Taking my Cue

So my posts of late have kind of strayed from the "what my kids are doing lately."  Not that my kids aren't amazing and wonderful in every last little thing that they do, but it doesn't excite me anymore to only post things like our trip to the museum/mall/restaurant/dentist/garden/playground/grocery store, etc.  BUT, please note that I am always interested in reading about YOUR kids doing these things! :)  For some reason, I'm more interested is using this space for other things in my life*, probably because I scrap all that other activity stuff for my kids to remember.  Perhaps this is more of a journal for me, so that maybe one day my kids will have something that lets them know me a little bit better (of course, this would require me ensuring that this blog is somehow preserved permanently for them, and I haven't gotten around to this.  Hence the following post...)

*this is not to say that I won't post my kids happenings here anymore.  I DO love the things that we do and I DO love to take pictures of it and I DO like to share about it.  Perhaps I should say I'm broadening my blog scope.

I'm taking a cue from KR's most recent post on clutter.  Perhaps you also remember my recent post on my number one hot spot - my laundry (BTW - I've had a number of responses with suggestions; I'll share next time).  I read her post and my first thought was, "WHAT? Who let KR in here with her camera, and who told her to take a picture of the counter between my refrigerator and my garage door and post it on the Internet???"  And then I realized that it was not my counter because I usually  keep my insect repellent on the dining room table.  But I felt this bit of relief when I saw the picture.  I am not alone in my clutter.  There are at least 2 of us, and I hazard to guess that perhaps there are even 3.  So anyway, taking my cue from KR to do something about it.

So what to do?  I don't really know. I'm just taking the cue and heading on stage with nothing prepared with the piano player playing the same 8 bars of intro music over and over again.

I'm a do-it-yourself-er.  I don't mean that I build my own furniture, decoupoage things, lay tile floors, or sew decorative throw pillows.  I mean that I like to figure things out on my own.  I don't really want to read a book to have someone tell me how to, say, decoupage.  I want to think about it and figure it out and then maybe look online or in a book for answers to particular questions that may come up along the way (let me just state for the record that have no intention of ever decoupaging anything!). I don't really see myself reading books on organizing my hot spots.  But maybe if I actually make a list (gasp!) here and hit things one by one, I can accomplish something. And maybe I can link back over to KR and see what she's up to and take some of her ideas...I think she's nice about sharing like that. :)

First, the laundry.  ONE thing I have figured out this week is that we have too much laundry.  There are too many clothes in this house.  I blame the children's clothing industry for making little girls' clothing cute.  Stinkin' cute.  So I'm paring down the clothing child by child.  Don't be surprised if you find a bag full of garments sitting on your doorstep. :)  A second thing is that I need to get over myself and just put the folded laundry away.  Just put it away!  And a third thing is that I need to declutter the lovely counters I have in the laundry room so I can fold in there.  Then if I have piles of folded laundry waiting to be put away (which I WON'T!), I can shut the door and not see it.

Second, storage.  I am blessed to have a house with ample storage.  I have cabinets, drawers and closets galor.  There are drawers in my kitchen, laundry room and bathroom that are stuffed that have not been opened in a year.  Do I really need whatever is in those drawers?  Perhaps our new paper shredder is up for a tasty meal.  I think I need to make a list of the drawers, cabinets and closets that are in this house and then make a list of the kinds of things that need to be stored away, and then match them up.  Kind of like e-harmony for things like batteries, tools, cleanering supplies, paperwork, stationary, linens, pens, paper, utensils, appliances, medications, insect repellent, etc.  Well, maybe more like realtor.com.  If everything that is necessary to keep on hand has a designated home, maybe it will all go home!  (I'm sure most of you already do this - remember, this is a journal for ME, so I can be accountable to myself and my family to get things in order and keep them that way).

I think that's enough for now.  Tackle the laundry issue, clean out some storage spaces and assign homes to the things that are left.  Then I can work on whatever clutter issues are left.  Things like the clutter in my head - all the stuff I know I need to do in a day but that I get distracted from by other clutter in my head.  Things like finding myself walking into a room with one purpose, getting distracted by something that needs my attention, and then forgetting why I came to that room in the first place.  My goal for the year is to create a space for me and my family to breath in.  To be able to relax and think clearly in.  To be grateful for and be blessed in.  So thanks for the encouragement KR!  Maybe we need to team up somehow.  Seems like that would take some organizing . . . ;)