CLUTTER! CLUTTER!

I like to watch Jon and Kate plus 8. I've watched them since they first had the
kids and am so STOKED that they have their own series on television now!

Kate is organized and bent slightly to the anxiety side of emotion in certain situations.
I have to say that, though I usually keep my cool there are some things that
make me overreact and I enjoy watching another intelligent, put together woman
lose it the same way I do, on occasion. It just makes me feel better.

At any rate, Kate made the smart decision to have a look around her home to
see where improvement could be made. She noted that, because she LIVES in
the home that her eye isn't the best in discerning what needs to be taken care
of first. She brought in another woman to help her decide what kind of
furniture was needed to organize their space better.

They literally went to EACH and EVERY room of the home with a notepad
and pencil. They measured, made notes and the "newcomer" to the home
suggested that piles of this and stacks of that need to go. Kate, well, she didn't even
see the stacks of this and that until the woman pointed them out to her.

It is important to note that because, I think we all do this. We walk around our
home in the same path each day and in doing so, overlook heaps and piles
of disorder in the process. They become part of the comfort of our home so
we just let them be. I am no exception.

I decided that I would have a look at our home yesterday. I had to do this during the
kids nap time and between running Kazz to college classes so I decided to just look
at the downstairs first.

I walked down the step with the mantra in my head looping...
"You have never been here before. How do these people live?
Would I decorate this way?"

I walked off the last step, looked at each corner and along the walls
of the room. My eyes stopped on piles of clothes, books that were
not read, old curriculum, toys of disorder and disrepair, assorted bits
and piles of paper, a ragged rug, stained shoes and other stuff.

What in the world?!

This is where my children play and where the laundry is done.
This is where the videos are kept and video games are played.
This is our den and it was ...horrible!

Have you seen those over sized, extra durable, HUGE Black lawn garbage bags that you can buy at Home Depot?

I filled 4 of those yesterday in our basement. FOUR!

I still cannot believe all that "stuff" was just laying around down there collecting dust. I mean, you know, I wouldn't go out and buy that stuff and put it there so what was it doing there?!

So, I've decided this...

If I look around the house and I see a spot that is NOT the way I would decorate it or arrange it if I were to just move in, then that spot no longer looks like that. Either I get rid of the stuff, arrange it so it fits well or I give it away.

With that thought in mind, I went into the twins room. One of those HUGE garbage bags full of underplayed with toys, paper, broken toys and just what-not, was taken out of that little room! Interesting enough, when they went in to play they played longer and didn't notice one thing missing!

I'm done using my home as a catch-all. I'm no longer up for storing things away and/or paying to store things that will or may be used once or twice more. It's all going out the door. If I NEED it in later days I'm sure I'll be able to find one used or at a second hand shop. Libraries are nice too ya know!

Stuff is flying out of this house left and right...and...

I like it!

Go ahead, I dare you. Walk through your home - coming in the back door or front - as if you've never been there before. Give a survey of how those people live and don't forget to look in the closets.

Make sure you have garbage bags on hand...you're going to need them!