February, Week 3: Take Time for Your Space

I have not been going as great guns this month as I did in January, partly because my kitchen organizing was such a huge project! We have been making headway in our bedroom, but we're not done yet (with the dressers)...so I haven't posted the photos yet.

Last weekend I went through the bin on our floor that was full of all sorts of odd items (!), cleaned out and reorganized my bedside table, got rid of all the stuff by the bed in a basket that has been there since I was on maternity leave, and began working on the top of my dresser. My hubby also cleaned out his bedside table and part of the closet as well.

The lovely thing about cleaning out the bedside table is that I now have room for some of the items (books, etc.) that were in the basket on the floor...such as my One Year to an Organized Life book!

I'm hoping to finish the dresser in a few days...as soon as I recover from the nasty cold/flu that I got from my 2-year-old. I don't feel up to much cleaning today...but blogging is fairly low effort.

February, Week 3 concentrates on creating a shopping list for any tools, further examining how we spend our time, and considering how to maximize closet space.

I guess I should have read this chapter before finishing my closet! Oh well. Someday perhaps I will want to invest in one of those really expensive, fancy closet systems...but for now, we have the basics of one and that's just fine with me.

What's It All About?

Q: Leeds asks how to get your my personal and work environments to support you. Why are you embarking on this organizational process, and what are you seeking? How will this work change your life for the better?

A: I anticipate that a more organized, cleaner space will decrease the stress in my life and improve my overall mood when I am at home. I seek to be able to find things easily, without having to fight through clutter. (Sunday a friend called to ask if they could borrow our DVD of the Lion King. I knew we had it, and Kieran and I found the case...but could we find the DVD itself? No. This is what I want to prevent or at least minimize in the future.)

Q: Has there ever been a time when you knew exactly what you wanted to do with your life? Did you stick to those goals, or did something else force you to take an unexpected direction?

A: I always admired my sister, who knew she wanted to be a doctor at an early age. I have been more likely to just follow the path in front of me, taking detours when they looked interesting or challenging! I knew I wanted to be a mom--I guess that's one thing that I did apply myself to. I never imagined that I would be a publications manager at an engineering firm, though!

Q: Are you in the middle of life changes?

A: Not really. Unless you count the impending teenagerhood of my first child!

Q: What do you do well? Is there any way you could make money using your gifts?

A: Coming up with ideas. Finding creative ways to think about things. Helping people. Buying or making people gifts. Being a friend. Supporting others when they are going through tough times. Planning events. Writing. Leading projects or teams. Networking. Fortunately, my job seems to use many of those talents...I guess I'm lucky!

Q: If you could do anything you wanted in life, what would that be? Dream big.

A: I think I'd be a full-time writer and travel the world. If I were to attempt that, I'd have to take a big pay cut...so at this stage in my life that's not really an option.

Organizing Tools

Leeds then suggests that the reader make a list of organizing tools I need for the bedroom.

Hangers: She likes wooden hangers--I do too, but I'm sticking with the plastic to save $. I did get rid of the old wire ones though.

Shelf Dividers and Stackable Drawers: Check--already have enough of these. Same with acrylic boxes.

Shoe Racks: I used the stackable drawers for my shoes after I got rid of the hanging shoe rack. If I had a bigger cloest, I'd definitely go for shoe racks.

Jewelry Organizers: I have an earring and necklace hanger on the wall (which needs to be dusted) and two jewelry boxes. I like jewelry! None of it is expensive though. I suppose I could try to get down to one jewelry box, but it would probably be hard.

Drawer Organizers: I could probably invest in a few dividers for my sock and underwear drawers.

Belt and Tie Organizers: I don't really wear belts. I put all my scarves (which I also don't wear that often) in a bag on the closet floor. My husband seldom wears ties, but he has a tie hanger.

Leeds suggests that the reader have a closet organizer come out and give a professional design (there is no charge for the design itself). Because I'm trying to do my organizing year inexpensively (especially in this economy), I've elected to work with what I have for the most part.