It’s finally here! It’s time for Org Junkie’s 29 Day Organizational Challenge!! Our official challenge page can be found here where you’ll find all the specifics of the challenge.
Today is all about introducing yourself and letting us know which room you’ll be organizing this month. And for those that are bravest of all I’ve put up a linky below if you’d like to link up your “before” pictures however please know that this isn’t a requirement of the challenge (although you will have to show them at the end of the month). I want this to be a positive and productive experience for you, that’s what it’s all about. Leaving a comment is okay too 🙂
(you do need a blog for this challenge as you will be required at the end of the month to link up your post showing off your before and after pictures. Don’t have a blog? Consider starting one, it’s easy to do!)
Where to start?
Select one room in need of some clutter control and chaos taming this month. Then the first step of the PROCESS is to plan your space. You can find a list of questions to help you with that here. Like Peter Walsh always says, what is your vision for your space? This is important because you’ll need to remind yourself over and over again of this vision you want to achieve as you go through the tough de-clutter step.
Calendar:
Also don’t forget to print off the calendar to help you stay on track. Pencil in a rough guideline of how much time you can dedicate each day to the project.
Sponsors:
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to tell you about the amazing sponsors that have come on board to provide our winners with such FANTASTIC prizes. Prizes are listed below for each of the three winners:
First place winner will receive 7 prizes
Second place winner will receive 4 prizes
Third place winner will receive 3 prizes
PLUS there is a bonus prize for a random winner
Are you ready for this?
$50 Gift Card from Organized Living
Organized Living offers high quality organizational items. From the closet to the kitchen to the garage, we help make life easier!
One Year Subscription to Getting Organized Magazine
Getting Organize Magazine is the go-to resource for those looking to organize their homes or their work. This comprehensive, easy to read magazine makes organizing fun, easy and how-to as possible. You’ll get previews of the latest products, tips on how to conquer your paper piles, advice on issues like attention deficit disorder (ADD) and much more. Getting Organized Magazine was created by a Professional Organizer with several years of client experience and is the only one on the market solely dedicated to the top of organization.
52 Home Organizing Missions + Ultimate To-Do List Pack: Home & Family from Get Organized Wizard
Both of these programs were created by Michele Connolly of Get Organized Wizard to help you move from procrastination to action. Tens of thousands of people around the globe use their materials to set goals and get organized in business life, personal life, and home & family life. Get Organized Wizard programs help busy men and women take action toward a life of greater happiness, productivity and personal organization.
Big Mesh Sports Basket from freedomRail
freedomRail offers the perfect combination of strength, ease and versatility to save you time, money and stress. freedomRail puts you in control!
Six Stackable Organizing Bins from SpaceSavers
SpaceSavers offers products that increase household efficiency and functional storage space for DIY home organizers and small businesses. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
$50 Gift Card from Clever Container
Clever Container is all about organizing, functionality, ideas and fun! The only DSA approved company marketing exclusively organizing products, we undoubtedly fill a niche! We have fabulous products to help you organize your life. We’ll provide clever & helpful tips whether you are just getting started on your organizational journey or are already an organizing “junkie”. We offer excellent incentives and free products whether you host a party or join our team. So, fulfill your curiosity and contact Colleen – Consultant #10 for more information!
A Collection of Glow Baby Products
(menu planner, weekly undated grid pad, chore chart pad, to-do list notepad and shopping list notepad)
Glow Baby is dedicated to providing unique and user-friendly scheduling tools for today’s busy parents. Glow Baby products are all about helping parents save time and stay organized. Glow Baby Journals, Planners, Calendars and Lists help parents keep track of daily activities such as; feeding, sleeping, diapering, bathing, first foods by type, meal planning, family activities, general to do lists for daily tasks, groceries etc. Also find Glow Baby on Facebook.
Large Lay-n-Go Storage and Activity Mat (blue)
Lay-n-Go™ is a patent pending activity mat, cleanup, storage and carryall solution in one that offers kids and parents a great way to easily manage their toy collections at home or wherever your travels may take you!
Download Membership from ListPlanIt.com
ListPlanIt.com is home to hundreds of lists, checklists, worksheets, schedules, inventories, and to dos, all geared toward helping its members live a more organized life. A Download Membership allows you to print or download the lists you want, type into them with your own information, and save them to your computer for future reference.
$50 Ikea Gift Card from Simply Savvy
The Simply Savvy blog is all about sharing organization and design solutions which are affordable, flexible, interesting, and inspiring. Our goals for both our readers and our clients is to help simplify your daily life in a way that is manageable and orderly–creating solutions which fit your needs, style, and personality–and are just Simply Savvy!
Three Sweater Bins (Ivory/Red) from G.U.S – Great Useful Stuff
Great Useful Stuff is a boutique online retailer based in San Francisco that designs and sells a highly edited selection of products that meet our simple criteria: If it’s Great + it’s Useful = then it’s got to be GUS! From stylish gear to organize your high-tech personal electronic gadgets to specialized totes, boxes and bags to conceal your clutter, we have it all! For more information, please visit http://www.greatusefulstuff.com.
$50.00 Gift Card from Thirty-One Gifts
Thirty-One Gifts is a company that sells organizing products with style, convenience and quality at an amazingly affordable price. Thirty-One offers fashionable solutions for our busy go-here, go-there lifestyles, and has many options to fit every personality type and every situation. New products are continually being developed building on the idea that they must be stylish, functional, affordable and easy to give as gifts to encourage someone special. For more information on Thirty-One products including specials and organizing ideas visit consultant, Kristie Jo on Facebook.
3 ePlanners (Meals, Home, Planner) from ListPlanIt.com
ListPlanIt.com is home to hundreds of lists, checklists, worksheets, schedules, inventories, and to dos, all geared toward helping its members live a more organized life. ListPlanIt has 17 ePlanners available as a convenient, downloadable packet. Each ePlanner is filled with lists that can be typed into, printed, and/or saved to your computer for future reference.
One Year Subscription to Getting Organized Magazine
Getting Organize Magazine is the go-to resource for those looking to organize their homes or their work. This comprehensive, easy to read magazine makes organizing fun, easy and how-to as possible. You’ll get previews of the latest products, tips on how to conquer your paper piles, advice on issues like attention deficit disorder (ADD) and much more. Getting Organized Magazine was created by a Professional Organizer with several years of client experience and is the only one on the market solely dedicated to the top of organization.
BONUS
I’ll also be giving away one prize to one random participant selected from those that link up their finished room at the end of the month. That prize is a:
$50 Amazon Gift Card from HATCHEDit.com
HATCHEDit.com wants to help you organize the chaos and more efficiently communicate and collaborate with those closest to you. HATCHEDit.com is the creation of two women, Megan Brown & Kirsten Bischoff. As both busy women and busy moms, they sought to create a free, organization tool that would streamline and improve the way families communicate with each other and with those closest to them. At the core of HATCHEDit.com is a family calendar that provides the ability to fluidly communicate important information to the people that assist you (grandparents, babysitters, au pairs, spouses, and children). Other key features include the ability to create personal groups to get rid of email streams, updating news & blog feeds, and a place to curate all that is important in your life.
**********
How’s that for motivation? I told you it was exciting!!
So what do you say? Are you ready to join us this month and turn a cluttered room into an organized one where everything has a home and you can find what you need when you need it?
Sharon at Momof6 says
I am very excited to begin this challenge! I decided to tackle my biggest challenge of all…. my basement “dumping ground!”
Tina says
I am so exited to be part of this. I tackle one room in our basement (not that I have started that again and again…) with the extra motivation of this challenge!
Kristal says
I’m doing the same “room”! 🙂
Stacie says
I’m so excited to be a part of this!
sara d says
I am excited about this challenge too!
Although I know I wont be able to completely finish the room I am working on {check out my post to see why}…this challenge will give me the motivation to get started and MOSTLY complete!
Thanks!
Elizabeth@ReadySetSimplify says
I’m ready to go! Thanks for doing this challenge! I posted before pictures of the master bedroom. I’m being brave. Really brave.
Tracey says
I am so ready for this! Guest room prepare to be taken back from your junky state! I’ll definetly try and get some pictures up on our blog! (maybe this will be the inspirations my hubbstir needs to get the blog fixed!)
Beth says
Okay, I’m in!!!!! I need to decide my closet or my spare room. Both were recently ‘cleaned’ not so well for a home appraisal. but both are in need of reorganization!
amber says
kids’ room – started last night…making them help me 🙂
Tara says
I will be taking on my master bedroom which will include the closet, since the closet is the worst. I will provide a picture when and if I can get my camera battery to charge.
Shonda says
I’m ready to start! I will be doing my master bedroom.
http://jsknowlton.blogspot.com/2012/02/29-day-organizational-challenge-master.html
Teri says
This is going to be fun! I’m totally redoing my sweet hubby’s office as a surprise for him. Getting it organized so he can easily use it.
jennybean says
I’m excited to join in this month! I plan on organizing the basement playroom/craft room!
raven says
Excited to join in on a Challenge here for the first time. I’m tackling our current junkroom upstairs in hopes of turning into a functional gameroom for our older kids.
Step one was gathering the courage to post the mess on my blog (BEFORE pics) and then link it up here! I’ll worry about step two after a drink! LOL
Chelette says
I tried to link up and it will not let me. I have tried both ways and can’t get it. Please help.
Laura says
Hi Chelette, are you getting an error message? Have you included a link to orgjunkie.com within your post?
raven says
Laura – what all should we be linking to? I braved the before pics, but wondering if my “Plan” post stays just on my blog, or if I should link that up (and if so, will there be a specific day for this?). Maybe I’ll just incorporate it into Progress link-up after The Purge..
Laura says
Hi Raven, yes the progress link-up days will be for anything you want to share with regards to how you are doing on the challenge. You’ll also be able to link up multiple times if you want to as well on those days. Does that make sense?
raven says
Yes 🙂 Thank you!
Shirls says
Help! How to do a back link to this site? I’ve never tried this before.
Shirls says
Okay! I figured it out heh heh. Time to tackle the Room of Doom.
Diane says
I’m in. The room I’ll be working on is my spare bedroom, which used to be empty but along the way became a recepticle for everything I couldn’t find a place for. I will post a picture later.
hsmominmo says
I’m all ready! I will also be working on my basement, which includes areas for toys and games and sewing and hobbies.
I posted here on my blog today: http://hsmominmo.blogspot.com/2012/02/taking-challenge.html
but I am quite confused about how to ‘link up’ Could anyone give me quick tutorial to a tech-challenged blogger?
Looking forward to watching as everyone makes progress this week!
Mel says
I’ve been itching to deal with my craft room since Thanksgiving. Now that I’ve got a few other, smaller areas dealt with, I’m ready to dive in!
Aletha says
I’m having a hard time setting up my link, but I’m super excited to do this challenge in my den!
Laura says
Hi Aletha, did you get it working? Let me know if I can help in any way.
Laura
Aletha says
Hello Laura!
No, it didn’t get it to work. 🙁 I’m not sure what’s not working. Here’s the link to my blog:
http://ordainedordinary.blogspot.com/
My best friend ever is blogging along with me too! We’re both super stoked!
Aletha
Tammy S says
I have a spare bedroom that can compete for a spot on the TV show Horders. We just open the door and shove more stuff in. The only time we brave entering the room is when there is no other option. The room was once the home office where family finances and school work was done. We purchase a laptop computer that stays in the livingroom and we no longer USE the room. It has become the “don’t have another place to put it” room. I become physically ill just thinking about what needs to be done. I am participating in the challenge because I’m starting to see more parts of my house starting to look the same way. I need to learn how to control my space better and put things in their place. I will be posting pictures on my blog at http://cuttinandstampin.blogspot.com tomorrow.
Karen says
I have no idea how to “link” from my blog to yours or how to put the logo on my blog. I notice on the blog site there is a line for a link but I am not sure what I am supposed to put there. And how do I get that cool Challenge logo on my site? This is the first time I have done anything like this and would love some help!
Thanks for your help.
Laura says
Hi Karen, here are a couple of links that will walk you through it. What you want to add to the blue “frog face” linky button is your post permalink. Here is how to get that:
http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/11/what-is-a-permalink/
To add my button to your site, simply right click on it and save it to your computer and upload it to your post like you do a regular picture. To make it clickable (link to my site) simply click on it so it is highlighted and then click the link icon and add http://www.orgjunkie.com there the same way you would with text.
Let me know how you make out.
Laura says
This link may help too:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-blogger-to-add-a-link-to-your-blog.html
Gaby @ Tmuffin says
Thanks for this! Honestly, I don’t think any of us actually are doing this for the prizes (although they are amazing and I’m so excited about them!). But what I’m really excited about is working on my space. I can never find anything, and I often just shove stuff in the room and close the door. It’s sad that it’s where my son sleeps and he has to look at the mess all the time. He’s getting older now, too, and the room distracts him when I nurse him or put him to sleep at night. There is more to do than I expected, but it’s manageable if I can just cross something off the list every day.
Sophie says
Thanks so much for having this again this year! its just the kick in the butt I need to get things going and get my room organized again!
Jenifer says
I am going to focus on the Master Bedroom. We moved recently and it is not unpacked. This will include the Master Bath. I’ll try to post pics.
Cass says
Hi, I am so excited to do this. I had planned this year on going through our whole house and trying to do some inexpensive reorganizing and this is just want I need. So count me in!
Cass
Cass says
Hi, I am so excited to do this. I had planned this year on going through our whole house and trying to do some inexpensive reorganizing and this is just want I need. So count me in!
Cass
Cass says
Oh yeah I guess it would help if I named the room. It will be my son’s room. Poor guy needs a room that is more his own instead of our old den.
Cass
Ellie says
Definitely in! Going to tackle the office. Too many things put in there over the holidays that don’t belong.
Kim says
Hey I tried and tried to link up, but it kept saying it is not a direct link, and I have to have a direct link, could you please email me, and let me know what to do. I really want to get linked up so I will follow through. LOL Thanks
Kim says
Well I figured it out, by reading a different comment from someone, but now it says that I don’t have a back link to your site. So I thought that was a URL because I already have the cute challenge picture, but that wasn;t it either. Help
Sandi says
I had the same trouble but then I figured it out finally. On your blog page you need to link back to organizingjunkie’s website. Click the little link button and attach it to one of your pictures.
Laura says
Yes a direct link simply means permalink. More info here:
http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/11/what-is-a-permalink/
A backlink simply means that you put a link to orgjunkie.com somewhere in your post as a courtesy that you are participating and so others can find the challenge as well. You can link to orgjunkie.com right on the button image by adding a clickable link the way you would with text.
Hope that makes sense!
Rachelle @ CleanHomeWarmHeart says
I hope I did this right! I tried to add my link several times, but I still don’t see my entry. Sorry–totally newbie! I’m adding my link here, instead: http://cleanhomewarmheart.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-year-new-blog-new-challenge.html Hope this is okay!
Laura says
Hi Rachelle, do you mean you are having trouble adding your link to the blue frog face button? If you click on that it asks for your url which is what you posted above. Then select a picture and add your email and you’re all done. Let me know if that’s not what you meant.
Rachelle @ CleanHomeWarmHeart says
Thanks, Laura. I do just that (click the frog and put in my info) and it takes me to a page to upload or select my image. After I click on “upload”, it just takes me back to this post. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Laura says
Do you want me to try? Add your permalink here to your post and I’ll try uploading it for you.
Krisi says
I am going to work on our closet and master bedroom. I will get before pictures taken and work on a blog post.
evi brito says
I just started a blog to be able to participate in your challenge, Laura. The prices are amazing but my biggest motivation is the wonderful feeling when I can walk into our basement again (YES. We cannot walk into there anymore). So thank you so much for this challenge, I am in! And in a couple of days, I will put up before-pictures – I hope that’s not too late?
Laura says
Never too late, feel free to add before pictures to the linky anytime during the month 🙂
Carol @cdm-arewethereyet says
Laura – I love that you are doing this and I think it is a fantastic idea. I’m NOT going to join your challenge however, I would love for you to check out my blog to see why. I have a couple of rooms that I am working on, in fact my blog today is talking about the one that is bothering me the most – but it’s just something that is a pain in my side and to most people it would not be a big deal – please feel free to come over and see what I mean at –
http://cdm-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/2012/02/it-was-clean.html
Thanks Laura, and good luck to all that are participating in your challenge!
Erin says
Hoping this will be the kick in the pants that I’ve been needing for a while now! Took pics of my master bedroom yesterday, hope to get a blog post/link up today. If I embarrass myself with the before pics, I’ll have to redeem myself with the after, right? Thanks for hosting!
Samantha says
laura – i’m so excited to be a part of this challenge. thank you so much for organizing it!
Shirley@MotivatedMommyofTwo says
Thank you for the challenge, I am really excited and those prizes look amazing.
Denice says
I just started my blog so I could partake in this challenge. I am not sure how to link up though. I have your button on my page that when clicked takes the user directly to this site, however when it comes to the pics, etc do we just post them on our site? Not sure exactly how to do this as I am a newbie…help.
Denice says
P.S. My blog site is http://www.systemofamom.blogspot.com I am working on my dining room/foyer since they are kind of combined. I may add my office on there as it is joined to the dining room…
Laura says
Yes that’s correct Denice, simply add your the permalink of your before post to the blue frog face above. Here is your permalink if you are wondering…I got it by clicking on the title of your copy and it is what appears in the address bar of your browser:
http://www.systemofamom.blogspot.com/2012/02/org-junkies-29-day-challenge-day-1.html
Copy that link into the linky above. If you need help, just shout!
Brittany says
I was so excited about this challenge and THEN I saw there were prizes?! It just makes it all the better. I will be doing my Master Bedroom- it’s a disaster, my husband doesn’t even have anything in there anymore because I’m such a hoarder. Thanks for the inspiration.
Want to link up with me? I’ll post your blog if you comment, so we can all see each others progress.
Xoxo.
Leena says
Hi, I’m interested in the challenge, but I’m from Finland and I doubt the sponsors will be sending anything internationally. How would you feel about me taking apart even though I could not compete about the prizes?
Laura says
Hi Leena, that would be totally fine! I’m not sure on the prizes either as it would depend on each sponsor whether or not they would ship to you so you never know 🙂
Carly says
Ok, is it me. I keep trying to Link Up and it won’t work!! Ain’t never done this bloggin stuff before. LOL
Laura says
Tell me where you are having trouble Carly. Do you know how to find the permalink of your post? Here is more info:
http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/11/what-is-a-permalink/
Once you find your permalink, enter it into the blue frog face in my post and select a picture when promoted.
A backlink to my site is simply adding a link to my site in your blog post.
Hope that helps!
Carly says
Welllllll, I read the page and tried that way about 15 times. It didn’t work. So then I saw where it said “may take a few minutes to show up”. So I figured I would sleep on it and get up this morning to see it 15 times. LOL But no. So I messed around and found something that said URL and tried it that way, it seemed like it actually worked. But and hour later, it’s still not there. 🙁
http://carlysorganizationaljourney.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-is-what-i-am-doing.html
There is it. I think. This bloggin stuff don’t like me…….
Laura says
Hi Carly, yes that is your permalink so that’s great however you are missing a backlink in your post which you get by linking to me within your post. Add orgjunkie.com with a link like you would with text.
This might help:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-blogger-to-add-a-link-to-your-blog.html
MemeGRL says
No link yet but I’m in! I’m in! I’m on a roll from January (did the living room in a tidal wave after the Christmas stuff left)…I think I’m going to try to actually tackle the office…gulp!
Needtochange says
I’m going to tackle the main bedroom. I’m not probably eligible for joining in the actual challenge for prizes etc cause I’m in Australia but I want to do it anyway as a motivation.
Jerica says
So excited to get working on my project!
http://spacestoplaces.blogspot.com/2012/02/29-day-challenge.html
Good luck to everyone!
Mandi says
I choose to do my ‘corner room’. I am excited to see how far we all go. Empowering each, and enjoying the journey together. Not to mention getting our spaces, clean, organized, and decorated. Thank you to Laura and all the wonderful sponsors!
http://romanadventures.blogspot.com/
Jane says
My project for this is our office/music room/cat room. I’m excited to get this place organized!!
Becky says
I think I felt the organizational vibes from everyone here. Yesterday my exhaustion from the previous weekend caught up with me and I sent my husband off to our usual krav maga class alone. I stayed home and while I meant to work on our business, I wasn’t quite ready to jump back in (been working on it all day, only breaking for dinner) so I tackled our closet instead. You can see the floor in half of it now, and all I was doing was sorting laundry and throwing out clutter (so much tags, packaging, and dryer sheets). Then I come on here today and saw the challenge started yesterday. I forgot about it but I kind of started on time anyway. I didn’t take before pictures, but since it was just decluttering and it still looks bad, there is probably still time. And I can probably find pictures of my cats that show my disaster of a room in the background.
JC says
This challenge was just the motivation I needed to dust the ol’ blog off! I’ll be working on my son’s bedroom and will link up once I get some before pics taken this week. Thanks for the kick in the pants!!
Lisa Muniz says
I’m not a blogger, but I went ahead and started one today. I’m a week late getting started but I need the motivation. I feel like every room in my house needs an overhaul, but I’ve started with my younger two boys room. Jumpin’ in with both feet. . . here goes nothing! :o)
Shannon says
I am excited to be getting the push I need to make this happen. I am brave and went ahead and posted pictures of my dining room turned playroom. (I’m #106 above) We have three little boys – 3.5 year old twins and a 15 month old and live in a 100 year old house with NO closets and a cellar (not at all a useable basement.) It is a challenge, for sure! I am hoping to turn this into a space I am not embarrassed for people to see 🙂 It will still be a playroom – and I am not thinking I will even try to hide that fact. What I do want is to get it organized better and to get the top of my table back so we can use it more for eating and projects with the boys.
Christie Strayer says
I’m so proud to work for a Christian based company, Thirty-One Gifts!
We help busy moms and families help get organized!
Best regards,
Christie Strayer
Thirty-One Gifts – Orange County, California
Rachel says
Reading this got me excited about a project I was planning to start anyway. We are going to reorganize my baby’s nursery. We moved her into a bigger room recently and it has also become a storage room for other junk that we haven’t figured out where to put since we switched all the rooms around. This will also get me back on my blog which I haven’t updated in several years. She’s sleeping right now so I can’t get a pic of the before photo yet, but later today I will post the before. I want her nursery to be a haven not a junk dump!