52 Weeks of Organizing - Week 5 - Thoughts About Organizing and Two Small Projects

When I first started the 52 Weeks of Organizing Challenge at Org Junkie, one of the first recommended steps by Laura was to make a list of all of the organizing projects that were to be tackled over the course of the year.  I plunged right into the challenge and didn't make a master list for myself.  I haven't ruled out the possibility of making a master list of organizational projects I want to do, I just haven't done it yet.

I'm actually really glad I didn't start with a list, though.  I've been consistently working on organizational projects each week now for 5 weeks and I'm beginning to notice some changes in my way of thinking about our house and belongings.  When I do make my master list of organizational projects, I know I'm in a much better position to think clearly and carefully about what I really want to accomplish and how I want to accomplish it.

• I am beginning to have a new attitude towards purchases.  When I buy something, I think more carefully about the purchase than I used to.  I ask myself questions like, "Do I already have something at home that could be used instead?" and "Where am I going to put this when I get it home?"  I no longer want to bring items into my home that I don't need (or at least I try to make sure I really, really, really want them).  I also don't want to bring items into my house without having a clear idea of where I'm going to put them.  
• I am starting to be on the look-out for areas in my house that annoy me.  When I find one, I actively think about and search for an organizational solution to the problem.  
• I am becoming much more aware of how clutter and disorganization add to my stress level and how much purposeful spaces and organization add to my feelings of peace and calm.
• I am becoming more realistic about just what organized really means.  I am beginning to realize that it has much less to do with my house looking like a page out of a "get organized" book and much more about finding the solutions that work for me and my family.  Now, I love organizational books and get many good ideas from them but an area of my house doesn't have to look like a picture in a magazine to be organized and useful for my family.

So, I did actually DO something this week other than just THINK about organization and organizational projects!  While I was in the laundry room to put yet another load of clothes in the washer, I glanced again at the messy space in which my son stores his guinea pig's food and I store our cat's dry food.  I truly disliked the bags of food and the mess that often surrounded them.  I also thought they would stay fresher for our pets if they were in plastic containers instead.  

I went down to the basement and found a large storage container for the dry cat food and I found a food storage container that my mom had given me a long time ago for the guinea pig food.  I was so excited about the change that I took the time to wipe off the whole sink area and was encouraged to declutter the shelf above the washer and dryer soon.

The other project I finished this week was organizing my teenage daughter's stationery drawer.  She loves to write letters and is an avid letter writer.  Her stationery drawer, though, was a complete mess which made it difficult for her to find the stationery she wanted to use.

After a particularly stressful day, I decided I would organize her stationery drawer for her.  I knew she would really appreciate it and also that she would never take the time to do it herself.  I pulled her drawer out and took it into my room and organized the contents while watching "Drop Dead Diva."

I used a photo box and a plastic shoebox that I already had to store her stationery collection in.  First, I culled relentlessly and put stationery that was too "little girl," or stationery that was bent and rumpled in recycling.  Then I organized the rest of the drawer by the type of stationery and put each individual notecard set into quart size storage bags.  My daughter was THRILLED with my efforts!

I've also been working with my husband in our basement storage room this week.  We've been saying that we NEED to get rid of a bunch of stuff down there for years.  Our storage room is located in a room that contains all "the guts" of our house.  The hot water heater, the heating system, and the water softener are all in that room.  Anytime something goes wrong and my dad or the heating repairman comes over to fix the problem, I'm ashamed of the condition of that area of our house.  So, my husband and I have been forcing ourselves to work on it just a little bit each day - only 20 minutes or so.  I can't believe the change in that room already!  We've donated scads of things to Goodwill and thrown out a bunch of stuff that was truly just trash.  Bolstered by our progress, my husband brought home some free shelving units from work and we'll be using those to continue organizing in that space.

If you want to read about what other bloggers were organizing this week, visit Org Junkies' 52 Weeks of Organizing.