So this past week has been NON-STOP organizing at my house. Ok.. that’s not totally true. There has been a lot of running kids around and enjoying summer in-between the organizing, but whenever a free minute pops up, I’ve been working! We have three weeks until school starts and I am on a mission to get my house in order and projects wrapped up that have been lingering on my to-do list for way too long. First up was organizing the file drawers in my office.
I absolutely loved hearing from so many of you that my post on organizing my file drawers motivated you to get some of your paper under control too! One sweet reader sent the picture above along with garbage bags of recycled paper she finally sorted through. E-mails like that make my day! So thank you to all of you who send me kind comments and thank you notes. They are appreciated more than you know!
Finally getting my file drawers organized gave me the motivation I needed to clean out other areas in my house so today I’m sharing some progress we’ve made. Emphasis on the word PROGRESS. These are quickly snapped cell phone pics with lousy lighting and real life messes. Be warned. :)
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*You can see my full office decor and sources in this post. It’s much cleaner there too. :)
My office. What can I say.. I’ve cleaned it out so many times but to be honest, I’ve been mostly just shuffling things around. Not this time! This past week I have been tossing EVERYTHING we aren’t using and I can’t tell you how good it feels to get this spaced cleaned out and organized for good!
Two bags of garbage and one to Goodwill after this major clean out. “After” office pics of how I’m organizing this space are coming! Most likely when the kids are back in school and I have time to take some pics. :)
Mudroom was next on my list! I shared this little clean out on Instagram Stories but thought I’d share the pics here on the blog too for those of you who missed it!
My kids are always so happy when I start tearing cupboards and drawers apart.. ha. Sorry but not sorry. :) We took everything out of the cupboards and drawers, vacuumed and wiped them all out, then put back the shoes and things we are actually wearing right now and put the rest in bags for Goodwill. Crazy how quickly kids grow out of their shoes! A few pics of the progress..
I love having all of our flip flops in one drawer by the door! Before we moved into this house I always kept a basket in our garage full of flip flops during the summer then put it away in the winter.
I use these cupboards to hold shoes that aren’t worn as often and old backpacks. (My kids always keep one old backpack each for camping, travel, hikes, etc.)
Time to organize each of our lockers on the left side..
We each have a drawer for our most worn shoes. This is my 14 year old’s drawer and I got so many questions about her rose gold sandals! You can find them here. They are darling, come in lots of colors and I love them for me too! So fun that we are the same shoe/clothes size now. :)
My husband’s shoes are in our closet and so are most of mine (I just keep my exercise shoes in my mudroom drawer) but ALL of the kids’ shoes are in this room.
Wiped clean and ready for new backpacks!
I shared this little tip and heard from so many moms! YES! Keep socks downstairs by the door with the shoes! Saves so much time with younger kids.
{Bosworth Printed Wool Rug (on sale!)/Coral Celine Throw/Woven Araya Pillow/Embellished Shape Pillow}
Thrilled to have this room so clean and ready for a new school year!
This evening Ellie and I tackled her closet and room and OH MAN. I’ve been putting this one off! It was getting so full of clutter! Here is my BEST TIP for cleaning out kids’ rooms when they have hit disaster mode. Pull everything out of the room! I had El get everything in her closet, under her bed, on her floor, on her desk, etc. and pull it all into the hallway. The nice thing about this is that you are starting with a CLEAN room and it feels like a blank slate that you don’t want to mess up again! I vacuumed her floor really good while El got to work organizing..
Well. More like taking a little trip down memory lane reading old journals. Ha. Moms.. you have to oversee large projects like this for this very reason. Kids should do most of the work, but they usually need some prodding along the way so that a 2-3 hour project doesn’t take a week. ;) I gave El one black sack for garbage, one for Goodwill and everything else she wanted to keep she needed to put back nice and neat. She did a great job and we got rid of most of that stuff in the hallway only keeping special keepsakes and a few things she still uses.
We even hit the jackpot finding money and gift cards in all sorts of places. I think I should take that for my services and assistance..
We also pulled all of her clothes out of her drawers and vacuumed them, then wiped them clean!
Then we put back only the clothes she is wearing now. Addison took a few things and then we had another full black bag of clothes for Goodwill!
Half way through I asked her how she was holding up and this was the response I got.. ha! It wore us both out but oh my word.. her room is so nice and clean! Ready to start High School clutter free! I think she’s motivated to keep it clean too because she doesn’t want to have to do a clean out like that again for a long time!
Switching gears with daughter number 2! She and her friend got some cute new back to school clothes and I wanted to share them with you now because most of them are from the Nordstrom sale that ends Sunday night! I have a few more of my favorites that I’ll be sharing tomorrow but here are some cute things if you have girls heading back to school this fall!
{Zella leggings/Zella Pullover/Gladiator Sandals/Balloon Sleeve Cardigan/Similar Jeans}
Ad is the shortest of all of her friends. Both of my girls are! They are taking after their mom in lots of ways. :) So in love with this cardigan I got Ad for Fall! She loves how cozy it is and can’t wait to wear it when it cools off. Her friends is wearing Zella wear that is also so comfy for back to school!
{Red Cotton Tee/Good Vibes Tee}
These two have been doing a fun summer theatre camp together so in-between these pictures there was lots of practicing for their upcoming performance. Cutest girls. Love them!
This floral blouse is one of Ad’s favorites!
{Rainbow Stripe Sweatshirt/Fleece Sleep Shorts}
And how cute is this sweatshirt and pj shorts!? My girls have this brand of sleep shorts too and live in them at home! So comfy.
{Tie Sleeve Sweatshirt/Glitter Anna Flat}
This cute tie sleeve sweatshirt is one of my favorites! So cute and soft.
{Sport Ruffle Sleeve Top/Zoe and Rose Dot Flutter Sleeve Dress}
{Walking on Sunshine Tee/Lace up Hooded Dress}
This lace up hooded dress is also so cute! I bought this one for Ad and it was too long on her but looks daring on her friend! So she kept it and we ordered Ad another one a size smaller. They will be cute twins in this darling dress this Fall!
Never a dull moment with my girls and their cute friends. :)
{Trixxi Sweater Knit Tulle Dress/Stripe Woven Shirt}
Another dress both girls will be wearing this Fall! There were so many cute dresses on sale this year for girls! And Ad is obsessed with tops that tie so I knew this striped top would be a hit. I love it so much too and wish it came in my size!
So happy it’s still summer around here but when school hits we will be ready! I have a few more spaces to organize and need to do some clothes shopping for my other two, but progress! One day at a time. :)
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Wonderful post, Erin! SO happy for you to have gotten that paper organizational project completed! Must feel awesome. We have 2 weeks left! I’ve not done all the organizing projects I’ve wanted, but I did do a deep clean in the kitchen and my girls cleaned up the room they share. Win! So some progress has been made. Yay! Congrats to your older daughter for getting the deep clean done in her room. It’s so hard when you are in the middle of it, but the end result is so satisfying! And your younger daughter and her friend are absolutely adorable! You know what I especially love? Their clothes are modest and don’t show tons of skin, and they look absolutely fabulous and adorable! Good job, Mom! :) Enjoy these last few weeks. I think your Ellie should treat you to a Starbucks at least. ;)
Oh, I so remember the days of having to clean out the girls rooms after summer break. No easy task, but so worth it in the end. I can’t get over how much the girls have grown.
I know Lauren! They are getting so big and will be on their own like your girls before I know it! Yes.. summer always calls for a major room clean out doesn’t it!? Feels so good to have El’s room done! I still need to help with the other two, but El’s was the worst of the three! Hope you’re enjoying your summer! xo
YOur girls are adorable and love the mudroom! Just pinned! laura
Thank you so much Laura! So sweet of you! xo
I love these organization posts!! Thanks for inspiring me to go through my home office again this summer! And those kids are just adorable!!! Fabulous hair!!
Thank you so much Susan! Thrilled you are liking these posts! I’m in total organizing mode right now so more are coming. :) Thank you! xo
Oh my gosh! the sock box! I’m totally doing that for this school year. Such a simple tip, but pure genius! My boys can never remember to put socks on in the morning and are always making us late b/c I have to send them back upstairs to get socks.
Right Janelle!? I got so tired of always sending Kole upstairs to get socks! It has saved so much time.. I’m thrilled it will help you too! xo
I have no mudroom, which is so sad! Years ago, though I dedicated a hanging rod in my laundry room to all things uniform. If you are required to wear it, its on that rack…school uniforms, sports, club tshirts, school outerwear and raincoats, etc. A shelf above holds spare backpacks, athletic bags, lunch boxes. I hung bins on the wall for belts, socks, knee pads, headbands…EVERYTHING related to what is required for both kids. This stuff never goes in their rooms/closets! Shoes are in baskets by the door! Makes it easy to see whats missing too. Just wanted to share. Your mudroom is a dream!
Sandy that is BRILLIANT! I need to share that idea for people who don’t have a mudroom! I made a makeshift mudroom similar to what you are talking about in the garage of my last house and it saved my sanity big time. So nice to have all of that stuff in one place by the door! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
So kind of you to reply! You have inspired me all year to shift my organizing into high gear, so keep up the good work!!
I’m so happy to hear that Sandy! Means a lot. :) Thank you! xo
Darling clothes – I’m going to grab some for my girls. Please tell me where the Hello doormat is from?! Love it! Thanks for the kick to get organizing before school starts for us (1.5 weeks!)
Thank you so much Christen! You are getting close to the first day! So fun. That Hello mat was from Wayfair but last I checked it had sold out! I’m posting again tonight and will add a link for it if I can find it somewhere else or at least to something similar! Enjoy the rest of your summer! xo
Loved this post Erin! Really enjoy seeing the clothes your girls pick out! I have 3 girls similar ages to yours and it’s very helpful! Great job with all of the organizing too! My kiddos went back to school today and that is tops on my list to accomplish! Have a great day :)
I’m so happy you liked this post Lisa! Thank you! And yea! Happy first day at school! I hope your kids had a great first day and you enjoyed a little more quiet! :) xo
Love this! I love seeing how you get your family organized- thanks for sharing!
So happy you liked this post Melissa! Thank you! xo
Wow Erin, you really have been organising. Well done to you all.
Thank you Shelley! xo
I love that your girls are fashionable and beautiful, but they do not feel the need to strike a sexy pose for the camera. Too many young girls dress and act beyond their age. I think you should do a post on age appropriate dressing and behavior as you have nailed it!!! Congratulations!
Erin, your girls are so pretty and your organized spaces look amazing. . I’ve been helping Elle pack and organize her house. They move into their new house and the kids start school on Monday. She’s a wreck because Finley starts Kinder and it’s her last baby. The last one is the hardest. Then throw the move on top of that and it makes a recipe for an emotional roller coaster. I told her the move will go well and with the kids in school she will have time to unpack.
Thanks for the info on the cardigan. We were looking for a black one. Happy organizing Erin. xo
Thank you Cathy! Give sweet Elle a hug for me! That is a lot going on at once emotionally for sure. I really struggled the day Kole started Kindergarten so I totally get how she’s feeling.. so hard when it’s your youngest baby! Sending all the love and tissues her way! She is so lucky to have you for help and support. And yes! She will feel so much better when she’s in a routine and has time to unpack and get settled. Thinking of you both and praying her move goes smoothly! Enjoy your weekend Cathy! xo
Erin, I love this! Where did you get your striped front door rug?
Hi Erin!
I am relatively new to your blog and want to tell you that I love it! We are in the middle of major home renovations and home additions. We are converting an existing home into a brand new home…nothing will be left untouched! Phase 1 is challenging as we are living in the home so keeping things clean and organized has been beyond challenging!!
I am responding to this old post as I cannot find the name of the purple flowers you have in the background. We are planning out the exterior for the upcoming Summer and would love to know the name of this plant.
Thank you in advance!!
Karyn
Hi Karyn! I’m so happy you found my blog! Oh my word.. sounds like you are in the thick of it with renovations. Good luck! So exhausting and exciting all at once. :) Those purple flowers in my front yard are called “Scaevola Aemula.” Love them! xo