To start off the new year organized, Apartment Therapy is running a group to help get you (and me) organized. They will be sending daily emails with assignments to get organized. On a whim, I signed up and I am hoping to follow along right with them. With three kids, it may be harder than I am anticipating. Or hey, maybe it could be a breeze. My plan is to report back here when I find in necessary and share my progress. I hope you will join along with me and Apartment Therapy. To sign up, go here.
Today is day 1 and the assignment posted on their website is to make a list of tasks to get done in each room. They said not to dive in yet, but to just make a list. Our house only has one main room that contains the kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. We also have a shed that houses our washer and dryer outside our back door. It is challenged to keep the house organized and clutter free since we only have three small closets. That is why I have become obsessed with shelves and dressers. Writing a list of projects and tasks to complete room by room actually made our house feel bigger than it is. Or maybe my list is just too big.
Since we only have one big living area, I decided to separate it for the sake of list making. The entry way is the first three feet in front of the door, the living room is where our couch and TV call home. The kitchen is, well, the kitchen. The area right outside of the kitchen is where proper people would put a dining room table, but we don’t have one of those so I will call it the foyer. Maybe if I ever come across an appropriate sized table I change its name to foyer/dining room… perhaps Doyer Room? I don’t know. Now, without much further ado, here is my list.
Entry Way:
- Paint
- Organize shoe and bench basket
- Find solution for lamp
- Hang chalkboard by door?
Living Room:
- Paint
- Organize or replace side tables
- Replace pink chair (am I dreaming?)
- Re-do frame wall
- Clean couch (or convince sellers on craigslist to respond to me)
Kitchen:
- Paint
- Organize dishes and food in cabinets
- Shelf or rail over oven for extra storage
- Sell china
“Foyer”:
- Paint
- Fix dresser drawer to slide correctly
- Clean out magazine files
- Add pops of color to shelves
Hallway:
- Paint
- Clean that pantry closet!
- Perhaps replace light fixture?
Bedroom:
- Deep clean carpet
- Fix brass lamp
- De-clutter under bed and closet
- Donate miscellaneous items
Kid’s Bedroom:
- Install more shelves
- Install hooks
- Hang mesh tower
- De-clutter closet
Bathroom:
- Replace metal shelf with wood floating shelf
- Clean that shower curtain, yuck.
- Scrub every inch of floors
Shed:
- Install 6′ shelf for extra storage
- Consider a peg board?
Well there it is, my master list. I am sure I could add much more to it, but that is it simplified. Also, if you noticed, I am painting the main room. I am in the middle of that project right now, so we will see if I will survive through it.
Are you hoping to get organized this month? I thought my organizing habits were just a side effect of nesting, but they have followed me even after pregnancy. If you are following along with Apartment Therapy, I would love to hear about your organizing experience.