Confessions of a slob

story1267

story1267

Cathlete
OK, I admit it. I'm a slob. I've always been one. I'm tired of it and want to change. Here I am, a grown woman, got kids, got a job, got a wonderful boyfriend, trying to make some positive change in my life and the life of my kids and the people around me (feeling humbled after reading Clarissa's post).

But there's not a clean surface or tidy space in my whole tiny apartment.

I checked out Eliminate Chaos by Laura Leist and I've read it and actually am doing the bathroom today (smallest room = smallest mess).

But I wanted to hear from anyone else who has been in this same spot and gotten organized and managed to stay that way.

I imagine that in a lot of ways it's like fitness. Identify what isn't working and change it, and change the mindset at the same time. I seem to be getting that part but I need help with these piles of paper, and things that have no home, and too many kids toys that they won't give up, and Oy, the Pictures!!!

TIA!
 
Suzanne - this makes me itch to come to your place and organize it. What can I say? It's what I do:)

You need to be pretty ruthless, especially with a small space. Find storage boxes for things like pictures (they make specialty storage boxes for just about everything now). When you say paper, do you mean things like bills? Kid's school notices? When stuff like that comes into my house, I immediately sort it into trash, filing and to do. The trash obviously goes into the trash. The filing goes into a basket (or sometimes I'll just file it immediately) and the to do goes into another basket. School notices go into a binder. Invest in a stapler and a 3 hole punch and some binders. If you do things like cut out recipes, get some of those clear plastic sheets that are three-hole punched, stick the recipes in those and put them in a binder. Get a calendar and USE IT. If you have paper that has appointments, etc. on it, write the appointments down on the calendar and get rid of the paper. In your kitchen and bathroom, you can get these little interlocking baskets that you can store just about anything in. I use those a lot.

As for kid's toys, I know it's hard to get them to part with things, but maybe you can go through them with them and have them donate some to kids who can't afford toys? That works with my daughter with toys and books she's too old for. Things like fast food meal toys just get tossed when she's not looking ;-)

Let me know if there's anything else specific that you need help with.
 
Shelley-

Great advise......I think we should start our own business or at the very least have a show on HGTV. I got happy just reading your post!!!
I am a organizing junkie!!!!
 
Teri - isn't it great? I think a show on HGTV would be awesome! I'm actually toying with the idea of starting up my own organizing business. I just need to somehow come up with the confidence to do it:)
 
You may want to check out fly lady (http://flylady.com/, and she also has a book out). Her style may be a little too touchy-feely and goofy for some, but I think her advice is great. I still haven't actually started using her method...but I moved and am finding it hard to finish unpacking at the moment so things are more chaotic than usual (not a good excuse I know but there it is).

Anyway, the main part of her philosophy that stuck with me is that perfectionism is what keeps many of us from having neat and organized homes. This is totally true about me. If I could just use some spare time here and there (say 15 minutes 2-3 times per day), I know I could accomplish a lot over time and eventually achieve an organized and pleasant home. But since I know that's not enough time to finish something and make it perfect, I don't do that and things get more chaotic, and it gets even harder to begin or to even know where to begin. So her advice is to do what you can in short spurts of time, not to overwhelm or "punish" yourself with huge amounts of work at one time. She offers lots of ideas and techniques for how to go about this.

Anyway, I'm planning on attempting this one of these days! Good luck to you.

Amy
 
Thanks for the replies! Shelley you crack me up every day. The bathroom is actually coming along and I do have a little starter set of baskets and bins and I see that those are the answer since the Things are categorize-able and can go together.

As for paper - it's mostly kid paper. Both kids have, oh, issues, educational and medical and between the doctor's reports and IEP stuff, and then every little thing they've done at school seems like such an accomplishment, and DD's amazing artwork - it's gotten way out of control. I know I don't need to keep it all and I am beginning to get ruthless (bought a shredder the other day!).

I do have a bunch of binders and page protectors and I'm putting DD's artwork in the binders.

I guess what happens to me is that I see the mess everywhere I turn and it becomes overwhelming. It's so hard to find a place to start. But I am starting.

As for kids toys - the only thing I can do is throw them out when the kids aren't here. Not sure how long until they figure out what "I think that must be at Daddy's" actually means. :p

OK, I'm off to tackle the bathroom some more and maybe shred some old receipts from 1997!
 
Suzanne, I get rid of toys when Sophie's at her dad's too, and she has NEVER, not once, noticed.:p

It sounds like you're off to a great start. It really does help to just do a bit at a time, tackle it one room at a time or however works for you. Trying to do everything all at once just ends in tears.
 
>> every little thing they've done at school seems like such an accomplishment, and DD's amazing artwork - it's gotten way out of control. I know I don't need to keep it all <<

My DD is just in her second year of preschool, but all the artwork they bring home is crazy! I kept a few special pieces and the rest I took digital pictures of and threw the art away. She was very excited about having the pictures and didn't seem to mind me throwing the art away.

Lori
 
(Ever so quietly I have to admit that I have bins full of preschool artwork upstairs in my attic storage area) (Oy.)
 
Fly lady helped me quite a bit. An idea I heard for artwork storage are clean unused pizza boxes. Pick a few representative pieces and trash the rest. And don't turn it into a PROJECT.
good luck
 
My house was getting out of control so I had family members come over and help, got everything done. Such a relief, so now I power clean. Everyday I go around the houses straightening everything up. so it does not get out of control. If you do this everyday, or make a schedule everynite then you will keep this under control... It works for me, i wish you the best of luck. Hang in there..
 
Thanks everyone! I finished the bathroom yesterday and it looks great. Well, if you don't look at the "vintage" '60s yellow and grey tile and the peeling paint from the upstairs flood. I just need a bin for the cleaning supplies and a couple of smaller ones for handy access to the daily needs.

I'm very much at risk for turning these activities into projects. Plus I get anxious about getting the Just Right storage thing. I'm trying to just relax and let it be something that will adapt over time.

Trying to tell myself that, just like being fit, I deserve a clean, tidy, calming and peaceful home and the best way to have that is to be Organized.

Happy Weekend all! I'm at the lovely BF's so I don't gotta clean nothin'!
 
Annette Bethel

You are not sooo alone. Lately I have been trying to clean out one thing a day. I have a box dedicated to Goodwill. Of course this is slow going, but I feel that I have accomplished something, besides, taking a nap and working out :D.


I have so much more to do including making an appointment to take workout cloths/shoes for consignment....
 
OK, My house can get untidy and I would LOVE to have Shelley come over and help organize:D I clean but the daily putting things where they belong stuff doesn't seem to get done.
 
Amy and Jody - I had a second to check out flylady today online. She looks like she's worth some more investigation. So I'll do more studying after the kids go to bed.

And then I'll clean my kitchen sink! :p
 
I'm with ya Suzanne! I've been working on it for years and I'm better, but not there yet.

I've been mucking out my office over the last few days. I can see my desk (totally) for the first time in about 6 years. 2 shelves down and 3 to go in my last bookcase. Then the top of the filing cabinets and I'm there (at least in terms of "straightening").

Still have some boxes of stuff to sort & file, but I"ll get there.

Now if I could just do the same at home...
 
I'm going to try thinking about it as just another type of fitness. Somehow I think this one is going to be tougher than the diet and exercise but at least now I do understand about building habits and repeating things long enough for them to 'take'.

I clearly recall not too long ago having to literally take a shovel to my kids room to find the floor.

Sorry Shelley! I hear you shuddering! :p
 
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