Getting Organized: Take One

Have you read any of the great organizing posts floating around the blogging world recently? The Nester is doing a series right now on "31 Days to a Less Messy Nest". Can I just say how inspired I've been? A few days ago she wrote about organizing drawers with baskets. Actually, my drawers are typically in decent shape. BUT, I have this cupboard in my kitchen-desk-area that has become a catch-all for Maren's crafts, games, napkins, and who-knows-what-else. Every time this door opened I cringed. It was bad.

See what I mean...

SO, this afternoon during Maren's nap, I set to work. I only used things I had around the house, which was a challenge for me. I'm a bit of a sucker for storage bins and boxes, and I tend to be a bit obsessive about having things match and fit perfectly into a space. I decided to forgo my typical need for symmetry, and get this space cleaned up.

Doesn't it look so much better?

The basket on the bottom shelf holds Maren's art supplies. The box with the glue sticks and paint in it came from the dollar spot at Target a while back. The three jars in the front are from my stash of cleaned-out food jars. I've been keeping glass ones instead of tossing them into recycling, and I have found great uses for these jars! Plus, they're 'free' to me at this point. And, I actually do like the look of glass jars for storage, even if they're different shapes and sizes. I also stacked the Play-Doh alongside the basket...it was a perfect fit!

I love cute little jars filled with fun things! I'm so thankful for a little girl to craft with me, and for an excuse to buy fluffy colored balls!

The second shelf holds a collection of colored pencils, markers, and crayons in a clear shoe-box. I've had this stuff forever, and just recently pulled the box out for Maren. Under the box are Maren's coloring books and paper. To the right is our Table Topics game, which I like to keep close to the table for nights when company comes over.

The third shelf holds a neat little fabric box I made a while back. It's currently home to my knitting projects. I made the box using this tutorial from jcaroline creative. This was my first one, and I messed it up a bit, but you'd never know it. It's perfectly functional for storage here!
I also have 2 more glass jars with pipe cleaners and bubbles for Maren. The top shelf holds our current favorite games. We do have a game cupboard in another part of the house, but we like to keep our favorites close to the kitchen table.

I'm so pleased with my little 30 minute project! I've got about 10 more places in need of mini-organization makeovers. I am finding (particularly now that a 2-year-old lives in our home!) that I need to feel free to work on small spaces in my efforts to keep a well-maintained home. Thinking of cleaning out an entire kitchen's worth of cabinets is way too daunting right now, but tackling a small space in a day seems quite manageable!

I have yet to decide what will get my attention next, but I'll be sure to share with you.

Happy Wednesday!