So I realize that we are each born with certain strengths and weaknesses. I have many strengths that I am greatful for and MANY weaknesses that I wish at times would just go away. But I'm sadly stuck with them. For better or worse they are mine to deal and work through.
Many of my weaknesses have to do with emotional/relationship things. They are painful and I'm not a huge fan. I'm going to say I pretty much know I have years to work on them before I will be free of them. That's not what this post is about.
The one weakness I loathe and wish would change over night is organization. I am a crappy organizer of items. I often walk into people's homes and am just flabbergasted at how they can keep a house neat and tidy all the time. WHERE DO THEY PUT ALL THE CRAP??? The papers, the gadgets, the millions of misc. items that you just couldn't possibly have a place for? What do you do with it all?
My neighbor across the street is the prefect example of this. She is the mother to 3 very active boys and yet her house always looks immaculate. ALWAYS!!! I know she cleans a lot, but I also know she does a lot of other things. It is something that truly boggles my mind. I can't wrap my brain around how to do it without going out of your mind everytime you clean something and then 10 seconds later someone makes a mess of it.
I need your help blogging friends. Tell me how you do it. How do you do it and stay sane? How do you keep yourself motivated? Where do you find the energy? Tell me, tell me, tell me!!!!
9 comments:
i don't do it. i try to keep a balance. i know an immaculate home is not going to happen here - and i don't think it should since i have little kids.
but that can be hard, because cleanliness (or at least things picked up) can make my day.
so i try to limit the messes to one area. when the kids want to move on to something else, then the previous mess is cleaned up. the boys have to clean their rooms up before they come out in the mornings.
so i just try to keep clean what i can - like getting the dishes done. and let the kids be kids. even though it can drive me a little crazy.
i'm certainly not an expert, but what i do works for me. also, i have only one child who naps and goes to bed early. i also have a very helpful husband, which i know not everyone does. however, here are some things that i do.
first, if the stuff truly is crap, toss it. and do it now.
second, find places for stuff. if you don't have places for things, then they'll never ever get put away properly because there's no where for them to go.
third, once everything is pared down and has a place, the biggest thing i do is this "touch it once" thing. i don't set anything down in a temporary place. things get put away once, and to the right place.
it's kind of like the dishwasher. if the dishwasher is empty and people put things directly in it, then the sink will stay nice and clean. but the first time someone just sets something into the sink, it's over! everyone else will join. so put things away once and properly.
i know it's not so helpful. i really wish i could come out there and help organize you! good luck!
I don't. We have piles stacked on piles. One day I got so fed up I moved all of our piles to the computer desk to get it out of the way and the pile was huge!!!! It took us nearly a month to really tackle it all. I tried to purge heavily and without abandon for our last garage sale. It seems as though we got rid of NOTHING!
I too have longed to understand the mind that can manage it all.
When they walk through the door what do they do... what do they do during the day that is different than what I do... what do they do with all the papers: homework, invitations, forms, things that you need frequent access to. I feel like I need a room filled with bulletin boards and they would still be full.
And the laundry!!!!!! We recently combined our 3 FULL baskets of socks into one HUGE basket and decided to get rid of some socks!
But our bedroom never feels like a bedroom... it feels like a laundry room.
YUCK!
So everyone with helpful comments - keep it coming!!!!
Erin - please come organize me!!! You could come in May and then go up to Nauvoo to see Emily. I'm dangling a very real carrot here. I love the "touch it once" philosophy. I will try it.
Thanks everyone for making me feel like I'm not the only one that struggles with this.
Megan,
I'm with you. Luckily my mom-in-law is an organizing wizard. I just tell myself that she probably wasn't that good when she had 4 young children, at least to make myself feel better. So I'm learning, but it is frustrating and I'm not great at it. I agree wholeheartedly with what Erin says-- the "touch it once thing."
Just to forewarn you before Ellie starts school and the paper-barrage begins! Get a file box with files for "School information", "Ellie's completed work", "Ellie's homework-- to do", etc. Save only her special papers, chuck the rest immediately-- it's RIDICULOUS how much stuff the kids come home from school with, and you will drown in it if you don't get on top of it immediately.
As for laundry, check out this laundry sorter at WalMart: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11072983&findingMethod=rr&
They used to only cost $30 in the store, so go check. I bought one for the kids', one for us, labeled each of the four bags "Whites", "Darks,", "Lights", "Brights"-- color coded. This goes with the "touch it once" idea and saves from the extra step of gathering and sorting before washing. When it's time to wash, you just take the "Whites" bags, empty into washer, etc.
Have 5 laundry baskets-- one for each person-- and fold them into according baskets. Or I fold laundry on my bed and put my & Derek's clothes away immediately, only putting kids' clothes in baskets. Ellie is not too young to teach to put her clothes away (Luke is getting the hang of it with my help.)
Choose 1 or 2 days per week, and just GET IT DONE! I don't care for Mondays, but at least I don't have laundry looming all week long.
Hope this helps a little!
Meg,
I am great at organizing but not at actually cleaning. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.
I throw out all papers that come in the house as soon as I look at them. Then I keep those stand up magazine holders in a cupboard in the kitchen with each labeled for a different family member. Those get cleaned out about once a month.
I schedule a different load or two of laundry for each day. Then I don't get bogged down with it all on one day and I have time to get it done and put away by the end of that day.
We have a magnet board to hang homework and assignments on but I like to keep most things in cupboards out of sight.
Finally having our own house that is big enough for us helps a lot. I am constantly getting rid of things that are brought home. If it doesn't have a use and a place we don't keep it. We don't store things just in case we might need it later. It is either useful now or will never be, except for seasonal items.
The kids each have a box of clothes to grow into and a box to grow out of and they have to keep them in their own closets.
I know it is a constant battle. If you set a good example and teach the kids to put things where they belong or they will be thrown away then it really helps. We are serious if we set a deadline to clean things up and they are not we take it away and usually throw it away.
"Everything has a place and everything in its place" is my latest philosophy.
Good Luck.
So I'm in your same boat. I will not settle for the answer "you have kids your house is suppose to be messy." My house is often, but I will not settle in my quest for an organized home.
So I love hanging around friends that DO have this quality down pat.
Some observations I've made and am working them into my habits:
THROW AWAY THROW AWAY THROW AWAY.
don't keep things out of fear you might need them one day. chuck IT! (minus things that should go in your file cabinent)
Only have things in your home you LOVE.
Everything HAS a home.
for instance: the remotes go in this basket. unpaid bills go exactly in this spot. It is their home. you don't have to think about it when you clean up just put everything in it's home.
Everything has a home and everything in it's home.
5 minute pick up at the end of each day and sometimes after lunch. set the timer. REally only 5 minutes and your house looks multiple times better.
another is fold your laundry on your kitchen counter. Fold it while it's hot. When I do it in the living room while i watch tv or something.. it drags out. this is my sister's trick... I can't make myself turn this to a habit yet.... but when I DO my laundry day goes way faster.
Crystal Hunter's home is one of those homes... let's ask her her tricks when she gets back in town...
if you figure it out...let me know! i am going crazy right now with trying to keep it all in it's place!
p.s. although i've never used it, i have heard super good things about the "fly lady." google it and you'll find her.
Post a Comment