STILL WORKING ON MY HOME OFFICE…PART 3

A while back I posted that I was trying to set up a home office on a thrift store budget. If you missed it, you can read about it HERE.

In PART 2 I mentioned that I had thought about using my Grandmother’s table.

Now it’s time for Part 3. Other than the $4 picture frame I mentioned in Part 2, I’m using things that I already have. This is what I’ve come up with so far:

This is one of my favorite boxes. It’s just a simple little fabric covered box. It probably came from the Dollar store or something. But I love it!! I’ve had this for over 6 years. Up until today, it just held miscellaneous items like nails, screws, batteries etc. Now it holds my paperclips, push pins, and staples.

Next up is my pen/marker holder. I’m not sure if you can see it in the picture, but it is green. This was a “buried treasure”. No…really…it WAS buried in the ground. Where I used to live, previous owners from way back would take their garbage over the hill and dump it. My ex-husband’s step dad and I dug up all kinds of goodies from old coke bottles to old brown glass clorox bleach bottles. While digging up one of the old glass bleach bottles, I saw the ruffled edge of this little vase sticking up, so I carefully loosened up the dirt all the way around her. Would you believe there is not one scratch on this cutie. I’m not sure how old she is, but I’ve been packing her around for at least 10 years.

Here is the calendar I mentioned in Part 2

and the “mail sorting” baskets. I’ve been using these since the first of November, and it has really been a big help in getting rid of the paper clutter.

the “to pay” basket holds bills to pay and things that need to be responded to.

the “to file” is pretty self explanatory. I file these on Saturdays.

The “to use” basket holds my grocery store ads, restaurant coupons, and any coupons that I get in the mail or off of food packaging that needs to be put in my coupon binder.

Here’s a shot of what it looks like right now. Like my “fresh flowers"? …lol… I stole my DH’s night stand to hold extra office type supplies. Paper, extra pens & pencils, stapler, hole punch, folders, etc…but I’m thinking that this won’t stay. It’ll work for now.

(please excuse the big box of newspapers in the background. I couldn’t move it…it weighs a ton) This chair is also a temporary fix. So now all I have left to get is lighting, (I’m thinking of some type of swag light) a chair, (something not so bulky looking but comfortable) and a place to hold my coupon binders, menu planning binder, warranty/manuals binder and all of my other sanity savers. I have an idea of what I could use for this but I’m not sure if It would work. We’ll see. (Maybe I can sweet talk DH into taking me to the Goodwill this weekend if the weather’s not too bad.)

So, what do ya think so far? What would you change or do differently? Stay tuned for Part 4…

“The Home Office Journey”…part 2

 

If you’ll remember a couple of posts back, I was working on setting up/organizing our home office area.  Go here if you’re not sure what the heck I’m talking about.  The calendar is finished &  the incoming mail “sorting” baskets are up.  So now I need a desk, a chair, good lighting, a place to store my binders, & a filing cabinet or file box for those important papers that need to be kept. 

I’ll start with the desk.  I’ve had this piece of furniture for a while now that I just keep moving from room to room.  It’s old and worn out,  but it was my Grandmother’s and I’m just not ready to part with it.  It’s an old dining room table (I think).  Yep…you heard right…a dining room table.  But it’s not just any kind of table.  ( and no, I still don’t have a camera :( …these are pictures from moving day about 4 years ago.) 

Here, I’ll show ya:

Meet my new desk:

It’s not a very big dining room table is it?  Wanna see more?

 

That’s what it looks like underneath.  I have asked others  for years and years what that crank underneath was for.  No one knew.  I’ve even tried turning it but nothing.  But one day while we were in the process of moving to this house,  I found out:

I must have broken the years of stain and sealer loose…lol…because that baby just opened up.    See how far that baby stretches?  6 feet!! 

So what do ya think?  Do you think it would make a nice desk? 

Stay tuned for more!!

JOIN ME ON MY JOURNEY TO SET UP OUR HOME OFFICE ON A THRIFT-STORE BUDGET

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve posted last.  Between family issues, football, work, and small home improvements, life has been pretty hectic!   

BUT…I did make time (here and there)  to read some of my favorite blogs.   And while searching for ideas/tips to set up a home office/family command center,  I’ve also stumbled upon some new favorite blogs.   

I personally like using our home management binder.  It works for me, but it’s not working so well for DH and DS.  They need a system where it’s more “in your face…and out in the open” . 

So I took every page out of the home management binder and nailed them to the wall…just kidding.

I just want a place where I can pay bills, plan menus, post everyone’s chores, sort mail, drop off keys, etc., etc., etc.

So, let’s break it down and see what all we’ll need. 

First, we’ll need a large calendar.  I don’t care for the whiteboard calendars because they’re just so boring looking.  But I love these ideas:

I recently stumbled onto Just A Girl's  blog.  She has one of the prettiest Organization Station's  that I have ever seen.  Wouldn’t you agree?  And look what she did with an old wooden wall pocket.  (kicking myself for giving mine away…)

Then I came across The Creative Crate's $3 frame makeover.  How creative!

  

That would be perfect for our home office.  We are already using a similar setup for our daily chores.  I printed off our daily chores and put them in sheet protectors then hung them on the wall.  Then we use a dry erase marker to check them off as we do them.  But using picture frames would look so much prettier.  So, I’ll be on the lookout for a large cheap/free frame for our calendar.  YES!!!  I scored one tonight at Goodwill.  It was marked $8 but everything was 50% off today.  $4 is right up my alley!!!  …doing a happy dance…So one of tomorrow’s projects is to fix that calendar!

Next comes the mail.  It needs to be sorted immediately after it comes in the house.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  So we’ll need a system set up for the mail.  Here is some very good info on that subject. 

I decided to use 3 baskets because, well, that’s what I had on hand.  To make them look like they go together, I had my DS spray paint them all the same color and then I hung little labels from them.  It’s a temporary fix, but I think it’ll work.  (I’ll see if I can borrow a camera and get some before, during, after pics )

Are you curious to see what else I’ll be doing? 

I guess you’ll have to check back in and see : )