This Blog Has Moved!

I moved my blog on New Years Day, 2010. If you haven't come to see my new blog, head on over HERE now. This blog will be available for archive reading but I won't be posting here anymore. I hope you'll join me at my new bloggy home!

p.s. I am slowly but surely moving all the blogs I follow over to the new blog, so if I haven't come to visit you for a while, my advice is to leave a comment on my new blog, so I don't miss you in the shuffle!

About Me

My photo
I am a bereaved mother and wife. I began this blog to help me look for the "good things" in life after my daughter, "Babybear", died in July 2005. Three years later, her daddy, my husband, "Bear", died in November 2008. (You'll find a link to their stories on my blog) And now, as difficult as it is, I continue to look for the good things in my life as I learn my new normal with my pup, "Furrybear", at my side. And the angels on my shoulder...

Friday, November 30, 2007

30 Day Organizational Challenge -- Before and After


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Amazing! I actually did it! I got the basement decluttered and organized! Yay, me!

The charity is picking up in our area on December 4th, so all the items for donation will be gone by then. This weekend I am taking the books and electronics to their designated locations. The recycling will go out on the curb the next garbage and recycle day. The freezer, etc. will wait til Spring but it will be gone.

Laura posted these questions for us to answer...

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

The hardest part of the challenge was getting started. I knew what I wanted to do but I didn’t know quite where to start. Once I got started, it was easier to keep going.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

The biggest change is that I now have a spot for almost everything. There are a few things that I still need to figure out a better location for it but that will come with time, especially once we begin furnishing the basement. For the most part, things have a home, and the basement will NOT become a dumping ground again, if I have anything to say about it!

3. What did you do with the "stuff" you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

One box of books donating to the Children’s Hospital Book Sale
Two huge boxes of miscellaneous items donating to charity
Three bags of clothing donating to charity
Medicine cabinet and exercise bike to charity
Left-behind-by-previous-owner freezer and various pieces of wood as well as the doors from the cabinets will be taken to the dump when we can find someone who can haul it for us.
At least 2 garbage bags full of garbage thrown out. (actually more garbage than that, as sometimes I just took it up to the regular garbage)
Lots of empty boxes recycled.
Some items were given away to family and friends who wanted them.

4. Now that you have completed the challenge, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?

I know it will make a difference. In time we will be able to furnish our basement and utilize it as a living space, not just a dumping ground for anything and everything.

5. Why do you think you should win the challenge?

I think I have made some good changes in my space, but I was unable to afford to do as much as I would like to, such as buying more shelving and better storage items. I did purchase 4 medium size see-through containers, a stand-up Christmas Wrap container, a wreath container and one small container. (Hoping to re-organize some of the Christmas things after the holidays) The rest of the containers you see in my photos I already had, and they were full of things that have been purged, or categorized. Even if I don’t win, I feel like a winner, for I am starting to achieve my goal of having an organized home. We moved into this house just one week before our daughter died, and the grief I have been burdened with really put me off track with organizing this house. It took me over a year to finally start unpacking anything other than the necessities, let alone start any organizing projects. I feel that this is a step forward in my healing process.

Well, without much further adieu here are some before and after photos!

The Family Room Before:

After:

In the Laundry/Storage/Utility Room
Before:

After:

Before:

After:
(the Christmas stuff is out here, I plan to see if it can be more organized after the holiday season)

Before:
(I forgot to show what it looked like inside. Mostly it was yardsale stuff which is now in my purge pile)


After:
(I took the doors off, which I think will encourage me to keep it more organized!)



The Purge Pile:
(including the freezer!)



Here are my other posts on this subect:

Post #1
Post #2

Post #3
Post #4
Post #5

16 comments:

crystal wolf said...

It all looks great. I think taking the doors off of the storage cupboard was a great idea. You don't have to try to remember what's behind door number whatever. It looks so tidy with all of those containers on the shelves, it makes my organizing heart go pitty pat. :)

Dawn said...

You've done a great job. It will be so nice for you to have the basement cleaned out so you can start using it the way you want to. I think it's a great idea to get some containers for your Christmas stuff now so that when it's time to take it down it will be so easy to organize. Your basement looks great.

Oonie said...

Oh, this looks amazing. Great job! I'm so excited for you--that space is really transformed! Congratulations!

Mom said...

Congrats on tackling the room and getting it done, it looks great!

Forgetfulone said...

Wow! You did a fantastic job.

Jo said...

It looks GREAT Ter! I like that you took the doors off the storage cabinets... that does help you to keep them more organized AND you can see everything so much better :)

Great job!!!

Jo

Lindsey said...

Congrats on getting all the clutter out!!!!!

Gretchen said...

Awesome transformation! You did dump a lot of clutter and it looks wonderful! WAY TO GO!! :)

Maude Lynn said...

That is unbelievable! Great job! Now, come to MY house!

Jen Sue Wild said...

Holly cow !!! It looks great!!!

Anonymous said...

that looks grrreat!!

Jennifer B said...

If that was my basement, I would have to come down and stare in awe at the cabinet every so often. It's just so pretty. Great job :).

A Mom Anonymous said...

Look at all that space now! Great job! It's got to feel great having it all cleared out!

~Rhen @yestheyareallmine said...

Wow! That looks so much bigger and easier. :)

Anonymous said...

Way to go! I'm impressed! Keep it up...one of these days you will motivate me.

Joc(e) said...

Good job Ter...it looks awesome!!