Q & A - How Do You....

A fellow blogger in my Cafe Mom group Blogging Moms recently asked:

Question:

I also love to organize, but unfortunately there never seems to be enough time, and I only have one child.
So how do you find the time???? Great blog!
-------------------------
Michelle

www.greenolivesandham.com

After reading Michelle's Question I decided to do a Q & A each week, providing that I get questions either via my Cafe Mom Blogging Moms group or via other blogging mommies. I will answer almost any questions...if I feel that they are objectionable or too personal, I will let you know but the questions do not have to relate exclusively to organizing, de-cluttering, etc.

Answer:

Organizing is a hobby for me, much like scrapbooking (this is also a hobby of mine) so I pick a project & set aside time to work on it. I usually try to think about what I want to do & plan it out before I jump in. If I want to spot organize my kitchen cabinets, I will often do it while dinner is cooking since I am already in the kitchen. I may only organize 1 or 2 cabinets but I have accomplished something during that time. Some of my organizing projects take several days where I have to go back to finish or tweak it. I sometimes do it in 15 minute intervals, you can organize a lot in 15 minutes....for example in 15 minutes you can do any one (or more) of the following:

• clean out & organize your purse (I sometimes do this while sitting in a waiting room or in the drive-thru at the bank if there is a long line)
• clean out 1 junk drawer
• organize 1 kitchen cabinet
• sort through a pile of magazines, catalogs & newspapers
• sort mail, shred paid bills & junk mail
• update your calendar with bill due dates & appointments
• clean old food out of your fridge
• plan your weekly menu for your family
• check & delete emails...ie. clean out your email in box
• straighten up your entryway closet
• straighten a dresser drawer

Remember to set a timer for 15 minutes! You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in 15, imagine what you can do if you can set aside 30 minutes! Always remember though...set the timer!!!

Emptying out the laundry room....

Before

After

The laundry room was victim (or beneficiary) #3 in this weekends organizing, decluttering, re-purposing & rearranging session. I was able to move everything to the new den area that had been in the laundry room. I now have a better pantry area set up & more room to store the economy size package of paper towels I buy at Sam's once every couple of months. My next project is to paint this room. It's going to be something bright & cheery. Perhaps a buttercup yellow.

Room #2-conversion of playroom area to den

This is what it looks like right now...there are before pics when it was the play room & now that it is a den/scrapbooking area.







Playroom

Den/scrapbooking area

Nothing was purchased to re-do this room. Everything in it was re-purposed from another room in the house. I would like to buy a nice desk or large table (possibly a kitchen table from a garage sale!) for my scrapbooking table. For now, I will take what I have & enjoy having a nice bright & roomy space to scrapbook in. I can now easily scrapbook while Bella does art projects at her own little desk. The white pantry cabinet is filled with her art supplies.

What I did this weekend.....

This was my boys' room...here is a pic of the boys a couple of years ago...it looked pretty much the same before we turned it into Bella's room.

The total cost for this room was $63. We bought new paint, Hannah Montana sheets & wall clings and a new valance. It was a lot of work but it turned out great & Bella loves it!