I’ve unpacked our bags and am ready to get back into our Get Organized Challenge!  This week we are tackling home office/paper organization.  Let’s do this. :)  If you are drowning in paper.. I see you.  And I feel your pain.  Ha.  Seriously though.. the struggle with paper management is real!  If you don’t have a good system set up paper can take over your life!  Ok.. maybe that’s a little dramatic.  But it can certainly make you feel frustrated, unorganized and unproductive.  In our previous house I didn’t have a home office.  I was ruthless about what I kept when it came to paper (and everything else!) and I was pretty organized in that area.  (I’ll share my past system later in this post!)  My current home has more storage so when we moved into this house I slowly became lazy when it came to paper management and before I knew it I felt so overwhelmed by it all.  I had paper files and piles scattered everywhere and my brain felt as scattered as my paper.

If you feel the same.. follow the steps below and finally tackle paper once and for all!

1.  Set aside some time to work on this.  You all know I’m a huge fan of organizing 15 minutes a day, but to really tackle paper (especially if you’ve been putting this one off!) you need to set aside some time.  Several hours at least.  If things are really out of control block out a full afternoon/evening for this job.

2.  Round up ALL THE PAPER.  All of it.  Every single page!  Go through your house and collect it all and then find a spot to dump it.

My go-to is always on my family room floor in front of the TV.  This is the perfect activity to do with a movie/series on in the background.  I always prefer something I love that I’ve already watched.  The TV isn’t getting my full attention, but it’s there to keep me company while I work.  A bowl of popcorn never hurts either. :)  I always lay down a blanket to keep my rug clean.  This pic is from a few years ago when I finally tackled the paper piles in our house.

Told you I see you and feel your pain. :)

3.  Take a deep breath and pick up your first piece of paper!  Can you recycle it?  Or do you need to keep it?  Is it something for one of your kids?  A bill?  A receipt?  Medical?  A future project?  Write it down.  You just made your first category.  Write it down on a sticky note and add any other papers that fit in that same category.

Continue doing this until you’ve gone through every single piece of paper!  You can see my labeled categories above and the sack of paper to recycle next to it.  I also made a pile of paper I wanted to shred.

*Obviously the goal is to RECYCLE as much as possible so only keep things that are really important.  So much is digital these days so you really don’t need to keep much!  I know some people have gone completely paperless which is amazing.  You can always scan paper you want to keep and organize it all on your computer.  I personally like keeping certain things on paper in my files and will always prefer a hand written to-do list over a list in notes on my phone, but do whatever works best for you.  Most importantly come up with a system you can easily maintain over time.

4.  Now look at your files and decide which papers you can tuck away.  The papers you only need once in a while are the papers to put in hanging file folders.  These are the files I used above and they come in lots of colors.  I linked some other fun options below!

Then label everything, place them in a filing drawer, cabinet, bin or box and you’re set!

My husband and I both have filing drawers in our offices.  He keeps all of our financial papers/taxes in his filing drawers and I manage all of the kids’ stuff, medical and any other miscellaneous papers.

In our previous house we didn’t have a home office or room for filing drawers or a filing cabinet so I used this crate for important papers. If that’s the situation you are currently in I rounded up options below.  So many cute and convenient ways to file your paper!

Ok.  Now that we have our paper taken care of that we don’t need to see every day, it’s time to set up a system for the paper you DO need in your every day life.  I’ve shared these wooden bins in my office before.  They are magic for me!  A perfect place to set all of the paper I use/need day to day for work and home life.  (These exact bins sold out, but I’ll be sharing lots of fun options for filing paper in my next post!)

If you don’t need multiple bins like I do my best advice is to still have ONE spot where you keep “urgent” papers.  That document that needs to be filled out soon for work, your 4th graders field trip signature page, etc.  The papers that you get daily and think “I need to not lose this before I can get to it..”  This also keeps paper clutter OFF OF YOUR COUNTERS which we all know is huge!  No more piles all over the house!  Create a go-to spot for paper.  Kenny gets the mail every night and we go though it immediately (and trash most of it!) but if you don’t like to do that, have a set bin just for mail!  A place to keep it so that it doesn’t pile up around your kitchen until you have time to go through it.  Of course then you have to remember to go through it often.  I check my inbox a couple of times a day.  Papers are always moving in and out of my bins!

I have this hanging file system on my wall that I’ve had for years with the kids’ names on it.  This is where they keep all of their random school papers they don’t need right away but want to keep.  (This is for things they are currently working on, not their school work I’m saving.)  If you have kids you definitely need a spot for their loose papers.  If I’m cleaning and find Addison’s math on the floor this is where I put it.  My kids know to look here first if they are missing any assignments!

If you have a home office you know that it can become a dumping ground quickly.  Take some time this week to go through things and declutter!  I gave my office a total overhaul a few years ago and have worked hard to keep things mostly organized.  If your office is a mess, pick a day that you can devote to it and pull everything out!

I pulled out all of my office items and photos and old scrapbooking stuff a few years ago and dumped it on.. you guessed it.. my family room floor again!  Time to watch TV and sort. :)

I used clear art & craft bins (similar to these) to organize all of the random items I wanted to keep.  These bins hold lots of projects that are in motion but not done around here. #storyofmylife

I also store some of my Christmas decor in these bins.  Art, our family Christmas cards I hang, Santa pictures, past holiday pics the kids have drawn that I like to display, etc.

This process also helped me realize that I don’t need to order one more clear page protector.  Ever.

Ha.

I fit SO much in this one cupboard!  Organization is amazing isn’t it!?  Get rid of what you don’t need and better organize what you do need.  Makes life SO much easier!

Here’s a little more office organization to get us motivated!

(options for desk drawer organizers)

Nothing like a drawer full of notepads. :)  I keep them all over.  In my office..

in my kitchen junk drawer…

and in my bathroom drawer.  I like to always have one close by to catch whatever is floating around in my head. ;)

Below my notepads is my beloved “mail drawer.”

(greeting card organizer)

I pick up cute greeting cards and thank you notes when I’m out and about and love having a place to organizing them all.  So handy when that birthday party or graduation pops up and you need a card for someone!  This is reminding me that I need to get mother’s day cards soon.  Oh wait.. I already have some saved in my handy little card organizer. ;)

If you’re designing or remodeling a home office these pull out drawers come in so handy too!

Perfect spot for kids’ posters, large albums and other miscellaneous items.

This side of my office with drawers closed..

and open.

A lot of you might remember this tall cupboard in my office.  It was one of the very first things I organized when we moved into our new home!  A spot for all of my kids’ blank papers and craft supplies.

This cupboard gets opened and closed multiple times every day and still looks just like this.  That’s whey you know you have a system set up that works for your family!

I’m thinking I might need to switch out the blue bins now that I recently re-painted my office walls.  #ifyougiveamouseacookie

These old magazine files.. I’ve had them since my teaching days before I had kids!  They have served me well through the years. :)

I know some of you might look at pictures of my home office and think “sure.. it’s easy to stay organized when you have space like that!”  I know you’re thinking that because for years I thought that way too. :)  If only I had more room.  And a home office!  I would be so organized.  But here’s the secret I quickly learned moving from small apartments/homes to a larger home.  It’s actually easier to stay organized in a smaller home.  Really and truly.  I had to be more disciplined about what I kept, but in a lot of ways that made life easier.  Less stuff means less to take care of and manage and organize.

So no excuses! ;)

This was my “home office” in my last house.  A horrible old picture but all I could find!  I used a little bookshelf in the closet under my stairs.  You can see I had a small table with my printer on top of it in the corner.  Up under my stairs (further back in the closet) I kept our luggage.  Do you see my colorful magazine files again?  Told you I’ve had them forever!  I’m thinking it might be time to replace those too.  Ha.

I had simple file sorters on top with homemade labels for urgent papers that I needed to refer to often and one for a daily inbox.

Then I used this crate I shared before for our files.  That was it!  Of course Kole’s nursery held all of my scrapbook supplies because I had no where else to put them.  Who has been with me long enough to remember!?  Oh my word.. I read that old post the other day and can’t believe how long ago that was.  11 years but it feels like 11 minutes ago I was sharing a room with my baby boy!  If you’ve been reading my blog long enough to remember that post just consider yourself part of the family because I do. ;)

Last thing we’ll cover in this already too long post.. wrapping paper organization!  You need a system for it too – especially if you have kids.  It feels like there is a birthday party for a friend every other day.. right moms!?

{family room wool jute rug}

I went through my wrapping paper bins and cupboard after Christmas this year and it felt so good to get it all cleaned out and organized!

I keep ribbon and tissue and tags in small bins.

Then I keep my wrapping paper and gift sacks in this tall cupboard.  In my previous house I had one large basket for all of it with smaller craft bins inside that held my ribbons and tags.  If you are really short on space something that goes over your door like this would work great too.

Then I bought this baby to hold all of my Christmas wrapping paper.  Of course this could be used for regular wrapping supplies too.  It fits nicely under a bed if you’re short on space!

{wrap organizer}

You hear the angels singing too don’t you?

How could you not?  ;)

Last but not least don’t rule out simple ziploc bags!  They come in so handy for office organization.  I use them all the time to hold pictures, supplies, all sorts of things.  I’ve also used them to hold holiday decor and game and puzzle pieces in our playroom.  I ordered this variety pack a while back and love having different sizes of these bags on hand.

Alright friends.  I have some CUTE office organization options rounded up and I want to show you my new office paint!  But I feel like this post is already a book.  I’ll be back soon with more.  In the meantime.. start rounding up your paper piles!

You’ve got this. :)

We’re on week 4 of our organization challenge!  How is everyone holding up!?  This is usually about the time when we all start to lose steam.  Anyone feeling a little behind/defeated?  Honestly don’t!  If you’ve been joining me and working on your checklist.. just keep going!  It’s ok to get behind.  Finish up a previous week or start on closets.  Something is always better than nothing!  We’re making progress and that’s all that matters.  I’m so excited.. I finished organizing my downstairs laundry room!  During laundry and kitchen week because my kitchen is already organized. ;)  Oh my word you guys.. it was seriously such a chore!  BEYOND cluttered.  It about killed me and is the reason I didn’t get more blog posts up last week (I have so much to share!).  But it’s done and now I just need to find some time to take pics!  Coming soon. :) As far as closets go I’m sharing lots of fun before/afters to get you motivated.  You’ll notice that the only closet I’m not sharing today is my master closet.  Just like my downstairs laundry room it’s a spot that has really been put on the back burner.  I am determined to fix that and will be working on it this week!  GO CLEAN CLOSETS!  We’ve got this. :)

Ok.. let’s start with the closet next to my stairs..

This spot can get out of control quickly because it’s such a random catch all closet.  This is the only messy “before” I could find of it, but trust me when I say.. it has looked a lot worse than this over the years!

Here are some pics of it clean!  It looks very similar today.  I use a wall organizer similar to this to hang mops, brooms and other cleaning items.

I have a small built-in inside of this closet for cleaning supplies and one of the things on my closet to-do checklist is to add a few more shelves inside of it!  I originally thought I would stack mops and brooms inside but ended up hanging them instead so there is a lot of wasted space.  I’ll take an updated pic when I get this finished!

On the other side of our stairs is another little closet (we had so much space under our stairs that I had our builder put up a wall to make 2 smaller closets vs. one crazy large closet).  This is the one I lovingly refer to as our “hobbit closet” because the door is so small. :)  Excuse the garland.. this Christmas pic was all I could find of it at the moment!

We all remember this little makeover!  I used to have such a hard time keeping this coset clean with all of the luggage and bags and outdoor stuff I have to cram inside!

Happy to say that is not the case anymore!  (Notice my kids’ school work bins.. going through those during our office/paper week!)

Add hooks to any closet you can!  Vertical organization saves so much space.

Total game changer for my hobbit closet!

Remember this fun before of our outdoor pool closet?

So much better!  These stackable baskets were the key to keeping this outdoor space clean.  I’d still love to add some vertical shelves in this spot someday.  But my master closet has to take priority this week. :)

Kids closets can get messy in no time!  We do mini closet clean outs 2-4 times a year but this last time with Addison she had grown out of so much and her closet was such a mess that we had to do a major overhaul.

When spaces are that messy just pull everything out!

So nice to start with a clean slate.  Get shelves and rods all wiped clean and then see if there is anything you can add to help with function.

Hooks for the win with this closet makeover.  We have Ad’s new paint up and I need to take pics and share that too!

{Ad’s closet sources/details are in this post}

Feels so good starting a new season with a clean closet, doesn’t it!?  El and I are working on hers right now too.

This is an older pic of Ad’s closet when she was younger.  I always had my girls lay out their clothes for school on the Sunday afternoon before the week started.  Saved so much morning girl drama about what they were going to wear!  You can find lots of fun hanging closet organizers here.  This would also work great for seasonal sweaters or other clothes you want to keep separated.

I cut these circles out of scrapbook paper and used my label maker and mini clothespins for labels for her closet years ago too.

An inexpensive way to label baskets. :)

Drawer dividers have always been a go-to for me for clothes drawers.  I’m a huge fan!  These are long time favorites and I just ordered and used these in my laundry room drawers and love them.

Kole’s closet has certainly seen some scary days!

You can read more details about whipping it into shape in this post.  One thing that has been nice is having bins labeled “too big” and “too small” in his closet.  I buy multiples in bigger sizes of things like shorts that he loves because he grows so quickly!  I keep them in the “too big” for when he gets big enough to wear them.  He puts clothes that feel too tight in the “too small” bin and then I can just grab those to donate when I’m making a Goodwill run.  They know me well at our local Goodwill drop off! ;)

If you have closets that store blankets/linens go through those too!  It was emotional for me organizing this closet!  I had lots of old baby blankets in other bedrooms I was hanging on to and knew I needed to donate some of them.  I wanted to fit all of our extra blankets in this one closet (this wasn’t all of them!) so I had to be ruthless.

I kept some special blankets and the quilts my grandma made, but reminded myself that I have pictures of the other blankets wrapped around my babies.  They served their purpose and it was time for someone else to enjoy them.  Some things pull at our heart strings and are harder to say good-bye to but here’s the thing.  Do you think for one second after I dropped those blankets off I’ve thought about them or felt sad they were gone?  Nope.  And to be honest as my kids get older I think I could go back and say good-bye to a few more and be just fine with it.  Because at the end of the day.. it’s just stuff.  People matter.. stuff not so much.  If you’re really struggling to let something go that you know you should, just tuck it away for a while.  Put it in a box in your garage.  If a few months go by and you don’t use it or miss it or think about it, say good-bye. :)

This pic is over 10 years old!  From my towel/linen closet in my previous home.  It was upstairs and I also used it to hold some cleaning supplies and wash cloths.  You can see I added the clothes pins and scrapbook paper labels again.  An oldie but a goodie. ;)  If you remember this picture and post we are LONG time friends and I’m sending you a huge hug! :)

Even though we can close the doors on most of our closets and pretend they are clean and organized..

we all feel and function better when they actually are!  My decor closet is organized, but I’m still going to go through it and get rid of anything I’m not using and loving.  Time to purge!  It’s going to be a great week.  ORGANIZE THOSE CLOSETS!  Let’s do this.

:)

Below are some fun Daily Deals I shared in IG stories last week!  Favorites I own that are on sale (I’ve shared most of them before like my beloved favorite sweater!).  But don’t buy things just because they are on sale or a great deal.  Buy them if you’ll use and love them like I do.

Or they’ll just end up in a sack going to Goodwill next month. ;)

1- striped sweater   2- magic bullet blender   3- williams sonoma dishcloths

4- wood paddle serving board  5- hello door mat 

6- farrah high waist ankle jean  7-  3- drawer end table  8- charging station 

1- faux potted white roses     2- aro vine basket 

3- cowl neck sweater      4- cozy raglan sweatshirt     5- fluffette slipper  

6- gradina block heel bootie   7- triple zip crossbody bag 

{faux pink peonies/white jars/cutting boards here, here & similar here/navy rugs/marble tray/faux plant here & here/silver pendants/gray vase}

Alright.. how are we doing when it comes to the organization challenge?  Keeping up?  Getting behind?  Never started?  Ha.  That’s ok!  Take a minute and print off your checklist and join us this week!  We are organizing our kitchens – woot woot!  My kitchen was mostly organized for years and then when Covid hit and my kids’ activities stopped last spring I finally organized the lingering messy spots and shared the entire space on my blog.  Whew!  That was a workout. ;)  It was so much organization to share that I had to break my kitchen down into 3 posts.  I’m going to share a lot of the same pictures today with some kitchen organization tips, but if you haven’t seen those posts they do a better job of sharing EVERYTHING including where things are located.  Lots of tips for organization but also some ideas if you are building/renovating/remodeling a kitchen this year.  I hope my posts are helpful!

KITCHEN ORGANIZATION POST 1

KITCHEN ORGANIZATION POST 2

KITCHEN ORGANIZATION POST 3

{flour/sugar canisters/similar marble & wood cheese board/similar bowl/faux plant/gingham bowls/Kitchen-aid Pistachio mixer/white terracotta jar/pink peonies}

These kitchen decor pics are from last Spring and I’ve tweaked a few things this year but I’ll share that later in a kitchen decor post.  For today we are focusing on all things organization!  Sidenote – really, truly, if you are behind with this challenge that’s ok!  I am too!  Ha.  I’m still finishing up my main floor laundry room but my kitchen is organized so I can work on my laundry room this week.  If you need to finish laundry or bathroom stuff do that and circle back to kitchens at the end of the challenge or during another week (if the room for that week is already organized or doesn’t take as long).  Just whatever you do don’t give up and stop!  Progress is progress no matter how small it is!

Tackle kitchen cupboards and drawers just like we did in our bathrooms.  Open the messy cupboard and gasp.

Pull every single item out.  Vacuum/wash out the cupboard/drawer.  Toss/donate as much as you possibly can!

Then put the items you really love/use often back in an organized way.  Then we pause and listen for the singing angels. ;)

It’s a good feeling to have your kitchen looking clean when the cupboards/drawers are closed.

It’s an even better feeling to have the kitchen really clean when the cupboards/drawers are open.

I have a lot more space in this kitchen than I did in previous kitchens but honestly that makes it harder for me to keep it organized!  The way to truly be organized is to have less stuff.  I’ve found that more cupboards just get filled with more clutter that we don’t really need.

Be ruthless about what you keep!  If you haven’t used it in the past 6 months to a year say good-bye.

{Cambria Stoneware Dinnerware Set in Stone}

Let go of dishes that collect dust and never get used.

Say good-bye to the 100 cups everywhere. (I keep kids’ every day plastic cups in a different cupboard.)

{favorite handheld vacuums here & here}

If your drawers are already mostly organized take some time to vacuum the crumbs out quick and check if there is anything you can say good-bye to that you haven’t been using.

{madesmart organizer bins}

Toss toss toss.  Edit edit edit.

{silverware organizers here, here or here}

Silverware drawers always end up with dust/crumbs.  Why that is I’ll never understand but take some time to vacuum/wash those drawers out too!  (Or is it just at my house!?  Sometimes I wonder if my kids just stand over this drawer with a box of crackers!  ha.)

Now is the time to toss any old dish cloths that are worn out or smell even after you wash them.  Some of my favorites are on sale!  I’m ordering a new set for spring. :)

{drawer divider for deep drawers}

If you have a drawer/cupboard that you’ve organized but it just isn’t staying that way, re-think how you’re organizing it.  I kept cleaning this drawer out and weeks later it would be messy again.  I finally separated the lids from the Tupperware with a drawer divider and now it’s so easy to keep organized!  Looks just like this still today.  Figure out what isn’t working.  Your spaces have to be organized in a way you can easily maintain them or you’ll be back to square one in no time.  The goal is to organize everything once and then just maintain and forget about it!

{chrome spice bottles/navy rugs}

Go through your spices this week and toss anything that has expired or that you’re not using!

I wish I could toss all of my spices and just stop cooking. (sigh) ;)

Even if you love to cook you don’t need 30 post and pans.  Go through them and only keep what you’re really using often.  Clean out the space they are in and put only favorites back!

{pot lid organizers}

I am able to keep my pullout pot/pan drawers organized because I finally moved the lids to a new location.  So nice because I don’t even use the lids when I cook most of the time!  Separate lids if that would help you too.  (Lots of kitchen organizers I love/recommend are at the end of this post.)

Clean.

Really clean. :)

Wipe out under the kitchen sink and only keep/put back items you use often.

Find a good spot for those pesky water bottles.  Also get rid of half of them!  (Ideas for how to store water bottles are in my collage at the end of this post if you don’t have a drawer for them.)

Keep most used items near the places you use them daily.

If you keep cleaning supplies in your kitchen go through those too and toss what you aren’t using anymore.

{shelf organizer/marble tray/faux plant}

Do the same thing with medication if you keep it in your kitchen like I do.  Again, think about where you use items.  I could keep medication, bandaids, etc. in a linen closet, but where do we all hang out the most?  The kitchen.  It’s nice to have easy access to things like this that we use often.

{similar framed cork boards here and lots of other options here}

{My Organized Pantry Post}

If your pantry is really messy you might want to spend this whole week working on your pantry when you have time.  That’s ok!  Pantries take time to really organize well in a way that you can maintain them.

{similar chalkboard here & here/flour & sugar canisters}

I organized my pantry like this years ago (as many of you know!) and haven’t had to re-organize it once since then.  Every single time I get groceries (every few days around here) I empty containers and put things back where they go and do a quick tidy.  My kids know where things go and are pretty good to put things back in the right spot.  I vacuum crumbs out of the baskets and drawers every few weeks.  It’s easy to maintain spaces when they are organized in a way that make sense.

{Expand A Shelf – MEGA size}

{drawer dividers}

If you have kids I recommend setting up a set place for snacks that’s easy for the kids to access.  Use a bin or basket if you don’t have drawers.

This was my pantry in my previous house.  Much smaller and to be honest.. easier for me to keep clean!  I was ruthless about what I kept.

This is my sister’s pantry!  She just organized it a few weeks ago so I’m adding it to this post to give you a few more ideas.  She was texting me pics while she was working on it and I was so happy for her.  Best feeling getting the pantry organized!  They eat a variety of cereal so it’s easier for her to just keep cereal in original boxes.  We eat the same 4 cereals over and over and humidity can be an issue here so I like to use these cereal containers.  Do whatever works best for you and your family!  Pantries come in all shapes and sizes and some of us don’t even have one.  Just work with the space you have.  If you have a smaller space you are going to have to keep even less and maybe set up a shelf for overflow in the garage, but it can still be organized and set up in a functional, easy to use way!

A couple more before/afters to get us all motivated this week!  Most kitchens have a dreaded junk drawer.

{expandable organizers}

I prefer mine to be not so junky. :)

Sometimes kitchens become catch alls for other random things because we all hang out in our kitchens so much.  Our cord drawer looked like the above picture for years until I finally did something about it!

Remember to gelt rid of what you don’t need first and then seen what organizers would help keep your space organized.

{organizers here and here}

I’m happy to say that this drawer (and the rest of my kitchen!) still looks like these pictures I shared with you today.  I say that not for a pat on the back (although I’ll give myself one because sometimes we just need to remind ourselves that we’re making progress!) but to show you that it really is possible to organize a space and then keep it that way.  I promise!  After this challenge we’ll talk a lot more about routines and habits that have helped me keep things organized, but first we have to organize everything!  One room each week.  We’ve got this. :)

Below are some of my favorites for kitchen organization!  May the force be with you!  

1- polder chrome 18 bottle spice rack  2- 3.2 quart store ‘n pour  3- utensil holder

4- bakeware adjustable rack  5- linus utensil organizer  6- 3-tier spice rack

7- oxo good grips canisters   8- stackable food storage containers 

9- free-standing water bottle holder  & vertical standing water bottle holder

10- madesmart organizer bin  11- lazy susan storage container 12- pan organizer rack

13- expandable drawer dividers   14- non-slip silverware organizer 

*affiliate links used

{shower curtain – back in stock and only $30!/similar CLEAN rug here & here}

Well!  It has been quite a week.  Life is picking up around here and my kids are getting busy again which is a good thing!  It’s also a good thing that we’re easing into everything slowly because I’m not exactly conditioned for my pre-Covid life.  Ha.  I’m so tired!  Our week was a little crazy but I’m happy to say that despite our busy schedule my bathrooms are all organized!  The rest of my house is a mess and I did’t have time to blog much about my bathrooms, but still.. I made it!  Did you!?  Were you able to organize a bathroom or two at your house?  In my last post I shared all of the drawers in my master bathroom that have stayed clean since I last organized them.  Today I’m sharing a few more bathroom projects.  I’ll still have one more bathroom post to share after today’s post, but it will have to come later because we are tackling laundry rooms this week and I don’t know about all of you, but I seriously have my work cut out for me on that one!

Here’s a re-cap of some bathroom progress!  I went in to organize our guest bathroom (located in-between the guest room and Kenny’s office) and the first thing I noticed was how filthy dirty my CLEAN rug was. That just made me laugh.

{bosworth rug}

So I washed it.  CLEAN once again. :)

Kenny has been using the towel hooks to hold his dress shirts for when he has to throw one on for Zoom.  My sister and her family are visiting for a few days this month (can’t wait to see them!) so it was time to put the towels back on the hooks and make this space look like our guest bathroom again!

I washed out the garbage can and got to work going through cabinets/drawers.

They weren’t too bad because I don’t keep much in here, but very dusty because I haven’t wiped them out in years!

I cleaned out all of the cupboards and drawers and folded the towels.  A quick project but it feels good knowing this bathroom is ready for guests!

{grey wood 4-piece bath set}

This bathtub has built-in shelves we used for Kole’s bath toys when he was little.  He just showers now so it was time to let go of the bath toys. (Tear)  Sentimental things like that with my kids are always the hardest for me to part with!  But I’ve saved some special things through the years and I try to remember a quote that helps me when I’m organizing.. “If everything is special then nothing is special.” I love that.  It’s such a good reminder to be selective about what you choose to save.  I had a mom moment and got a little lump in my throat but finally said good-bye to the bath toys. :)

Toilet paper is in the far left cupboard and everything else is empty!

This bathroom also has some built-ins behind the door and a pullout hamper for laundry.  We crammed as much as we could in this space!

{similar vase/faux peonies/soap dispenser}

I keep my faux pink peonies in this space (the pop of color they add always makes me happy!) but when guests come I love switching them out for real flowers.  An easy way to make your guests feel welcome. :)

I shared the organization happening on my side of the bathroom in my last post but Kenny’s side needed some attention!

A paint brush in this cupboard?  Really Kenny?  Why am I not surprised.

A few more fun “befores.”  You can see that I bought organizers and attempted to clean these drawers out at one point but they definitely didn’t stay that way!

You get the picture!

Time to pull everything out onto the floor and give cupboards/drawers a good wipe down!

I also cleaned out our brushes.  After you’ve taken the hair out let them soak in a little shampoo and hot water and they’ll sparkle like new again!  (Ignore the bad lighting in so many of these pics.. I was working fast and just snapping them quick with my phone!)

Now that the tub toys were gone I had these grey bins from Target laying around.  I washed them out and put them to good use!  (Sidenote.. my beloved Cambria Serving bowl holding oranges is on sale!)

My old bins were perfect to hold all of Kenny’s “extras.”  Razors, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.  Nice and tidy!

{linus shallow drawer organizer}

His drawers are looking so much better now too!  Most of the stuff that was crammed in them was packaging and garbage.  I gave Kenny some Jack Black shaving cream and other products to try for Christmas and they were still just sitting in a package!  No doubt they would have sat there in a box for years if I hadn’t opened them for him.

Huge improvement right!?

Travel bags and mirrors in the last drawer.  There isn’t a lot of stuff so he should be able to maintain these.  I’ll be monitoring of course. ;)

I showed Kenny his sparkling clean side of the bathroom and asked “can you please try really hard to keep these drawers organized!?  Just put things right back where they go after you use them.”  His answer?  “Erin.. I mess things up for you.  I need to give you some blog content.  What would you organize if it weren’t for me?  I’m here for you babe.  You’re welcome.”

Yup.. that’s what I live with.

If you’re organizing with me on IG stories Kole gave us all a lesson on how to fold towels. :)  So many people wrote me asking if he could teach their husbands which made me laugh!  Happy to know it’s not just my husband who could learn a thing or two about cleaning/organizing, ;)

On to the powder bathroom!  She’s looking fancy with a new rug. :)

{love yourself rug mat}

Love yourself.  Not a bad reminder. :)  I was going to put this cute mat in my girls’ bathroom but we all decided we like it best in this space and I’m currently looking for some new rugs for the girls.

I keep this bathroom pretty clean and organized because it’s the most used bathroom in our house but the toothbrush drawer needed to be wiped out!

{silverware tray}

I get Kole ready here every morning so it was getting dirty.  I’ve shared this drawer and tip before but for anyone new.. we keep extra toothbrushes in this bathroom because it’s close to the garage door.  That way my kids can brush their teeth here if we’re having a busy morning and need to get out the door quick for school.  It saves so much time not having to run back upstairs after breakfast!

I keep extra towels in the other drawers.

Seasonal.. mostly stuff I use in this bathroom.

{similar bath mat here & here}

I didn’t take a new picture (which is why you’re seeing the rug we used last Spring!) but I did wipe out under the sink.  It’s always a hot spot so I try to give it a quick clean out every 6 months or so.

{chevron vase/similar white flowers/pink peonies/soap dispenser}

3 bathrooms down!  Two were easy and I was grateful because my girls’ bathroom was another story!  So much work and I’ll share pics soon.  I have lots to share with you this week!

Your job for the week ahead:

1- Print out my printables if you haven’t yet and join us in organizing one space in our homes each week!

2- Get ready to tackle laundry rooms!  I’ll share mine soon.

3 – Love yourself.  That’s all. :)

Sources and some fun bath mats I rounded up looking for my girls’ bathroom are all below!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

1 – healdsburg bath rug  2 – priscilla bath mat  3 – love yourself bath mat

4 – riviera bath mat  5 – morgan memory foam mat  6 – peachy clean bath mat 

7 – southwest runner  8 – hilary geo runner  9 – squeeze the day bath mat 

10 – lizandra bath mat   11 – guerneville vanity rug   12 – tufted bouquet bath mat 

{POST SOURCES/BATHROOM ITEMS}

*affiliate links used

I’m kicking off our organization challenge this week with all things bathroom!  Yea!  I can hear the Rocky music playing in the background. :)  Did you download your printable and make your lists?  Before we jump into bathroom cupboards and drawers I wanted to share one more important tip for this challenge that I forgot to mention in my last post. Look ahead at your schedule this week and calendar your organizing time. Will it be easiest to work on your bathrooms for 20 minutes each night this week?  Or do you have a two hour window on Wednesday evening?  Calendar that time and let your family know so that it actually happens.  Once you’ve done that, be realistic about how much you can get done.  If time is short just focus on really organizing one bathroom.  OR just go through each bathroom and purge items you don’t need.  Remember that SOMETHING is always better than NOTHING!  Other general tips for this challenge are here if you missed them.

Bathrooms can get so out of control!  Start by taking everything out of your cupboards and drawers.

I always set items on a towel or rug.  Pick up each item and decide if it goes in the keep/donate/trash/re-locate pile.  Anything you are trashing goes straight in a garbage bag!  If products are old, expired, mostly empty.. trash them.  Also recycle all boxes and packages.  If it’s a newish product but you haven’t used it in the last three months give it to someone who will.  I gave a lot of unused items to my girls when I cleaned out my bathroom.

I didn’t photograph my piles when I initially cleaned this cupboard but I did have piles going for keep/relocate/donate behind me when I took this picture.  You’ll find that a lot of bathroom clutter can go straight to the trash!  Be ruthless with purging and only keep items you really use and love!

Done with my piles and easily filled a bag of garbage!

I started working on Kenny’s bathroom drawers tonight and snapped a pic of the items I always have on hand when I clean out bathrooms.  Garbage bags, paper towels, hot soapy water, a washcloth, and a hand held vac (I bought this one about six months ago to keep in my bathroom/closet and it’s great for quickly cleaning out drawers!).

When cupboards/drawers are REALLY bad and especially if they have a lot of hair (common in bathrooms!) I just use a damp paper towel to wipe out the majority of the mess. If it’s not too bad, I use my handheld vacuum to pick up the dirt/hair.  Then I always wipe out and clean the cupboard/drawer with hot soapy water.  You can just start with the hot soapy water first if that’s easier.  Whatever works for you!  I’m just sharing my method. :)

Next categorize your “keep pile” by grouping like items together.  All the make-up in one pile, all of your skin care, dental, etc.

Then my favorite part.  Putting everything back nice and organized into a clean space! :)

{divided lazy susan}

I placed all of my items back into this cupboard and THEN thought about what organizer might work best.  I really didn’t need much!  Eventually I ordered this lazy susan to hold items I reach for the most often.

When I pulled things out of my drawers my bathroom took a major turn for the worse.. ha.  Things always get really bad before they get really good when you’re organizing!

I was starting to categories the “keep” items in this pic (see all the toothpaste, chapstick, contacts together, etc.).  We buy a lot of items we use in bulk at Costco so there are  always extras to store.

Once I put my “keep” items back in the drawers I could tell I needed some dividers.  These sketches came after all of the purging and cleaning was done!  I always recommend that you purge and clean BEFORE you order organizers.  I think we often get ahead on this because ordering the organizers is fun and it makes us feel like we’re doing something to improve our situation.  The thing that actually improves our situation is getting rid of items we don’t need.

{linus shallow drawer organizer}

Let the organizers be the icing on the cake that you get when you reach your goal. :)

A few fun “afters”..

{linus shallow drawer organizer}

{drawer divider}

{linus shallow drawer organizer}

{linus deep drawer organizers}

{linus deep drawer bins}

Feels amazing when everything is clean, doesn’t it!?  These pics are from last April and because this system is so organized and perfect for the way I get ready each day it has been a breeze to keep clean!  Tomorrow I’m going to vacuum out my organizers and I think I’ll go through this bottom drawer and give my girls some of these samples because I haven’t used a lot of them.  If I haven’t used them in almost a year I know I won’t!  Time to say good-bye.

Also take some time to go through towels.  Pull everything out of linen closets/cabinets.  Donate old towels and treat yourself to some new, clean towels if it’s time.  (Animal shelters are a great place to donate old towels!)  I’ve replaced a lot of the towels in this picture that were wearing out with these grey/white towels.  They are inexpensive and we’ve loved them!  They absorb water well and are stylish.  My two must haves for towels. :)

Wipe out your cupboards and fold everything nicely and put it back.  My bottom baskets hold washcloths I use when I clean.

I hope this post gives you some ideas and motivation to hit the ground running this week and whip your bathrooms into shape!  It’s the best feeling to get ready each day in an organized bathroom.  I’ll share more of my progress soon.  Below are 12 of my favorite bathroom organizers!  Just promise me you’ll order what works best in your bathroom after you toss all of the junk. ;)

*sidenote – Numbers 2, 4, 7, 11 and 12 are in my bathroom pics above. I also have #10 in my vanity drawers.  They are great but really shallow!  Perfect for shallow drawers.  I’m obsessed with #9 (wish list!) and #6 looks like a similar/less expensive option for the main drawer dividers I use. 

1-  woven tank tray   2 – large deep drawer bin  3 – 2-tier organizer basket

4 –  linus shallow drawer organizer   5 – hanging shower caddy  6 – 16-piece organizer set

7 – adjustable drawer dividers  8 – clear plastic jar set  9 – woven rattan nesting baskets

10 – expandable drawer organizers  11 – lazy susan   12 – linus deep drawer organizer 

Happy weekend everyone!  I’m so excited about today’s post!  Ahhhh!  We are going to get organized!  All of us!  Together!  The whole house!  Totally organized!  Or at least pretty close. ;)  You all know how much I love organization.  It’s just the best.  There are so many benefits to having an organized home!  Just to name a few..

• We save SO much time when our homes are organized.  Think of how much time you spend looking for things when your house is messy.  We’ve all been there!  Maintaining messy spaces, hunting for items we need.  Wasting time we could be spending working on our goals, enjoying hobbies, family and friends.
• We save money by not buying duplicates of things or items we don’t use/love.
• When our homes are cluttered so are our minds.  Our homes have a HUGE impact on how we feel each day!  Happiness, self confidence, productivity.. an organized home helps with all of that.  Your overall mental health will improve when your home is in order.  Don’t underestimate how important it is!

If having an organized home is so amazing why don’t we all have one?  Well.  Because it’s not easy.  But I will tell you this.  It’s doable!  And it’s absolutely worth the effort.  My house is not perfectly clean all the time. It’s really not.  Anyone who has kids and a busy family is going to have messes.  Even if you have no kids and a low key schedule your house will be messy at times!  That’s life.  But when you only keep things you use and love and you have systems set up in each room to keep items organized, messes just aren’t a big deal and can be cleaned up quickly.

So are you convinced?  Are you sold on the importance of having an organized home?  Are you ready to organize with me!?  I so hope you are all nodding your heads! :)  To kick off March and Spring I thought it would be fun to host an organization challenge!  There are 9 weeks in March and April combined.  We are going to focus on organizing certain rooms in our home each week.  If we really commit to this and work hard on one space each week think of how amazing our homes will feel 2 months from now!

Here is our schedule..

The challenge starts this Monday, March 1st!  This is what I want you to do this weekend..

It’s one large PDF but you can choose what you want to print!

There are 3 pages that include a general checklist and tips.  If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.. follow this!  Obviously every home is different and some things might not apply, but it’s a good general idea of what items are important to focus on.

I also included 3 pages of the same checklists that are blank!  If you’d rather fill out your own checklist items for each space, print these out and get to work making your to-do list.  This is helpful because our homes are so unique.  Some of my home office items might be located in your kitchen, etc.  There is also a printable that has every space on one page if you don’t feel like you need as many to-do lines.  Most of us will need the 3 pages. ;)  Print just a few or print them all!  Use whatever is helpful and make these checklists work for you.

2 – Follow me on IG if you aren’t already.  I’ll be sharing pictures, tips and my progress on my main feed and in stories.  I’m going to use the hashtag #ssugetorganized and would absolutely LOVE it if you would share your before/after pictures on IG too!  Tag me at erin_sunnysideup and use the hashtag #ssugetorganized and I’ll share some of your before/afters in stories to help motivate us all and give us more ideas!  I’m thinking I’ll mail a few fun things to people participating too. :)  

3 – Buy black garbage bags if you don’t have them already.  A label maker is helpful too but not necessary!  (I’ve heard really good things about this label maker.) 

4 – Get a friend to do it with you!  I’m serious.  Right now call or text a close friend or family member and get them on board.  It’s so much more fun and it will hold you accountable each week!

Ok.. that’s it for this weekend!  *Print the printables, make your lists, get your garbage bags ready, follow me on IG and text a friend!

General tips: