This weekend, I decided to start working on some organizing projects.  So many closets, drawers, cabinets, and other storage areas haven’t been properly sorted and organized.  We got things good enough in the months after our move and they’ve just stayed in that state.  Now that we’ve passed the year mark of living in this house, I’m ready to organize things and completely unpack any boxes remaining from the move.  We’ve also used our storage spaces enough to know what’s working and what’s not.

There have been times when I wonder why I don’t “have my act together yet”, but I have to look at all of the renovations and upheaval that have happened, how much we have accomplished, as well as the fact that it does take time to settle a family of four and a business in a new home.  When I think back to our move into our Minnesota house, it was a process that took a few years, and organizing didn’t happen in one pass.  I needed to do it in stages as I learned more about what we use, what we don’t, and how we can arrange things more efficiently.

I started with the linen closets because I felt like they would be relatively easy and I noticed that I would fold sheets and towels from the dryer and just leave them in a basket in the basement because I wasn’t sure where they would fit in the linen closets.  They weren’t organized to begin with, but they have deteriorated as we’ve pulled out linens to use and put clean ones away.  Towels, sheets, and blankets were dispersed through all three closets, so you never knew where to find what you needed or the proper place to put something.

The three linen closets are close to each other at the back of the hallway.  One is in the primary suite bathroom and the other two are next to and across from the boys’ bath.  For this reason, I don’t have to have towels and specific sheets in each closet like I would if they were spread throughout the house.  I can organize like things together so all of the towels are in one closet, sheets in another, etc.

I started by dumping everything out on the floor and putting linens into piles of how I would like to arrange them to assess what would fit best in which closet.

Esmé was such a big help.  She sniffed all of the piles, laid down on towels I tossed down the hall to add to my painting rags, and peered into bags I was filling with items to donate.

So, one would think if I just purged and sorted the linens when we moved I wouldn’t need to do it again, but there was a lot that was stained, pilling, had holes, or we simply didn’t use.  For some reason, though, I have a hard time getting rid of linens.  Even an orphaned flat sheet seems like it would still be useful.  Maybe I can use it for sewing projects or I’ll come across the matching fitted sheet in some random place!  But, I resisted the urge and only kept things that were in good condition, that we used, or that were a part of a matching set.

I’ve always tried to keep sets together, but they inevitably end up getting separated in the shuffle of use, so I decided to put sets together, fold them into a pillow case, and label them.  I always keep some tags in my paper stash, so I pulled those out and used scraps of fabric to make little ribbons.  This is some antique gingham that came in packages from Maria of Dreamy Whites.  I know she uses antique ribbons and fabric for wrapping her wares, so I keep them to repurpose.  They are just too pretty to throw away!

I forget where I saw the idea of storing sets of sheets in a pillowcase, but I’m guessing it was Martha Stewart because it seems like that’s the kind of thing she would do!  I really can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner.  Now, I know exactly what I have and which sheets fit on which beds at a glance.  I could also see that I am down to just one set of linen sheets for our king bed (a couple of sets have worn holes in them or the elastic is corroded.  Since Brooklinen has a great warranty on their products, I did get a replacement fitted sheet for a set we’ve had for a few years.  I rub my feet together at night and wear holes in the fitted sheet, so that’s always the first to go.)  I ordered another set since the linen sheets are my favorite and I want to have two sets to rotate.  I saw, though, that I have plenty of cotton sheets and I’m set on queen sheets for the guest bed as well.

I also divided the pillowcases into cotton and linen and only kept the ones with envelope closures or extra length so they don’t come off easily. I keep some of the Sesame Street and Peanuts pillowcases I had when I was little to use when we travel.  It’s hard to forget a pillow with Big Bird on it at a hotel, but it’s easy to miss your pillow if it’s in a white pillowcase.  We also have a few extra pillows on hand for guests or if someone needs a new pillow for whatever reason.

I put rarely-used quilts up top and blankets we used for extra warmth on a shelf that’s easily accessible.  We also have a couple of heated blankets that were Minnesota purchases (our basement would get pretty cold), but they are nice to have on hand for guests who need the extra warmth.  I sometimes use one just because they are comforting.

At the bottom of the closet are an air mattress and extra down comforters.  I can’t tell you how good it feels to have it organized!

It’s hard to photograph, but the closet next to the bathroom is now where we’re storing all of our towels, bathmats, and washcloths.  Extra pillows are at the top of that closet and an extra chamber for our Sleep Number bed along with decorative pillowcases are at the bottom.  I’d eventually like to paint both closets and maybe even put some pretty paper in them, but I vacuumed them and wiped them out with bleach.  I also keep bars of soap and lavender sachets tucked around the linens to deter pests and make them smell nice.

The third closet just has some extra king-sized blankets and a few pillows.  The rest is empty!  I think we’re going to take the door off the hinges and put the litter box at the bottom.  Right now, it’s in the knee-hole of the vanity area in our bathroom, which really isn’t ideal.  This location would be a bit more discrete.  When we renovate the bathroom, we’ll design a dedicated spot with an outlet (for a self-cleaning litter box) and maybe even ventilation.

Getting the linen closets organized was a good first step.  There is still a lot of organizing to do including some massive projects like the garage and basement, but we’ll get there.  I realize we need to get rid of a lot more since this house is so much smaller than our last one.  I mean, we have a ton of storage in the basement, so we could keep everything if we wanted, but I only want to keep things worth storing, things that are meaningful, important, or that we will use.  I don’t want to store things simply because we can.  For now, it just feels good to have one area under control.

I’m going to continue working through our bedroom closets and into the bathroom cabinets as I find the time…