COMMENTS ARE CLOSED:So excited to be sharing with Kelly (comment #69) please check your email for further instructions !!
Thanks to Apartment Guide for sponsoring my writing about finding inspiration in the smallest of spaces. Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win a $100.00 gift card to help with your reorganization needs, too.
I am a full-time mom, but I also write part-time from home, which -- taking into consideration, there's 6 people, living in our 7 room house -- is no easy feat, trust me!
I’ve claimed a small corner in our living room and recently shared how finding inspiration in the smallest of places is relatively easy, on Mom Blog Magazine.
Living up to those words, not so much.
I was thrilled to be contacted by the good folks representing Apartment Guide, an online moving center featuring tips for decorating, cleaning, organizing and making the most of your space, in other words, offering helpful information no matter where you live.
I accepted their challenge to create a new space in my home and, hopefully, inspire other families (like mine) who have very little extra and literally, no room, or time to spare.
Biggest challenge for me? Choosing just one project.
Our house has been under renovation for the last, um, 17 years -- it WAS supposed to be our "starter home!" -- however, short of moving, recreating my workspace into an area conducive to inspiration and perhaps tapping into some latent organizational gene, seemed like a perfect fit!
Aaaand, I managed to get it ALL done in just one week -- wanna see?
THE DREADED BEFORE SHOT: Not soooo bad, right? Still...
TIME TO GO SHOPPING: Finding the right office tools, to be able to meet this challenge, took me the longest -- everyday items, like an efficient computer desk or, a "real" office chair can easily become a luxury and just wasn't in our budget -- so, I wanted to carefully weigh my options.
CREATING A VISION BOARD: I love the idea of creating a vision board, or some sort of tangible, semi-permanent reminder of one's life goals.
However, I wanted my vision to be more inline with what's going on in my life, at any given moment (because, a houseful of kids can often times disrupt one's vision) and, also, help me understand that life is, you know, subject to change.
So, my vision/motiviation has 3 parts:
THE PAST - because, it's important for me to focus on the strong forces that have helped shape me, as a person, wife and a mom.
THE PRESENT - enjoying the simple things, here and now.
THE FUTURE - which is also subject to change, whether I like it, or not.
It's a work in progress...just like me.
ORGANIZING WORK FILES: I keep tabs of the kids' files, including their school schedules (they attend 4 different schools) not to mention, the reams of papers coming home, from each school, every week (thank goodness, I have an industrial-sized shredder) and, well, my stuff sort of gets lost in the mix.
So, I went through about 7 years worth of files (sadly, I printed way too much stuff and thank goodness for Google Docs!) and I also invested in co-ordinating file folders, that happen to be very, very pretty to look at, too!
I also invested in a couple of plastic containers -- actually, they were on sale at Staples for around $8 -- and now the household bills are filed separately, yet still readily accessible, from my home office.
NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Mother Nature has not been kind to us, here in Jersey (the WITCH!) and sent us another foot of snow, yesterday; so, ALL four of my kids were home from school.
I don't have an office door that I can close, or a co-worker that I can bug, while hiding out in her/his office, either and, well, because my home office is in the middle of our house, I can't expect them to be quiet...all...the...time...dangit.
These noise-cancelling headphones (on sale at Staples for $49.99) are the biggest splurge in this whole challenge.
The fact that they actually DO work and helped block the kids playing around...while I comfortably listened to my music and several podcasts...from about 15 feet away...priceless!!!
Then, there's this pretty little desk chair ($29.99 also from Staples) that I managed to put together...all by myself...and, although I do miss the arm rests of the hand-me-down upholstered chair...the threadbare shabbiness of sitting on hard wood...not so much...that I'm just too embarrassed to actually show you how really, really bad it looked...sorry.
THE AWESOME AFTERGLOW OF RECREATION: Feels REAL homey, too!
I also purchased office supplies like, pens, pencils, tape and post-its in shape of a house, oh and a whiteboard calendar to help me try and keep ahead of the new year -- blocked off to show only 4 months at a time, yes please!
Also, taking cue from Nate Berkus (love him!) I printed off and framed family photos from my son's 12th birthday party -- using my our new awesome camera that Garth (not his real name) and I gifted each other -- as a reminder that I am indeed living my BEST life...
...right here, right now and from every possible angle, too -- thank you SO MUCH, Apartment Guide!
Now, if only someone would help me convince my kids to put there clothes away and quit messing with mommy's feng shui...or, what I've taken to calling...my mom cave!!!
What do you think? Want one?
You don’t have to wait until you move to create a new space for yourself. The new year is a perfect time to create a new space in your home with the help of the generous folks at ApartmentGuide.com, we're sharing a $100 gift card with one (1) of our online friends, to help get you there, too!
Because, we roll like that!
FIND IT HERE:
Visit Apartment Guide's website at http://www.apartmentguide.com
"Like" Apartment Guide on Facebook at Facebook.com/apartmentguide (tell 'em This Full House sent you!!!)
Follow @AptGuide on Twitter for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.
GET IT HERE: To enter, "like" Apartment Guide on Facebook. Please leave a comment here, like, the space you'd like to create, for yourself (Me? I'd love to be able to park my car in the garage, next!) along with a valid email address on this post by 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 4th and you're automatically entered to win. One (1) entry will be picked (via random.org) and announced via email and posted on My Prizey Giveaways Page!
'CAWSE WE LOVE TO SHARE SOME EXTRA CHANCES (but, not required) TO SHARE, TOO:
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Thank you for visiting my shopping blog. Be sure to visit and subscribe to my home blog, ThisFullHouse.com (when you have time, of course!) for more great stories from a New Jersey Mom, schooled in the art of keeping 6 people in a 7 room house & 2 danged much laundry!
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Disclosure: Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as myself to participate in its New Year, New Space Blogger Challenge. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the New Year, New Space Blogger Challenge. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
