Day 2 ~ Clutter Challenge

It's coming along. We had little, homemade shelves under the clothes and had 3 bookshelves filled with stuff. It takes a while to go through 6 years of accumulation. 

Look what I found, my baton. I used to be a twirl girl :)

Tuesdays are probably my busiest day of the week. I am still in the sorting phase but making progress. Have you finished sorting? If you have, start the 2nd S ~ Straighten. Visualize the place you are going to put your items, their permanent place. Make a list of things you may need to organize and label your closet, or the space you are working in. Before you start buying anything, see if there are items around your house you aren't using and could repurpose; like baskets, trays or boxes. I will talk about the budget I am working with in a few days.

Day 1 ~ Clutter Challenge

Here are my totes to sort. I actually needed a fourth one for things I wanted to keep, but not in my closet. 

This is my bedroom closet before. It is pretty bad. When I didn't know what to do with something, it went in here.

This is after sorting yesterday. I really packed a lot in there, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Well, I didn't get as much done as I thought I would, but I started. I removed a bookcase and the books to our entryway. I went through my clothes, but my husband didn't get a chance to go through his. I am clearing off the shelves and putting them in the totes. My room looks like a tornado hit it, but not for long.

Week 1 of the 100 Day Clutter Challenge ~ Master Closet

We are in the Master Closet this week. 

WOW! This is the first day of the rest of my organized life :-)
  Don't be overwhelmed by the assignments I give for the week. You may get more done in one day or none at all on another. I have a son who is sick, and he may take up more of my time tomorrow than I had intended. That's OK. I am trying, over the next 100 days, to make a lasting change to my home. I believe by getting organized I can save money and time. I will save money by knowing if I am running low on something, instead of not seeing it hiding behind a box of cereal and buying more anyway. I will save time by knowing where to look for something. I will not have to rip drawers and cabinets apart, because I know it must be here somewhere. We are going to streamline our homes, together.

Week 1 - Master Bedroom

   I picked the Master Bedroom because I want to bless my husband and I first. I want to have a serene room to go to at the end of the day. I want to clear away the clutter, cobwebs and dust bunnies and have a beautiful room to relax in with my hubby.
   The time schedule will be different for each person, that's OK. It is a guesstimate, because I am not sure what I will get done each day. I am starting with the closet so I will have a place to "systemize" my clothes. I may have to spend all week here, in just my closet.

• Mon. ~  "Sort" through all my items and begin "straightening" or visualizing how my closet would best work for my husband and I.

• Tues. ~  Every item must be allocated a place for safe keeping. I may need to add labeled baskets, holders or  shelves.

• Wed. ~ "Shine" It's  Deep Cleaning day. I am going to clean my closet myself, but every other area will be broken up among all family members. Everyone should see their home through the eyes of a visitor - always thinking if it is clean enough to make a guest feel welcome and comfortable.

• Thurs. ~ Continue Shining (vacuuming, sweeping, clean baseboards, clean crown molding and corners, dust any furniture or shelving, spot paint/magic eraser scuffs on walls or paint the whole room. Replace all the items back to their permanent location.

• Fri. ~ Finish putting back your items. When you have finished, take a picture of the room or closet and post it on the wall or in 5s System NoteBook. This picture will hold you and your family accountable, with no excuses, to how you expect that room to look. 

• Sat. ~ If you need more time for your room or area, find a little time between the needs of your family, to put the final touches on it and remember to take that finished picture.  

• Sun. ~ This is my Day of Rest. This is the day I go to church, eat lunch and dinner with the Grandparents and just spend time with my family. I have worked hard enough this week, so I take this day to recoup.

 Try and set little, bite size goals each morning. You may need to set a specific time to work on the closet (4:00pm or naptime), or maybe you just need to set an amount of time, like I will set aside 30 minutes today. There is no wrong way, but you will find what will work for you. You are going to be so happy with your home and family when you have finished these 100 days.

It Starts Tomorrow

1 More Day and The Challenge Begins!! I'm Excited! I'm Nervous! Is 100 Days Enough? There is No Turning Back!

The Fifth S ~ Shitsuke

The fith S is the 5s System is Shitsuke
   Shitsuke means Sustaining or training, upbringing and discipline. Shitsuke is the final phase in the 5 S methodology and it refers to the maintaining and reviewing of standards. Once you have properly established the other steps in the 5 S methodology, you will maintain this new way of operating. This step will help you eliminate the need for a gradual decline back to the old ways of operating.
   What does this mean to you and your home? The first is training. You will need to instruct and direct your family in their work. Next, is discipline. Discipline is for you, not your family. It is for you to continue in this ever improving organization which will require continual standardization.
   Clear standards allow people to simplify decisions and make the right ones. Red means Stop ~ Green means Go ~ Yellow means 1. Caution  2. Speed up so you can get through. Uncertainty ruins your good standards. It's your job as the manager to remove uncertainty, and simplify the way you run your home. Shitsuke allows the 5s System become a routine way of life.
   This is how the complete 5s System works. Each part works with each other, they don't compete. It doesn't take much time to implement and with a little effort, you will see immediate changes. Your home will not only look nice, but it will help improve its function for your family. The end result will be the home you've always wanted.

The Fourth S ~ Seiketsu

The fourth S in the 5s System is Seiketsu
   Seiketsu means Standardizing or making clear standards. Having a standardized work practice in place will allow your company to operate in a consistent or standardized manner. Everyone in your company will know exactly what their job description is and know how they fit into the 5 S methodology.
   How do you standardize your home? You are the one that has expectations for your home. Your next job is to make these expectations known to yourself and your family. You need to decide what is important to you. Is it important that you or your husband come home to a clean living room and kitchen? Is it important that your children make their beds and pick up their rooms before school? Is it important that dinner be ready every night at a certain time?
    You need to develop routines for yourself and your family.  It's necessary to bring a little structure and order to your day. If you want to get everything done, in what feels like a day that flies by, you need to develop some good, routine habits. This is where you get your husband and children involved. They are going to assigned daily routines and weekly chores. Once these routines have been set in order, it is up to you to see how well they are doing and encouraging them in there everyday tasks, even during the day-to-day messes, like little brothers and sisters tend to make.
   You are the manager of your home. I will help you come up with a daily schedule. I will help you establish routines and good habits in your home. I will have free downloads of daily schedules, weekly schedules, chore charts, menu planning, etc.  We will make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and how to complete their jobs, so no one is creating a messy environment.

The Third S ~ Seiso

The third S in the 5s System is Seiso.
   Seiso means to Shine. Seiso is the sweeping phase or the systematic cleaning of your workplace to keep it neat and tidy. Seiso is the only phase that is considered a daily activity. Seiso should be performed at the end of each shift to ensure everything is cleaned, and restored to its proper place. Seiso makes it easy to know where everything goes and what items are essential to the workplace.
   How do you make your home Shine? This is basically your "Spring Cleaning". Use cleaning as a method of inspection. Cleanliness reveals problems. Maybe the area you are cleaning needs painting, scouring, sweeping, washing, rinsing or scrubbing. Sanitizing means to do everything you need to do to make your home "Shine".
   What problems will my closet reveal? It hasn't been painted or vacuumed since we moved here. I am sure there are cobwebs and dust bunnies that weren't reached. Does my shelf or clothes bar need reinforcement? These and other questions will be answered as soon as I get in there and start deep cleaning.
   By the time I have finished my hundred days, everything essential will be in its place and my home will Shine.

The Second S ~ Seiton

The second S in the 5s system is Seiton
     Seiton means to Straighten or set in order. Seiton is focused on creating efficiency in the workplace by arranging the tools, equipment and parts after a manner that will promote proper work flow. The tools should be placed in an area that promotes work flow and are easy to find for specific job responsibilities.
    How do you go about "setting in order" your home? Everything has a place; everything in its place. At this time you are creating "visual order". You are thinking about where everything will go. The primary reason for this step, is to make sure of the proper placement of your things. This is to insure that all of your items, that have a certain job, are in a specific place so it's easily accessible. How will you arrange your belongings to help your day flow smoother. How do you straighten them so they are easy to find, quick to grab and easily returned when your done.
     As for my closet, my first clutter attack, I plan on having the clothes my husband and I wear easily accessible. Our right sizes need to be wear we can get to them (I have had 5 children so there are a lot of different sizes in my closet). I may even set them in order by work and weekend clothes. I have a few cute ideas for shoes and I will also need to straighten the shelves above the clothes. My closet has been a catch-all for these past 6 years. We have 2 bookcases in my closet, school books and supplies, board games, preschool supplies, luggage and who knows what else I'll find in there. During this straightening process, I will have to make a decision, "What actually belongs in my bedroom closet."
   Most importantly, you will have to think about and establish a routine that will keep your home looking this way when you have finished.

The First S - Seiri

Are you ready to begin? We start in 5 days.

The first S in the 5s System is:
  Sort (Seiri): This refers to the practice of sorting through all the tools, materials, etc., in the work area and keeping only essential items. Everything else is stored or discarded. This leads to fewer hazards and less clutter to interfere with productive work.
  What does this mean for your home? This is the beginning of organization. Before you make a home for your stuff, you go through it all and keep only essential items. Items you love and need, you keep. It can be done in little bites, which is a little easier on you, because you can do anything for a few minutes. You can also jump in and pull everything, say out of your closet, which is going to be my first step, but it is up to your time schedule. Everyone, whether you work outside or inside the home, is super busy, but we can always find a little time for the things we really want or need to do.
   Like I said, I am going to have to pull everything out of my closet (this isn't going to be my approach to every room). I have a house that was not made with alot of storage space, so that's my first step. I am going to have to make room, so I will be able to organize it. I am going to have 3 large baskets; one for things to give away, one for things to sale and one for trash. The items I am going to keep will go back in the closet and items that have no business being in my closet, will be put where they belong. Sorting is part one.

100 Day Clutter Challenge

100 Day Challenge ~ Clean Out Your Clutter    

     Join me in this challenge to regain order in your home. I am going to teach how to use the 5s System. The 5s System is based on the Japanese workplace organization and housekeeping methodology. Japanese streamline their work environment using five Japanese words that begin with S: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, shitsuke. When this method made its way to the western world, is not known, but may be as far back as the 16th century. The ideas are believed to have been brought here to help organize the shipyards assembly line. Companies like Toyota and Ford (for their car assembly lines) and PigglyWiggly (for it's inventory) adopted this method for Quality Assurance. Employees developed pride and efficiency when they kept an organized workspace, kept waste to a minimum and knew they were essential to the process and end product. The employer recognized that more order in the workplace added up to timely outcomes, meeting deadlines and a genuine pride for their workers.
    The 5s system translated to English is:
Sort
Straighten
Shine
Standardize
Sustain


     I am going to teach you each week, in little bites, how to apply this 5s System to your home. How to reclaim your home from the stuff that has accumulated. How to develop good habits to keep your home clutter free. How to keep the things you need in an orderly manner, so you can find them when you need them. You will be creating an environment that you can be productive and creative in.  I will teach you how to get your children involved. You will train and discipline them so these practices become a part of their life (their future husbands  and wives will thank you).
   There is one blog I read that encourages me to keep my house 15 minutes ready, for having people over. In other words, if someone calls and just wants to visit, I should be able to sweep through and put things where they belong and be ready to have guests over. I have the areas that guests see in order, but I close the doors to the other areas of the house. My husband, in his sneaky but loving way, knows that I am a bit if a procrastinator but work great against a time crunch. If he sees that I am running behind in the cleaning department he will say, "I was thinking about asking my family over for lunch this Sunday, what do you think?" I love his family and think its a great idea and immediately start cleaning. He knows to give me a few days because if he asks me at the last minute, I will say no and I don't want that to ever be my answer. I want to be a gracious host and say, "Yes".
    I am starting at the very beginning, with most of you (Pictures below to prove it. I really had to swallow my pride to show all my junk). I am going to start in my bedroom. It should be the sanctuary my husband and I retreat to every night. We should be able to unwind in our room after our day, but I have used it as my dumping spot. The laundry room is next door, so I use my bed to fold and sort. I am not going to let this stuff crowd out my dreams, anymore.

My bedroom: Before

My Laundry Room: Before

    Come and Join me on this 100 Day Challenge. I am going to post each area I am decluttering and organizing. I will share helpful hints and tips I find on this journey. I will share picture by picture how-to's, if I make anything that helps me out. I will also be posting suggestions on how to bless others with your stuff or  "How to Make Money" with the things you just don't love anymore. I will also be posting ideas on how to bless your home and your family. I am not a decorator and do not enjoy shopping (I know, I know, what is wrong with me) but I will commit to adding a few pictures on the wall, some sconces or anything else that will add to the blessing. I can't wait to see the After Pictures :)

   I am starting my journey on Feb. 27, 2012.  Come and Join Me!