Organized Cathletes - Help me!
- Thread starter jillybean
- Start date
LaughingWater
Cathlete
http://www.flylady.net/
I recommend starting with the Baby Steps: http://www.flylady.net/pages/begin_babysteps.asp
I don't do every single thing she suggests, but I still get a lot out of her advice, so don't feel you need to jump in with both feet. Just try a few Baby Steps and go from there.
Keep what works for you and leave the rest.
I recommend starting with the Baby Steps: http://www.flylady.net/pages/begin_babysteps.asp
I don't do every single thing she suggests, but I still get a lot out of her advice, so don't feel you need to jump in with both feet. Just try a few Baby Steps and go from there.
Keep what works for you and leave the rest.
LauraMax
Cathlete
I'm hyper-organized, to the point where if someone moves a vase in my house when I'm not there I know it as soon as I walk in the door. Also I've moved a lot in my life & that's helped me keep things streamlined.
That's a cool link Lori, & has some great ideas. There are some TV shows too, I think on DIY. If I were you I'd start w/one room in the house & not move on to another room until you've finished the first. Don't be impatient, & don't panic about it, just do it methodically & don't expect to finish quickly.
Something I learned on one of those shows is to make three piles, a keep pile, a throw away pile, & a maybe pile. After you organize/store the keep & toss the throw away, you go through the maybe & decide if/what you want to keep & whether you have room for it.
It might be less intimidating for you if you contacted your local garbage hauler & asked them if they could come take away a big load of stuff as needed, & how much they'd charge.
That's a cool link Lori, & has some great ideas. There are some TV shows too, I think on DIY. If I were you I'd start w/one room in the house & not move on to another room until you've finished the first. Don't be impatient, & don't panic about it, just do it methodically & don't expect to finish quickly.
Something I learned on one of those shows is to make three piles, a keep pile, a throw away pile, & a maybe pile. After you organize/store the keep & toss the throw away, you go through the maybe & decide if/what you want to keep & whether you have room for it.
It might be less intimidating for you if you contacted your local garbage hauler & asked them if they could come take away a big load of stuff as needed, & how much they'd charge.
bitmover
Cathlete
Don't look at the big picture (whole mess) all at once -- it's way too overwhelming. Start with small chunks -- even just one little part of your desk -- and work clockwise. Set a timer for 20 minutes, see how much you can get done, have a little break, and then do something else for 20 minutes.
-Beth
-Beth
tricia
Cathlete
I second that, Laughingwater
Go to Flylady's website, it walks you through how to get started and how to not get OVERWHELMED! I found her in April of 2005 and she helped me calm down and get a grip on my house (and life!). Dealing with three babies under 2 years old, I was ready to pull my hair out. Each room was CHAOS. You can dig out from the Chaos and get things back on track.
Let me know if you have any questions, I'll try to help.
Go to Flylady's website, it walks you through how to get started and how to not get OVERWHELMED! I found her in April of 2005 and she helped me calm down and get a grip on my house (and life!). Dealing with three babies under 2 years old, I was ready to pull my hair out. Each room was CHAOS. You can dig out from the Chaos and get things back on track.
Let me know if you have any questions, I'll try to help.
HaveFun
Cathlete
I consider our house fairly organized. The only tip I have is when things start to get unorganized or chaotic, it is time to get rid of stuff. Whenever our DDs have a birthday or some event when they accumulate more clothes & toys, I have them fill up a bag of clothes & toys to give away to keep things balanced. I do the same with my stuff, if I buy something new then something has to go - DH is not a shopper so his stuff is failry minimal. It makes the task of finding a "home" for everything in your house much easier when there is less of it
elliemom
Cathlete
Thank you Phyllis
I am the Queen of No Clutter!!!
I will start by saying- do one thing at a time. Otherwise you end up tearing things apart and having a horrific mess that you can't clean up!!!
And start small. Nothing worse than tearing apart an entire room with no plan in mind.
Everyday i open what little mail I get (I am mostly paperless) right over the trashcan. If it's trash, that's where it goes.
If it's a bill it goes into the bill holder
Announcements on the fridge.
Everything else goes right into it's FOLDER!!!
The key is Simple Living. I never have much to clean up because i don't own that much!!!! I hate knicknacks (dust collectors) and I refuse to have piles of anything in my house. I need to run out now but I will post a pic of my family room. And I have 2 little boys.
More tips tomorrow!!
ellie
I am the Queen of No Clutter!!!
I will start by saying- do one thing at a time. Otherwise you end up tearing things apart and having a horrific mess that you can't clean up!!!
And start small. Nothing worse than tearing apart an entire room with no plan in mind.
Everyday i open what little mail I get (I am mostly paperless) right over the trashcan. If it's trash, that's where it goes.
If it's a bill it goes into the bill holder
Announcements on the fridge.
Everything else goes right into it's FOLDER!!!
The key is Simple Living. I never have much to clean up because i don't own that much!!!! I hate knicknacks (dust collectors) and I refuse to have piles of anything in my house. I need to run out now but I will post a pic of my family room. And I have 2 little boys.
More tips tomorrow!!
ellie
CollinsMom
Cathlete
Whoa, I wanna be just like her^^^
goldenpath
Cathlete
jillybean
Cathlete
OMGosh!!!!!!!!! That is beautiful!!!!
Thanks so much for all the tips, ladies!!! They mean a lot and I will definitely incorporate them into my cleaning regime (oh, wait, I don't have a cleaning regime...).
Seriously, though, thank you!!!
DebD
Cathlete
Hi,
It's funny I should see this thread today. I was busy feeling sorry for myself about my clutter. I too have been using flylady and it has helped a lot. I have issues with letting things go. My boys are 18 & 20 and I still have a lot of there baby/toy stuff Clothes and paperwork also linger around for way too long.
We put our house on the market a few months ago without a realtor because we are trying to get a feel for the market and see about downsizing. We wanted to see what our options are in case of an emergency. I still have some rooms with clutter in the corners. My closets, attic & basement are still filled.
I feel so uncomfortable about showing my house while I am in the middle of decluttering. No one really knows how far I have come. To make matters worse my next door neighbor put her home on the market and her house was a mess, but they staged her house and it looks beautiful (in a matter of days).
Someday I hope to have a home like Ellie & Lauramax clutter free Just wish it were sooner rather than later.
It's funny I should see this thread today. I was busy feeling sorry for myself about my clutter. I too have been using flylady and it has helped a lot. I have issues with letting things go. My boys are 18 & 20 and I still have a lot of there baby/toy stuff
Clothes and paperwork also linger around for way too long.We put our house on the market a few months ago without a realtor because we are trying to get a feel for the market and see about downsizing. We wanted to see what our options are in case of an emergency. I still have some rooms with clutter in the corners. My closets, attic & basement are still filled.
I feel so uncomfortable about showing my house while I am in the middle of decluttering. No one really knows how far I have come
. To make matters worse my next door neighbor put her home on the market and her house was a mess, but they staged her house and it looks beautiful (in a matter of days). Someday I hope to have a home like Ellie & Lauramax clutter free
Just wish it were sooner rather than later.