Organizing Challenge(d)....

The resolution that's always at the TOP of my list is organize, organize, organize.  But most years....I just can't seem to get it together.  I guess it doesn't help that every year we obtain an extra person in the house...

Anyway, while perusing through the blogosphere last night I came across A Bowl Full of Lemons and she is hosting a 21 days to get organized challenge!  Although I've arrived on day 5....I couldn't help but do day 4's "organize your Linen Closet" challenge.  Mine was a super mess...most days I had towels and things piled on my dresser because I didn't even want to OPEN the linen closet.  So this was the perfect place for me to start.

Here is the horrendous before....sorry if the madness blinds any of you...

Here is the middle....empty accept for a little peanut.  It's literally impossible to get anything done around my house without one of these next to you. Yes I only have 2...but sometimes it seems like twenty....

...and here is the GLORIOUS after!!! 

Look how much more space I have!! LOOK!!!! I have a whole empty shelf at the bottom!!  I'm so glad I did this...as there were some randoms hiding in there. How about some of these puppy outfits?  I'm all for Pepper wearing some clothes (it's freezing here!  She needs some clothes on that hiney sometimes)....but she is not enough of a diva to wear this little ditty...

But Disney World?  Oh YEAH...

I corralled all the beach towels into the beach bag, except for the large 2 person towel...and all the extras I tossed. This saved shelf space and allowed me to know exactly where all of them were. I just have to be diligent about drying out the towels after the pool this summer!

And I finally got the nerve to throw out the towels we got for a wedding gift that I accidentally dyed a lovely shade of pink by throwing in a red towel with them.....cuz THAT'S what you're supposed to do.  I swear we used them once..and they are so fluffy and gorg....but I got Heather's little voice of reason in my head telling me to de-clutter and make decisions!!!  She called me "so non-committal" just recently...and she's right!  I have the hardest time making a decision now!  So whenever I get a "I don't know....maybe this...or that...or bllllaaahhh" I have Heather in my head saying "just do it because I'm tired of your texts and making your decisions for you!!!!"  Thanks BF! Some tough love there...but it works for us!

And look!  3 whole bags to sell/donate this spring!  My basement is becoming full of sell/donate bags...but come April my basement is going to look just as sparkling clean as this linen closet.

I want to get a few bins to hold those little toiletries (saw the Target add today and they have some cute ITSO ones for sale this upcoming week...holla!) and perhaps paint the closet in the near future....but this was just to get organized people!  I can't go THAT crazy during naps (without some planning first!).  So that's my closet!  Today's challenge is under the kitchen sink....and I think I may try and partake in that challenge as well!  So stay tuned for a second post today!  Wahoo!