Operation: Organize Everything | Starting Small [Bedside table drawer]

Hello my dears! It feels like it’s been forever and it sort of has been! Back from Mexico and back at the blogging!

While it’s SO good to be home, especially now that I’m settled into our newly refreshed master bedroom, I’m feeling mega swamped with household odds and ends. I hate to complain after being away for 5 days basking in the sunshine, but there are crazy amounts of things to catch up on. Thankfully laundry is not one of them because my wonderful mom took care of more loads than I could count while we were away. #shesthebest

Since the year of 2016 is still in its infancy stage (or so I’m telling myself that) I don’t feel all that bad that I didn’t get to everything on my organizational to-do list last month. I know January is notorious for being “the month of YOU” and “how to organize your life in the new year”, but I think it’s probably fair to say many of us are a bit…ahem… behind.

BUT, its not too late! Today, I’m joining a group of bloggers for Get Organized 2016, where each of us is showing a freshly organized space in our home. In order to work my way toward the bigger spaces in our home (and since so much of my time last month was spent recovering from the holidays, celebrating with friends at a wedding and the New Year, New Room Refresh challenge, I’m starting small and showing you how you can take just 10 minutes a day to get organized and take back some control of the “stuff” cluttering up your home and life!

So, in light of starting small, I’m tackling my bedside table drawer.

After all, a nightstand this pretty [see my nightstand styling tips here]…

can’t look this ugly inside…

I know, it’s bad. Real bad. like I-can’t-believe-I-just-posted-this-for-the-world-to-see-bad. Please raise your hand if there is a drawer in your house that looks like this!! And to be honest, I knew this drawer was pretty scary and pretty full, so I rarely even opened it up. I was out to lunch with a friend a couple months ago and she was talking about how awful her husband’s bedside table drawer was. She said it was the most disgusting thing ever and she didn’t know how he could find a single thing in it. Well, when I got home, since I was unsure what state mine was in, I slowly opened the drawer and yep, found that.

Thanks, girl. Your husband’s unspeakably filthy, cluttered drawer inspired me to take action. and then blog about it 😉

Even though it’s just a drawer, it can be a daunting task to tackle. So, let’s make it easy.

Here are 5 simple steps for how to organize your bedside table [or any] drawer in 10 minutes or less:

1 | Open it up.

No, seriously open up that drawer, that closet door, that cabinet, whatever it is. If you know its bad, then chances are you are avoiding it. Or it could be the total opposite scenario… it’s SO bad that every time you open it, you have a minor (or major) anxiety attack. I’ve been there, too. Just not in this case. The first step is usually the hardest. It gets easier and more fun from there!

2 | Empty it out.

Take every single thing out of the drawer, even the pieces of lint left behind. If it’s not completely empty you will grab a few things and call it good. You want a clean slate when you start to put the drawer back together again.

3 | Lay out the contents & sort by like things.

I had quite the variety of random things, but there were several reoccurring themes or items, so I grouped them together on the floor.

Once you’re able to see what you have and how many of the same type of thing. you can determine if you need to toss it or keep it – either back in the drawer or find it a new home, maybe back with the rest of its family members.

You can see above I grouped like items together and still had a ton of outliers. Some were necessities, others were goners. I mean, who keeps sunglasses, reed diffuser sticks, and alphabet magnets in their bedside table drawer??

And about that bottle opener, you ask? Yes, it was deemed a necessity.

Ever grab a bottle of wine to take to your room to watch a movie, fold laundry (no, just me?) or relax and not have an opener? Welp, now you can stock one in your bedside table and thank me later 😉

Once I determined if each item was going back in or not, then I could prepare for the next step.

4 | Round up bins, baskets and / or trays to store items in.

Shop your house [You can read up on my “shop your house” tips here!]! That is why I could literally call this a 10 minute job! I didn’t have to buy any new organizational storage containers or pretty little things to stage the drawer with. Yes, I’m a blogger and I stage things. #sayitaintso

These storage containers are all from the Target* $1 section from one trip or another. I had them in my office, but they weren’t in use. I grabbed them and brought them to my bedroom to see if they would all fit in the drawer and if my items would fit in them. 

Yes! They lined up perfectly!

5 | Put items back in their newly designated spot.

I have 5 storage containers, so I looked down at my keep piles which were grouped by like items and determined which groups would fit where. Small, divided acrylic tray went closest to the bed for hand cream, lip stuff and my trusty rubberbands. [See this other acrylic storage option]*

Next to it, I put a few essential emergency-ish items – Tums, Advil, mints and yes, a chocolate craving counts as an emergency. Mine is similar to this one, only black. Then I have 2 decorative cardboard bins – the pink and gold polka dot one has a couple of inspirational quote books inside. The top book is full of motivational words you should read first thing in the morning. I got it from a dear friend and she’s actually the friend whose husband inspired this post – the irony!

On the far side in a white and gold bin – I have spare phone and tablet chargers, extra fitbit charger, headphones, TV remote and apple TV remote.
At the back. I have the book I’m currently reading and in the gold cylinder, I have a flashlight and yes, that bottle opener!

If you are buying new drawer organization storage pieces, these are a pretty option.

Side note: my drawers came lined and backed in black velvet, but if they weren’t, I would most definitely opt for pretty drawer liners – like this marble looking one
or this gray polka dot one!
Easy enough, right?

Now, seriously. Do you have a drawer that could use a 10-minute purge and organize treatment? Where would you start? Would this be a series of interest to you?

Maybe I’ll come up with a few more 10-minute ideas and we could do them together. What do you think?!
Now, be sure to head over to the other 4 stops of the Get Organized 2015 Blog Hop for loads of organization inspiration. Big, small, whatever push you need, you’ll get it somewhere here today! I’m sure of it!
Seeking Lavender Lane | Refashionably Late | This is our Bliss | The Honeycomb Home | Just Call Me Homegirl

While you’re off getting your drawers and closets organized, you can start thinking about freshening up your decor! Tomorrow, I’m participating in a table top styling hop, but Day 1 is TODAY! You don’t want to miss these stylin’ surfaces!

Oodles of gorgeousness! Check them out below: