Do you have a room in your house that ends up being the dumping ground for papers, pictures and more? That is what has become of my home office. It shares space with the playroom in the basement and over the past few months, it has been collecting more than its fair share of random items. I am a big believer in finding a home for everything so this area was a big stress.
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| The scary “before” shot |
Now it’s time for week 4 of Project Simplify. It’s pick-your-own hot spot this week and I knew it was time to tackle the home office. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of the post to help you get started organizing your home management projects!
I realized that it was time for the home office to share the burden of organizing both the grown-up’s stuff and also the kids’ craft stuff. It’s more fun to enjoy crafting time when you can put your hands on crayons and paper quickly.
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| Vintage glass containers with chalkboard labels |
The clean out project came first. It took a few hours, including a few with my husband to do the all important task of weeding through our filing drawers. We were left with bags of papers to recycle, items to be donated, pictures to be added to albums (hundreds of them at that) and finally a clear work space to decide how to organize what was worth keeping close by. I suggest doing this first to make it easier to then decide what types of containers you may need, instead of buying containers first. I decided to use what I had and give them consistent labels to help create some cohesiveness.
The hutch is my favorite area as everything now has a home, and I can find my glue gun super fast! I used the Chalkboard Contact Paper
I wrote on the labels with Wet Erase Chalk Marker
My working desk is now cleared off and I can give all three of my major projects their own space. I am using a Naked Binder for my blogging paperwork, including their binder dividers and pocket folders. These binders appealed to my eco-friendly self as they are made from 100% post consumer waste board. Absolutely no plastic. For my other two volunteer projects, I’m in the process of creating binders to keep the paperwork from getting scattered around.
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| Blogging Binder |
I’m also starting to use the invite.L daily planner. It has grid lines and space for me to write to-do lists for the blog, farmers market, Parent Talk and just everyday home stuff. Now I don’t have multiple lists going and it’s helping me prioritize what I need to tackle first. Plus the cover is in French which always brings a smile to my face.
Leave a comment below to win a daily planner from invite.L and also a Naked Binder package! Contest will be open until midnight April 10th, 2012. A winner will be notified via email.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I hope this organization series has inspired you to tackle some of your own hot spots. I think sharing organizing tips is relevant for Random Recycling as it can help you find items to repurpose, or save you from buying a new stapler when you really have two buried in a drawer. I have found Organized Simplicity
Week 1: Kids’ Storage with Paint Buckets
Week 2: Creating a Pantry
Week 3: Laundry Closet
I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation! Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. Thanks!
To see even more organization ideas: SimpleMom, TidyMom, BlueCricketDesign, Frugally Sustainable, Your Green Resource, and OrgJunkie
It looks AMAZING!!!!! Can you come over and organize my desk? Thanks.
I love that hutch as well! Awesome job!
I love the vintage glass containers!
Great job! Our office has been a DISASTER since we remodeled last year. This weekend is supposed to be rainy–time for a big pot of tea and some serious organizing. You're an inspiration!
Love your binder and planner! I am a complete paper and pencil girl, and a big list maker, so I love to see how other people organize it all!
Very nice job on organizing your office space, as well! Love how everything is labeled!
Amazing…I could really use some help in this area!!!
My office is in a sad state – the piles of papers have overflowed the bins and are now spreading out on the floor behind the door so it now longer opens all the way!
No one uses my home office besides me, so I have no one to blame but myself! I know it will only take a handful of hours to sift thru and weed out, but the task is still languishing on my "list".
But the photos of your pristine work space have inspired me. Next week's list now includes – OFFICE REORG!
To keep my on task – I hereby promise photographic proof when completed by next Friday!
Oh, if you thought your desk was bad, you don't even want to see mine! I can use all the help I can get. 🙂
I saw your week 2 project with the chalkboard contact paper and now that I've seen it a second time I'm very tempted to buy it! 🙂 Your organization looks wonderful!
Well done!! May your newly organized office be a space for productivity and fun!
Working on my home office this weekend!
Getting organized with paperwork is always hard for me! I love the tags you made for your baskets and such. Thanks for sharing your ideas~
I love that you used what you had…and then made it all cohesive with the tags!
I love your organizing. Your office looks great. Love all your tags and containers.
Wow, this would help me so much!
Thanks so much for sharing your ideas. I'm going to try using the chalkboard paper for my labels and I love your hutch. You did a beautiful job and inspires me to clean up my working/crafting space too.
Great giveaway – thanks! Love the re-org…
Wonderful job! Now here's what I'm wondering, my granddaughter has Barbies and other such dolls, I would like to organize them, I have seen things like a plastic shoe rack, but right now, I don't have one, what else could I do in the meantime, she just has them all piled into a suitcase, what a mess! Help, any ideas?
I'd love to win this contest. Thanks for the opportunity to enter.
A daily planner seems useful although knowing me, I'd plan a nice day, but do none of it!
I recently moved to my husband’s home and I had to leave behind all of my possessions (moved continents and such). I took this as an opportunity to start fresh without any clutter. Unfortunately, I now have my husband’s clutter to deal with and his home office is a mess. I’m telling you, it’s 10 times harder to try to deal with somebody else’s junk. I have to ask questions for every little piece of paper I find.
This gives me a ton of ideas to organize my sewing room. I also love the idea of a volunteer binder to keep me organized!