Back in February of 2019, Family Day weekend wasn’t just another long weekend for us. It was the weekend that changed everything.
You see, our spare room/office had become the dumping ground of our house. And when I say dumping ground, I mean it. If it didn’t have a home, it landed there. If it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing when guests came over? Into the room it went. Hosting became a routine of walking around the house with armfuls of random “stuff” and tossing it behind that closed door. (You’ve done that too, right?)
By then, we’d lived in our home for nearly 10 years. When Mr. All-Ways and I moved in together in 2009, we merged two whole households. Those of you who have lived with someone you know what this meant. Doubles, extras, and “someday” items we just couldn’t seem to part with. We should have dealt with it then, but instead, we did what so many of us do: shoved it out of sight and promised we’d “get to it later.” Well, later turned into a decade. The closet was bursting, the door barely closed, and honestly? The stress of knowing that room existed weighed on me every time I walked down the hall. Every. Single. Time.
So that Family Day weekend, we decided: enough.
The process
Friday night, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We didn’t stop until Monday afternoon. It wasn’t glamorous, like at all, I don’t remember a moment that I wasn’t sweaty and emotional. We sorted, we tripped over half-open boxes, and we had more than a few “why on earth did we keep this!?” moments. But piece by piece, bag by bag, the mountain of unmakde decisions started to shrink.
Our little red Saturn Vue became a hero that weekend. Seven (yes, seven!) full trips later, we had donated to thrift stores, childcare facilities, seniors’ homes, and women’s shelters. We hauled loads to the recycling center and even one to the dump (yes, there was actual garbage in this mess of a room too!). Every time we came back from dropping something off, the room looked a little lighter, and we felt a little lighter.
The transformation
By Monday afternoon, that chaotic dumping ground had become a true multifunctional space: a proper spare room, a functional office, and a reasonable (not overwhelming) storage area. For the first time in a decade, the door could stay open without embarrassment.
The relief was HUGE. It wasn’t just about the tidy room (although that part was lovely) it was about walking past that door without the nagging guilt of “someday we’ll deal with that.” And the look on Mr. All-Ways’ face? He saw how intentional and multifunctional the room had become, and he was instantly on board.
Especially in the weeks that followed when we were able to break our habit of throwing things in the room, because there was no clutter in there. It felt wrong to add something random to the room that had a spot for everything, and that random item instead made it’s way into the donation box in the garage. This one room was the domino that tipped the rest of our house into motion. (Once you see what’s possible, it’s contagious, mostly because it feels SO good!)
By the even of that year where no one left the house, aka 2020, we had organized nearly every corner of the house. And I had this little thought that kept whispering: If this feels this good for me, imagine how amazing it would feel to do this for others.
The spark
That whisper grew into a spark, and by fall 2021, I was quietly taking on projects for my Mama’s cleaning clients. A small closet, a fridge, even a couple pantries. One thing led to another, and on December 1st, 2021, All-Ways Organized officially launched. What started as one very overwhelming spare room became the heart of a business I absolutely love. Helping families, busy professionals, and small business owners reclaim their spaces and feel that same wave of relief and accomplishment that I had in 2019.
If you’ve got a spare room, a closet, or even just a drawer that’s become your own little “dumping ground,” you’re not alone. (Truly, we all have that spot. We JUST cleaned out our under the stair storage room last weekend, and yikes!) And if you’re tired of closing the door on it, I’d love to help you tackle it.
Because if one Family Day weekend could spark an entire business, imagine what even a few hours spent on your space could do for you.
Ready to feel that sense of relief and accomplishment in your own home? Click here to book a connection call and let’s chat!
