What a difference a long weekend makes! We fully celebrated MLK Day with a mommy/son late morning hike through the Arboretum and it did wonders. We went with another mom and friend and just had the best time being outside. It’s always great to appreciate the clear, sunny skies after many, many days of cold, dreary rain. Being outside and being active with my son made me crave more time like that.
I finished another project on my Top 10 Organizing Challenge too! After two major organization jobs last week (the PANTRY and the TOYS), I was ready for an easier project. My goal was to go through our medicine and gather what had been spread across the house in various rooms, toss what was old, and reorganize it into the categories I created over a ago. Since we don’t have a traditional medicine cabinet, I keep our medicine in clear divider bins in our linen closet in the master bathroom. After it was all done, we ended up with this:
You can see this area isn’t too terrible, just needed a quick look at the medicine to see what was still good and what had expired and a refolding/rearranging of towels. Behind the doors below is just the dirty laundry.
Easy peasy to refold and put away neatly.
These shelves are deep so I can put towels in front and behind.
Since we don’t really use washcloths (opting for mesh sponges instead), I moved them to James’ bathroom for his baths. The white towels go in the guest bathroom and the few oldest aqua towels were donated.
The medicine was pretty easy to go through and sort.
And surprisingly, we ended up with only this.
All of this other stuff was expired or empty.
With two towels hanging and a couple more in the dirty clothes, we have so much more room in this cabinet now. I’ve been keeping more of our hand towels in the mudroom because we take them to the gym, so it’s easier to just grab one from there on the way out the door.
The medicine is so much better. You can see how I created the fun labels here.
So much better!
bathroom drawers
Since cleaning out that cabinet didn’t take too long, I got motivated to clean our bathroom drawers as well. I keep them pretty organized already, so there’s not a big before/after reveal. I just cleaned out the drawers really well and donated some things I had multiples of like hair bands, barrettes, and safety pins.
This brush attachment on our vacuum cleaner is perfect for getting out all the dust and hair from inside the drawers and especially in the corners. I took the clear bins downstairs and washed them with warm, soapy water in the kitchen sink.
Starting on the drawers closest to the cabinet, are hair things I reach for daily and below that my brushes, curing irons, and hairdryer.
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The bottom drawer is for refills and curlers I rarely (but sometimes!) use, which is why I still have them.
The top drawer closest to the sink holds all the daily items like toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.
Below that are hair products and the hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, polish remover, etc.
The bottom drawer is full of stuff for manicures and pedicures.
Finally, below the sink are other products and contact lenses, etc. And, why yes, I did washi tape my drain pipe. 🙂
Doing these projects is still impacting me so much in that I realize how much we have and what we definitely don’t need to buy more of (like vitamins!). I cancelled my Amazon Subscribe & Save because I would sometimes end up with WAY too many of something when I’d forget to update my order before the next shipment. Also, I took a big bag of coins to the Coinstar in our grocery store and made over $40! If you redeem for cash, you pay a fee for the service, but now you can redeem for gift cards at lots of stores without a fee (I chose Amazon). I took James with me too so I could show him how the coins added up to dollars.
I am quite content to continue on this organizing challenge until the last project is done. I’ve been keeping two large cardboard boxes in our entry way so I can put donations there as I come across them. I find myself organizing lots of little spots throughout the day, but I’m trying to hold off on the bigger projects that I listed so I can properly photograph the process as it occurs. I’m anxious to get to my closet!
Update: You can see the organizing challenges I’ve completed so far here:
FRIDGE | PANTRY | TOYS | MEDICINE/BATH DRAWERS | PAPERWORK | MUDROOM/CLEANING SUPPLIES | KID CLOTHES
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Love this!! Adore the little labels you had on the boxes, and the bathroom drawers made me so satisfied! I need this much organisation in my life xx
Abi | abistreetx.blogspot.co.uk
Feels so good to get organized!
Love the labels! The "Honey, Not Tonight" is my favorite. Too funny to actually read. You have me motivated to do mine. I do mine through a list breakdown too.
Sydney
http://raisingsoutherngrace.blogspot.com/
I cracked myself up with that one too! 😉
Love this! Our medicine cabinet is the biggest disaster and I never have any good ideas to organize it. Now I do! Where did you get the plastic containers you used?
The Container Store has them, but also HomeGoods for much cheaper!
You have got me motivated! We are a lot alike in our organizing methods. I usually try and wait until our police department has they weekend where you can turn in old prescription medication, and they take care of properly disposing of it as I don't want it in the wrong hands nor in our water/waste. I am so bad about remembering to take before pictures! Do you like having more drawers than cabinets in your vanity? I have one large draw for makeup and such, but then one double cabinet on my side for everything else. I added a double lazy susan and plastic drawers to make it more manageable. I am thinking I would love the drawers.
You're doing great! I tackled my bathroom this past week and have been avoiding my biggest challenge- our playroom/office. I'm making headway, but it is just such a disaster that I get overwhelmed thinking about it 🙂
Love it! Where did you get all your clear organizing bins for the medicine and the drawers?
Love the use of different labels. I really need to get my bathroom organized!
http://www.mintnotion.com
Very inspiring! I'm STILL working on my kitchen, but making good progress. The thought of doing my closet scares me…I really let it go over the holidays.
Looks so good Megan! xo
LOVE seeing your progress. The difference a little purging and cleaning can do. Your bathroom is gorgeous and I heart the label – "not tonight honey". 🙂
Fun! Now I need to clean out my shelves too!
I've been looking for some sort of metal tray for the bathroom counter, and yours seems nice. Could you tell me where it's from, please?
Love the washi tape on the drain pipes!! I think these are amongst my favorite posts. Love before and afters. Little changes make a big difference.
I am loving how this project is going-you're making me want to go buy lots of organizing boxes and bins and baskets so that I can do the same thing in the rooms in the house that my fiance' and I share!
I can't wait to see how the rest of it goes 🙂
xoxo, SS
http://www.TheSouthernStylista.blogspot.com
This looks amazing! I love how you think of all the little details. (Love your countertops too!)
Hi Megan,
My husband just built two his and hers desks. He made one for him, then I wanted one because it came out so cool. So I need those baskets like you have in your linen closet. They are the exact color and type of basket I have been looking for. I already have some similar to that in the living room shelves for movies, remotes etc. Can you tell me where I can find them?
Hi! That sounds fantastic! Those baskets are old from Target!
Can you tell me about the clear organizers with the red bottoms? Is that tape?
Hi! I think I got those at HomeGoods but you can find them at places like Target and the container store. It’s a red plastic bottom!