Organizing 101

I happened to find this blog while I was searching for organization inspiration (say that 3 times fast, LOL) and found this workshop called Organizing 101. They were offering the first part of the session for free, so I checked it out! I decided it was a great opportunity for me to focus on my need to get organized, so I signed up for the entire session. I am glad I did! We just began week 2 and were given a small task to organize something small--I decided to tackle my hall closet that had been begging for a clean out for a looooonnng time! So, here are some before, during, and after photos!!

First, the before. I used the center shelves to store towels so they were easy for everyone to get to. The top shelf I had drawer units where I just "threw" stuff into, and it had no organization whatsoever. The bottom shelves held extra shampoo, body wash, feminine products, rags, cotton balls, and whatever else didn't have a home! It was time to purge & clean!


I also store a step stool inside the door so I can grab it when I need something out of any of the closets. That is going to stay, but I might try to devise a hook system to keep it out of the way...


The obstacles of this closet were: 
*the size: it was narrow & tall. There is a lot of space at the top but it is hard to get to because of the doorway. The shelves were installed by the builder, so they are fixed. I am trying to make the most of the space without having to do any structural changes. 
*I had too much stuff to store in there! I had to make some decisions as to where stuff needed to go. 
*Since I had too much stuff in there, just thrown in, I was constantly searching for stuff! I hate that! I want to know where stuff is & where it goes when I bring something home from the store!

Step 2: I cleaned out the bottom shelves, threw out, recycled bottles, found other homes for stuff and installed some spice racks I bought from Home Depot. I wanted to use the space on the door, but it was pretty narrow to use a standard over the door hanging device. These are actually installed into the door. The over the door unit was pretty spendy, so I opted for these instead (each unit was $14 each). I thought they would be perfect for those bottles that were taking up space on my shelf, and they are! 2 of the shelves are wider than the others, and they hold shampoo & body wash perfectly, while the narrow ones hold nail polish & smaller items. I Love It!!!!!


I utilized a basket that wasn't being used (2nd shelf from bottom, Left) to corral the feminine products so they weren't on full display. I tossed the cotton balls on top. The basket next to it houses some other items that didn't fit in the spice racks and needed a place to go. The bottom of the closet I used a wicker basket to hold my cleaning rags & swiffer dusters. The plastic bins on the left are going to be cleaned out later. 

I took the drawer units out, emptied them, labeled them, and organized them!! I am much happier now!! 

Top shelf of closet. I found a plastic shelf and placed it to give me some more vertical space. I emptied the bottom drawer into the bin next to it, because there were so many little samples & travel sized items the drawer was beyond capacity. I also wanted something I could grab and take into the bathroom when I pack. I moved the basket with the rags up here too, since it fit so well under the shelf. I am very happy with this so far, and totally pumped that I have an empty drawer!!!! 

This is my closet today. I am pretty satisfied with how things are looking!!

Here is the bottom shelves now. I moved the other drawer unit lower since it has things we use most often. The little bin on top is my daughter's nail stuff, and I will have her clean that out when she is home. I plan on getting a cleaning supply organizer to put on  the bottom in the empty space so I can access it quickly. Since I don't have small kiddos anymore, I think it will work out well!! 
Now to go make some labels for my baskets!!