getting organized in 2012 (part 3)

I have over the years struggled with contentment. I am sure being human , that it is something normal. On paper or in words it is VERY easy to be content. I can SAY all day long "I am content with my life" but yet, I WANT WANT WANT... I do not think that there is anything wrong with wanting per say but, when it makes you discontent with what you DO have and makes it hard to count your blessings you DO have... well, then I think it is problematic

At anyrate. Often times in my four years of living in my home, I have been discontent with my home. It is "not big enough" or "too cluttered" or "not nice enough" All the while telling myself (and trying to believe it) that I am happy with my home, I am content, I am thankful. (ha)

Anyway..I always always always have to catch myself (eventually) when I get like this. I think of an old friend of mine. She had 5 kids in a 2 bedroom home. No basement and no garage. Yet, I would sit and complain about the size of my home, or my layout or whatever... how dare I? Her kids are happy good kids and are not at all suffering because of their living situation. In fact, they are close. Would she like a bigger house, I am sure if you asked her, the answer would be yes but, she just always "made it work"
So, last week, I was off work for spring break. I decided that I was going to "make it work" and quit complaining. I am blessed beyond WORDS... I have no right.

I noticed that over crowding makes me a bit on the crazy side. THIS is hard because I also really like stuff... but, I have realized over the years that, stuff doesn't like me. Meaning, it changes my mood to be in my own home when it is cluttered or even someone elses cluttered home for any amount of time.

My living room is very simple. One couch, one love seat and a stand for the T.V. I also have a coffee table that I go back and forth with (I have a love hate relationship with it) No end tables (take up too much space and collect stuff)
some might think my living room kind of empty looking (it was especially empty before we recently brought up our love seat from the basement) but, it keeps my sanity.
My kitchen is a little room to be sure. It doesn't really have an "eat in " are but I purchased a little kitchen table a couple of years ago and it goes in there nicely. I try and keep minimal things on my counters because, the more on my counters the more I feel it is is untidy.

In my kids room, I had an issue with crowding. So I took all the dressers and put them downstairs. This was great. The dressers were gone and it freed up much room. I do not have a lot of toys in their rooms they are basic. They each have a desk for school work or whatever but, they are pretty basic.
The dressers downstairs thing wasn't working so much for the girls. I had no idea ever what Abby had.. Anna was always leary of going down into the basement (she has a sudden phobia of spiders). I was at a loss and then, it hit me.
I first went through my girls clothes and decided to have them share a dresser. My boys always have. They are nearly 2 years apart in age but, I have always had no issues with them sharing a dresser. But my girls with their 6 years, I thought I HAD to have two dressers. This is not so. Not after cleaning things. My girls clothes were able to be condensed into one dresser No problem!
I cleaned out the girls closet. I put all their dresses that hung up in coat closet in the living room .. Is that ideal? no. But my for my sanity.. it will work.
I then made their closet a bit of an extention to their room. I painted it orange (left over paint from my kitchen) to match the green, pink, and orange owl accents around their room. And I placed the dresser inside. put some storage containers from the dollar store on the shelves for special things (hair stuff and they each have a little bin of toys)
This gives me the space I need for a dresser and, it doesn't clutter up their rooms all over.
here is the ALMOST finished product (pay day is Thursday)


since taking this picture I have placed a very pretty basket that I received for Anna at her shower. It holds all of their stuffed animals that I do not like to float around the room and make a mess.They instead are neatly placed on the dresser. Also a box with the girls boots that do not fit into their shoe organizer and will soon make it downstairs into the bin when boots are no longer wearable (these are not snow boots I am talking about)

I still need to hang some sort of sheer as were color meets color on the wall is NOT so cute but, it works and I am pleased with it. I spend a lot of time daydreaming about how to make things more livable. Like right now, I Have a dresser in my room and my husbands is in the closet in my room. But I am wondering if we could even condense into one closet for the both of us. Worth a shot?
I am not going to let my circumstances change my attitude. I will change my circumstances (at least the best of my ability) I could complain and gripe about my home that I am "stuck in" or, I could make it OUR home. Make it work for us ...
Any tips are welcomed... :)
thanks!

Part 1

Part 2