Simplifying

So ever since we moved for residency, I have been trying to simplify. Get rid of junk, and really get the new house in order. Somehow I just can't get it done, there is always some sort of distraction or I just can't make it a priority. (I somehow can however make creating a 5 course dinner a priority, since I love to cook)

I work from home 3 days a week so this should not be impossible to work in some housework. We don't have kids, just pets...so I have NO excuse. I have grown to hate those commericals with the women in their perfectly pressed J. Crew Cardigan vacuuming their perfectly clean house, their biggest problem is which air freshener will spurt out just enough of the perfect fragrance the instant they walk by it. ( I mean really, can't you just get out and spray if something stinks?)

Anyways, I am looking for tips on simplifying/ organizing. How to get "caught up" on everything. Anyone figured that out yet??

....or maybe life is just always a bit busy and a bit messy

[Pollyanna]

No advice here, but I will be following this thread closely...

[poky]

When we moved here for school, I had the same resolution, and have *mostly* been able to make it work.

Basically, as we unpacked, everything had to have a place. If it didn't have a place, one needed to be found/made, or it was something we didn't need. The root of clutter problems, for me, is things not having places. Once everything has a place, it's a relatively simple matter of making a sweep every day or two and putting things back in their places. I don't worry as much about *clean*; I wipe down surfaces when I notice they're dirty, and send the roomba around the floors when they start feeling gritty, and we have cleaners come once every 4-6 weeks to be a little more thorough.

Of course, 2.5 years after we moved in, there's still a stack of about 30 boxes in the basement that I have to sort through; it's down to mostly junk, memorabilia, and stuff from my cube at my previous office job (most of which will likely get tossed when I get to it). Those boxes are my current big project; I now have a couple bookcases in my office upstairs that I can put stuff from the boxes on, and the closet there is also empty (ready for boxes of memorabilia - the next project will be going through them again and organizing/making scrapbooks, etc.).

Of course, I don't actually have complete control; DH's office is relatively messy (though even he's done better in this house than the previous one), but it's all his stuff, and the door can be shut, so I just don't worry about that. We also have a small stack of boxes of stuff in the attic - things we don't need in this house, but will likely need if/when we move back to our house in Oregon, or might need in whatever house we DO end up in next....and there's a 10'x10' storage unit in Oregon with a bunch of furniture and tools and books and legos and other random stuff we didn't need/have room for here but didn't want to part with, either.

[medpedspouse]

Do as I say, not as I do. Have you tried the FlyLady?

http://www.flylady.net/

I did, and it actually worked. The 15 minute spurts work great. It helped me in the past. HOWEVER, I had totally forgotten about this until you asked the question. Somehow, it did not become part of my life/daily routine because ever since we moved (we have lived here for over 2 yrs now) I am in the same boat you are - trying to get rid of stuff with little motivation.

I may start today.

[MarissaNicole]

If you don't know what to DO with stuff once you know you want to get rid of it, a good resource is www.freecycle.org. You sign up for your local area and there seems to be someone who wants what you no longer need.

I will be following this thread closely too! DF and I are moving in together in May. My goal is to clear out/organize my crap before that happens. The best thing to do would be to get on it now since he's away on aways. I just haven't had the motivation. Gonna check out flylady this afternoon. Keep the tips coming!

[MrsK]

I agree with poky's advise. My mom used to say (imagine this sing-song style) "A place for everything and everything in its place." This seems to have been hammered into my head but it really does work.

Simple routines are good too. For instance, do laundry on Tuesday and Friday. Go to the grocery Sunday morning. It keeps things from piling up, I like that it's predictable, and I like that I don't have to worry about the chore when it's not that chore's "day". I've been trying to work more scheduled housekeeping in -- such as choosing a day for vacuuming or a day for cleaning bathrooms but that's been a little more sporatic because I really hate those chores.

I found the flylady to be a bit cumbersome but she has some good tips -- such as cleaning in 15 minute spurts. Just a quick run around where you put things into rooms/areas that they belong makes a big difference. Also, I try to never leave a room empty handed because there is always something that needs to be returned to its rightful place. I think that may be a FlyLady tip but I don't remember.

[scrub-jay]

For me it is mostly the paperwork - old filing cabinets full of who knows what and boxes from our last move brilliantly named "Knick-knacks" (never to be opened. What has been working...for me - carefully breaking down each daunting task into a list of smaller tasks. I cannot reorganize our entire family filing system in one weekend, so usually I look in the office, sigh, and walk away. But since I made small goals, I seem to get more accomplished. Last weekend, my goal was to sort 2 boxes of papers. Just 2, and then I could go out to dinner and movie with a group of friends.

My point though is to break it up into manageable tasks or lack of motivation to do a "big job" will demotivate you before you start. I have a long, long way to go to get my house in order, but I am prioritizing and breaking up jobs.

I really like "Real Simple" magazine (or website) for organzing tips.

Good luck, I am in the same boat with you. DH and I are both notorious pack rats (I am by far worse than he is).

Do as I say, not as I do. Have you tried the FlyLady?

http://www.flylady.net/

This is a great tip...I will definitely try it! Sounds entertaining too...

[houseelf]

I recently spent a day and a half of my life cleaning out the subbasement. I took two full minivan loads to the dump, four to good will, and packed up some stuff for other people.

SHAMEFUL! We had stuff that we forgot that we had. We even had made repeat purchases of things that we already have. I truly respect the minimalist movement and find myself drawn towards it (although I'm not totally practicing it).

Since I am blessed with someone to come clean once every three weeks, I take it upon myself to declutter some space a couple times a week. (Those of you without kids would be shocked to know how little people crap accumulates and the "mad professor" leaves papers everywhere.)

I keep a box in my laundry room full of Good Will discards and make a trip about once a month.

I also live by the rule, "If in doubt, throw it out!"

Kris will now join this thread to admonish me because she hates when Thomas does this to her. Yeah, I'm that person.

Kelly

[Flynn]

I love a simplified life. It's like CRACK to me (or how I picture it being ).

In our house we have areas that may clutter from time to time but everthing has a place and we put things away in our house. I love to purge and for the most part am a "less is more" person. I'm just now loosening the purse strings a bit and being a bit fun and not so damn frugal in my post training years.

I detest piles that I need to "get to." I get a high from buying shoe storage for the garage at Home Depot and packing up clothes that no longer fit one of my kids. They either go to a relative or into storage for a younger child. The more organized we are the more our kids can get things on their own and learn self-sufficiency. It's a win win to be organized no matter how I look at it.

I make lists and give myself two weeks to accomplish 5 big tasks. After the kids go to bed I require myself to be productive for at least one hour (unless I have a big task) and then I force myself to relax for at least an hour before bed.

With this being said I am perfectly willing to close the playroom doors at night and make a path in my middle son's toys to end the day and tuck him in. I'm not THAT anal.

[houseelf]

[QUOTE]With this being said I am perfectly willing to close the playroom doors at night and make a path in my middle son's toys to end the day and tuck him in. I'm not THAT anal. [QUOTE]

This is the key, my friend. Having things put away so you know where they are but also just living your life.

Kelly

[Sheherezade]

The key to FlyLady formulas is the routine. Honestly, if you can set up a routine for the things you forget to do and stick to it for a few weeks, you will be well on your way. That said, life happens so be quick to forgive yourself for backsliding, too.

I've recently tried to conquer my two biggest clutter issues. First, incoming mail and desk paperwork clutter. I've resolved to recycle IMMEDIATELY and go through everystinkingthing on my desk each week mercilessly. My second big bugaboo is piles of clean folded laundry that never make it in to drawers. So far this school year, I've managed to NOT go to bed with a full laundry basket waiting to be put away. I've got lots more bad habits - but I think it is best to try and build new habits a little at a time.

"Everything in its place" and "do it now" are words to live by.

[MrsK]

Another thing: Once you designate places for things, try to get your family on board. DrK is not good at putting things in their place. He'll empty the dishwasher and just put everything into the nearest cabinet or drawer regardless of where it actually belongs. So, I'm constantly finding measuring cups among coffee mugs, gadgets among silverware, etc. *sigh* I just remind myself to be grateful that he is emptying the dishwasher. I've at least taught him to put dirty clothes in the hamper. We are working on putting dirty dishes in the sink.

[Flynn]

Another thing: Once you designate places for things, try to get your family on board. DrK is not good at putting things in their place. He'll empty the dishwasher and just put everything into the nearest cabinet or drawer regardless of where it actually belongs. So, I'm constantly finding measuring cups among coffee mugs, gadgets among silverware, etc. *sigh* I just remind myself to be grateful that he is emptying the dishwasher. I've at least taught him to put dirty clothes in the hamper. We are working on putting dirty dishes in the sink.

OMG that would not go well in our house.

DH is almost as freaky as I am about where things should go.