Messy Glory in a Pantry, a Closet, and a Sitting Room

What did you do this three day weekend? Well, the Nealons are in the mist of Messy Glory! Every January I make the resolution to get more organized. I know, not that original. Many people do it. But that's why it's the best time to look for all those organizational gadgets. The stores are filled with them this time of year and lots of sales. I am always on the lookout  for new ideas on how to get my home to run more efficiently so that there is more fun time with family. Truth is though, our family is always changing and growing. We constantly are finding new interests so old toys lay on the shelves untouched for months. The kids are physically growing and so those closets have to be sorted out again and clothes that are too small are either passed down or are put in the donation bin.


Chris is not a big fan of Messy Glory. He hates when I get one of these organizational binges. He really can't stand the messiness but like many things, you have to go through messiness to get to the glory. He gets overwhelmed and I understand it. When I get an organizational craze it's like that book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, one thing always leads to another.


It started with The Container Store's annual closet sale. They have it every January. Every year, I organize one space or closet during their sale. 


I have reorganized Shannon's closet.

Before...

After...Builder's shelf knocked out, closet painted and a year later the girl can straighten up her closet in five minutes. A little bit of organization made all the difference in the world.


I have reorganized Molly's closet.
















Molly loved helping me paint Shannon's closet as well as her. You can see I tried to be organized with  some bins on the bottom but Molly couldn't reach her clothes and so she would pull them down and not be able to get them back up. In her new set-up, the clothes she wears the most are either in the drawers or hanging on the lower rod where she can reach them.


I have created an art room under the basement stairs.

I have organized our garage.

This year, it's time to redo the boys' closet and so there is lots of messy glory in their room. 

They are presently sleeping in the basement until their room is put back together.

Chris pulling out the shelf and rod so I can spackle and paint the closet. Then it will be his turn to put up the new shelves.

More messy glory sitting in the master bedroom, the boys shelving just waiting to be put up. This is in addition to me reorganizing the sitting room.


I've turned the sitting room into my scrapbook room. Many things have found there way to the floor with no real home or place to put them. So, more reorganizing. 

This is still a work in progress. A new book shelf was built and now the organizing of years and years of pictures will take time. I once read that the best way to get organized is NOT to organize...but to get rid of stuff. Simply...we have all heard that word many times in magazines, on blogs, and on talk shows. We need to simplify. I have had bagfuls of garbage this weekend of things I haven't touched in years.


When organizing you need to ask yourself the question...Do I find this thing useful or beautiful?


I always get stuck on the how useful a thing is. How often do I use it? Do I use it enough for it to take up valuable space in my home? If I do want to keep it, how often I use it will dictate where its home should be. Do I need easy access to it or can it be on the top shelf? These are the questions I've been asking myself over and over this weekend.


One project that was actually completed this weekend was the pantry. We have a very small pantry for the size of our kitchen and for a family of six.  Utilizing the space well and keeping things neat is important. I have heard many times, "Mom, where are the cookies?" "Honey, where did you put the popcorn?" This weekend, I had Shannon paint the pantry. For her first real paint job, I think she did quite a nice job. But this did lead to more messy glory around the house.

The finished job! I had her paint it the same color as our laundry room. I found this contact paper that just happened to match the paint perfectly when I was having the laundry room painted back in November. Then we threw away any old food, placed the rest of the food in our new containers, and then labeled everything. 

A little bit of glory was found in the pantry this weekend and hopefully soon, the boys' closet and my scrapbooking room will be glorious as well!