Organize Your Life

So lately somehow my life feels like chaos. Nothing I can't handle right, I live for chaos, spontaneity, in the moment. I'm always going and have been that way my entire life. Burning both ends of the candle as my mom used to always tell me. Go, Go, Go it's kind of my thing. But now with a house, a husband, kids, work, a dog, and constantly on the go everything seems to have gotten away from me. Now I try my hardest to keep our house clean (clean enough), thank heaven for Bogusia, she helps me out a ton. For all of you who don't know her she is our nanny that comes over once a week to watch the kids while I work and I think she is pretty close to Mary Poppins. I get the dishes done, which somehow I feel like I do all day, I'm quickly falling in love paper plates, yes I feel guilty every time I throw them in the trash, but it saves me from doing dishes and allows me a little more time to play with my boys.
I have little notes everywhere, my purse, the diaper bag, my women drawer (as Aaron calls it), in my phone, on the desk you get the picture so many things to do that I don't know where to begin. Mind you, none of these are urgent, they aren't all that important, just things to do that take up precious time and are constantly on my mind, driving me crazy. So I thought my summer focus would be to get myself organized. And look what magazine was starring me right in the face in the grocery line... It was a huge sign, ya think?

So I picked it right up to get started. Now this posting is a little late because I had to show some progress that I've made. I was also reading a blog I follow and found this here. It was another sign, so I purchased the Mind Organization of Moms here. I've gotten part way through it, I just haven't been very diligent about just setting aside the time to complete it. But what I have accomplished recently makes me feel so much better, more productive, and I don't have a couple of things nagging me every time I walk by them.
So here we go...these were 2 things that were my priority

This is our den, it is a room everyone sees when they come to our house, it is right off our entry way and has the only bathroom on the first floor.  Now it didn't look like this all the time.  Aaron and I have been meaning to clean out our storage room under the stairs for a long time.  One Saturday while I was gone Aaron thought he would do me a favor by emptying it out, so he did!  And just put it all in the entry way.  While I was out I ran into a neighbor and invited them over for dinner.  I got home and found the entire entry way filled up, since it was quite a project to tackle we shoved it all into the den.  So this it what it looked like for a month or so...

Every time I walked by or tried to access the computer my heart would start racing.  So I finally had the chance to organize it.  So this is what it looks like now...

 

I feel so much better!  Now I just need to get some more shelves and decorate it.  I have a few ideas,  I'm thinking maybe a black and white with a pop of green...any thoughts?

While I was cleaning out the den, I had several different pictures I needed to hang up.  I was part of the organizing process of course.  So I finally did the photo gallery I've been thinking about. 

This was our little living room before

Here it is after the photos and a few accessories

I still have a few things I want to do, but at least now it is presentable and my beautiful family photos are displayed.

Now for the rest of the organizing...