Spring Cleaning - 7 Day Challenge

This past Friday at MOPS we had an awesome speaker who addressed organization.  Why to do so.  How to do so.  And most importantly, where to start.

Secretly a bit smug by thinking I was already pretty darn good at organizing, I only listened with one ear at the beginning.  By the end of her talk, however, I was taking notes and eagerly awaiting the next day.  She was helpful and hilarious to boot (always a plus in my book) and I walked away feeling humble about my so-called "skills".

Mostly I realized that while I am good at keeping my house looking "clean" and am an EXCELLENT purger (Doesn't fit?  Don't use it?  Bought on clearance just because?  Gone.), I am not super diligent about keeping "systems" in place or keeping organized spots, er...organized and eventually it eats away at our daily routine.  So what better time than Spring to make a few changes?

The best part of this "cleanse" is that it can be done in 7 days and is very clearly laid out.  You may not need all 7 days depending on how you already organize your life or you may need more if you are starting from scratch.  Keep in mind too, that you can take it slow and do one day of organizing a week if you are feeling overwhelmed.

This model is mostly geared towards those with a few Rugrats running around but I think it would be easy to modify them according to areas of your life that need organizing (your car, your beauty products, under the bed, etc.).

I started today with Day 1 and am already feeling lighter, ahh.  I am hoping to finish Day 1 tomorrow (the nice weather demanded a cruiser ride today).

So, who's with me?  Are you up for a challenge?  Trust me, it's much better than a weight loss challenge because success is 100% guaranteed and I will lay it out for you one post at a time (with my own personal commentary, of course).

Ready.  Set.  Organize.

Day 1: Tackle Toys.  Bring ALL of the toys in your house to one area.  Organize each toy into the following categories:  Donate / Consign / Sell (Anything that can be reused and is in good condition that your kids don't play with or that you don't like - ha) Trash / Recycle (Things that are in poor condition, torn, broken or missing parts and pieces) Keep (Things that your kids play with all of the time or show an interest towards and are in good condition OR things that you would like to keep for future children - be selective) and Repair (Ha - Gotcha.  You won't repair it.  It's time to get to rid of it.)

Now the part that I will be working on tomorrow: Putting the 'Keep' toys back into categorized bins.  Instead of a couple of toy chests (what I do now), separate toys into their own bins or sections. According to our speaker, your kids will actually play with their toys - imagine that - if they know where to find each item.  She explained how it's overwhelming for them to find their favorite pink wand among stuffed animals, trains and balls.  So, think legos in one bin, cars in another, dolls in another, crafts in another, and so on.  Most importantly, find a way to keep these bins organized whether it's with a label, by color or with a picture of each item posted on the front of each bin so that your efforts are not wasted and your kids can help put things away.

While every bone in my body is lusting for a pretty California Closet system in every room with matching bins and shelves and labels and cubbies, I am trying to complete this organizational challenge without spending a dime (and perhaps even making a few), so I will post pictures of what I come up with.

Anyone else have suggestions for Day 1?