Bedside Table

I have still been working on Forgetting the Before...but we have had several "family-things" come up as well as a super busy schedule {seriously, when is life not busy!?}.

Recently, I worked on the top drawer of my bedside table. It had become a "catch-all" for the hubs' "stuff"...so I took all of that out and put in the things that I wanted next to the bed for me. I have my iPad charger in a glass prep-bowl, iPad, current book, current devotion, pens, and notebooks. There is even room if I find that there are other things I need to have.



This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Accessories

I am still working on "Forgetting the Before" in several areas of our home.
Recently, I found a new way to organize my accessories.

This organizer actually came out of my childhood closet. It was a light wood color, hung the other way (up and down), and was used for bags and purses.

Now it has been painted white, hangs side ways, and is used for evening bags, jewelry bags, fun necklaces and bracelets, belts, scarves, and a few baseball hats.

I. LOVE. It!



This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

I haven't forgotten

Ah, my organizing challenge. 
It certainly took a back seat to my summer fun...
I haven't forgotten...although I did just have to go back and re-check my list.
It turns out that I have several projects that I have started, I just haven't completed for one excuse reason or another...with SBJ in school, I am getting back into the swing of working on and completing projects! I am still determined to finish my list of projects by the end of the year!

Forgetting the Before: Spicy

I have a confession.
When I showed you my pantry re-organization, I didn't show you the box of spices that I moved out of the photo! Ha!
 
I finally decided how to organize them...and I am so excited. I have seen all sorts of posts using the over the door/shoe organizer for things other than shoes! This works wonderfully!
I am thinking I will find more ways in other rooms to use this space-saving tool! 
Have you organized with one? What do you put in it?  



This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Our Bed

Whew! I cleaned out under our bed...it is so easy to cram stuff under there! But NO MORE! If we do decide to store anything under our bed I will get boxes to use!

All that is left is our weekend luggage {far left} and my wedding dress...







{You may notice a pile that is next to the bed on the right side. That is a pile for the hubs to go through and do something with.........soon........I hope.........}




This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: SBJ drawer

We have a dresser that we use as SBJ's changing table. One of the top drawers holds his lotions and whatnot. It had incredibly TOO much stuff in it. It was just full of stuff that we did. not. need. Just about every night when I got SBJ ready for bed the drawer would drive me crazy. FINALLY I just took it all out and put back only the FEW items that we use regularly! I also got a drawer divider that helps keep everything from sliding all around!

 

The compartments have: nose stuff ("boogie sucker" and saline spray), lip balm, cortizone, brush and spf face lotion, lotion, eczema cream, butt paste, and regular face lotion. It also has a pack of Boogie Wipes. (and soon, very soon!, the drawer next to this one will be empty---no more diapers!!!---so his wipes can be moved to this drawer)
 
Also...as I was taking this picture, I noticed that I still have the liner from when this was my dresser...ha! Maybe I should get a more masculine liner for my son!!??!?


This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Muffin Tin Stuff

This week I got our Muffin Tin Meal supplies organized as well as some of SBJ's kitchen toys. Muffin Tin Meals are such a great idea! They are lots of fun and I have found that SBJ actually eats more when the food is in a tin...and we will try new things!

The top shelf has the kitchen toys, games, and books SBJ can play with while I am in the kitchen (and our new ice pop-molds). I anticipate getting more toys and such  to go in here, so I left room.

The 2 boxes go on the bottom. The blue box has a zip-lock bag with our silicon muffin cups and a black bag with various cookie cutters. The green box has our muffin tins! 

 

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Over the Dryer

Last week I showed you my over the washer organization. I am so happy with it! This week I am pleased to show you how I have organized and cleaned out over the dryer!

Top Shelf: light bulbs and batteries, Video and Camera bags
Middle Shelf: Paper products and Play-do sets (kind of random but SBJ usually plays with this while I am cooking and the kitchen is right next to the laundry room)
Bottom Shelf: Ginormous box of trash bags, cleaning sprays and wipes, cleaning rags


I like these shelves because most of these things I would not want SBJ to find on his own, so this keeps them out of his reach!

On another note: since taking this picture I have decided that I want to do something with the space between the dryer and the wall...look for that in the next few weeks, hopefully!




This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Over Washer

We have some pretty nice cabinets over our washer and dryer. However, "things" have just been thrown in there with no real rhyme or reason...UNTIL NOW!

Top Shelf: the red box has candles that get changed with the seasons{this used to have a home in my closet but that didn't really make sense...this does!}  and the bag has supplies (extra treats, collars, bowls for travel, etc) for my sweet Howey {our toy poodle}.
Bottom Shelf: laundry supplies {I was recently excited to find the detergent drops bc the liquid detergent always seems to leak on the shelf}, emergency sewing kit, measuring tape, and loose change collector.
And my cute new sign: " Life is like laundry, LOADS of FUN!"


This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Under the Sink (kitchen)

Whew. I had so much "shtuff" under our kitchen sink that we didn't use/didn't need OR that would be better somewhere else...I almost wish I had a before to show yall on this one!

All we have left (all we really need) is a small trash can, dishwasher drops, plastic bags, and my latest addition: an over the door holder for soap and lotion. {I really, really disliked having it on the counter!}







This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Medicine and First Aid

Organizing our medicine drawer and first aid kit has been on my list for awhile...then I read this post on IHeart Organizing a few months ago. Soooooo, organizing the drawer became purging our medicine, creating a first aid kit, and finding a new home for them.

 
If you remember last week, I posted about our newly organized coat closet. The majority of our medicine and our first aid kit was moved to the top shelf. 


In the picture above, the box on the left is first aid supplies, the middle box is baby medicine, and the right box is adult medicine.


We also have a few more-often-used-bottles (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and allergy relief) in a kitchen cabinet. 

I was able to find boxes around the house to use for all of them...so yay- I didn't have to buy any new ones!


This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie



 

Forgetting the Before: Coat Closet

I am mostly finished with our coat closet...enough to share.


So...let's start with what I like about the new, organized closet:
~ I made use of the empty space under our coats for our winter comforter in a storage box, extra sheets and blankets in a plastic storage drawer, and our shoes in a plastic bin on top.
~ We have too many jackets. I did get rid of a few, so that helped make some room.
~ SBJ's umbrella stroller is stored on the side of the closet.
~ My MOPs bag, current purse, and Howey's leash are stored on the over-the-door hooks.
~ On the top shelf I have our medicine (more on that next Friday), a battery-powered lantern, and a box of cleaning supplies.

Speaking of the top shelf! That is that last part of the closet I am hoping to improve. There is SO much empty space up there, what a waste! I am hoping that my dad will build us another shelf up there for more storage space! I will let you know when we get a chance to do that.
The other part of the closet that I still want to improve is the hangers! Remember this Want it Wednesday? Well, I still want to switch out all of our hangers!


This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: JWC Shtuff

*Aw man!*
I didnt get a picture for this week either...
I was just SO EXCITED to hand over my Presidential duties that I gave the notebook away without even snapping a photo!

For years, the President of the Junior Woman's Club here has had a notebook with all the info she needed to get through the year smoothly....until last year, my year. It went missing!?
Also for years, one President has passed on several boxes of "shtuff" that has pretty much just sat in garage after garage. 
So...here is what I did:
- For the President notebook, I typed all the info I thought was important in a 3-ring binder. I added a planning calendar. I also added business cards for important contacts. I made lists and noted helpful tips. Hopefully this one won't get lost!
- As far as the boxes...I went through each of them. I discarded old, unimportant papers and stuff. I put all the "history" type items in a both that is now stored at the Woman's Club building. I gave a box of useful papers and items to the new President.
- I made folders for each Board member that had their responsibilities listed.
- I also made folders or notebooks for the chair of each of our projects or community outreach committees. I asked them to keep track of the info they use for planning so it can be passed to the next chair person.

It is my hope that this organization will help the club continue to grow, run smoothly and make the President's job easier!




This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Guest Bed

I am going to STOP cramming things under the bed in our guest room.
They become forgotten...
I recently pulled it all out. I got rid of most of what was under there or found a new home. There are still a few small things, that don't really have another home.
I will probably still use that space for storage, but in a smarter-more organized way!


*sorry- no picture, hard to get under there! :)

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Pantry

The original plans for our pantry had the cheap white, wire shelves. My dad said, "No, no, no. We can do better than that." So he and my husband installed great cabinets and a counter. 
I love our pantry. It isn't the biggest space, but it works for us. 
However, it can often be the gathering place for "stuff"...so I recently decided to organize it and I am so excited. Having it more organized has helped me keep it straight and stop allowing "stuff" to pile up.
I would love to have more bins and baskets, but that will have to come little by little...

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: SBJ Closet

It seems like SBJ's closet is always needing to be re-organized as he grows out of his clothes. I think he has slowed down a little and will be in this size for awhile...so hopefully this one will last!
Random thoughts about his closet: 
I have a bin that I put his clothes in as he grows out of them or as the season changes.
It has helped that I got the older clothes out from the top of his closet. That gave me a place to put his luggage, nebulizer, some memory-items, and some things he needs to grow into.
I am so thankful for hand-me-downs from friends and our fabulous children's consignment store in town...without them I don't know what he would wear! 

{It is hard to get a good picture of his space, hope you get the idea}

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenege I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Drawers

Isn't it so easy to just throw stuff in a drawer? YES! 
BUT! When you have an organized drawer it is also easy to put things where they belong!
Here are a few of the drawers I have organized so far.

Kitchen "Junk" Drawer

Under Stove Drawer

Desk Drawer

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenege I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: SBJ Clothes

My sweet baby's clothes should not be stored in old diaper boxes. One day I may have another sweet baby that will need to wear them, so they deserve to be stored nicely...in coordinating bins put away in the attic! :)
It is SO nice not to have a bazillion old diaper boxes in the garage.

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Forgetting the Before: Frezzer

I do not love my freezer.
{Our next kitchen will not have a side-by-side.}
Things always end up getting crammed into it. It is not an easy thing to keep organized.
I have a sort of system now and will try to be more conscious when I add items to it.
Believe it or not, this is organized:

This post is a part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing challenge I am doing with I'm an Organizing Junkie

Forgetting the Before: Intro

So, I am starting a little late but this is a series to show the progress I am having doing the I'm an Organizing Junkie's 52 Weeks of organizing challenge. Although I didn't get started until mid-February I have had a few weeks when I have gotten more than one project completed! I am actually ahead of the game as far as the weeks go! WOOWOO!

The name "Forgetting the Before" has 2 meanings.

1. I keep forgetting to take pictures of the before. I always remember about half-way through a project.

2. I WANT to forget the before! I want to keep all the areas organized and neat.

As of today, here is my list {tasks that are purple have been completed and will eventually have a link when I post them on here, then they will be underlined!}

1. Magazine Clippings

2. Recipe Notebooks

3. Desk Drawer

4. Kitchen "Junk" Drawer

5. Pictures on Shutterfly

6. Picture Drawer

7. Print Pictures

8. Pictures into Books

9. Guest Room Closet

10. Store High Chair and Rocker

11. Bedside Table Drawer

12. SBJ 18m Clothes

13. SBJ 24m Clothes?

14. Bookshelf (L)

15. Bookshelf (R)

16. Under Guest Bed

17. Under Our Bed

18. JWC Folder/Info for new Pres.

19. Garage

20. Freezer

21. Pantry (bottom)

22. Pantry (top)

23. Family Notebook

24. Under Kitchen Sink

25. Under Our Bathroom Sink

26. Under SBJ Bathroom Sink

27. Guest Room Dresser

28. Pots and Pans

29. SBJ Clothes into Bins in Attic

30. Medicine Drawer

31. First Aid Box

32. Pantry Counter

33. Cabinet Over Dryer

34. Cabinet Over Washer

35. SBJ Plates/Cup Cabinet

36. Muffin Tin Stuff

37. Glasses Cabinet

38. Stove Drawer

39. Coat Closet

40. Our Closet

41. SBJ Drawer

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.