Day One

Which really should be day 2, but I got sweet FA done yesterday. 

I got back from my morning placement at school to be told by {TH} that our hoover was bust! Half way through him hoovering the lounge, so after sitting down eating lunch and discussing which hoover we wanted, we finally decided and ordered the standard Dyson. I wanted the DC32 Animal (it's purple!) but {TH} explained that for the extra £100 we would be paying, we were only really getting an extra couple of attachements (that we don't need or want) and it's the ball version. My new Dyson (pictured below) should be here Monday morning. 

So until then I can't hoover, I'm a little upset by this (shock, horror!) but I had planned to spend this weekend doing as much cleaning and de-cluttering as time/kids would allow. I was also totally goosed and in bed by 9:30pm!

Fast forward to today.........
After dropping {B}, {S} & {LM} at school, I headed into town to collect my new glasses. I saw my optician on Tuesday as my glasses were hurting. The last time I saw the optician I didn't see my normal guy I went to one of these big opticians, you know the ones, that give you your test and you pick your glasses up an hour or so later. Anyway, I told my optician then when I was wearing my glasses (as I need to for using the pc and reading) they felt kinda foggy and hurt. After doing my test, he took a look at my glasses and told me that I had the same prescription lens in both sides, when I didn't need it! My left eye is alot stronger than my right so doesn't need such a strong prescription. No wonder I was in pain! last time I go to that shop. Anyway, I grabbed and paid for my lovely new glasses and picked up a few bits I needed from town. 

When I got home I knew exactly what I wanted (and needed) to do. I wanted to tackle Day One from A Bowl Full of Lemons 21 day challenge. The Junk Draw! Now I have 3 junk drawers and a Man Draw. I decided to I would tackle 2 of the junk drawers as they live in the same unit.
Please excuse the mess hehe

BEFORE PICS 

{click pics for a larger view}

2 Delightful, full of junk, junk drawers lol


I didn't follow the instructions to the letter, I tipped both drawers contents right onto my floor 

{click pic for a larger view}

I wiped the drawers out with a damp cloth sprayed with a multi purpose cleaner, so they were clean 

 {click pic for a larger view}

I then sorted everything into piles.
1 - cross stitch patterns/ 1/2 done cross stitch kits
2 - Game related bits (pads/wires/memory cards)
3 - Pills 
4 - Misc items inc a plug, european power lead for my pc and other junk


I found an old ice cream tub in the kitchen and popped all the pills into that (minus their boxes - they are only various painkillers) and stuck a post it on the top (sellotaped down). I then put things back in the drawers. All gamey type stuff in one drawer. In the other draw went my cross-stitch kits, my 'Make Me Better' tub, {TH}'s quit smoking things (that he made me keep!) and my online banking chip & pin thingie-me-bob.
Leaving me with 2 nice and neat drawers :)

  {click pics for a larger view}

I'm guessing that the game drawer will not stay so neat and tidy once the kids get near it....but IF I can get them to put the stuff back in the drawer in a semi neat fashion I'll be a happy mum :)

BUT

I didn't leave it there, oh no, I carried on. I tackled Day 2's challenge, The Desktop. The challenge was to just do the desktop, but after looking at my desk I decided i would go the whole hog and do the whole desk.

BEFORE PICS 

  {click pics for a larger view}

 As you can see a total mess! Not the worst I have ever seen it but it's un-organised. Papers, notes, books all over the place. Also the tower being right underneath got in my way sometimes when I needed to get the sockets behind it. So it had to be moved too. The monitor also needing a bit of re-jigging. I needed to create as much space as possible. I use my desk to work on the pc and to study, so I needed to create space to be able to study and I don't think having the mouse and keyboard, dangling by it's cord off the desk is a good idea 

I took everything of the desk (apart from the keyboard which was propper up against the wall)

{click pics for a larger view}

You couldn't see my chair for all teh stuff I put on it that came off my desk. All my files and notebooks were chucked stacked on the floor

{click pic for a larger view}

Again I know this isn't the way to do it, but it's a way that works for me.

I then moved the tower off the desk bottom - OMG how dusty was that!!!

{click pics for a larger view}

I wiped the tower down with a damp cloth to get rid off all the dust. Then dried it off with a dry cloth so it was all shiny again. My PC was only bought in October last year and it still has the plastic on the front.

 I then set about cleaning the actual desk. I wiped it over with a damp cloth and a few srays of Anti-Bac spray. Then wiped it again with a micro fibre cloth to remove any smears.

It was then time to go through all the stuff on my chair and work out what I actually needed on my desk. I have various files, folders and notebooks for my college work and governor stuff. No matter how hard I tried these never stack or stand nicely, they always fall over. I asked {TH} to put a shelf above my desk but he said I have to wait till we have the money to put shelves in both alcoves. So I needed to work out something for my files, I have to keep them close to the PC as thats where I work. I then remembered a wicker basket the girls had in their bedroom, it wasn't be used for any real purpose and was the perfect size to hold my files and stuff. So I pinched borrowed took that and put it to good use. Also as I had moved my tower to the side of my desk, the basket fits neatly under my desk - made to measure. You can just see the tube of colouring pencils (belonging to {S}) at the side. These have since been rehomed with the other colouring/crafty stuff in another room.

{click pic for a larger view}

So that was the bottom of the desk sorted - now for the top 

What did/do I really need on the top of my desk? 

Well obviously I need my keyboard, mouse & mat and my monitor, but I need to be able to move my keyboard and mouse so I can work (woth pencil & paper). So I put the monitor right at the back of the shelf (as far basck as it would go without tipping over), which leaves enough room for my keyboard and mouse to be moved too. 

Obviously I need my post its, but maybe not all 4 colours hehe. So I opted for 2 colours, stacked neatly (at angles so it looks better) in front of the monitor. My windrider cub has to live on my desk. I used to play WoW and my mum got me him for my birthday, so he has to stay there, but he fits snuggle beside my monitor.

That was it or the top shelf......onto the main 'working' area. The biggest problem area I think.

I have a cup that {TH} got me a few years ago for my birthday or was it christmas? Anyway, it's too big for a cuppa so I keep pens in there, however I have too many pens to all fit in there without having to cram them in, so I divided them into 2 piles. Writing pens/pencils, colouring pens/highlighters/glitters pens. Then went on a mission rount the house to find another pot. I'm a hoarder so I knew I would find a jar of some sort in the kitchen, but I found a bucket instead! I bought some small buckets a few years ago to go on my kitchen window sill, they don't live there anymore (since we moved house) so after a quick scrub it looked good as new and held all my colouring type pens. Leaving my mug to hold my writing pens and pencils. Almost there now :D

Lastly were my planner, small notebook and 2 boxes, 1 was made year before last by {LM} for me for mothers day and the other came with socks in but I love the pink and red hearts on it. I placed my boxes next to the pole of me desk and put my planner and notebook (at angles) on my desk. One last thing I forgot, my pencil case hehe

The pictures were taken with my desk in working (paper & pencil) mode which is why my keyboard is up top and my notebook/planner at the bottom. When I'm using the pc (like now) my planner/notebook sit at the top (angled of course)

BEFORE PICS 

  {click pics for a larger view}

AFTER PICS 

{click pics for a larger view}

Nice and neat me thinks :) The only thing I really, really hate about this desk is WIRES!! I hate wires.

So thats day 1 and 2 done and dusted! And I feel so much better for it. The kids are now in bed so I'm going to make a start on the en-suite...hopefully tomorrow it will be done and I can share before and after pics of that! 

On a side note...I was browsing some of the other awesome blogs and saw something I though was totally fantastic. Jen over at IHeart Organizing showed some before and after pics of her office space and she has this neat little pole with pots hanging off it. Now I think this is something you can buy in the states, but I'm in the UK. Does anyone know if you can get this sort of thing over here? I think these would so cool for various places in my house but have no idea where to even start looking for them

{Pic from Jen @ IHeart Oraganizing - click to see her original post}

Night all x