Office Redo/Oganization - Part One

I have taken a couple online courses on organizing recently with Aby at Simplify 101. 
Which is totally against my nature but I need some things simplified in my life so I have more time to do the things that are important in life, like shopping and getting great creative ideas in blogland.  It seems that every day I find a new creative soul mate out there in blogland.  Its so awesome to see what creative minds are out there.  Anyhow back to the organizing thing.  One of the projects I conquered after finishing my second course was figuring out some sort of system for my office area.  This area is a desk just off my kitchen, which should technically be a breakfast nook but it just wasn't big enough for our entire family to sit there so the table just ended up being a catch all when we came in the door.  This office area also serves many purposes, its the home to our only computer, home bill paying, my husband's business paperwork and invoicing as well as all the other home/ business/school related activities.  So I needed a system that would stream lined since there are many things going on.  Here are a couple things that I did to stream line things a bit.  First thing on my list was the top drawer to the desk, it was impossible to find anything I needed, everything was just thrown in there and piled on top of each other.  I looked all around in stores for something that would help me organize all my things and being that I am cheap  I mean frugal I thought to myself I have got to have something around my house that I could repurpose and would work to hold the items that I needed on hand.  I went home and started scouring my house for unused containers that I hadn't thrown out yet in one of my decluttering sessions.  That's when my creative juices started to kick in and it started to get fun.  I find almost everything in my house but did purchase two boxes from the $1 isle in Michaels. 

1. bottom of a recipe box bought at Michaels - holds staples, and stamps for paperwork
2. cup that was sitting on my desk, all signed by my MOPS friends at convention - holds rubberbands and bandaids (I have to mention this is now empty... see post on minor set backs)
3. bottom to a facial cream container - holds paperclips
4.top to the facial cream container - holds thumb tacks
5. cardboard box that held stationary - now holds scissors, staples, tape, etc
6. was a wooden  box bought from Michaels - holds pens, pencils
stashed in the back is the box of checks and checkbook

All but a couple of things that have come up missing,  it still looks just like this today.  I am so proud of myself, I don't think I have ever kept anything this organized this long.  Each of the boxes I covered with scrapbook paper to give a clean uniform look. 

I also needed some place to keep the cord to my camera and ipod cords for our family.  Before there were about 20 unused misc. cords and we would have to untangle all of them to find the ones we wanted.  So I have a desk organizer on top of my desk that holds incoming and outgoing paperwork for our businesses.  I guess originally this little drawer was supposed to hold things like paperclips and what not but I thought it would work perfect for the cords if I wrapped them up. 

I am still training myself to clear the top of my desk every day.  Some days apparently I need extra training but for the most part the system seems to be working.  Everything in a place and everything in its place.  :) 

Now for the rest of the house... the journey continues. 

Praise God for YOU!!!

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