I’m dying to know how you’re doing on your 12 week challenge. It’s oh-so hard to believe, yet oh-so true that on this Saturday, we will have just 4 weeks left in our 12 week challenge. Holy cow! Is that hard to believe or is it just me? So do share … how are you coming along with your 12 week goal? I hope it’s going great.
I’m still wondering why on earth I thought *now* would be the time to tackle my magazines. Of all things my magazines! But I did and so … here’s the progress report.
But … before you see the picture, I must once again ask: this is progress?
Actually those somewhat messy stacks are clippings sorted by category. So … oddly enough it *is* progress. (I should have taken a photo of the now empty picnic basket! That is tremendous success.)
But here’s another photo … sorted magazines in magazine sorters … obviously still a work in process by the haphazard post-it note labels … but it’s progress, yes?
I have recycled oodles and oodles of magazines and even recycled a magazine on the same day I got it in the mail. Now that is beyond progress. That is unheard of!
How about you … how is your project coming along? I can’t wait to hear from you.
Oh … and thanks to everyone for all the great goodie bag ideas! What fun. I’m actually excited to come up with something for my daughter’s birthday … which is just around the corner! Who knew we were all so passionate about the goodie bag? 😉 (And isn’t it so nice we’re not alone on this one?)
Keep up the great work. I am sure you will have those magazine tackled in no time.
Know this doesn’t fit this post…but just wanted to wish you a happy thanksgiving, and let you know how much I enjoy reading your blog.
We made some big strides yesterday on the 12-week challenge. Today we’re making labels for Grace’s bins that store her toys… I’m still struggling with what to do with the stuffed animals/dolls. She pared them down A LOT but still has quite a few that she plays with regularly. Her room is small-ish and I don’t know how to best store them. Right now they are in a bin but it doesn’t look great and I’m not sure it really “works”…
We still need to tackle the top of her dresser (and maybe put up some higher shelving for her pretty things)
The book shelf
The armoire… this is one I’m most worried about. She is responsible for hanging up her clothes inside (I put them on hangers when they come out of the dryer and then 1-2 a week she just needs to hang them on the bar in the armoire) but for the most part she just shoves them inside and they end up on the floor. Drives me nuts – but I don’t even know how to address it!
So today I’ll do the labels for the bins and think hard about how to address the other issues!
Happy Thanksgiving
Christall
Sad news. I had to make a very hard decision. Before Dec. 5th get my 3 remaining projects (clean and organize the walk in pantry; clean out the smaller pantry cabinet; and clean out the coat closet.) OR finish the 8 family scrapbooks and 15 recipe scrapbooks (12 Candies of Christmas), all of which are Christmas gifts. The choice was necessary due to upcoming surgery on my right hand, specifically, my thumb on Dec. 5th. ;-( I chose to finish the scrapbooking. After the surgery, I will not be allowed to use my hand for ANYTHING for at least a week! Then if all goes well I can start using it slowly. I am so NOT looking forward to this!
On the brighter side, I have cleaned a couple of shelves in the walk in pantry already so I have made some progress since the last update.
Hooray for you and the progress on your magazine project. Never mind the photo of the empty magazine basket, it is more fun to visualize it (I have a very active imagination). LOL
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
My challenge is going well. Although I have a lot of “decorating” I’d like to do to the room, but that will most likely not happen till after Christmas. But the organizing and purging.. lots of purging.. is going great. Any ideas on making a bedroom a relaxing oasis?
I am almost done! My girls room is really coming together, just a few details left.
They wanted a horse room, so we really went for it. Horse bedding and horse curtains of course! But also the shelving — I spent a long time at the lumber store picking just the right pieces — they are 8 inch wide redwood fencing and I picked the darkest most weathered I could find. (so they would look like they came from a barn!) The shelves are up high so I don’t have to worry about splinters. These shelves go around the room on 3 walls about 14 inches from the ceiling and they hold stuffed animals, pretty items, snowglobes, etc. On the wall where their headboards are, I put an additional shelf a little lower down for more special items. This made for something like 35 feet of shelves (not bad for a 12×10 bedroom!)
THEN, there’s the new furniture. The beds have 5 drawers under them and they are HUGE! in the old dresser we had socks and underwear in different drawers and both were bursting. In the storage bed the socks and underwear are in the same drawer with room to spare!! (and I bought those cool sock cubby things from the container store so yes, the socks and underwear stay separate!)
Since the drawers go all the way to the floor, this solved another probelwm — things getting lost under the bed. NOTHING can get under the bed so no more crawling through dust bunnies!
Instead of the armoire, we went with a hutch you might find in a dining room. It is black and weathered, a little country looking with cool hardware. Best thing — I had budgeted $1000 for the piece because that seemed to be what they cost. I found this at a consignment store for $450. and since it came in 2 pieces, I could get it home in my mini van and avoid the delivery charges.
But wait, there’s more. At the same consignment store I found a cool small apothecary chest (20 drawers, I think) that was green and weathered. Perfect spot for the American Girl shoes and purses. My mom had given me a small dresser with 6 drawers I had it in the dining room (craft central!) and it held scrapbook paper. However it just was not working well in there. I had it empty and was going to put it up for sale when I figured out it would fit at the end of Rebecca’s bed with the apothecary chest on top. The girls use the 6 drawers to store their treasures — notes from friends, cards, some photos, dracula teeth, etc.
So what is left?
– cut 1 board for the high shelving
– decide on the night stand — this will be a floating shelf between their beds that holds a lamp and the books their are reading. That one should not have splinters!
– curtains for the closet. I took the doors off and have a shower curtain there now. The plan is to make curtains that look like a barn door instead.
– labels for the drawers so that the shoes go back in the right spot.
Can that possibly be it??
There is a lot of furniture in their room, but everything is functional and almost full. It is tough to have 2 girls and all their stuff in such a small room, but they love it!
Aby — thanks for posting so many ideas and for the challenge to push me a bit.
Jen
Things are going well with my challenge. After a very slow start I have become purging crazy! No room, drawer, cabinet or cubbie is off limits. I think my husband and kids think Im crazy, but they are loving the extra space and the easier clean up. I dont know about the garbage man though.Ha! We have given away a lot and a lot has been thrown away. I have a few little areas to go through and Im done. I need to get some better storage items for a few spots too! This was a good challenge.Maybe I should do this a few times a year. Thanks Aby!
Erica
I need this challenge. My mag pile is getting out of hand.
Thank you for showing us that in getting organized, we don’t have to be PERFECT!!!