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Stop laughing.
If you saw my house at the present moment, and I mean REALLY see my house, like looking in closets and drawers and storage rooms, you would have a very different opinion about my organization. I'm well below average in behind-closed-doors-home-organization.
The mantra "everything in its place" doesn't exactly work when, um, there isn't a place for everything.
A few years back, for our anniversary, Matt and I had a little bit of discretionary money to spend and a grandma to take our kids for the weekend. We had 2 choices of how to spend it: a night away at a B&B, a nice dinner, maybe a show or concert. OR, a trip to IKEA, dinner in the IKEA cafeteria (oooh, so romantic!), a host of organizational supplies, and a WHOLE DAY to ourselves, organizing our house.
Which did we choose? IKEA, of course. It was SO awesome, we had a ball, really, it was super fun, and my inner nesting need was satisfied. An added bonus? My house was 400% cleaner day-to-day after that weekend of organizing.
So it might sound like I have a nicely organized house after that IKEA trip, right?? Well, except that... we moved. We live in a new house, and I have many many areas in my house that are in need of some IKEA love.
I went to IKEA on Friday with a friend. You just never know what a whim trip to IKEA may do. In my quick tour of the first floor of IKEA, I got majorly inspired. I decided I am going to organize my:
pantry
spices
linen closet
music studio space
girls' closet/playroom/toys (read: PURGE)
my desk
storage closet (out of season clothes)
snacks (I'll explain later)
So my first organizing adventure was to mount a coat rack on the wall at child level in our entry room. This way, when I say "please put your coat away", there is actually a PLACE to put it that they can reach.
Here's a picture of the space:
We need to get some seating for out here, it's too cold in the winter to really enjoy, but it's an awesome morning coffee room in the spring/summer/fall.Will you join me for an IKEA adventure through my home this spring? It will probably take me all spring, but I'm determined to tackle my trouble spots one at a time.
14 comments:
I'm in. I love organizing, to the point where I need to Let It Go at times. So watching your process will allow me to live vicariously through you.
IKEA has great entry benches, by the way. Not sure that's what you want by the hooks, but we use IKEA hooks and benches by our door. They work fabulously.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Still laughing! Hee hee hee heeeeee!
Play nice, Lee.
I am totally on board for watching the re-organization! I recently had to purge (trying to sell--there's a post on it tomorrow, actually), and it was very good for me. Unfortunately, paper follows me like ticks on a dog, and the place has piles again. ARGH!
jenny, sincere apologies for the lack of courtesy on the part of my other half. be confident that his behavior has been dealt with swiftly and justly.
love to you and your quest for organization!
Lee, how ya feelin' today after Dawn smacked you for me? ;)
i feel like i'm interrupting the family here with my comment. anyway, ahem. yeah, i'm excited to see your organization that will be taking place. i'm with you. love organization, but it's hard in a small house. we are expecting about 15 people in our house tonight. kind of short notice, so why am i checking your blog? i was frantically cleaning a minute ago. and here i am. ironically. i just told steve "no one is allowed in our bedroom because it's where i'm putting everything that doesn't have a place!!!!!" truly, i just said that before i took a breather and sat down at the computer. now i need to get back to my putting away and dreaming of real organization. magazine type organization.
I Heart Ikea. Seriously. I put the same hooks up in my last bathroom for towels, worked Great! I love Ikea beacuse its so darn affordable and there's something for everyone and every space. Have you tried their kids plastic dishes? They're across the aisle from all the stuffed animals; works Great for little hands. Can't wait to see more and maybe the next time I come back to MN we can make a bloggy trip there!
Blessings, Carolynn
LOVE IKEA! I'll join you...only I'm going to have to be EXTRA prepared...as I can only get there probably once, MAYBE twice this Spring :-) My closets are a disaster...and I feel like my whole house is a disaster because of it...
Can we PLEASE do an IKEA trip together sometime? Maybe an all-day shopping trip to IKEA and MOA without children? How fun would that be! I could certainly use some organization, as well. Dang old homes! They are so impractical for a 21st century family with too much stuff.... or maybe we just have too much stuff....
Regardless, let's go shopping!
Heather
I will LOVE watching this. I too am an organizing junkie but find it's really tricky with tornado kiddos in my wake. IKEA rocks.
I happen to like the food at IKeA!
You still manage to make me laugh, Jenny. I love that you chose the $0.99 hotdog and frozen yogart over a romantic get-away to a B&B. You are a Swedish furniture maker's dream. :)
Remember me?
-Francesca
IKEA ROCKS!!! I too am a huge fan. I could use some serious IKEA inspiration for organizing right about now.
Can't wait to see the progress. You have inspired me to do the same. I have been getting rid of things we don't use. Goodwill will be joining the consignment shop in weekly gifts from us. We have way to much stuff. But I really need to organize what we do have. I miss you.
Michelle H.
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