Room Number Three

By now you get the process I've been using to update the kids' rooms.  Sofi's was much the same, except on a larger scale.  She had a lot more to purge and more things to sort.  It becomes more difficult as children get older to know what you can get rid of and what is still important to them.  

My main goal for Sofi's room was for it to be functional.  She is a collector, and piles of stuff had grown to a point where desktops were unusable and drawers were not opening.

Let's look at the before and afters and then we'll discuss the reveal.

Cupboards got sorted:

Before

After

After

Before

Shelves arranged:

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After

Spaces cleared off, and in the case of the desk, replaced.

After

Before

Before

After

The closet got tidied up and I filled the upper shelf with items that need a spot but are not often used.

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After

Little used items can store on the harder to reach shelf.

After I removed the desk I added a table so that Sofi would have a larger work space as she is a very creative little bunny.  The switch of furniture meant I needed to rearrange.

Before

After

After

It was a big job.  Thank you Darla for your help on yet another room!

When I brought Sofi in to see the new look, she got really quiet.  I knew something was wrong and upon questioning, she burst into tears.

Eeeeeek.

So, we sat down and I tried to understand what she didn't like.  It turned out that she was upset to lose her desk, she wanted a lamp moved, she noticed a few items missing, and I think in general, she was just not that happy with the change.  

And this is the reality of Pretty Organized.  While most of us are excited, even exhilarated by a fresh new look, others do not feel so thrilled over change.  So how do we manage to keep our home organized when we live with others who may not be on board?

In Sofi's case, I knew going in that she is the kind of person who is attached to her things.  So when I purged, I only took items I was positive she would not miss, or things I could tell she had not been using (you know...because they were in a drawer that was stuck shut).  I did not throw anything (but garbage) out but put everything in a box out of sight.  So, when I discovered her sadness, we made a deal.  I asked her to live in her new space for several days, but promised that if she still missed items they would be returned at the end of that time.  I moved the lamp for her.  I asked her to try the table for some time to see if she preferred it over the desk.  I purchased the pink bulletin board to make the table area more fun for her. 

Now, several days later, Sofi is very happy with her room.  So far she has asked for 2 items back...one I gave her and the other I am still going to hold for a few more days and then we will decide if she is SURE she missed it.  

When change feels unwelcome, time is often a grand healer.  Try living in a new space before you decide you are sure you don't like it.  The beauty of rearranging is...you can always put it all back!

I am happy that my sweet Sofi, who tucks Puppy into bed every day while she is away at school, has her own unique personality and I am glad that I could make some tweaks for her that helped her to feel that her room is her own again.

Room Number Two

I realize that I am a bit behind here.  Along with the crazy January itch to reorganize, I also seem to have a crazy January itch to lay in bed and watch t.v..  Wait...maybe I have that itch every month.

However, room number two is now complete.  It feels fantastic to have two of the kids' rooms sorted out and it is so much easier to maintain now that we have adjusted some of the storage to be more practical.

Let's go step by step through the process.  As with Cate's room, Eli's had a few problems that I wanted to solve.

One

The lego table was overflowing.  My oldest has his lego in here too but they kinda like to keep their finished products separate.  I wanted to give them both space to stand their creations, but, still allow me to vacuum!  I used the corner shelf, which was really not being put to practical use before.  Jake gets 2 shelves for his built lego, Eli gets the table top, and then the loose stuff is in the pull out drawer.

Before

After

Two

The closet was overflowing with toys and they never got put back properly.  There is still a lot in there, but I gave each category of toy its own storage.  Bullets, guns, costumes, transformers, bionicles...no excuse now for not cleaning up after play time.  

After

Before

And it's okay to store a lot of stuff in there, because the curtain keeps it looking clean all the time.  I got this and the window curtains on sale at Zellers and hung this one inside the closet with a tension shower rod.

Three

So many little THINGS!  Isn't it the trickiest task to keep your kids' collections reigned in?  I purged a garbage bag full of bits of garbage and broken items and little toys that will not be missed.  But every child has some special treasures.  I used the red basket to "cage" the items that are special to Eli.  As with Cate's room, I left one blanket on Eli's bed but removed the rest to store in a shared bin in the hallway.

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After

Treasures

Four

Last time I arranged this room, I tried a configuration that did not end up working well.  This shelf was difficult to access and as a result, always messy.  Rearranging the furniture helped to create more space.

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After

Five

The books on the window sill were never used, so I purged them and brought the books we do read out in the open and easy to find.

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After

Six

The furniture did not optimize the space.  Now the room feels much bigger.

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After

By focussing on one issue at a time, it made a job that felt a little overwhelming, easy to tackle.  I also called Darla again to help me which sped up the process, and as it happened Jake was home from school that day so he was able to get involved with his brother's redo.  It was really handy to have him do the lego moving and gun sorting.  

Thanks for the help guys!  

Eli's response?  

"THIS IS THE BEST ROOM EVER!!"

Room Number One

 I started with Cate's room because I knew it would be the least work.  Remember, it is always easier and faster when you have help, so I asked Darla to come over to work with me.  Thank you Darla!!

  Here it is, in a bit of disarray.  It probably would have helped if I'd taken that little turquoise stand out of there when I replaced it with the basket drawers.  

Beyond a general clean up and purging of unused items, there were a few problem areas I wanted to address.  My goal for Cate's room is for her to be able to keep it tidy easily, and for the rest of the family to see clearly where things go when they help her clean up.

Problem One

Because of some reno issues, I had not bothered to remove Cate's summer clothes from her closet.  As a result, everything was squishy messy.  Removing and storing all the summer things leaves it much more manageable.

Before

After

Problem Two

I love these pics but they are ALWAYS crooked.  A little pop of sticky tack on the underside of each will (hopefully) keep them in place.

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After

Problem Three

Cate never uses her lamp because it has fallen on the floor on occasion and the light bulb has broken.  I removed it and the table which was really not used, and hung a lamp on the wall instead.

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After

Problem Four

These little hooks often had sweatshirts falling off because they were too full.  I removed most items and now if Cate wants to hang a sweater, it will stay.

Before

Right

Problem Five

This box was home to a bunch of blankets but they are never touched when they are all folded up in a box.  So for each child's room, I plan to remove all but a sleeping blanket and keep all the extras in a big container in the hallway where they will be easily accessible and available for fort building and such.  I replaced it with one of the only new purchases for the room, a box to hold the dress up clothes.

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After

Problem Six

The book shelf always looks like a mess.  Rather than fight it, the books are now all stored in the old blanket basket.  I fully expect that they will end up just getting piled in, but that is okay.

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After

Problem Seven
Toys were not getting put back in their spots.  So I cleared out the toy cupboard and dedicated it to baby stuff only.  Babies can just get piled in the bottom - easy - and clothes and bottles and such go in the bin.  The other items fit in where there is space.

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After

Problem Eight
Now the other toys needed a home.  Each drawer of the basket shelf has its own category of toy; Barbies, purses, cooking stuff, etc..

Problem Nine

Cate's curtain was really sun bleached.  I shopped the house and found one to replace it with.

After

Before

The shelf got tidied, and ta-da, Pretty Organized!

When I showed Cate her new space, we went over where all her toys are stored.  I will continue to do this until she is in the habit of putting things away properly.  I will also bring my other kids in and show them the new spots so that we can all pitch in to keep this room clean.