Ok, so yet another organizing post. I am starting to attempt to do my version of spring cleaning, even though Spring isn't officially here yet. With trash day tomorrow, I decided I would be good and clean out the fridge. I really need to get a system for storing leftovers, reminding myself what I have in the fridge and what needs to be used when. I couldn't believe what I threw out. Here I am trying to be money conscious, a little green, less wasteful, etc, and here I was throwing out all sorts of food that had gone bad because I had forgotten about it, or because I wasn't really sure if it was bad, but I didn't want to take the chance. My older son is going to pre-school in a couple of weeks, and I want to keep all of the paperwork I need somewhere safe. I want to have toys put away yet accessible for me to get for the kids. I have started putting some things in bins, but I think I need to be better at organizing the toys and only allowing certain things out at a time. I think I need to get more bins, shelving, space so that I can have a place to put eveything. I want to have their art stuff accessible so that we can do projects without trying to find the supplies. I want to have their favorite toys all together so they can easily play with them. I want to have a living room where I can feel comfortable having people over no matter when they may pop in. I want my kitchen to look clean and pretty, like other people's kitchens instead of cluttered and crazy.
Right now, I have a bunch of things that I want to work on, but I need to remind myself, babysteps. It didn't go crazy over night and it won't be fixed over night. I just have to take baby steps each day and maintain what I have already completed.
I would love my own desk, but I have no idea where I would put it. Maybe in the spare room that is just being piled with toys and clean laundry right now? I really need to utilize my space better. I kind of have a plan and I just need to follow it.
Amy
You need an organizing buddy, or two, or three. Another set of eyes, preferably belonging to someone who doesn't live at your house, makes a huge difference. Having someone offer suggestions, even ones you don't take, can help you see things differently and open up possibilities. Plus your organizing buddy can help keep you on task and accountable.
ReplyDeleteSo make a date with an online friend where both of you organize something and check back in when the job is done. And the next time you have someone over for a playdate, invite the mom into your kitchen and say, "I'm trying to clear my counters, but I'm having trouble with xyz. If this were your kitchen, what would you, do?"
I also have a question for you? Is your clutter surface clutter, hidden clutter, or both? For example, my kitchen cabinets are all perfectly organized, but we have so many large counter top type appliances that I don't have cabinet space to store them, so my counters always look cluttered even when the kitchen is spotless which doesn't happen that often. Add in my husband who honestly tries, but is a natural born slob, and two 5 year olds who use the kitchen as arts and crafts central and do help pick up after themselves, but are still just little kids who are learning and well, the kitchen can go from clean to disaster in just a few short hours.
My best friend keeps her counters spotless, but I can never find anything in her cabinets because she stuffs everything into the cabinets haphazardly just to clear the surfaces. Her kitchen looks tidy, but there is no rhyme or reason to where she puts things so she wastes a lot of time trying to find ingredients and/or tools to prepare a meal. Plus she buys extras she doesn't need and food goes bad because she doesn't know what is in her cabinets. Fortunately, she lives alone and doesn't cook much or she'd have an even bigger problem.
Both situations are problematic but the solutions have different starting points.
I love organizing (cleaning, not so much) and I'm really looking forward to the girls heading off to kindergarten in the fall because I'll have some nice big blocks of time to really dive into my organizing projects. It's time to deal with the problem ares that have gotten out of control since the girls were born. You really have to cut yourself some slack. Even those of us who love to organize have trouble keeping up with little children at home. Every time we find a system that works, the kids grow and change and we have to find a new system. It's exhausting and disheartening. Know that you aren't alone and each little bit helps.