155 A Happy and Organized Entry

Once upon a time we had an entry that looked like this....

Ugh.  It was awful and had zero function.  It took me years of living in our home before I did anything with the space.  Years.  It was such a tricky spot to problem solve since it opens up right into our living room and there is such a small landing!  Anything too bulky and you wouldn't be able to safely move past it.  Yet, doing nothing at all would cause for unnecessary piles or an absolutely sparse and lonely space.

Then, back in April, I gave you a little glimpse of our solution for our shoe storage and for that wall!

We found the shoe storage unit at Ikea and decided the investment was worth every penny since we had gone years without any solution, and wanted something that was going to last through the rest of our time in this house.

We have been loving our new shoe storage since the day it was installed.  It's fantastic and has done everything and more to keep our entry uber tidy and organized.  And many of you have been asking to take a peek inside that little drawer.  Or asking questions about how we organize our entry in general.  So I thought I would share some of the updates we have made since I last showed the piece.

First I thought I would show you how the shoe cubbies and drawer open, still leaving plenty of room to navigate around the space:

We keep the adult shoes on top, kiddos on the bottom:

On the top of the shelf, I keep a cup full of markers so the kid's can feel free to color whenever the mood strikes.  And a small bowl for us to toss our change.  And a $1 melamine tray for our keys.

I used my Silhouette to create fun "His" and "Hers" labels on the tray with vinyl.

Inside the drawer, I also used my Silhouette to cut a paw print and place it on the inside of a shallow white bowl:

That's our way of labeling where the dog leash goes!

That adorable yellow drawer liner was actually already part of the drawer unit when we purchased it!  Such a win, one less step for me to do!

We use the drawer to hold the dog leash, extra flashlights, sunglasses, my coupon envelope and small bins of chalk and batteries.

Next to the shoe stand, I popped in my new bucket I found at the Junk Bonanza, to hold the kiddo's umbrellas:

All of the changes we have been making to get our entry in organized shape have really worked well for us!  We really couldn't be happier with how far it has come!

Anyone else have awesome small entry way storage solutions that have worked for you?

47 Back to School Organizing: Pimp My Locker

You know how I know I am the most embarrassing mom on earth?  Because I locker crash my boy his first few weeks of middle school, with a bag full of organizing goodies.  And then I make him wait with his little brothers around the corner while I put it all together and then do a "reveal" when I am all finished.  All while taking photos.  To top it off I proceed to blog about it with a post titled, "Pimp My Locker".  Wow.

Before you give me a hard time for being a little on the crazy side, let me just say that his eyes when he opened up his locker and started to take it all in, were on the priceless side of things.  He tried so hard to hold back his excitement and remain "cool", but I saw through it all.  And I am not just telling myself that to make myself feel better.  I did wait until school was out after all.

What made me laugh cringe a little when I opened his locker door was the complete chaos that showed he clearly didn't get his mom's organizing gene.

Now I will give him the credit that he didn't have much to work with, but when I picked up his jacket from the floor of his locker, which was under a pair of sneakers, I found books and dirty socks.  Yikes!

My plan wasn't rocket science; I just went there equipped with all sorts of locker organizing goodies:

 1.  I actually combined number 1 {Command Picture Hanging Strips} with Number 4 {Cheapo Target Frames}, to give his locker a little personal touch by hanging pictures of him with his buddies!

2.  This magnet board is the perfect way for him to keep his assignments and reminders in one place and visible when he is packing up his bag at the end of the day.  He can jot down things like, "remember field trip permission slip" or "bring home book log" or "date with Abigail".  Oh my gosh no, not the last one, not 'til he is 23.

3.  Speaking of assignments, I adore these magnetic clips, which are just perfect for him to clip up any homework he needs to remember to bring home, or love notes from his mom...

Not that I would do that....

4.  See number 1.

5.  This next one seems to be a no brainer, but it's still totally worth mentioning.  This locker shelf gave Preston a way to keep his items from being tossed under his dirty sneakers and gives him an extra shelf of storage for his lunch box, books or instrument!

6.  So he can keep his all his little things like scratch note paper, pencils and pda easy to grab and store, I added this magnetic caddy to the door.

You may have noticed I also used my Silhouette to cut out a couple vinyl decals to dress the door up a bit, since the decals will peel right off damage free at the end of the school year.

So what did Preston think?  I know the suspense was totally just eating at him!

The kid didn't slow down long enough for me to grab a great expression picture, but he was totally diggin' his new digs!  

His brothers wanted to check things out too!

I gave Preston a little interview after the "reveal".

Mom: "So what do you think?"

Preston:  "Pretty cool!"

Mom: "What's your favorite part?"

Preston: "Probably the pictures and stickers, oh, and the orange organizer thing."

Mom:  "What part of the makeover will help you be most organized?

Preston:  "The shelf or the calendar."

Mom:  "Are you going to keep that note clipped on the door?"

Preston:  "Well mom, I really don't want to hurt your feelings and I know you really love me, so I don't need a note to tell me that you love me.  Plus, it might be a little embarrassing."

Mom:  "Embarrassing?  No way, maybe they would be jealous.  Should I write them notes too?"

Preston:  Rolling his eyes "Mooooom!"

Mom:  "You aren't going to forget your instrument any more now are you?"

Preston:  "Maybe."

Funny thing is, the next night the instrument came home for one of the first time all year.  As I always say, "mother knows best!"

Oh, and on a final note... Bryan and Parker were walking ahead of Preston, Peyton and I, and I couldn't help but snap this picture:

My little man will be walking these halls before I know it, and I will be embarrassing him too!  Time just goes too fast....

No post would be complete without a before and after!

OK, so I gotta know, what's the funniest thing you have done to embarrass your kid?  Any other mom's out there need me to crash your kid's locker?  Maybe leave them a little love note?

47 Late Night Confessions of a Blogaholic

I was up late working on Etsy orders and got struck with a bout of A.D.D.  Yep, although I am home full time, I still have my little Parker home with me until noon, so I am still trying to figure out my time management schedule a bit.

I looked over and saw one of my new favorite desk accessories and thought, "Wow, I should blog about that!"  Haha, you know your a blogaholic when a pencil cup makes you want to blog.

But in the spirit of "keepin' it real", I thought it would be fun to share what my desk looks like at 11:00 p.m. when I am working away.

Maybe I thought I would be an over-sharer because I am always interested in taking a glimpse into the behind the scenes of another.  So there is my desk.  At this very moment.  Any surprises?

The pencil cup that inspired this whole post is actually a cute "fabulous find" white vase I picked up at Ikea for $1.99.  It's just perfect!

And the little letter holder was even less at $0.99, only this time from Goodwill.  It was an ugly scuffed up silver piece that I just coated with teal spray paint!

On the opposite side of the desk is my saving grace, my IPad.  I keep it propped up on an acrylic plate stand, and use it for watching movies on Netflix, catching up on TV with Hulu or listening to some tunes on Pandora while I work. Right now I am actually watching last night's episode of Glee.  Oh how I have missed that show!

And the binder, is my new blog bff.  It is filled with printables to help me maintain post ideas, manage sponsorships and as you can see, the one I used earlier tonight was to line up some marvelous giveaways for you fine friends {which I am so excited about!}

That's the extent of the excitement around here!  Real time blogging my friends!

More of these on the spot posts?  None of these?  Anyone have any Netflix "Watch it Now" suggestions for me?

Publishing at 12:34, make a wish! 

10 Reader Space: A Radiant Closet Redo!

Do you hear the heavy thumping?  That's my heart.

Today's reader is another great example!  An example of how organizing can {and should} happen over time and in phases.  An example of how to combine practical with lovely.  An example of not settling with an original design.  An example of making the most of limited storage space.

Randi wrote:

Hi Jen!
I'd be super honored if you chose to feature my hall closet transformation on one of your Reader Spaces!  Living in an older house{1930's}, we are limited on "storage" closets...actually, there were none. Each bedroom does have a closet, and there was a coat closet by the front door, but that's it. No closets for that "mud room" type stuff - vacuums, light bulbs, house tools. It just wasn't working for us, so I took charge & changed it, complete with a pretty new paint job!

http://missionorganization.blogspot.com/2011/06/hall-closet-reveal.html

Thanks so much for your consideration!  I admire your blog so much; it's actually what inspired me to start my own last spring!
-Randi

Randi blogged:

I refer to it as the "front hall closet", because it's just inside the front door, at the bottom landing of the stairs. That would be a great location for a "coat closet", except for the fact that we rarely use that door as an entrance...

And yet, until about 1.5 weeks ago, the closet looked like this (full of coats):

Mind you, these are out-of-season coats, but still. Too many coats. I knew we needed to pare them down, as there were some that hadn't been worn since we had moved in, and it kept bugging me because I hadn't done it yet.  So one afternoon, when all of my kids happened to be napping at the same time {that's rare!}, I completely emptied out the closet. Completely.  And that's when I had an epiphany:  We only have one closet that's not for storing clothes....why the heck am I filling it up with coats {which are still clothes...} that we aren't even wearing?!?  They just went in there because there was a closet rod, not because it made good sense. And coats take up SO much space! I had always wanted to store my vacuum in this closet, but it would hardly ever fit with all the other stuff in there.

So I took the closet rod out!  Then I noticed that the shape of the closet would almost perfectly fit a white, plastic shelving unit that we had in our basement. So I trekked down there, cleaned off the shelves & carried it back up. Perfect!  Then only the things that I really wanted in the closet went back in there.

This was after removing coats & placing a set of plastic shelves in to create more storage:

And here's what it looks like now!

When I first started working on this closet, I hadn't placed a huge priority on getting it painted & getting built-in shelves installed. But as time {well, a month} has gone on, there have been other areas in our house that I'd like to go through & reorganize, but I haven't been sure where to put some of the stuff that I know will need new homes.  I knew that the built-in shelves would provide much more storage space than the plastic shelves had, and some of the items would definitely fit in there. Alas, the closet took priority again.

Finishing the transformation included:

• Painting the walls {I picked a pretty blue color to coordinate with some cute magazine holders that go in there...who says a closet can't be colorful?}
• Getting plywood for new wooden shelves, and painting them all white
• Installing the shelves {a whole story in itself...I had to enlist the hubby's help here because our chimney runs up through this closet & we had a heck of a time getting anything to go into that wall!}
• Lastly, and my favorite part, putting everything in it's new place!

I picked up some new medium-sized clear totes to house our winter gear - hats, scarves and mittens - kid's things in one and adult's things in the other.  While in the store, I also came across these awesome plastic drawers, and after seeing the measurements for them, I HAD to buy them because they were basically MADE to fit my shelves!  Seriously, they're 17 inches deep and the shelves are 17.25 inches deep. What a great way to utilize the entire depth of the shelf.

There's a so much more space in this closet now, it's a bit ridiculous!  The new plastic drawers I got are empty, and I even threw in a basket that I wasn't using anywhere else right now, just to fill the space!  I'm not worried though...there are definitely items in other areas of our home that will make their way to this closet, now that it's so much more functional. I must admit that I left the vacuum & wrapping paper out when I took the after pics, just so I could show off more of the shelves - but they still live in the same spots as the "progress" pic.

I'm so pleased with how it turned out - sometimes I even open the door as I'm walking by, just to look at it again. Yes, I'm an organizing dork. But the neatness & colors makes me happy!  {To which my hubby replies, "Well, if that's all it takes..."  haha}

I am so glad I am not the only one that does that.  I do that ALL the time.  Open cabinets and drawers to gaze at my recent organizing accomplishment.  As you should.  You invested the time, you should be proud right?  And I always say, when your organizing proud, you are more apt to maintain it!

Isn't it great that she didn't settle to use the closet for it's original purpose?  Coats can easily be stored in many other ways {add a wardrobe to the garage, add hooks to the wall, out of season pieces can be stored in a bin or underbed storage boxes}.  By taking the bulky coats out of the closet, she gained so much more!

And painting it and building in shelving is the icing on the closet cake.  The shelves really expanded her storage and the paint really made it all pop, and made it feel like a room.  A room you want to open the door and look at over and over!

Way to go Randi!  Let's take another before and after look!

Who is inspired?  What do you love most?  Anyone else been painting closets lately?  Feel free to leave Randi some lovin'!

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and un-editted.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!  More Info HERE. 

546 IHeart: Simplifying and a GIVEAWAY!

The kind folks at Simplify 101 are offering one lucky reader a  free spot in the Organizing 101 Workshop!  That's a $75 dollar value!

If your home is still more cluttered than you'd like despite your best efforts to get organized, Organizing 101 is for you!  In this online workshop, you'll learn how to de-clutter your home using simple yet effective organizing principles.  The organizing process you learn can be used to organize a space of any size.  The information is presented in bite-sized pieces over the course of six lessons, making it easy to digest and act on without feeling overwhelmed.  By taking simple action steps you won't just learn how to get organized - you'll understand the process and begin creating change in your home right away!

With the Organizing 101 workshop, you become part of an online community where you'll get support, motivation and the answers you need to take action on the workshop concepts.  And if you run into any stumbling blocks along the way, you have direct access to your instructor, so you can get unstuck and get going again!

In Organizing 101, you'll learn basic organizing concepts, plus you'll uncover the reasons why your past organizing efforts may not have gone as you wished.  {Plus, you'll find out what to do about it!}  You'll also learn a simple, step by step organizing process, set compelling goals for your future organizing projects, and create a plan you can follow to create the organized home of your dreams!

Sounds pretty amazing right?

Here are the details:

• Giveaway is for one spot in the Organizing 101 online workshop.  That's a $75 value!
• Giveaway is open everyone!
• Giveaway is open from Tuesday, September 20th through 9:00 p.m. central time, Monday, September 26h, and the winner will be announced right here on Tuesday, September 27th!
• One winner will be selected using random.org.
• Please ensure I have your blog or email address so I have a way to contact you if you win.

To enter {each entry requires a separate comment}:

•  Leave a comment on this post stating, "Simplify Me!" and share the area of your life you would be most eager to tackle after taking this incredible course.
• For a second entry, "Like" Simplify 101 on Facebook, and leave a comment back here stating that you did.
• For a third entry, Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment back here stating that you did.
• For a fourth entry, Sign up to receive the free Mini Guide for creating a command central binder, then comment back here stating that you did.

Simplify 101 is offering the readers of IHeart Organizing 15% off enrollment of any of their current workshops - Organizing 101, Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines and Get Organized for the Holidays.  Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines will take the mystery out of creating new habits and routines, so you can lead the life you want to live.  When you have good habits and simple routines in place, your day flows smoothly, because you don't have to constantly remind yourself to get things done.  Get Organized for the Holidays is the ultimate holiday planning workshop.  Get simple tips and ideas so that you stay energized and joyful all season long!  To take advantage of this offer, enter IHEARTSAVING15 during checkout.  This offer is good from 9/20/11 through 9/27/11 and can't be combined with any other offer. {Get Organized for the Holidays is on early bird discount - 20% off through 9/22}

If you'd like more tips on organizing your home or office top to bottom, sign up for Simplify 101's organizing newsletter right here!  You can also follow the blog and get even more daily tips!

Thanks everyone and good luck!