Schooling at Home Like Me? Let the Pros Organize!
Did you know I have five kids? I do. It’s nuts. But hey, that’s what happens when you’re a little crazy. And my house is on a whole different level of crazy. Ask anyone who knows me well. On top of the zoo our house is, I’m not the most organized person. I’m an enneagram 3, and while I have lots of strengths, being on top of things is not one of them. I’ve been known to leave my checkbook in the freezer (true story) and my sunglasses on the back of our toilet (also true). So when my three middle kids learned they’d be starting the year virtually, I knew I’d be drowning in paperwork by day 3. And by week 3? Yeah. I’d honestly be so overwhelmed, I’d stop caring. (Sorry teachers, also mildly true.)
What was my plan, my very organized, almost meticulous, husband asked. Uh? Plan? Wing it and pray? Well, as free-range as that sounded, I knew it wouldn’t be a great idea for me or my kids. I knew I needed to organize, so I called in the pros. Enter, The Springer Sisters.
The Hiring Process
I reached out and told one of the owners, Tanya, what I needed help with. We decided that not only would she help me create a space to keep all virtual learning stuff organized and in one place, she’d also help me clean and organize the closet below my stairs, so I’d actually have SPACE to put the school supplies when they weren’t needed. I was on board! Let’s go!
While I was ready for them to just come over and over-haul my closet, that’s not exactly how the process works. First, Tanya contacted me about the day that both she and her sister Holly could come over and check out the space. They allotted an hour to essentially snoop through my catch-all space (y’all, it was SUCH a disaster!) and take exact measurements of the area. They also evaluated what storage boxes or cartons I already owned and if they were a good fit for what they had planned. I really loved this, since it showed they’re mindful of reusing and repurposing things as well as helping save money!
After the initial consultation, they sent me a written contract and an estimated price, which included their hourly rate, the estimated cost of supplies, and a shopping fee. Overall, the price was in line with what I imagined it would be. (If you do find that the price of a job isn’t in your budget, let them know! They LOVE knowing what you are willing or able to spend; it helps in their planning.)
Purge Purge Purge, Clean Clean Clean
After I signed off on their contract, they scheduled the actual day to come organize. It happened that they could come back about 1 week later, so the entire process was very quick. They allotted four hours to do my big purge/clean/reorganize. Each project is different, but apparently my catch-all closet really was a disaster. They also went shopping for the new supplies and brought it all with them when they returned.
The Springer Sisters literally do it all. First, they brought and set up their own table. Then they emptied my entire closet. They sorted my entire closet. They threw away my entire closet. JUST KIDDING (mostly). But they did approach me about things to toss or save. I gave them “free reign” to choose whether or not to throw something away because I am not hoarder nor am I attached to old art projects my kids did when they were 2.
The End Result
All I can say is The Springer Sisters are like magical fairies. They transformed not only my closet, they created a rolling cart with everything I need to help my kids learn virtually.
The cart is AMAZING and every person schooling from home would benefit from one. Containing custom file folder holders, bins for pencils, art supplies and workbooks, it is a one stop school stop! Plus they added hooks for headphones, cords, and chargers. If you don’t believe me, just check out the before and after pictures. It’s incredible. So incredible, in fact, that I’m having them come back to organize my daughters’ shared bedroom. Watch out, barbies!
