping this?  It's hard for me because I am somewhat of a packrat.  But I'm taking little steps and making lots of trips to the Goodwill!  I know that I won't miss most of that stuff.  It feels SO good to clean stuff out.  My whole perspective is changing and I'm feeling more peace as I walk through my home.  Ahhh!  ;)

Simple Mom's project was paper clutter, but I have that under wraps, sort of, but what needed the most attention was my bookshelf!
This week I combined my decluttering efforts.I tackled the bookshelf!

Are you kidding?  Why do I let it get like this?

Oh, much better!  I love it!

I must say that I own so many books.  I love them, I hate them (when they pile up) and I can't seem to get rid of them.  Sound familiar to anyone.  :) I'm hooked up with The Organizing Junkie and Simple Mom.

52 Weeks of Organizing with The Organizing Junkie Week #10

This week I tackled the linen closet! I took out a lot of things and I also moved some things (knitting and sewing) in here. We have an extra room that will become our son's new room so I had to get stuff out of there!

BEFORE

AFTER

Theme for this week: Tips for cluttered surfaces

Questions to ponder:

1. What are your hot spot landing zones?  My hot spots are the kitchen counter and the dining room table. 
2. Think about ways you can tackle these flat surface areas to manage the stuff that continues to pile there.  I'm still working on clearing out some other spaces where I can put the things that are cluttering these two hotspots.  I don't have money to buy any organizing baskets or gadgets so I have to make do with what I have.
3. What are you most proud of so far in your 52 weeks journey?  I'm so proud that I'm actually doing this challenge with being pregnant!  I'm so motivated to get this house in order before May 6!

I'm hooked up with Laura at The Organizing Junkie!

52 Weeks of Organizing with The Organizing Junkie #9

Theme: What is your good enough?

Shelf redo project:

Before- Usana stuff/ moved to another location

Remember this mess!  Teaching stuff...

After- Teaching shelf (will be a work in progress)

Questions to ponder this week:

1.  Do you know what your “good enough” is?

     I know what I want my home to look like and I'm taking one step at a time.  Good enough for me is keeping the kitchen clean, making meals and cleaning one area about 15 min a day.  I wish I could do a whole lot more, but I just can't right now.  I'm a mom with a 2 year old and pregnant.  I do what I can and that's good enough!

2.  What did you organize this week?

     This week I moved all my teaching stuff from behind the living room couch and put everything upstairs on a shelf all neat and organized.  I love it!

3.  Are there areas you are struggling with in this challenge?

     I'm only one week behind in my 52 tasks.    I do need to make the commitment for 15 minutes of daily work on the one area for the week.  That's what I will work on this week.

I'm hooked up with Laura, The Organizing Junkie!

52 Weeks of organizing with The Organizing Junkie #8

Theme: Keep flat surfaces clear

Questions to Ponder:
1.  Do find cluttered surfaces make you a little crazy?
     Oh, my yes!  I hate cluttered surfaces, but unfortunately I'm still working on keeping those surfaces clean.  The worst are my dining room table and the big counter in the kitchen.  My dining room table is like a huge desk because that is where my computer is and then I have the printer along with all my notebooks and calendars.  The big counter in the kitchen collects all sorts of "goodies" too.  I'm better at keeping that clear.

2.  Are you managing to stay on top of your 52 weeks list?

      I'm nearly caught up to my 52 weeks list.  I'm not going in the order that I wrote, but I have done 7 areas so far.  I played catch up this week and I have 3 that I made before and after pictures for.

3.  Are you being motivated by your successes yet?

     I'm very motivated my success.  I can see the light coming through.  It's just hard because I have such limited time to clean with a toddler running around all day and a husband that I like to spend time with in the evening.   I'm also pregnant and trying to get ready for this new baby so this is a HUGE motivation for me to clean!  I love it!

Project 1:

Before- letter writing/computer paper file cabinet

After- Everything organized and accounted for!

Project 2:

Before- Emptied out drawers

Before- This is what was in the drawers.  Ugh!!

After- Ahh, feel so much better now.  Purged!

Project 3:

Before- Teaching stuff stored behind couch- removed!

After- all teaching stuff gone.  Next week will have picture of that!

So now I have 7 projects finished and I should finish my 8th one next week.  I'm almost caught up!

Be sure to check out Laura's site- The Organizing Junkie!