20 Getting Organized in January - Our Four Areas of Focus

When I think of January, I think of organization. There is just something about a new year that inspires folks everywhere to want to start with a fresh and blank slate. And that usually correlates to organization! And organization correlates to an excited and happy Jen!

I had so much anticipation for this month; I mean, hello! Organizing blog! Organizing and cleaning are both my jelly jam! I rang in the new year with dear friends, and then the morning of January 1st I woke up feeling sort of OK, and by afternoon I felt like I had been hit by a bus carrying ten tons of bricks. The flu (or all of those wonderful flu-like symptoms), had officially hit our home, and it hit hard. One by one we began falling, and it was quite the week trying to sooth us all back to feeling like ourselves again. Not the best way to kick off the new year, but if anything we had some good quality snuggle time together. I also want to thank you for all of your comments on the 2016 Year in Review post, you all knew just what I needed last week and brought so much light to my achy days! ♥

So here I am, feeling much, much better than I did a week ago. Still sniffling but I will take it! I can organize through sniffles!

There are still three full weeks through the end of the month, and I am certain that although I already lost one week, I can still get back in the game, and tackle four different challenge areas. Won't you join me?

For this mini-monthly challenge, I selected four problem areas ranging in type and magnitude. Two smaller, two larger. I find it always helps to start small and work my way up as my momentum builds. And it also helps not to bite off more than I can chew all at once.

We have organized countless areas around our home over the years. We are to a point where most of those systems are working like well-oiled machines, and a few others that still need a little tweaking. And then we have some areas that need our full attention. I went through the house and picked the four that called my name.

PROJECT ONE | ENTERTAINING DRAWERS

These two small drawers live in our sideboard in our dining area and have become a catch-all for anything party or entertaining related. The cabinets below have a similar task, but hold bulkier pieces such as glassware, pitchers, vases, etc... I can already envision myself modifying the cabinets while I work on the drawers since they all have a similar storage purpose. I don't think I need to go into detail about what the problem is, as the picture is pretty clear (hello jumbled mess). But the ultimate goal is to purge anything we haven't used and create a bit of proper storage for what remains. I utilized this area on multiple occasions the last few months (Thanksgiving, small gatherings, Christmas & New Year's Eve), and each time I was quickly reminded why I need to tend to these two small but mighty drawers.

PROJECT TWO | UNDER THE LAUNDRY ROOM SINK

This project won't necessarily be a dramatic before and after, just more of an after because right now it is a blank slate. But I do know that I need to put a couple of quick and simple systems in place here so that we have easy access to specific laundry and washing items. Things like a small trash can, a place to toss dirty rags, a couple of cleaning essentials, etc...  Organizing under sinks is one of my favorite projects. #cantwait #strange

PROJECT THREE | OUR TOOL DRAWERS

My gut tells me that most husbands receive a nice metal tool chest when they ask for tool storage for Christmas. My husband received an elfa system (enter devilish laugh here). And it is a mess! We made it as far as assembling the majority of the two stands and adding the drawers (although we have to pick up a couple more pieces to completely finish it), and from there everything sort of just got tossed into a drawer or landed on top. I am not doing this incredible system any justice right now! We need to sort, purge, and line all of the drawers with pretty floral gift wrap. I kid! Just seeing if you are paying attention. However, we do want to line the drawers with a grippy liner to prevent everything from sliding around inside. And the drawers need to be labeled. And really, everything just needs to be addressed. This won't be the most glamorous project, but it is much needed. You may recall that we were previously using an old hand-me-down dresser for storing many of our tools, but over time the weight was too much and the drawers began to collapse. The elfa drawers have already proven to be so handy and the entire cart can hold and sort so much more. I really can't wait to see how this little high-traffic area turns out!

PROJECT FOUR | BOY'S BEDROOM CLOSET

I am about to literally air our son's dirty laundry, but this impractical closet is not at all his fault. Back in the day, we saved money be re-installing the original wire hanging system after we wallpapered the closet. The simple two hanging rods worked just fine in terms of giving our guests a place to store and hang clothing during short visits. Now that our youngest son has taken over the room, the closet is not up to par. He has never owned a dresser, so he has been living out of bins and baskets tucked away on the floor. Half of his clothes are also stored in a bin under his bed where they are easier for him to put away. He is unable to reach or use the vertical space, so we plan to completely reconfigure things, while also finally removing the old wallpaper and continuing to install the same paper seen in his desk area. I envision a couple of hanging areas, a tower of drawers, a place for shoes and a place for a hamper. We also hope to ultimately close off the closet with some new swing doors similar to the ones we installed in our kitchen.

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Sigh. What it is about showing your messes to the masses that leaves you feeling a little vulnerable and naked? I just keep telling myself that a good before photo always makes for an even better after story. And real life is messy. And seeing these sit here totally motivates me to tackle each one of these spaces this month!

What are your organizational goals in January? Taking on any areas, big and/or small? I would love for you to share what you are working on by using the #iheartorganizing hashtag on Instagram or in the comments below. Oh! And if you are looking for a little organizing of your organizing projects, this project planning printable has been quite helpful to me over the years!

 click here to download your FREE organizational project planning worksheet 

Alright, let's do this 2017!