The Taming of the Toys!

I recently worked with a client that needed some help corralling all of her son's toys. They seemed to be taking over her home, and she needed some help deciding what to leave downstairs for quick "playtime" access, and what should go upstairs to her son's bedroom.  It was also necessary to store the toys effectively so that everything had its place.  This helps to ensure that items get put back where they came from.

Here are some pics of the spaces before:

There were lots of toys, so step one was to sort.  We went through each and every item, making three piles: keep, sell, garbage.  The sorting actually moved pretty quickly.

After we sorted, we decided which toys were going to be "downstairs toys" and which would be strictly "upstairs toys".  Then, we took the "upstairs toys", upstairs to my client's son's bedroom and found spots for them.

The toys that were to stay downstairs were sorted into like items and then placed in to the existing bins in the entertainment center.  Once again, storing was the easiest part of the solution.  My client already had plenty of storage bins so nothing needed to be purchased.  

A lot of purging took place and the toys that will eventually be sold were hidden in the garage out of view from little eyes so that they would no be rediscovered and clung to.

Here are the spaces after:

Let's compare:

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

It only took 2 hours of work to get this accomplished.  My client has regained her living and family rooms and is no longer bogged down with toys!

Built-in Bookcase and a Feature!

This week, I am once again being featured in the Macaroni Kid newsletter!  You can find the article HERE. I have been working with Sarah, the newsletter's publisher, on organizing and de-cluttering her home.  We are currently tackling her office, and just yesterday finished her gorgeous built-in bookcase. 

Here is what the bookcase looked like before we got started:

The biggest issue in this space was too much stuff.  We scrutinized each item, deciding if it should be kept, donated, sold, or thrown away.  Once finished with the sorting, we decided which of the "kept" items would have a home on the bookcase. This is a beautiful built-in, and Sarah wanted to use the space strictly for cherished books, pictures, and mementos.

When we were finished, this is what the bookcase looked like:

All of our hard work really paid off!  This is now a clean, organized space that really showcases items treasured by Sarah and her family.  There are even empty shelves which allows for room to grow over time.  I am so excited that we were able to make such a dramatic change in only a few short hours.  Mission accomplished!

Macaroni Kid Feature!

I am so excited/lucky/blessed to be featured in the latest edition of the South Puget Sound Macaroni Kid newsletter.  Please check out the article here!

If you don't already do so, I advise you to subscribe to Macaroni Kid.  It is a weekly newsletter delivered by email featuring TONS of information on family friendly activities in your community that are sure to please both you and your children.  It's pure gold for all of us busy parents!

Stay tuned for much more on my feature with Macaroni Kid!

Desk Emergency!

Okay, so this project was a BIG one.  It was 2 days of work, work, work to transform this desk into a more usable and efficient space.  Here is what we began with:

 

Needless to say, there was not much work getting done at this desk. Which, for my clients, was extremely stressful.  They own a small business and do all of their paperwork management for the business from this very desk.  All of their household paperwork, (bills, medical files, etc.), was also stored here.  

Because the desk was so cluttered and nothing had a designated place, the pile-up began.  Important papers were misplaced and could not be located when needed.  Bills did not get paid in time because they were stashed away somewhere and quickly forgotten.  Appointments were not kept because there was no effective calendar in place.  All around, not so good.

My clients and I began with the file cabinet.  We started here because it was completely packed and we needed to free up space for all of the important paperwork currently residing on the desk.  Once we got the file cabinet under control, (purging, new files, and proper labels), we were able to tackle the paper mess on the desk.  We also set up separate files for home and business paperwork.

We then sorted through the remainder of the desk contents, making (large) piles for the recycle and garbage.  Once we knew what we were keeping, we gave the desk a thorough cleaning and put the items back in their new homes.  Here is the finished product:

 

Now, everything has a designated home.  There are lots of labels, which eliminates the frustration of forgetting where things go.  This is a big time saver and ensures maintenance of the new systems.  Also, we purchased NOTHING for this space! Every single organizational item was already being used at the desk; just not in the most effective way.  When the project was complete, my clients were left with an efficient and and organized space that made doing work painless.  

How about a couple of side-by-sides?  Here you go!

 

 

Now, who wouldn't want to sit down and get right to work in this space?  I know I would!

Closet Case

This closet makeover was a really quick and easy project I did for a client.  Pretty much just a basic closet clean out.  No items were purchased to re-organize the space; we were able to utilize products already in her home.  Here is what we began with:

The main problem in this closet?  No designated homes!  Without specific places for things, the easiest way to put something away is to just throw it in.  That leads to the inevitable pile-up you see above.  

So, we took everything out of the closet and sorted it, (donations, craft supplies, books, clothes, etc.), pared down, and decided how to best use this storage space.  My client really wanted this closet to house extra craft supplies and sentimental personal items.  

After we put everything in its place, and made better use of the storage containers already in the space, this is what we ended up with. *Smile*

We also labeled all of the boxes and containers so that she would know what was inside without having to open each and every one.  She can easily get to what she needs and take stock of what she has.  Yay!!

Lets compare!

Quick, easy, but incredibly effective!

Spare Room Extravaganza!

I tackled this spare room in a client's home not too long ago. Although she had a dream for the space, she was completely overwhelmed whenever she entered the room. Instead of conquering the mess, she would turn around, shut the door, and pretend the room did not exist. Over time, it became a catch-all space for random items belonging to everyone in her family.  

  

What my client TRULY desired was a calm, organized space where she could shut the door, turn on the radio, and work on her many crafting projects.

After several hours of sorting, purging, de-cluttering, and putting back in the space only what my client wanted, this is what we ended up with:

  

Pretty major difference, right?  My client was SO excited and felt SO accomplished. What an empowering feeling to finally take back your space and use it how you want!!  

How about a few side-by-side comparisons, shall we?

  

 

 

Looking at these pictures, (well really only the "afters"), makes me giddy!