Today is the day! 30 days have come and gone. How have you done on your challenge? I am so excited to know. In order to participate please link up (Mr. Linky below) to ONE post that has BOTH your before AND after pictures and also a summary of what you did to get from unorganized point A to organized point B…..the more detail you can give us the better.
The challenge will be judged not only by myself but also by my real life friend Sarah who is also an organizing junkie (her passion is purging!) and my blogging friend and another organizing junkie, Lara, The Lazy Organizer. Lara is completing a project in the challenge but won’t be competing for the prizes.
We will be looking for:
Overall Transformation – A well organized, uncluttered, clearly defined and efficient space that is easily maintained.
Creative Use of Space – Using creative solutions to allow you to maximize your space and create zones in a new and manageable way.
Baskets/Containers that Work – Using containers that allow you to establish boundaries and contain “like with like”.
Overall Experience – The process that got you to the uncluttered space mentally and physically.
Prizes sponsored by Lifeorganizers.com:
1st prize = $100.00
2nd prize = $50.00
3rd prize = $25.00
+ one remaining participant will be selected at random to win my prize of both this and this.
For more information and all the challenge posts please see here. Email me or leave me a comment if you have any questions.
Winners will be announced Sunday, December 10th!
Remember any organized space is an accomplishment no matter how big or small.
Good luck to all of you!
Updated to add:
To be eligible for the prizes participants must post today, cut off time will be 11:59 pm pst. Thanks.
Anonymous says
Didn’t get as far as I wanted, but how far I DID amazes me. Process IS Progress!
Lindsey says
Thank you so much for the great challenge – I was WAY more successful than I had thought I would be, and it even got me to get the majority of my room organized as well! Since I live in an apartment, that’s pretty much all my space! This was GREAT!!!
The Lazy Organizer says
We’re so happy to have you back Laura and thanks for giving us all a kick in the butt to get more organized!
novaks8 says
I can’t wait to read all the posts today!
You must be all warm and fuzzy inside because of all the organization happening because of you!!!!
Thanks!!!!!!!!
momrn2 says
Has it been 30 days already?? I am so excited. Although I didn’t get a chance to participate in this, I am eager to see what everyone else has done. Perhaps it will inspire me to new ideas myself.
By the way, so good to have you back!! I was just thinking about you the other day and how much I was missing your posts. Welcome home… 🙂
Anonymous says
Well, I didn’t complete the pantry. The good news is I have purged most of the junk and am waiting for some wire pullouts from IKea that I ordered. You did motivate me to do my hall closet which is organized,but I need to go and prettify it now.
I will show you the after shots when I get this done!!
Good luck to veryone!
Bethany says
This was a lot of fun..thank you for the challenge. My sewing room really needed it!
Katie says
Laura- Thank you, thank you, thank you! It was SO HARD, but so needed, and I am SO thankful you provided this challenge! It was exactly what I needed to finally get my files organized!
Casey says
I have an organizing question for you…
My husband and I are expecting our first child in April. We currently live in a small 1 & 1/2 bedroom condo. The 1/2 bedroom will be the “nursery” with just enough room for a crib and a changing table. There is no closet in the room.
There are 2 other small hall closets that I am purging out right now. This will create some limited shelving space, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough. I cannot stand clutter and I fear my house will be overrun with clutter once the baby arrives.
Any thoughts? Thanks!!
Anonymous says
I posted just in time!! Sorry, I waited so long to post..I still had to make labels for my baskets. Thanks for doing this. Jennifer
Anonymous says
I finally got a minute to sit down and post! I love seeing what eveyone’s done. This has been a lot of fun and I’m so happy to have organized closets and storage room.
Anonymous says
Thanks so much for the challenge. I so needed the deadline and the motivation. I love my new room, feel so refreshed in it. Thank you!
Proverbs31 says
I just realized I added my link to my main page and not straight to the organizational post. Sorry! I don’t see the “delete my link” option so I can’t fix it.
I’m linking directly to my post on this comment, though. Hope that helps!
Good job to everybody! Can’t wait till Sunday! The judges sure have a tough job.
I don’t know about everybody else, but I really enjoyed this. Not every moment of it, of course, but the feeling of accomplishment — definitely! I know I’m not the only one who is thankful for the motivation given by this challenge. Thank you, Laura!!
Krissy says
What a RELIEF to have this huge project done!! I’m so glad I did this. Pats on backs to everyone!
Jaime says
Thanks for the challenge. I finished it a week or so ago, and oh is it nice to have everything organized and contained!
Kelli in the Mirror says
Nope, didn’t finish mine. But I’ve made a lot of progress! It should be done soon.
org junkie says
Hi Casey, I couldn’t find your email so I’m responding in the comments. I hope that is okay. Yes baby stuff seems to take up a lot of space yet what I have discovered after having 3 kids is they really don’t need all the “stuff” we are told baby must have. Keep it simple. Great spots for storage in a baby’s room are under the crib…lots of space for totes here! Also I would recommend a changing table that is also a dresser…this way you will have plenty of room for all the baby clothes. One other suggestion is look up. Wall shelving with some nice wicker baskets will be beautiful for toys, books, stuffies, etc. I hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you want to discuss further. Congrats on the pregnancy! Laura
Jennifer says
If I could add something to Casey. I have two kids and I’ve never had a changing table. What I buy instead are those large changing pads (18 inches by 2 1/2 feet or so). You can roll that up and tuck it into a basket, which also holds some diapers and a wipes container and your diaper ointment. When my kids were newborns, I just kept that stuff at one end of the crib and changed them there, since they only use about 1/2 of the crib and don’t move around, and the mattress is up high enough to make it comfortable. Once they are bigger, I find it easier for me to be down on the floor doing it anyway, and there’s no worry about them falling if you have to leave to get another diaper or something.
org junkie says
Great idea Jennifer than she could use that space for a wardrobe or a bigger dresser even. Anyone else have any ideas? Laura
Casey says
Thanks for the ideas! I was wondering about the need for a chaning table myself, but wasn’t sure what to do without it. Thanks for the tips on the shelving too! We don’t have a ton of wall space since the room is so small, but I could do some shelves at a higher level than I would normally hang them!
Thanks again!
Jen says
didnt seem to link properly
http://jenz.wordpress.com/2006/11/30/my-journey-towards-finishing-the-room/
Anonymous says
For Casey – I have had three children and never had a changing table. 🙂 We survived just fine. With each one I used a drawer in their dresser to contain all their necessities: wipes, ointment, lotion, powder, and when they’re little the q-tips and rubbing alcohol for the umbilical cord, etc and I used a diaper stacker hanging on the end of the crib for diapers. With one of my children I had a changing pad that sat on top of the dresser for a little while, but that was only for the first two months while she was in our room. All the rest of the time with all of them, I changed them in their cradle/crib or sat on the bed or the floor and used a changing pad. Another suggestion, I seemed to end up with a ton of blankets for each baby, receiving and big warm ones. I would get a tall dresser, one that would have enough space for necessities, clothes, and blankets. They may not need all that space for clothes now, but if you get a good, tall dresser, they’ll be able to keep that and use that for years to come.