Monday, July 2, 2012

OlioHop Organize!

"Do a little dance, create a moodboard, let's organize...ba dum ba dum, let's organize!"


Can you tell I'm super excited all over again? That's because it's the first Monday of the month and that means OlioHop! Last month we talked about nurseries and kid's rooms, and today it's all about organization. I am thrilled to not only be involved for the second OlioHop, but also to have been invited to continue to come back every month! Lots of OlioLove going on from this chick for Olioboard and the other Olioistas!


How to make organizing easy:

  • Give yourself plenty of creative space
  • Label and designate separate areas
  • Spend 5-10 minutes in each room that you use on a daily basis putting things away
  • Allow the space to change with your needs
  • Take "stock" once a month and purge things you find yourself not using

The last time we OlioHopped, I got to spend some time talking about my daughter! Well, my little diva is on the move in major ways! Part of our home makeover includes turning what should be a formal dining room into a playroom for her! If there is only one thing I could pass on about parenting it would be accept life as a controlled form of chaos! This mantra doesn't only apply to parenting, but to organizing as a whole!
To see the Olioboard and shop this look click here!
For more Playroom ideas see my Pinterest board here!

Playrooms pose an interesting challenge by not only needing to be organized and hidden, but also easy to navigate, creative, and kid friendly! I love the numbered baskets from Layla Grayce for the simple fact that I can see myself telling Dablet "Please put your foam blocks away in bin #3". She will just stare at me and smile now because she's only 9 months old, but this is a great way to teach numbers and organizational skills! Along the same lines, I am all about having art space in playrooms! Whipping out chalk and drawing on your own table with a parent friendly "just push everything off the top" drawer built in! I could make a great DIY project hooking up a paper roll holder to the side of this so we could pull across paper and use markers too! Let's face it, kids like to toss everything together! As long as it gets it out of the way, it still counts as basic organization.
The best piece for this playroom that screams functional organization (because that's the easiest kind to keep up with) is the changing table bench! It takes up VERY little space, can be put on top of any bookshelf, and hides any diaper products away in its own drawer!

Moving on to the idea of hiding things away, let's talk closets! How many of you have been guilty of cleaning up a room (any room, but especially a bedroom) and just shoving things in your closet and shutting the door?!?! I'll start the support group here! If your room isn't organized, and your closet isn't organized, this will be a perpetual cycle of back and forth mess and you will get nowhere! See my Closet Storage Pinterest Board Here
Here's a look at organization behind closed doors that is EASY to do, keep up with, and adapt to your "growing needs".

Why a results step one? Because needs are ever changing! You shouldn't expect one form of organization to always be the one that works best for you. This was done before Dablet was born, and almost 10 months after she arrived it now looks like this:

Her other spaces for in-room organization:
Changing table that has storage, easy access, and books!!
In-room reading nook and toy storage!


Moving on to more "adult things", you may know I am working on a design for my new home office and client meeting space. Olioboard has been an instrumental part in pulling together ideas for the overall look of my new office, so I wanted to pull some ideas together on how to keep it user friendly! Also, if I'm planning on having clients into my lair, I might want to be able to keep up with the fabric swatches, pens, sketch pads, and idea books!


To see the Olioboard and shop this look click here!
For more Home Office ideas see the Pinterest Board here

I am obsessed with the idea of using old library card catalogs for storage! I think this is a FABULOUS way to organize crafting areas because you have lots of drawers and a very easy way to label! Keeping a desk pulled together is also essential so you can actually sit and work at it. Having a fun pencil/ruler/etc storage piece like the teal bubble one seen above takes up less of your surface area and provides ample space. I'm also a fan of wall mounted hutches! Want to make it a bit more chic? Try bowls of different shapes, sizes, and colors to store things you need easy access to. They'll serve a purpose and be nice to look at!
Chalkboard paint is in!! If you're looking for something less permanent, you can always use the wall decals! Tile them, make a weekly calendar, or cut them out into shapes you would rather see on your wall.

To make ANY and ALL of this work remember that the easiest way to stay organized is to give everything a  marked place and try to reduce the amount of "stuff" you have floating around your home or office. Goodwill is a fabulous way to purge (with the tax deduction benefit), and I've found some great pieces there for re-purposing! Have questions or need additional help with a specific project? Visit my Services or Contact Us pages for more information, I'd love to work with you!

Need some extra inspiration for now? I took a trip to The Container Store last weekend and here are some of my snapshots!

Walls of boxes in every color, material, and size!

Fun ways to keep your papers organized, marked, and things hung up!
For more storage ideas, see my Pinterest board here

Thank you SO much for joining me today! Have you created an account with Olioboard yet? If not, go for it! It's very easy to use and I'd love to see what you create! Post your Olioboard links below so I can take a look and follow you!
Here's the hopping part! There are 15 other fabulous bloggers blogging with me today during this OlioHop and would love to share their ideas with you! Take a look and enjoy your week!



15 comments:

  1. Love Love Love!!!! Will you come get my son's closet organized next! :) xo wonderful post!!!

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    1. Thank you, and of course! I find myself slightly drawn to kid's spaces! All of the clothes are so little, yet so plentiful!

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  2. I love all the spaces! Dablet is so lucky to have you as a mom! Her playroom looks like it will be amazing! Happy Oliohop!

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    1. Aw, thanks! I think I'm lucky to have her as my daughter! I forgot to mention a playroom needing to be destruction proof!

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  3. This is the next stop for us! We purged on Saturday and now we need to start on designing and decorating the playroom to make it functional and fun. Thanks for all the tips.

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  4. Hi Kate, glad to be oliohopping with you again. Great job on the closet organization. You are absolutely right, it will change as little Dablet gets older!!! Happy OlioHop!!!

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  5. Little Dablet is super blessed to have a wonderful Mommy like you! Her room looks great! love the way it is organized and still so much fun for her!

    Great post Kate!

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  6. How cute, love how you personalized your blog. I have two little kiddos and closet space is soo crucial. Having an organized closet for them is a little slice of heaven. Great job!

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    1. It's amazing how much space their little things take up! I wish I could get mine to look like that now!

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  7. Great boards and ideas! I am obsessed with the Container Store. Now you've made me want to go there today! Love the old card catalogs as storage- great ideas and inspirations!
    Joanne @ Homestyling101

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  8. I was singing the first few words "Do a little dance"....
    Great tips! I'm so jealous you have a Container Store...I would live there! It was fun hopping with you ;)

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    1. Haha! I'm SO happy someone else joined in my little tune! I have been a container store "junkie" online for a while, but recently dared to walk inside the store. I had to stop myself after an hour.... ;)

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  9. Great post! I especially LOVE the idea for using a old library card catalog for storage....I'm gonna have to keep my eyes open for one :) Fun hopping with you!

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  10. Love your blog! I became your newest subscriber! :) Erin

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    1. Thank you! I really appreciate the love! I hope you enjoy!

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