Transformation Tuesday #49: Basement + Laundry storage

This is a particularly fun transformation post because I did this with my mom, the person who taught me to be organized, respect my things, and keep small spaces tidy!

She and my stepdad moved to LA two years ago for his job and she wanted to go through some of the bins that she had hurriedly packed away during the move. She's no stranger to tackling these projects on her own but I offered to help because I knew that with our powers combined, we would be pretty speedy. Plus I was helping haul away all the donation items.

First, we started with the laundry area. We started with the way back and went bin by bin. Our goal was to clear out trash and donations, then repack items for storing. This was mostly fancy dishware, my stepdad's jam-making paraphernalia, and a few odds and ends. In two hours, we filled up the recycling and trash bins, and had tower of four or five empty storage bins. We got rid of about half the stuff that was stored down there!

Mom would have kept going but I forced her to take a coffee break. We needed to re-energize with some lattes and shortbread.

When we got back to it, we worked on the storage underneath the stairwell. This contained clothes, outdoor gear, and my mom's house decor (Christmas and other seasonal stuff). We pared down quite a bit here as well - maybe about a third of the stuff went away. Although my mom is still hanging on to my First Communion dress and veil (which is 25 years old, btw). Since she purged so much other stuff, I told her I would not judge her for hanging onto this!

After all was said and done, Mom said she felt good about having me there to speed up the process, help make decisions, and of course, clear stuff away so that it wasn't sitting around the house.

These projects are so much easier with a buddy! What kind of home projects do you like having a friend or family member help out with?