Last year was a tough year for my little family, in so many ways. It was filled with trials and tribulations at every turn, making it difficult to set those things aside long enough to accomplish anything of value. That is all the more reason why I am so excited to start this year with a mind toward creating a better version of the home and lifestyle I want for us. For me this means more function with an eye toward form and a lot less of all the things.
One thing that has become obvious to me is how much my surroundings affect my motivation and inspiration. When the clutter and chaos sneak in, as they are always sure to do during the holidays, I tend to check out and switch to survival mode – getting absolutely nothing done. Luckily, this month’s Michaels Makers challenge was to get organized and make a fresh start of things. Yes please!
With an amazing amount of projects on the horizon, a project command center to keep me on task, is suddenly a must-have. There is nothing that will derail me more than not being able to find the things I need to do a job. I end up buying replacements and items in triplicate when I can’t keep track of the supplies I need, which just continues the clutter-chaos cycle in a horrible way. Sadly I consider myself to be extremely organized, but there is just no accounting for all of the other people who use these things, when there isn’t a set place for all the things to live.
Last year I was up to my ears in gift wrap and never did find that clever stash of gift tags. Tell me I’m not alone here… This year my frustration revolves around tools and crafty things that I regularly use to pull a project together. My drill, screws and nails, sharp scissors, command hooks… these are things I never have enough of and can never find when I need them. I retrofitted my gold cart into a tool command center for all of the things I use on interior projects and need to keep inside, rather than out with the bigger tools in the garage.
I managed to wrangle myself a new cart this year, to store the things that are more project specific, including an inspiration box to help keep me on the right track. When you are working in a remote location, a mood board isn’t always feasible, but it is oh so helpful to have a roundup of the items that will go into the space or that inspire the direction for the space. It certain makes those ‘on the fly decisions’, much easier to make.
It is a rare day indeed that I see a project that I can knock out in a short amount of time, so having a way to round up my supplies to get them out of the way without having to put them away, makes me insanely happy. There isn’t always a place for ‘in-progress’ items to live prior to completing them, so a generously sized bin is my fave. Michael’s currently has crazy cute styles and colors that make it exciting to clean up at the end of the day – which I totally appreciate! I need all the help I can get. The chalkboard labels and chalk markers might just be the best thing that ever happened to my craft supplies.
Heavy-duty and handsome boxes that close tend to keep my boys out, for the most part, so I feel less worried about keeping sharp scissors on hand. Having the scissors put away, seems to keep my husband out, so he is far less likely to walk off with my special ‘fabric-cutting’ scissors and everyone is much happier because of it.
These carts are the best… I used my gift wrap cart all season long for both wrapping gifts and making ornaments. It makes my life so much easier and sets my mind at ease when I don’t have stuff scattered all over the place. They were on sale last week for around $25, but the convenience they provide is priceless… Yes, I had to go there.
While I wrap up the remaining details on the boys room, I will be living out of these fantastic supply storing beauties, so wish me luck…
This project is brought to you in partnership with Micahels, all opinions and crazy are 100% my own! Whether it’s planning the family schedule, cleaning out your pantry or getting the kiddos ready to head back to school, Michaels has everything you need to help you get organized this year. Make a fresh start in the new year and plan for a great 2017! Michaels has a huge selection of planners as well as all of the accessories you need to personalize your own. Looking for more organization inspiration? Make sure you visit Michaels’ blog, The Glue String, to see the rest of the Michaels Makers’ organization project ideas.
