SPRING CLEANING
Did you cringe a little bit?? I used to roll my eyes and say…ya ya ya!!! I will get to it!! Plus my house IS clean!!
Before I went on a MAJOR spring cleaning binge..I wish someone would have just looked at me and said….Get your sh*t together 😉
One Seven Day Challenge and a TON of Money Spent at the Container Store Later…..
Step 1: Donate/De-junk/De-stash Whatever you want to label it…. GET RID OF CRAP (make that one day I will have a yard sale pile disappear and take action…donate it or trash it!)
This step for me was overwhelming. I work full time. I am a mom full time (and then some!). Honestly the thought of spending DAYS doing what felt like THE WORST and most time consuming job ever was never a priority. It was always a “one day I will get to that” until it got SO bad that I wanted to just BURN MY WHOLE HOUSE DOWN and start fresh! Haha!
Step Two: Get rid of old papers, magazines, mail, bills that are just piling up and causing clutter.
This is usually much more manageable for me because I don’t have a typical “mud room” or desk in our kitchen. We have a small filing system at the back door and it makes our kitchen look SUPER cluttered if we don’t stay up on it. Now, my office is a different story! I LOVE bridal magazines, fashion magazines and I am always looking for new inspiration, so these tend to pile up! Then I have the magazines that I have been featured in….and I just can’t give those up!!
Step Three: Go through closets. Again get rid of clothes that no longer fit (either donate or in my case save for a little sister who is still having kids!).
This one was a huge step for me! If you have ever been to my house, you would consider me to be a “clean” person (which I am). BUT THEN, you open my closets and your jaw would hit the floor. I had one closet designated to just “I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS CRAP GOES”, like really…where does one stash 3 neck pillows to be used when flying?? (and that was just on the main level). It was a catch all. A little business, a little family stuff and a whole lot of CRAP. Then you see our closets for clothes and while it looks like they are bursting at the seems, they really just need to be organized (ok ok ok and purged). Then we had our “ART” closet upstairs where most of the kids crafts, and all things “fun” were stored. Along with pictures and other various “memory” type stuff. The list goes on….my throw it in the closet and if the doors can close attitude HAD to change!
I asked friends, I searched on Pinterest to get ideas for organization….and still nothing changed. There is SO much great content out there! But the biggest thing for me was SCHEDULING it and making it my number one priority. It started as I was just going to do my pantry….because honestly I kept buying things I already HAD but couldn’t see! So I wanted to do it to save money….and then I spent all that “savings” at the Container Store. It was organizing ecstasy! And I was HOOKED! So then I started following professional organizers, and while I wish I could have just hired one to do my house from top to bottom (Organize with Tracy on Instagram is QUEEN!!!) I knew I couldn’t afford to bring in the big guns…but I had to start somewhere. So I had Sabrina with Organized by Lamb come over and show me the ropes. She tackled my pantry, coat closet and fridge. She was worth every single penny. And then some. She TOTALLY lit a fire under my you know what….and while I wish I could say I went out the next day and conquered the rest of my house….it was a slow burning fire. A type that you think…”I should put that out” but don’t and then it all of a sudden has 12ft. flames. Anywho….I would say we made quite the team. She was in every way a teacher and I took what she taught me and I hope I made her proud!
So here are my before and afters….and a few “during” when I thought to myself “WHAT THE HECK DID I GET MYSELF INTO???”
THE KITCHEN PANTRY
THE FRIDGE
KITCHEN SINK
COAT CLOSET –BEFORE–
–AFTER–
The Downstairs “CATCH ALL” –BEFORE–
–DURING–
–AFTER–
LINEN CLOSET
–DURING–
–WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DROWN IN CRAP–
ART CLOSET
CHARLEE’S CLOSET/ROOM–BEFORE–
–AFTER–
BOY’S ROOM –BEFORE–
BOY’S ROOM –AFTER–
MASTER CLOSET –BEFORE–
MASTER CLOSET –AFTER–
Are you exhausted? I am downright POOPED!!! This was by FAR the biggest project I have ever done on our home…but MAN did I feel like a BOSS after!!! Now it’s your turn!!!
