After birthdays and Christmas we get the influx of STUFF! It's fun until I realize we have to find places for the stuff, which means get rid of what we've got or have too much stuff. It always seems like no matter what I do in trying to simplify, we always have too much stuff!
My husband has a hard time putting things away and getting rid of things in general, so that doesn't help. We've been in this HUGE house with tons of storage for about 8 months and there is a good bit of clutter going on. Normally it doesn't bother me because I'm so busy with other things, but we have a whole room filled with boxes from our move and things that we don't use all the time. I would like to use it for sewing and things like that...but where to put all the other things? Then there's the boxes of out of season clothing and shoes for the kids, boxes of toys that are 'in rotation', the lack of any good storage for office things like papers, mail, all that stuff and the little random junky toys and trash that seem to be in every crack and crevice no matter how many times I've cleaned it! How does this happen?
So then I decide that I need to take some time to declutter and organize, then I have to find or buy storage containers and set aside the time to do it without children around. I end up getting way stressed.
So, I need a system that I can work at in small chunks...guess I'll have to brainstorm a bit. The whole working in a 'zone' each week in the house doesn't work for me- drags it out too much.
Hmmm....
4 comments:
When I'm finished with my "zone" work (because we don't have near the clutter we use to), I move on to decluttering other areas that I never seem to get around to. This way I feel as though I'm staying ahead or ontop of things. This week is master bedroom. We don't have dressers or night stands in our rooms.. so that time will be spent decluttering either in the master bedroom or other areas around the house - like the bar or the furniture in the sitting area that seems to house folded clothes. :)
Once you get a system going, then it's much easier. Once you have a "home" for all your stuff, then you can manage it with your girls around.
But before that, for me anyway, I had to stay up late at night or take time during naps, to get organized. I just tackled it until it got done. Everything has to have a "home" - usually a box, or storage bin, or drawer or whatever. Until you get enough storage bins, suitcases work.
And of course, the biggest is just teaching yourself and your babies how to "work the system". Whenever they take something out - they need to know it HAS to be put away. That will take a lot of your time - to train them, plus just getting used to doing it yourself.
But once you get it - totally worth it!! I couldn't live all cluttered and messy - no way!
~Good luck~
Lori
I declutter and organize in chuncks... What I do, is make a list of all of the areas and things that need decluttered or reorganized, and then each Friday I try to tackle one of those areas for 15-30 minutes. When I complete one of the areas on my list, then I cross it off the list, and the next week I move to the next item.
Somethings take me several Fridays, while other things are easily done in a half hour on one Friday. :-)
I can't remember how old your kids are, but I think they might safely fit in a box... seriously! LOL! During my moves, I take the biggest box, empty it, put my kid inside with a few crayola washable markers. Voila! Instant babysitter. Fun "playpen". Gives me a good 45 minutes while they happily scribble on the inside of the box. Afterwards, I cheer for the beautiful "artwork", and then plop them in a tub of bubbly warm water and watch them ooooh and aaaah at the bubbles changing colors with the ink on their skin. They beg to do it again and again, giving me huge chunks of time. If the markers freak you out, you could always do crayons, but the result isn't as entertaining.
Hey, one box at a time and you'll have it conquered before you know it.
Take care!
H
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