Daley Ponderings

Our computer room/guest room is now functional and neat.  There are still two actively-being-worked-on server computers on the card table in the room.  We had hoped to have them both in their finished locations by the end of the month, but a broken new hard drive needed to be exchanged, and the colo guy hasn't gotten back to Jon yet.  It's possible that clementine will go there tonight.  But it still fits in the purpose of the room - the computer room - and the area is organized and neat.

Here are the pictures:

Back wall view before: after:

Side wall view before:    after:

Left side of closet before: after:

Right side of closet before :   after:
(can't even open the door all the way)

Lime Daley computer table before: after:

Supplies closet before:   after:

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

    The last, hidden bits. Pushing through to finish the drawer and file spaces with only a few days left after lots of family visits and vacation time.  Yes.  Having color-coded tabs to fix my files with definitely helped to motivate. d:

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

First of all, getting the toys out of the middle of the room and into a closet with doors helps a lot.  We need to put it away right for the doors to close - no more spilling of dress-up clothes out of the box.

Getting the computer supplies organized in the drawers and closet enable me to find what I need quickly and not buy a new box of envelopes when I don't need to. 

The new file system makes sense to me and with the new color coding, I can give directions to Jon that he can follow to actually find what he needs. (Yellow for action/todo in the front of the file drawer.  Green for financial is next, alphabetized.  Then blue for reference alphabetized separately after all the money stuff.  Behind that in the back of the drawer are the extra hanging and manila folders.)

The top desk drawer (aka "money drawer") now has a nice compartmentalized container for the checkbooks, deposit slips, calculator, and office items like paper clips.  All the papers that used to get stuffed in that drawer now go into appropriate yellow action files so bills don't get lost under checks, etc.

Laura, do you like my stamps and return address label container in the second drawer?

Yes, it's a recycled o-cereal box! That was inspired by you, the lover-of-containers and containers-don't-have-to-be-expensive organizing junkie.

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

The car-full of computer parts went to a local Goodwill that has a computer specialty, some things are selling on eBay, and a bunch of stuff went in the trash. 

4. Now that you have completed the challenge, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?

 I hope so!  The difference I hope to see is a happier husband (when he sees the nice clean space instead of the giant wreck of toys everywhere) and more efficient time spent at the computer.  The hardest part for the boys and me will be to keep it neat by putting away things as soon as we're done.

5. Why do you think you should win the challenge?

But I still hold out some hope for the bonus prize. Is our pile of computer stuff to give away big enough?  "It filled up most of our car [carseats taken out, trunk full, only the driver could fit], and a whole bin at the Goodwill store."  I didn't get a picture of the car, but I did of the hallway before we took it all downstairs.

So, though I don't think I'll win the contest, I am thankful for orgjunkie and her challenge, and thankful for a neater space to work with, and the team effort we put into it.