Simple Organizing Challenge ~ Join Me!

As the days get warmer and I see those first long-awaited signs of spring, I begin to feel the urge to do some decluttering, spring cleaning and sprucing up of my home. What felt warm and cozy (and “hyggelig“) during the cold, dark days of winter begins to feel a bit cluttered. That’s when I know it’s time to start making lists, checking my stock of cleaning supplies, and making time in my schedule for cleaning, organizing and freshening up my home.

 

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I don’t know about you but I love a good organizing challenge. It just seems more fun. That’s why I am delighted to be part of The Inspired Room‘s launch team for Melissa Michaels’ new book, Simple Organizing: 50 Ways to Clear the Clutter and her “Get Organized” challenge for the month of March.

The best part of this particular challenge is that it isn’t overwhelming. While I love “A Bowl Full of Lemons” 14 week Home Organization Challenge and do intend to work through it over the course of this year, I quickly discovered I simply do not have enough wiggle room in my schedule to finish the tasks in 14 weeks.

The Inspired Room challenge for March is much more in line with what I can actually accomplish right now. Here is how it works:

Each Monday we are given a challenge to work on during the week and then on Friday, a bigger project for the weekend. Simple.

Would you like to join me? Sign up for the challenge here.

 

For a taste of what the challenge is all about, here is Week One…

 

Week One Challenge:

Realize that the impression you make in the entryway sets the impression for the rest of your house. What does your entry say about your home?

? Focus on function. We live in the country and lead a fairly casual lifestyle. I want our entryway to be attractive but it also needs to function for our family. That means we need places for coats, umbrellas, boots, Shiloh’s leash and a flashlight for late night dog walks.  Organize your entryway to reflect your family, activities, and interests.

? Simplify your stuff. Take five or ten minutes to note what doesn’t belong. You can even grab a box or basket and start the decluttering process right then and there. Don’t toss the box in the spare bedroom. Give unnecessary things away or recycle. We have a Re-Use Center in our community which takes any useable item and then gives it away for free. Ask around to find out if your community has something similar.

? Think simple, attractive, and organized. A place for everything. What are your needs? Stylish baskets and aesthetically pleasing storage containers can transform a formerly disorderly space. Use what you have or shop in your own home for furniture and organizers to solve storage dilemmas. If you need something for your entryway, put it on a master list for home items. I encourage you to wait until you find just the right item rather than settling for something that won’t truly meet your needs or is of poor quality. I made the mistake of buying a cheap coat rack. Within a year the top portion broke under the weight of our winter coats. I learned my lesson. I took the time to find just what I wanted (while our coats remained piled on a chair!) and now we have a beautiful, sturdy coat rack that should last many, many years.

? Embrace the space you have. Even if you don’t have a separate entryway, you can add hooks, a mirror, a rug, or a small bookcase near the door to create a feeling of a designated area. Shuffle things around until it seems just right. Use what you have and make the most of your space. That’s the best way to create a warm welcome. We have a small, round antique oak table in our entryway which had belonged to my great grandmother. I like to decorate it with seasonal displays. This is the first thing you see when entering our home (unless Shiloh is there to greet you!) so I make an effort to make it pretty and don’t allow it to collect clutter.

 

Simple Organizing is available for pre-order and will be released April 3rd. 

 

 

If you decide to participate in this challenge I’d love to see pictures. I will be posting mine on Instagram with these two hashtags:

#simpleorganizing (the official hashtag for The Inspired Room)

#LWDsimpleorganizing

If you post on Instagram I’d love for you to use both hashtags so I can be sure to see yours.