Somethings Got To Give

I've posted before here and on Facebook about how messy my house can get. And how quickly it seems to happen. The amount of clutter in my house really does affect our quality of life. Not in a Hoarders sort of way, but in ways that are less obvious to those around me.

  • It keeps me from inviting people over for impromptu conversations and play dates.
  • It keeps me from homeschooling because there is no clear space to do it.
  • It keeps me from relaxing in my own space.
  • It keeps me from staying home more because I feel stiffled by my surroundings.
  • It costs my family money because I spend more to leave the house, rebuy things I already have, or don't use my coupons because they don't stay organized.

I could blame it on our small space. But I have friends with even smaller homes which are always neat and clean when I stop in for random visits.

I could blame it on the kid's toys all being kept in the Living room. But that doesn't address all of the clutter that is created by the adults in the house.

I could blame it on the other people in the house. But secretly, I think I am the worst offender when it comes to creating clutter.

Those things are just excuses to cover over the fact that we own too much stuff. I am on a serious decluttering mission. I want to declutter like I have to move our family into an 800 sf home. I want life to be simpler because I have fewer things to take care of or move around. I want to be able to breath freely in my own spaces.

So, this morning, I reintroduced myself to Fly Lady, the program that kept me organized and neat when I was a working mom. It should definitely work now that I am a stay at home mom!

I also created a Cozi account for our family and linked all of the Fly Lady zones and Flight Plan to it. I hope that having the reminders on the phone will keep me on task. I can't wait for the next 27-fling boogie to pop up!

What tools do you use to keep your home neat and clutter free?

Comments

  1. AnonymousThu Nov 10, 03:32:00 PM EST

    I hope everything works out for you in the clutter department! I know how you feel and I don't have kids that add to the energy of the home front. I've been working on this for years ever since I got married. It really is sad that as a culture and society that our things tend to own us rather than the other way around! My goal is to be able to move all of our stuff (minus the furniture) out of our apartment in 3 hours or less. Right now we're paired down to about 6 hours. Good luck with the program!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFri Nov 11, 12:38:00 PM EST

    Ok, so I think my sink looks exactly like this even at this moment in time. I even have the same rubbermaid containers!! Decluttering and organizing helps. I've been trying some fly-lady type strategies as well, even though I haven't clicked over to the website yet. We moved several times in the last few years and that has helped us. Moving is such a cleansing experience. I've found that with kids reorganizing is constant. I usually go through dressers and toys every 6 months. Right now I have Monday slated as 'kitchen' day, but that means by Friday it looks pretty bad. My mother-in-law does not sit down or rest at night until all of the maintaining tasks are done. She does that days laundry and dishes and picking up before plopping down in front of the TV. It is so hard for me, but maybe that is the answer... dunno. Michelle T. (mmesser@rocketmail.com)

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