This weekend I had a garage sale. I had big plans for it. I was going to make hundreds and buy all this stuff I wanted. That wunderlist app? the one I talked about a few weeks back? Yeah, that one. I used it to keep a list of all the things I wanted to buy for the garage sale. And on that list were baskets and storage bins. Because someone who starts a blog on organizing classrooms clearly has some issues when it comes to organizing.
So Mom and I woke up at 5:45, had people waiting for us at to open at 6:45- 15 minutes before we opened. We had 20+ visitors, made some $$$, and had a purse stolen from us. It was a great day.
After we closed up shop we bagged up the rest and donated it. Then we got lunch. And then found ourselves at TJ Maxx. Naturally.
Who doesn’t love that place?
I really was in HEAVEN because all the stars aligned for me. I wanted these really cute baskets from Target for my pantry but they start out at eight bucks a pop. Plus the bigger ones were like twelve a basket. Then I also wanted a couple of wicker baskets for decorative purposes.
So I budgeted about $100 for all of this.
The Lord just really heard my deep desire for all things organizing and honored my dreams by giving me Heaven on Earth in TJ Maxx.
In my defense, my mom urged me on. The wisest piece of advice she has probably ever given me is
“You can always return it.”- Karen
Well, that and
“It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”- Karen
But I digress.
I purchased twenty baskets. Yes, you read that correctly. TWENTY.
And then I came home and played! Organizing is like a puzzle to me. I love trying to figure out the best way to store things and where it makes the most sense to put things. (Wow, I sound like the most lame person ever).
First, I started with the pantry because that is what I originally wanted baskets for.
I am a big fan of diagonal things. I don’t really know why, but I am. All the baskets are in the corner with like things stored in them. Starting from the top; baking goods, then cooking oils/spices, snack box, and then finally on the bottom is Milo’s treat box.
Another angle, cause I know you care. Also, the big brown crate and jar with blue fabric on top is all the stuff Cody’s mom got me for Christmas to make kambucha/jun tea, which I am so so excited about making.
Next I added the wicker baskets to the media center. Because that was easy.
So I could have stopped there, cause that’s really all I wanted to buy. But when I found so many baskets for so cheap, I had to buy more. So I decided to add some to my hall closet.
In all fairness, I already had 4 of the baskets. I only added the top two. (Also, it’s really hard to get a photo of this closet given the angle I was having to stand at.)
Next I added a few big baskets to the closet in my office. Before that was my junk closet. Well, it still is. But now the junk is hidden in baskets.
Way cuter!
Again, hard to get a picture of this. But I did it! Just for you!
Also in the past week I have done some organizing of other things in the house. Since we are talking about my office, I will share about that.
When I started The Simply Organized Teacher blog back in October, my “office” was my couch. I have always had an office in my house, but I just didn’t really feel that cozy in it. The couch was comfortable for about the first forty minutes but after a while my arms hurt and I would get real distracted by the TV. So I decided to fix up my office to feel a little more homey.
I added my cute little bulletin board and my sister made me the bunting. Those wooden boxes were sitting in my junk closet so I took them out and made into a little shelf. I will paint them…right after I make my kambucha.
Over the summer I fixed up my little craft area. So why not show it to you now?
When reorganizing all this, I had to repurpose this cute little accordion fold gate that I got at a junk store years ago. I seriously love it so much. It has functioned as a scarf holder, a horizontal picture holder, and now a vertical picture holder.
Also important to note, that over the past month I have become a coffee drinker. Cody is an avid coffee drinker and I have slowly started drinking it. First it started with the “Carmelo” at On The Grind- our local coffee shop. OMG that stuff is to die for. In fact, Cody and I went and got coffee there after church on Sunday. We both took our first sip and made the “ahhh, this is good” sound. And then Cody added “It’s like hitting the crack pipe.” So, there’s that.
Anyways, coffee. If I am going to drink coffee, I need a coffee nook, right? Right. So I made one. And I am pretty proud of it!
Well, if this just hasn’t been all sorts of an exciting blog post, I don’t really know what is. I am also curious to see how many of you actually read this entire thing on CABINET ORGANIZATION? If you did, leave a comment below.
Oh. And. Back to Heaven on Earth. I returned seven of the baskets yesterday. So what I really need to tell you is that I budgeted about $100 for pantry baskets and wicker baskets for the media center. But instead, I got to organize my pantry, two closets, and get wicker baskets for my media center for all under $90.
I’d call that favor from the Lord.
Until next time,
