The Junk Room That Was

Happy New Year everyone!

I was blessed with a long weekend and decided to make ample use of my time by cleaning and organizing, particularly the junk room. As my nesting as now seemed to hit full force, any bit of dirt or clutter irritates me to no end. This weekend was the perfect opportunity to give into some of my OCD tendencies by cleaning and organizing, since I would have not only the stamina but the time as well.

First, let's talk about the Junk Room. Everyone has one, whether it's a room, a closet or a drawer. You know, that dark hidden place in your home where all the odds and ends find their final resting place, never to be seen or heard of again. It's the room you put things so you simply don't have to look at them, the place that guests don't see and that is never shown nor talked about outside of the immediate family. Yes, that room.

Well, I'm going against that taboo and revealing our Junk Room to the world - but only because it is no longer a Junk Room. It is now an organized, labeled, spacious area that one might actually want to spend time in. The best part is that this transformation only took me one and a half days from start to finish, meaning that it doesn't actually take a lot of time. I also never lost steam or focus, even after a night's sleep, meaning that it also doesn't take a lot of concentration to do something like this. In short, if I can, then anyone can, and probably better than I did. I've chronicled my journey below with steps and tips that I discovered along the way.

BEFORE:

See, it's awful. Completely horrendous. Despicable. And now you know my dirty little secrets.




STEP 1: Clear the Room

With so much stuff, it was impossible to go through everything and make any sort of progress. For one, there was no space. For two, the room was dirty and needed a serious deep clean. For three, trying to sort and organize in the middle of chaos would not make the chaos go away. Instead, it would be very easy to get frustrated because you're only moving stuff around and not really taking inventory of what's there. By clearing out the room, you have the opportunity to move things into other rooms right away, thus instantly getting rid of some of the clutter. It's also easier to work with a blank slate once the room is cleared because you know exactly how much space you have and what needs to go into that space, making it much easier to put it away.

But you have to clear all of it - cabinets, drawers, closet, etc. I even emptied out the filing cabinet. There were a few exceptions to this in my case, particularly the gigantic "donate" pile that is ever present. There wasn't a need to sort through this (one should never do that - it's how clutter multiplies) and I knew it was going to stay in that room, so there was no sense in moving it out only to move it back in. The other exception was my husband's things, which already had designated and practical areas, so I left it and worked around it.

The biggest thing with this step is that you are simply clearing the room. You are not organizing yet, meaning you should not be going through things like paperwork and files to decide if you're going to keep it. Just get it out of the room. You'll have time to go through things and organize later. This can be very hard to resist, and I found myself doing this a couple times, but it will only sidetrack you and delay the progress.

You can start sorting, however, but very general sorting. Again, you're not organizing, so don't try to plan where things will go or how they will look in the room. The room isn't even empty yet, so it's like trying to decorate a home when the plans aren't drawn and the foundation isn't poured. You'll have time for more specific sorting and organizing, so don't waste your time with it now.

You will find garbage, though, so have a trash bag ready. And you'll also be able to make snap decisions on things to donate. If you already know that something is going to be donated or will live in another room of the house, don't be afraid to get it out of the rest of the clutter. Also, as you're digging through the piles of stuff, be prepared for what you might find, like mouse droppings, big scare spiders, an Ace of Base CD or even worse, cassette...

Take a few moments every once in a while to stand back and admire your progress. This will help keep you motivated as you might realize that you didn't have as much junk as you thought. Once the room is starting to clear out, it's not so scary after all.

Here are the pictures of what the room looked like after everything was cleared out - and temporarily in the downstairs living room.

STEP 2: Clean, Clean, Clean

Once everything is out of the room, grab a vacuum, some baking soda, and a bucket of hot soapy water. Then clean and clean and clean. There is no sense in putting things back into a dirty space. First, I vacuumed - everything. We're in the process of remodeling the basement (yes, still...) so everything was caked in dust and dirt. And it's a basement, so there were nasty cob webs in every corner. Then I wiped down every surface with warm soapy water. Since it's a basement, it tends to smell musty, so I added some natural scent to the water to give a fresh clean smell. Once I was done wiping down all the surfaces, I sprinkled an entire box of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for about a half hour while I took a break and ate some lunch. Then I vacuumed again, and it smelled much better.

STEP 3: Begin Sorting

Now that you've got the room, you can really begin sorting things into piles. Again - you are not organizing yet, so don't try fit things into bins and spaces. Instead, create piles so you know exactly how much you have. This will also make it easier to decide what things should be grouped together.

Now is when you can finally go through everything, opening files and folders, tearing everything apart. Remember, the goal is to end up with less stuff back in the room than what you took out. Now is when you can take the time to decide what to do with your excess. Here are some guidelines and questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you need it?
A: This is a simply yes or no. There may be things that you never actually use, but still need (like instruction manuals and tax information). If the answer is no, then you can either toss it or donate it.

2. When was the last time you used it? When is the next time you'll use it?
A: These are for the items that are purchase with great intent, but are never actually used. If you find yourself thinking "Oh yeah, I remember this. I was going to do this with it" there should be an alarm going off. Statements like this breed clutter. If you meant to do something with it but haven't yet, then you're not going to. Don't argue, I'm right and you know it. Instead, it's just taking up space and should either be donated or tossed. The golden rule is that if you haven't used it in the last 6 months or year, then it needs to go. Likewise, if you can't think of a time in the near future (like 6 months) when you'll use something again, chance are you won't actually use it, so you might as well get rid of it. Of course, everyone can make their own exceptions to this rule.

3. Will someone else actually use it or is it trash?
A: This is kind of a cryptic message. I am all for donating and second hand and fully believe that one person's trash is another person's treasure. But I also know how "donate" piles can be an angry monster living in your basement (just look at finished pictures if you don't believe me). Is there really use for allowing something to take up space in your home, then hauling it to a second hand store only to have it be discarded there. Don't be afraid to throw things away.

As you'll probably also find a lot of outdated paperwork, it's also a good idea to have a paper shredder and box for recycling handy.

STEP 4: Organizing - with Bins!

You've sorted through all your things and decided what to keep. All of these things are now in neat little piles all over the room, allowing you to get a sense of the amount of space they will take up. Now - grab the bins and start putting things away.

Now would be a perfect time to go purchase storage containers if you haven't done so already. Even if you already have some containers, you may need more or different shapes. This is the most creative and fun part of the organizing process, so be creative when using storage containers. Not everything has to be put into plastic totes. Think outside the tote. When I search for storage, I look everywhere - candles, home decor, garage and outdoor sections, office organization, kitchen accessories and my favorite - dollar sections and second hand stores. I also go for all textures, shapes and colors - wicker, plastic, metal, white, black, bold and patterned. Have fun with it! And if you have an awesome storage container that just isn't the right color, then paint it or cover it with decorate paper (contact paper is awesome for this, by the way). It doesn't matter what your storage looks like because it can be changed. What matters is that it will work for your organizational needs, which is also why it's best to have a variety of shapes and sizes.

This is also the time to start thinking about how the room will be used. For example, our Junk Room was primarily a dumping ground, with the main area for dumping being right inside the door. Instead of trying to change this habit (because it simply wouldn't happen), I organized the room to avoid the clutter. I first moved the large black filing cabinet as it hindered the flow into the room and could be causing part of the dumping. After all, why go around the filing cabinet when I can simply dump stuff in front of it. However, I knew there needed to be containers in that area since it would still be a catch-all, and I needed a table to set those containers on. So I took an old dresser from the laundry room and put it at the entrance where the filing cabinet was. It's low enough to not hinder the flow and provides a great surface. Now not only did I have a surface for the catch-all baskets, I also had extra drawers and storage.

This is also the time to designate zones and areas for certain tasks, like office, bedding, games, photos, etc. You can then designate even further within these zones, like an area for mailing supplies within the office zone. A great way to establish zones is using large shallow trays (see office area below). Also, don't be afraid to put containers within containers. It sounds redundant, but so useful and very pretty.

The best thing is to keep moving and organizing until everything has found a home. You may find yourself moving things from one spot to another and back again, but this is all part of the process. Think of it like putting together a giant puzzle and you're just figuring out how all the pieces fit together.

STEP 5: Labels

It simply doesn't do any good for everything to have it's own place if you can't remember where that place is. This is where the wonderful world of labels come in. You don't have to be crafty to have pretty and sophisticated labels. Sure, you can make your own, or you can print some off the internet like I did.

There are also several ways to attach the labels, the most popular being twine or string. You can also use, things like label holders, key rings or double stick tape (which is what I used).

AFTER:

So much better! It's a room again! With a floor!!

The catch-all area right inside the door - now referred to as inboxes because it sounds way more organized. There are bins for papers and anything else that ends up here. There is also a magazine holder labeled "Jackson's Art" as he brings home art almost every day and previously it was scattered about the room. I knew it would end up in the catch-all area, so instead of putting it in the baskets only to move it to another spot, I put the designated spot within the catch-all area. NOTE: His art will eventually be put into a large binder with clear plastic sheets for protection. That way his art work can be on display with the rest of the photo albums.

Part of the office area (printer, a magazine holder with paper and the paper shredder are to the right). I used shallow baskets to corral all the other containers and designate the zone. See the pictures below for examples of placing containers within containers.

Just because things are hidden in cabinets and closet does not mean they cannot be organized. In the cabinets, I used more bins and baskets to contain like items, keeping things together. Labels on the outside send a reminder to what's hidden inside.

I tried to use the built-ins to my advantage, even though I'm not a big fan of these. There actually isn't a lot on the shelves - compared with before when there wasn't any place to put things. It ended up looking pretty bare and not very appealing, so the unused containers I had became decorations. They take up the visual space and add some color, making the space feel lived in and used instead of like a storage area.

The dresser now holds sheets, pillow cases and other fabrics that can all be in their own space and hidden away. Not only that, with such a large surface, there is room for the computer, the inboxes, and a free space in between.

The labels I used. There are also orange and blue ones. You can print them either with words or blank and write your own descriptions. Very easy to use!

One final note: you can always and should always organize. Don't wait for something. For example, we will be remodeling this room one day and replacing the paneling with actual walls, tearing out the built-ins and moving the closet. But we're not doing it today, and it may be a while before we get to that stage. Likewise, in 5 years, this might be a play room instead of a storage area for office supplies. But today, it's our storage area, so it needs to work for how we live right now. The beauty of organization is that it can always be reorganized. It allows a room to change with you, only in a much easier fashion. Not only can we find things now because everything has a place, we also gained an extra sleeping area that's perfect for a blow-up mattress. We gained a whole other room to our house, and as long as we keep it organized and use it efficiently, then it will always be an extra room in our house instead of being shut behind a door like it doesn't exist.

One more shot of before and after:

It is such a liberating feeling. Not only did I clean out some physical junk, but I also cleaned out some emotional and spiritual junk too. I got rid of this weight of things that had been holding me down. Now I can use my home the way I want to and the way my family needs to.

Happy New Year and Happy Organizing.

Then there were two....

Hello all,

I realize it has been months since my last post, but it's been quite a turbulent four months. I have been sick, exhausted and sluggish and suddenly 24 hours in a day now seems like a mere 10, yet I still need to accomplish everything I did before AND etch out more time to take care of myself. Well, not just myself - myself and my growing bump. Yes, I am 4 months pregnant with our second child. And it's been a doozy.

Just to preface, my first pregnancy was a dream. No sickness, fatigue that passed rapidly followed by an extra high energy level, no kicks to the ribs or severe back/joint pain. And the delivery was also fantastic (really, it was). But this go around has been the complete opposite. I was warned about this by several experienced mothers, medical books and websites. But man, I had no idea how lucky I was the first time or how extreme pregnancy could get.

As I'm shuffling around the house trying to cope with my inabilities by whining nonstop, my husband simply looks at me and says "Why don't you just take some Advil or something?" As politely as possible I explain that pregnant women can't take Advil, or many other over the counter medications that have made modern life so convenient to live with. Instead, I get to "experience pregnancy." Okay, so those aren't the exact words I used, but I'd like to think that's what I would have said if I wasn't under the influence of hormones.

Here comes a stunning truth, one I didn't realize with my first pregnancy as I didn't have to: there are no modern mechanisms in place to make pregnancy easier on women. All of the modern conveniences are off limits to us. Why? Because what worked 50 or 100 years ago still works today. The methods and advice has proven to be safe and effective. Pregnancy is forced to remain a natural experience because the minds of scientists simply can't compete with the beautiful design of mother nature.

Now don't get me wrong, there are a few things out there that can help pregnant women cope with certain symptoms. However, after a visit to my doctor regarding some crippling morning sickness, I found that these are the very last resort. Instead, I was given tips as if I was talking to my grandmother. And you know what - they worked! This is not to say that I haven't had some help from over the counter, but the effectiveness of these was far less than the natural methods - and I was wary of possible side effects. So, here are some of the symptoms I've experienced and what I did to cope with them.

Fatigue: This was huge for me and probably the second most prevalent symptom. There were times I was so tired that I couldn't even get out of bed. Couple that with morning sickness and back pain and I threw in the white towel. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but the best remedy for fatigues is REST (I know, shocking...). I had to learn that if I was tired at 8 pm, then I needed to go to bed. This was particularly hard for me to deal with, as I'm used to being a super woman and running all day, taking care of things and other people and leaving myself a slim amount of time right before bed late at night to be by myself. I would eat at my desk, run from one meeting to another all day, then come home, feed the family, put them to bed and clean the house. Yeah, that all can't be done in one day while you're pregnant. It is impossible. So instead of cleaning the kitchen at night, I would lay down in bed and fall asleep. I had to reformat my schedule at work to account for frequent breaks. I had to push off deadlines so I could just walk away from my desk and take a time out. Mentally, this was hard. Physically, it was necessary.

Morning Sickness: Ah yes, the dreaded morning sickness. This has been a plague of mine from day one. Remember, with my first pregnancy I wasn't sick once. With this one, it was constant and oppressing. There were days where I would get so sick that I could feel it in every nerve in my body. I couldn't move, couldn't concentrate, couldn't exist. All I could do was curl up into a ball in bed and just lay there as if I was mortally wounded. This one was also hard because I would try something and find relief for a week, but then it would stop working and I'd be back to square one. I started with ginger and saltines, but then the ginger started tasting bitter and the saltines became concrete in my mouth, just making the sickness worse. I then tried sticking to carb-loaded foods and snacking throughout the day, but after a few days I became intolerant of all food and wasn't able to eat for about a week. This was probably the lowest point in my pregnancy as I was not someone you wanted to be around. I don't think I saw my husband for a whole two weeks - which was good, because I was not a nice person. Then I tried flat pop, but this too eventually made me sick. I tried eating certain foods, but they all turned on me, to the point that if I even looked at a box of Carnation Instant Breakfast that I would get the gag reflex and have to think of pretty wildflowers in a summer field just to keep me from upchucking in the middle of the grocery store. Honestly, there wasn't really anything I could do for this. I just had to let it pass. Slowly, I began getting cravings. First it was turkey sandwiches with mayo, lettuce and tomato. Then it was steak. Then it was tuna with mayo (bread was optional - I would eat it right out of a bowl). Then it was cereal. Now I'm craving BLT sandwiches and root beer. But the good news is that I can eat, and I think that's been the key. I have to eat right away in the morning - usually a bowl of cereal. I also have to eat right before bed or I don't sleep well. I also have to eat multiple times a day and often have 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners and snacks throughout the day. I've learned to always keep food around me and prepare for any type of craving I might have. The good news is that by eating so many meals a day, it forces me to take breaks as well so I can sit, eat slow, and digest my food. I also have to stay very hydrated, meaning I've been drinking a lot of water, tea (caffeine free) and orange juice.

Back/Joint pain: I was surprised when this hit me at only 4 months. I was well into my 6th or 7th month with the first one. But then again, I've also gotten a lot bigger a lot faster the second time around (this is normal - not flattering, but normal). I thought the solution again would be rest, to slow down and take it easy, but this actually only made it worse. The actual answer is movement. I have a desk job, and with my tainted energy level and extra weight, I found myself sitting even more. When I would stand, there would be nothing but pain from the middle of my back all the way down. Once I would move, it would feel better. Naturally then, I figured out that I can't sit in one spot for hours at a time. I have to move and use my joints and muscles. Stretching is also very important to keep your muscles from getting tight (which really really hurts). Sometimes at night, I'll sit with a heating pad on my lower back, but again, this is only for about an hour and then I immediately get up to move when my muscles are relaxed.

Colds and coughs: I was hit with a pretty harsh cold a few months ago and was coughing so bad I would get severe head aches. I've never been a fan of cough drops (they only seem to work while you have one in your mouth), and it got to the point where I just couldn't get over it. I broke down and bought some Robitussin, which is safe for pregnant women. However, it didn't seem to work. It helped the cough, sure, but only for a short period of time and it just seemed to delay the inevitable. And then a coworker reminded me of honey and lemon water. Of course! I switched it up a bit and put lemon slices in my ice water. I bought some good tea and put honey in it. Within a week, I was feeling better, still coughing but not nearly as bad as before. My cough was completely gone within two weeks.

Pregnancy Brain: People laugh when they hear this because they think it's an excuse that pregnant women use. But I'm telling you, it's true. I forget things all the time. I lose my train of thought while mid sentence, even more than usual. Someone will be talking to me and my mind will just flutter away to someplace else and I'll be staring at the person like a drooling fool. So what can be done about this? Write things down. Leave yourself notes. Tape them to the mirror if you have to. And if you do forget, well, it's just pregnancy brain and those things happen.

There are a few over the counter medicines that helped my through the early stages and are still necessary. The first is iron. My doctor informed me that I was low on iron, so I should start taking supplements. The correct answer would have been to follow a strict diet to ensure I'm getting enough iron, however, this has never been my style and would have been especially hard with all the food aversions I was dealing with. Once I started taking iron, my fatigue decreased quite a bit and I felt halfway normal again. Instead of taking a separate iron supplement, I tried a prenatal vitamin. I was hesitant, because I've never been able to take multivitamins, pregnant or not, because they've always made me sick. But in a twist of irony, taking a prenatal vitamin actually made me LESS sick. Strange, I know. (A note on this: not all prenatal vitamins are created equal, so read the labels. I was shocked to learn that some contain hardly any iron or vitamin B6, which really helps with morning sickness.) I also took Unisom during the early stages of my pregnancy to help me sleep. Again, this is safe for pregnant women, and I was having insomnia and nightmares causing me to loose valuable sleep. The good thing with Unisom is that it's safe, but also it didn't put me in a haze. If Jackson woke up in the middle of the night, I was still able to hear him right away, jump out of bed and take care of him. It just helped me sleep better when I was sleeping. However, the benefits were short lived and eventually it started causing me to feel sluggish, so I stopped taking it. I still have periods of insomnia and nightmares, but now I'm at the stage where I'm just uncomfortable and can't sleep anyway. This is my body's way of preparing me for taking care of a newborn, so a sleeping pill is out of the question at this point.

So this is kind of like my pregnancy survival guide. Rest, eat, drink fluids, keep moving and just relax. Seems pretty simple, but for a busy working mother like myself, it was a shock to my system, one I feel I am still adjusting to. Now that I'm in the second trimester, it is slowly getting better. Still, I've come to accept that my way of life has completely changed, for the best.

And in case your wondering, no, I didn't include anything related to hormones being out of control or emotional instability. Why? Because this can be used to an advantage. Yes, I cry while watching the Weather Channel, and if you call me out on it you better be prepared to pay the consequences. The simple fact is I'm pregnant. If I have to deal with it, so do you. Take me when I'm being sweet and stand back when I'm not, and you better be quick on your feet to see the difference.

In the end, it's all worth it and I can't wait to hold our new little creation. We find out in January if it's a boy or girl (yes, I want to know. I need to know. Plus, Derek and I have a bet) and the due date is May 31, so we're hoping to add another May baby to the family. We have names picked out, but I don't want to share them just yet. And how does Jackson feel about all this? He rests his head against my belly and says "baby in there. I be nice to baby." and when I ask him if he's going to be a good big brother he says "yeah, I good big brother."

It's a funny thing when you realize you're life is kind of perfect...

And the war continues....

I had a dream once. I had a dream that I found the perfect print fabric and that I made the most beautiful and luxurious curtains that the land has ever seen. And everyone marveled at my seamstress abilities and before long my entire domain was lavished in beautiful tapestries and everything was grand.

Alas, there is one evil being standing between me and this dream: the sewing machine (cue dramatic music - dun dun dun!). Yes, the sewing machine. It knows my two main weaknesses - technology prowess and patience. I have neither of these two qualities. I hear about women talking about their sewing machines and craft stations and the Halloween outfits they stichted together one afternoon or the sitting pillows they made out of spare fabric and my blood begins to turn green with envy.  I want that.

My first interaction with a sewing machine occurred in 7th grade home-ec class. I refused to use pins because I would sew around them and was told to wear safety goggles from then on. I hold nothing against you, Mrs. K. You were a wonderful teacher - I was a not-so-wonderful student. I gave up my dreams of being a seamstress right then and there and settled on hand-sewing anything that needed to be fixed. After all, you don't need an instruction manual (or safety goggles) to darn a sock.

My second interaction came after we bought our house and I decided that making curtains was better than buying them. My mom found me this great Singer sewing machine for an excellent price at a thrift store. So one Saturday morning, I put my son down for a nap, cleared a space in the basement, and put my brand new shiny sewing machine on display. I followed the (picture) directions and had my test piece of fabric all set and ready to go. I pushed on the pedal every so gently and heard the purr of the machine and as the needle was getting ready to pierce the fabric with it's thread. With slow tender movement, I fed the fabric under the needle and slid it out the other side. I held up my sewn fabric with a gigantic smile of accomplishment. I'd done it! I had mastered the sewing machine and would be filling my house with curtains and pillows in no time!

And then the two pieces of fabric fell apart, pieces of thread drooping off the seams like wet noodles. A dark cloud drifted in over my head and my brow furrowed in frustration, then anger.

What had I done wrong? I had followed the instructions (almost) exactly! I looked down to discovered that the thread in the bobbin was not connected to the thread in the needle. But why! WHY?!

I went through the instructions again and again, retracing each and every step. But nothing worked. Finally, in frustration, I dumped it all back in the box and shoved it in a cupboard, hidden away and never to see daylight again.

The sewing machine sat for a long time in that dark cabinet, but my creative nature got the best of me. After all, it was only a sewing machine. I had mastered power tools and replaced an engine in a car. There was no way I was going to admit defeat to something like a sewing machine. So I dug it out, set it up, and did what any other sane woman would do in my situation - I called my mom for help. However, it's apparently a little difficult to teach someone how to use a sewing machine over the phone, so I didn't get anywhere. But I wasn't frustrated - I just needed to use my resources and have someone show me how to use the dang thing. So I packed it away again, this time with less shame and disappointment and with every intention of learning how to use it.

Since I threw out the directions in a fit of rage (they were useless anyway) and my mother wasn't able to help me, my husband suggested YouTube. "You can find out how to do anything on there, like biuld bombs and crap" he said. Brilliant.

So the battle continues. Next time I come head to head with the evil sewing machine, I will be armed with the knowledge of YouTube and a detailed instructional video. And I will learn how to thread the needle correctly in order to make a seam and it will say together!  Because I am not a quitter and I refuse to be defeated by a household appliance!

Stay tuned as the battle wages on....