Organizational Challenge Update #2

As one might expect, my progress slowed a little this week.  I was considerably less inspired than when I first began the challenge, and because Tom's crazy work week (his earliest night home was 12:30am) left me on my own with the kids 24/7, I had less and less "get-up-and-go" as the week spiraled out of control and dragged me along behind it.

I still crossed a few tasks - the kitchen cabinets, my make-up/toiletry drawers, the bedroom closets, the bedroom drawers, my jewelry drawers, and my car - off my master list though, and if my calculations are correct, I'm only six tasks away from my massage!

Day #1: Medicine cabinet

Day #2: Coat closet

Day #3: Under beds

Day #4: Laundry room

Day #5: Handbag/purse

Day #6: Under sinks

Day #7: Refrigerator/freezer

Day #8: Kitchen cabinets

Day #9: Make-up/toiletries

Make-up, organized by category (eyes, lips, etc.) in a plastic storage tray from Target.

Teeth care and hair supplies organized in a second storage tray.

Day #10a: Bedroom closets (kids)

Hallie and Will's closets have great built-in shelves, bars
placed at varied heights, and toy boxes that I absolutely LOVE.

These toy boxes great for large toy and stuffed animal storage and are 
on springs that prevent the lids from slamming down on little fingers.
(They're also a fantastic place to hide while playing hide-and-seek.)

Clothes that fit and are in season hang on the bottom bar. 
Clothes that are out of season or too big (or that I'd rather 
Hallie not ask to wear every day, like tutus) hang on the top 
bar.  Small toys like Little People, My Little Ponies, and 
dollclothes are stored in the pink fabric bins.

Nicer costumes (that I don't want shoved into the playroom
costume bins), winter wear, and shoes are stored on this side.
Pajamas that are too big or out of season are on the top shelf.

Purses, hats, a sweatshirt, and an apron (?)
hang on hooks at Hallie's height.

Hallie's jewelry box is only large enough to store one necklace OR one 
bracelet, so I hung hooks inside her closet so she could see and reach her choices.

Will's closet is laid out similarly, though his clothes storage is a bit different.  Will has very few clothes that hang and lots of clothes that fold so he has a big dresser and a relatively empty closet.  Hallie has very few clothes that fold and lots of clothes that hang so she has a small dresser and a full closet.  And sadly, there is one other difference between their closets...Will's smells like a boy lives there.

Day #10b: Bedroom closets (grown-ups)

I don't have a dresser, so all of my folded clothes 
are stored by category/season on this built-in shelf.  

Dresses, skirts, scarves, and belts.

At least a third of the clothes on this bar are "work clothes", as in jackets, blouses, 
and trousers (my grandma smiled down on me from heaven when I typed "blouses" 
and "trousers") I wore when I worked in an office.  I don't anticipate being back in an 
office anytime soon, but I thought I should hang on to the more timeless/classic pieces 
in case the unexpected happens. I hang my purses two-to-a-hanger on this bar as well.

I love these shoe storage racks.  In most cases, each pair gets its own cubby, 
though occasionally larger shoes each need their own square or two pair of 
smaller shoes - like flip flops - can share a square.  Again, I don't have a 
dresser, so I keep my socks, underwear, swimsuits, etc. in the purple fabric bins.

An easy way to store scarves.

The division of the closet between me and Tom is uneven (I use 2/3 of the closet and he uses 1/3 of the closet) though not unfair - he makes up for using less closet space by taking up all six drawers of our one dresser.

On a related note, no, you can't see Tom's side of the closet.  I work SO HARD to keep his clothes neat and organized, but you'd never know it by looking.  When I'm not actively putting away laundry, gathering his dry cleaning, straightening his shelves, or putting away his shoes, I just try to ignore what's going on over on that side of the closet.

Day #11: Garage

Day #12: Craft supplies

Day #13: Linen closet

Day #14: Backyard

Day #15: Bedroom dressers

Day #16: Jewelry box

Our/Tom's dresser has two very shallow top drawers that I use for jewelry.
I don't love storing my jewelry this way, but the space is available and I'd
hate for it to go to waste.  I'm able to keep everything fairly well organized
using the same plastic storage trays that I use for my toiletries and make-up.

I also keep a few pieces of jewelry "on
display" on the bedroom wall near the dresser.

Day #17: Living room

Day #18: Attic/basement

Day #19: Car

It was disgusting how much crap - food, gum, wrappers, garbage, reusable bags,
toys, extra clothes, water bottles, umbrellas, weed killer, nail files, hand sanitizer,
headphones, my iPod (I'd been looking for that), and an ice scraper (as if I'll ever
need one of those here) - was in my car.  There's no need for an after photo,
because basically all I did was NOT put these things back into my car.

Day #20: Playroom/den

Day #21: Get a massage!

We're getting there, slowly but surely!

Organizational Challenge

Organizational Challenge Update #1