Yesterday I tackled a quick organizing project in my home, which I’m just dying to share with you!
You see, even though my home office usually looks pretty tidy on the outside, what’s going on behind-the-scenes (aka, in the drawers!) is often a HOT MESS.
See?
Ugh.
Just looking at these pictures makes me hang my head in shame. I mean – that iPhone in the left picture? That phone hasn’t been able to turn on in over a year! Why was still hanging on to it?
So, here’s how I tackled the mess.
First, I carefully measured the drawers. They are super narrow and shallow, so I knew most organizers wouldn’t fit. Once I had my measurements, I went online and did some searching for dividers or organizers that would maximize my limited space.
I ended up getting two different sets, both of which I’m happy with: These are from Target, and they fit perfectly across the 9-inch width of my drawer, leaving about 2 inches across the back of the drawer for odd-sized items. At just $3.49 each, they are quite affordable.
The second set came from Amazon. At $14.99 for all six pieces, they are a bit more expensive than the Target options, but I really do love them. The acrylic is higher quality (which I only realized when they arrived) and they’re really well molded and shaped; they fit up against each other perfectly. I also love that I can move the pieces around and fit them like a puzzle into my drawer.
The next step was to declutter. I dumped the contents of both drawers out on the floor and quickly removed all the garbage (dead iPhone, pens that were dried up, etc.). Then I sorted out the stuff that didn’t belong in my drawers (like spare batteries – we store them all in one place, cords for other people’s cell phones, etc.).
The last step was the most fun: To containerize! I played around with layout of the items for a while and happened on this.
AAAAHHHHH! Isn’t it beautiful?
I’m going to live with it a few more days like this, to make sure that I love the organization. Once I’m totally good with it, I’ll label each of the slots. (You know me and labels!)
Don’t you just love a good organizing project? Me, too!! Best of all, this one only took me 20 minutes! YUP! Just 20 minutes! I waste more time than that on Instagram every evening!
Want to join me for more 20-Minute Missions? Read on…
Since the 5-DayHotspot Challenge was such a hit back in January, I really wanted to keep that organizing-momentum going!
So I came up with this (maybe crazy!) idea: 20-Minute Missions.
It’s my plan to declutter and organize our homes, from top to bottom, over the course of a year (Ambitious, I know – but we can do it!).
Each week, we will tackle one specific drawer, counter, closet, cupboard or other stuff-collecting space in our home. The goal will be to completely finish that area – from decluttering to containerzing – in just 20 minutes.
Yes, you read that right: Just 20 minutes. I’ve got myself convinced that in short increments, it truly is possible to “baby step” our way into a home that we love!
Ready to test my theory? Join me for the 20-Minute Missions.
I’m currently working on putting together a weekly schedule for these 20-Minute Missions, so I’m very much open to your suggestions. Is there a spot or zone that you think we should put on the list? Please shoot me an email and let me know!
Over the weekend, I will publish a list of missions, so we can get this party started!
And if you’re as pumped about this as I am, go ahead and tackle a drawer or two in your desk this week! I’d love to see the pictures of your success!
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