8 UHeart Organizing: Three Easy Ways to Give Back During the Holiday Season

Christmas is just around the corner, and that means the giving spirit is running extra high! As each day comes and goes, I am winding down on all of my shopping, decorating and activities, and really focused on being in the moment and cherishing all that this time of the year has to offer. A huge part of that is not only spending time with those I love, but it also means finding ways to give back in any way I can.

With that, I am incredibly thankful for Serena and her kind heart. She is here today to share some really wonderful and simple ideas for giving back this season. So if you are looking for some last minute ideas and ways to get involved around your community (or even around the world), snag a little giving inspiration below.

Happy Holidays IHeart Organizers! I love the holidays. I also happen to think the holiday season is an organizers dream come true – from organizing all the decorations, creating spreadsheets for gift giving (I know – I’m a total nerd) and planning fun get togethers, it’s any organized gal’s time to shine!

Yet, for this post I wanted to touch on something much more special; and that’s giving back to others this Christmas and holiday season.

And no, I’m not talking about donating to George Constanza’s Human Fund (Happy Festivus to those playing along though!)

Many of us are very lucky to live the lives we do, and there’s no time better than the holidays to pay it forward. So why not use your organization skills for good this Christmas and send out a bit more love into the universe.

Here’s three easy ways to give back to others this holiday season…

ONE – REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR

Let’s face it, while real advent calendars (where you can fill up each of the 25 days of Christmas with a chocolate, note or gift) are super fun in theory, often all the chocolate gets eaten long before December 25 rolls around.

With a REVERSE Advent Calendar you don’t take something each day, but you add something.

It’s simple – grab a Christmas stocking or hamper, and starting December 1 (or whenever you can really!) pop in a new item. The most obvious way is to add edible goods - like canned soups, rice, cereals, biscuits, tea and coffee.

Then, come Christmas day, you have a full hamper of goodies to donate to your local food bank, church or non-profit helping those in need.

While a food hamper is the most popular option, I like to think outside the box with the reverse advent calendar. Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Cleaning supplies, old blankets/towels and new dog treats & toys – DONATE to your local ASPCA, or rescue shelter for cats and dogs. See my full tutorial for a Reverse Advent Calendar for Dog Lovers HERE.
• New or gently used books in excellent condition – DONATE to troops abroad through Books for Soldiers, students in Africa through Books for Africa, or to the many in need through Libraries without Borders.
• Spare diapers, baby wipes, and gently used baby toys – DONATE to your local church, early childhood centre or Baby2Baby.
• Gently used items of clothing in good condition – clean out that wardrobe and DONATE to the Salvation Army for those in need.

TWO – BE SANTA’S ELF FOR A DAY

Another great way to use your organization skills to give back is to host a gathering with friends and get a volunteer to dress up as Santa.

Have guests bring one small present for their child (or children if they have them) and another small present for a child in need.

Then, when Santa makes his appearance at the party, all the kids get an early Christmas present, while the other half of the gifts can be donated.

It’s a great way to catch up with loved ones and give back at the same time.

For places to donate your collected presents, check out Be an Elf (USA) and the Kmart Wishing Tree (Australia).

Also – if you don’t have kids, this idea totally works for adults too! Consider bringing gifts that would help out those in homeless shelters, or seniors in local nursing homes who may not have family nearby.

THREE – HOST A COOKIE, CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS OR WRAPPING PARTY

Nothing says the holidays like Christmas Cookies and holiday cocktails!

While gatherings where friends get together to decorate Christmas cookies, wrap their holiday presents, or just get quietly messy on eggnog are nothing new, this year add a twist…

Have each guest make a small donation (no amount is too small!) when they arrive, and at the end of the party take the full amount and donate to your favorite charity.

Just think, you can eat your body weight in cookies or drink it in holiday cocktails – all the while you’re actually giving back to others.

If that doesn’t give you the warm and fuzzies I don’t know what will!

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season. Ho ho ho!

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Hi! I'm Serena - self confessed neat freak, animal lover and baker of cookies. I'm the editor behind Pretty Fluffy - an online home for dog owners where dedicated animal lovers can find stylish products, modern advice, health tips, recipes, DIYs and inspiration for living well with their pets. I'm the author of the best-selling recipe book 52 Weeks of Treats, and have contributed to Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog, and many other publications - but my favourite will always be IHeart Organizing! If you like cute animals, pretty stuff and the overuse of dog emoji you can follow along with me on Pinterest and Instagram.

6 UHeart Organizing: Small Bathroom Storage Solutions

I am still making my way through all of the amazing One Room Challenge spaces that were revealed last month, and there were quite a few amazing spaces that definitely caught my eye. One of those spaces belongs to a dear friend and iHeart Organizing contributor, Aniko! She tackled a guest bathroom makeover in six short weeks and the results were absolutely lovely!

I asked Aniko to share some details behind her bathroom storage solutions with us today. Although the space looks expensive all around, there are quite a few DIY and budget friendly organizers that were incorporated throughout. Aniko sure is a creative genius!

About a month ago I revealed my guest bathroom makeover, and I was overwhelmed with the wonderful response I received from readers and the features on social media. I love to participate in the One room Challenge each year, and this time I was invited to participate as a featured designer. Well, the pressure was about five times more intense to make something outstanding and amazing as opposed to when I was only a linking participant. We started with a builder's grade bathroom that needed some love. At the beginning of the process, and at the time of demolition, I knew that I would like to create something that not only my guests would enjoy, but a space that we can enjoy as well. I had envisioned a spa-like bathroom while I was dreaming about our bathroom makeover, so we created a fantastic spa-like bathroom that we now are able to enjoy each and every day.

Today I am going to share some of my favorite bathroom storage ideas that I used in this fun, warm, modern guest bathroom. These storage ideas not only look fantastic, but they are functional as well. Our bathroom is pretty small, and when I started planning I wanted to make sure that I utilized every inch of the room. Adding some DIY storage solutions helped to maximize the space.

So let's see these ideas one by one.


HEXAGON SHELVES

As you walk into the bathroom, the first thing that would draw your attention probably would be the hexagon shelves. The day before revealing my bathroom (yup, you read that right), I was looking for something that would be great to hold candles and small decor pieces and would also add some interest to the white walls. I ran to Target and found some neutral color hexagon shelves in their craft section.

I stained them with wood stain (Minwax Red Chestnut) that I used throughout the bathroom makeover for our DIY recessed lights and DIY chunky closet shelves as well. Then I attached them together using an brad nailer. Initially, I was going to use four of these cute hexagon boxes above the toilet, but last minute I changed plans and hung only two of them.


DIY TOWEL RACK

This easy five minute project was also a very last minute addition. When everything was in place, I realized that I only had the towel ring right beside the vanity, and I wanted to add other solution to hang additional towels.

Putting this piece together didn't take more than 10-15 minutes. I used a treated wood panel that I stained with the same stain I used for the other projects in the bathroom. After drilling three holes on the wood panel, I added simple black knobs (from The Home Depot). Again with the brad nailer, we secured it below the window. Pretty simple DIY and looks great, don't you think?


LARGE BASKETS

I am totally a basket girl. When it comes to organizing things around the house, I almost always choose large baskets to store cleaning products, everyday clutter, and items that are better if hidden. I just love baskets. I especially enjoy the wicker versions. I have a few of them in my entryway, and they are seriously life savers. I added this large round basket to my bathroom so my guests can drop in used towels and their laundry as well.

We took the door off of our closet, as well as the door of the bathroom, and we added a barn door (see more on that here), and we built some chunky looking wooden shelves in our closet. I used huge baskets to hide all the cleaning products and bathroom supplies.

BATH SHELF

I decided to add a bath shelf for several reasons. Number one; I love to soak in a tub with a cup of tea, and a bath shelf is the perfect place for my mug. Number two; I think it looks fabulous and the bath shelf can hold items that are beautiful to display. I used treated wood from The Home Depot, and of course, I stained the wood just like I did for the other pieces in the bathroom. If you wonder about those cute little plant holders, they are also from Target. They, come in a neutral color.

BAMBOO BATHROOM SET

When I spotted this bamboo bathroom set, I almost fainted. I adore it! It's a simple, minimalist design and it was made to be in my bathroom. It's a six piece set, and it has everything you need. A soap dish, lotion dispenser, a jar with a lid that can hold cotton balls and such, plus a tray and a toothbrush holder. Stylish storage strikes again!

What do you think? I am genuinely pleased with all of the organizing solutions I found for this guest bathroom. You can see more images, before and afters, and sources for all products and pieces for this room in my bathroom reveal post. You can also check out some of my previous One Room Challenge makeovers here. And if you are gearing up for the holiday season, please come on over and see this year's Christmas decor ideas.

Wishing you the happiest Holiday season!

Cheers,
Aniko

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Hello! My name is Aniko and I blog over at Place of my Taste. I am a wife, mother and business owner by day, and a DIY-er by night. I love all things design, decor and photography, but I also have a passion for cooking, wine tasting, dancing and creating all things beautiful. I am so happy that I am able to share all of my joys over on my blog. I also run an online shop and recently published a photography e-book filled with tips to achieve beautiful photography and styling. I hope that you all come visit me there. Xo!

7 UHeart Organizing: Five Tips for a Smooth Holiday Season

Happy day! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend and that your turkey hangovers are wearing off. We hosted a slew of people on and off for the last four days and then dove back into some laundry room projecting so it was definitely a good mixture of fun, relaxation and a little work tossed in there too.

But now it is time to really start thinking about Christmas and the New Year! Time to pull out the Christmas Tree, count down the days, drink endless cups of cocoa, decorate, shop, give, party, cook and bake... sigh... Just typing it all makes me a little exhausted.

In the past I would try and be an over-achiever and "do it all", but I really wasn't enjoying the season and just found myself stressing and by Christmas morning I was almost too tired to see straight. It completely took away from the whole point of this time of year and after a few years in a row of over-committing, I had a reality check. Especially being so deep in the world of blogging with Pinterest-pretty decor around every corner, it is easy to fall down that "be all the things" trap.

With that in mind, Megan's tips today are spot on! I love her perspective for heading into the season with priorities in check. I would really love for you to chime in at the end and share how you be sure to really soak in these final days of the year as well.

Hi lovelies! I hope your holidays are off to a wonderful start! We have extra reason to celebrate this year with the addition of our adorable nine month-old daughter, Jordan. Especially since I had her later in life, it makes me all the more thankful for her and our son. I'm sure the holidays will be extra special with her, even though we might have to keep the lower half of our Christmas tree ornament-free from little hands!  

I've also found going from one kid to two seems to make it harder for me to get things done around the house, so holiday planning early is a must! For my sanity, and maybe yours, I put together a list of 5 Ways to Make the Holidays Run Smoother.  This post could also be titled, "How to Not Lose Your Mind During the Holidays" because, let's face it, it's easy to go nuts this time of year!

Of course, planning in advance is really key to keeping things in control, but you already knew that. In an ideal world, our gorgeous family Christmas photos would have been taken in September, our cards ordered in October, and our presents already chosen by Thanksgiving.  All that would be left to do is put up the tree and sit back and relax and enjoy the season!

In real life, at least mine, it's not like that! We still haven't taken Christmas photos, let alone chosen a card, and I still need to make our gift list. But, we do have one room fully decorated, so that makes me feel ahead of the game! 

But where do you start if you're starting now?  How can you truly enjoy the holidays and make the most of this time of year without stressing?  Below, I offer 5 Tips to help!

PRIORITIZE HOW YOU WANT TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS

Of course, we want to "enjoy" the holidays, but only you can decide what that means for you and your family. For me, it certainly means being together, doing a few 'special' things throughout the month of December, attending parties and mingling with friends, hosting Christmas dinner, giving gifts to family and friends with a heartfelt note attached, decorating our home, and giving to families in need. But that's a lot right there, so I also need some days where we don't have anything planned, 'bed days' as my 6 year-old calls them. A day where we stay in pajamas and get in bed with books, toys, magazines and hot cocoa and just chill.

If you don't stop to consider what's important or the most "enjoyable" for you and your family, you might spend your time being busy with lots of things that don't really give you much joy.

festive red holiday decor

BE REALISTIC ABOUT HOLIDAY EXPECTATIONS

After you've decided what's really important to you, it will be easier to say no or limit the rest. Every year, I either create or use a pre-made advent calendar to count down to the big day. In the past, I've filled each day with an activity for the family to do even if it is just "watch a Christmas movie".

But, over the years, I've found that an activity a day, as simple as it might be, it still too much to accomplish each day. Inevitably, I realize I forgot a day or two or three and I'd worry we were "missing" it. Instead of savoring just a few things to do, it could easily become just another thing on the never-ending "to do" list.

diy advent calendar

This year, I'm taking just a few of our very favorite things to do and sprinkling them throughout the month, leaving the rest of the days with just a small gift/toy/ornament, etc. 

dining room

Likewise, our "Elf" doesn't come out every night, but will make only a select few appearances before Christmas.


START HOLIDAY DECORATING BEFORE THANKSGIVING

I realize this tip may be taboo or controversial to some people who feel like Thanksgiving doesn't get it's full appreciation if we start decorating for Christmas too early. I was a strict "no Christmas decor until the day after Thanksgiving" until recently. It was our family tradition to always put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but I've found getting it up early does no harm to our Thanksgiving at all. We still spend that day eating our eyes out and being thankful for all our many blessings.

Going back to one of those things on my "enjoy" list is decorating our home and, realistically, to do it justice and create something new each year, takes a long time. And I like to savor it for as long as possible. 

I chose to decorate our master bedroom in early November this year and turned it into our version of a mini Winter Wonderland. I have absolutely loved it! It's so nice to walk into that room in the evening and see it all lit up with holiday magic.  

UTILIZE LISTS & YOUR CALENDAR FOR HOLIDAY PLANNING

In order to fit all of your "enjoy" moments into the holiday season, it's important to write them down and then plan them into your calendar. If you don't, I'm sure you know it's easy to over commit and then you realize you don't actually have time for everything.  

Jen makes the most useful and pretty (free) printables to help you keep everything holiday-related in order. The gift planning guide is especially useful because you can see on paper all the gifts you plan on giving and the budget for everything.  

free printables

START WRAPPING RIGHT AWAY

As soon as you start buying gifts, get down to business wrapping them! Don't let them pile up until the mountain feels overwhelming! I'm the designated gift wrapper in our family because my husband might actually resort to tin foil if left to his own devices! #notkidding 

If you've taken the time and energy and spent the money to lovingly choose a gift for your loved one, take the extra time to wrap it up in a pretty package and ideally, prepare a nice note!  

Wrapping gifts takes a lot of time so wrap as you go! Part of my "enjoying" the holidays is turning the lights down in the living room in the evening, lighting candles, and sipping hot cocoa while I wrap gifts. My family might be watching TV, but we're all together in the same room and it feels nice to have this slow time at the end of a hectic day.  

GIVE TO OTHERS

Number 6 is my bonus tip for you that helps put everything else into perspective. At Christmas-time especially, we want to keep in mind the 'reason for the season' and one way to do that is to give to others, beyond your family and friends. If you have children, it's great to get them involved too, whether it be volunteering, giving toys to those less fortunate, or donating to an organization you feel passionate about. In my town, we like to support our local preschool-aged children with Kids' Meals and in the broader part of the world, World Vision is an organization we also believe in.  

When you kick off your holidays by doing some small part to help others, you realize just how blessed we all are and the stress of the season seems to take a backseat. 

From our family to yours, we're wishing you all the love and joy you can possibly stand!  

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My name is Megan and I am a lawyer by day, design and decor lover by night, and Mama to the sweetest two children. I'm passionate about fitness (and chocolate!) and could not live without my relationships, girl talk, and my morning coffee. I've been blogging for years over at Honey We're Home, sharing my love of keeping things organized and beautiful at our house. My efforts to live in the moment and cook more are an adventure in progress.

7 UHeart Organizing: DIY Wall Shelf with Corbels!

Wall shelves make my organizing heart go pitter patter. They quickly free up surface space by going vertical, and they are also a wonderful way to combine form and function. Mix and match your favorite collections and accessories with storage boxes, canisters and trays and you are well on your way to a stylish and functional space.

I especially love to use smaller wall shelving in entryways as the base of a command station, in bathrooms over the toilet or hamper and even in kitchens for dishes and cooking items. And while there are times when the stars align and you are able to find a shelf that is the perfect size, width, depth and color; purchasing exactly what you want and need isn't always feasible. But no fear, my pal Jen is here! She is a pro at offering up simple building solutions for areas all over your home, and I am so honored that she shares those builds and tips with us. So, if adding a shelf or three is on your current home checklist, then she has you covered with a fabulous DIY solution.

Hello iHeart Organizing friends! I’m excited to be back here, sharing my easy DIY shelf with corbels with you! Whew. It’s been such a fun and busy year, hasn’t it? I can’t believe it’s almost over! Thank you for allowing me to share my easy drawer dividers and kids’ lunch organization earlier this year.

I’m guessing you’re about knee-deep in Thanksgiving meal-planning and hosting family and friends in your homes. We certainly are and it’s a mad dash to get everything done in time! I love this time of year, even though it’s the most hectic. I’m always thinking of ways to make our guest room a little more accommodating and this easy DIY shelf with store-bought corbels is sure to make your guest room or bathroom a little more functional and pretty.

This DIY shelf will only take a day or so to complete. Let’s get started so you can focus on more important things… like turkey and dressing. Don’t mind me, I’m just going to be carb-loading over here like it’s my job.

First, you’re going to want to make a jig. Basically, it’s a template that you make so that your drill holes will be identical. To create my jig, I glued and nailed a couple of scrap pieces of wood together as shown in the photo below. Then, with a 5/16” drill bit, I drilled 2 holes into the jig.

I received these pre-fabricated corbels in the swag bag from a blogger’s conference a couple of years ago. These corbels are made by a Georgia-based company called Osborne Wood Products. They make a variety of turned furniture legs, corbels, and other wood parts. You can find corbels at any big box home improvement store, as well as at architectural salvage yards and the like. I like these because it comes complete with hanging hardware that’s already inset so that the corbels will sit flush to the wall.

I also picked up a package of 5/16” fluted dowel pins from The Home Depot.

Then, using my jig, I clamped the corbels onto my workbench and drilled the holes. Don’t drill the holes too deep so that when you insert the dowel pins, they disappear. You want the dowel pins sticking out a little.

I had a piece of 1x6 scrap wood lying around my workshop, so I decided to use that as the shelf. I sanded and stained the pieces before moving forward. My shelf measures about 24 inches long. You can use your own measurements to fit your space – I would just recommend not making the shelf so wide that it begins to sag.

I eye-balled where I wanted my corbels to be, and marked a line. Then, using the same jig, I was able to drill identical holes into the shelf. Insert the dowel pins into the corbel, and the corbel and the shelf should fit together perfectly.

These dowel pins simply make it so that the shelf doesn’t slide around on the corbels. You could also glue and nail the shelf to the corbels once you hang it up on the wall, but being a serial renter (Army wife here), I usually go for the non-permanent solution whenever possible.

Now that I’ve dry-fitted everything, it’s time to hang it on the wall!

With a stud finder, locate the studs in the wall. Here’s a handy little tip: make a photocopy of the back of the corbels so you know exactly where to place your screws. I put one corbel where I wanted it on the wall and traced a line. Then, holding up my photocopied template, I drilled the screws into place. Be sure not to sink the screws all the way into the wall – you’ll need them to stick out a bit so you can hang the corbels from them.

Then, place the shelf and the other corbel on the wall, check for level, and mark the placement. Take the shelf back off, screw the screws into the wall and hang the other corbel. Double-check that everything is still level, adjust as needed, then simply lay the shelf in place! Easy as pie.

Great. Now I want pie.

This easy DIY shelf with corbels would look great in a guest room or the guest bathroom, right? Right. Okay, now let’s go bake that pie.

Thanks to Jen for having me. If you’re looking for more easy DIY building projects, be sure to swing by and say hello! Wishing you the happiest of holidays, friends!

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Hello friends! I’m Jen Woodhouse, the author of The House of Wood blog, my creative outlet for all things DIY and design. By trade, I am a performing songwriter based in Nashville, TN - I’ve released three albums, toured the world, and licensed my music to national television shows and films - but more recently, I've added ‘DIY Blogger’ to my eclectic resume. The House of Wood is where I document my adventures in woodworking, interior design, and life as a musician, military wife, and mother of two unbearably adorable babies. When I’m not writing, recording, or touring, you’ll usually find me in the garage building furniture! I’m pretty freakin’ excited to join the iHeart Organizing team and I can’t wait to share a few organizing DIY projects with y’all!

15 UHeart Organizing: Making Big Things Happen in a Small Workspace

Home offices are one of my favorite spaces to organize, as even simple updates can dramatically change a person's work flow and attitude. And I have seen everything from full functioning rooms filled with wall-to-wall storage, to an entire office stored inside of a portable box. What everyone uses and needs to work from home varies, but that is what is so interesting to me. I love reading people's office storage stories, and finding out the specifics behind what works (and also what doesn't). And regardless if you have a designated room or use a small nook in your kitchen, just gazing at clutter free desks can be inspirational in so many ways. I know I am always inclined to go do a quick refresh of my work surface after seeing one online, in a magazine or even in a movie.

My lovely lady friends, Casey & Bridget of DIY Playbook, always have a way of making the most of limited space. I am head over heels smitten with their clean and beautiful aesthetic, and truly enjoy reading their tips for living small and carving out functional nooks around their homes. Casey doesn't have the space in her abode to dedicate an entire room solely to blog writing and bill paying, but she did manage to set up a room within a room. And it's beautiful. And minimal. And I love it. Here she is now with more details and tips.

We've written about our small space solutions here on iHeart Organizing before. You can check out our small space secret storage ideas in this post. But today, we wanted to tackle another small space issue, creating an organized and functional work area when you don't have a dedicated office space.

I live in downtown Chicago in a 2-bedroom condo (you can tour it right here); one of our bedrooms acts as a guest room, and the other is our master bedroom. Of course we would have loved another bedroom so we could turn it into an office, but unfortunately we just don't have that kind of setup. Instead of complaining about our limited space, we've attempted to make the most of it! That's why we added a small work area to our master bedroom.

Now I know what you're thinking... An office in your master bedroom? Isn't that a BAD idea? How can you create a calming oasis to rest, when you have WORK in your relaxing space?

The answer is 2-fold. First of all, this is really the only feasible spot for a desk and chair. So we've done our best to make it work for us. Second of all, if you create a work zone like ours, then I promise it won't be a chaotic mess in your master bedroom. Instead it will just be another cute nook that happens to hold some stylish desk supplies.


5 TIPS FOR A HOME WORK SPACE

Tip #1: Find a Spot & Get Creative

We already told you our solution for our work setup. We had a blank wall in our master bedroom that was just big enough for a desk and chair. So I found a slim desk, a comfy chair (that could be used anywhere around the house!), and created my own little "office space."

Any small area in your home can work for this. I recommend choosing slim and streamlined furniture, instead of any bulky desks or chairs. If we have an extra guest for dinner, I can just use our office desk chair because it fits right in with the rest of our home. You certainly do not need an entire room for your office, just find a spot and make it work for you!


Tip #2: Keep it Tidy

The main reason this setup works for our household, is because we keep things very tidy. We have minimal items on the desktop and don't allow anything to clutter up the surface for more than a few hours. A lamp, monitor, a stylish pen holder, and simple accessories are all we keep out on a daily basis.

Inside the middle drawer, we stash our wireless keyboard, mouse pad, and mouse. Whenever I'm powering up the monitor for the day, I simply take these bad boys out and put them in the "on" position. Keeping the surface from becoming too packed really helps our work space look (& work) that much better.


Tip #3: Have a Paperwork Plan

The number one thing that can take any office space from cute to chaotic is excess paperwork. That's why you MUST have a paperwork plan when you setup your office space. We have a file cabinet that we keep in our guest room closet, and cute storage bins in there as well. These areas hold all of our important documents. Instead of letting anything sit out on our desk, we immediately file it away. Paying our bills electronically also cuts down on a lot of important papers.

Because our printer is wireless, we house it in our family room built-ins. That keeps our master bedroom work space from getting too clogged up with bulky items and electronics.


Tip #4: Hide Electronic Cords

Speaking of cords, when you have a sleek desk like ours you don't want to make it look messy with tangled cords all over the place. Because our desk is so slim, you can see just about everything going on under the desk. To cut back on this visual clutter, I used command hooks on the leg of the desk to hide the cord for the lamp (more on how to do that in this post). Since the lamp is a permanent fixture on our desktop, I hid the cord along the length of the desk’s back leg and base, running it all the way down and over to a nearby outlet. I simply placed a hook every few inches so I could string the cord along and secure it as I went.

We also have a large jute pouf that sits under our desk. It has multiple purposes. It adds some texture to the space, is a nice spot to put your feet up when you're working, and it also hides some of the electronic cords from the monitor.


Tip #5: Use Secret Storage

Clearly we have a big obsession with secret storage, as we utilize it in just about every single project around our homes. The most obvious way to keep this area organized is to utilize the storage in the drawers.

Our desk only comes with 3, but all of them work overtime to make sure this area stays functioning well. If you're buying a desk for your work space, consider finding a desk with even more drawers and storage. That way all of the clutter can hide away and be out of view.

Also, have your accessories work double-duty. This small box actually holds all of my business cards. So it's functional, and fashionable. Don't clutter your desk up with too many secret storage items, but do make sure that the ones you have displayed work for you.

So there you have it, tips to make your home work space work harder for you. Our office-in-the-bedroom situation isn't ideal, but it certainly works well for us! Sometimes you just need to get creative to find a solution for your home and your lifestyle. And heck, it certainly beats the "workspace" we were using before we brought this area into our bedroom (i.e. me sitting in the middle of our bed on my computer). My back certainly thanks me.

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Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, the best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the IHeart Organizing team!