Personally, I blame it on the dishwasher fiasco.
Well, that and years of piling stuff up. And up. And up. And not completely unpacking when we moved into our home nearly nine years ago.
And the fact I'm a pack-rat and Aaron is a hoarder.
(Oh, yes he is. Don't you look at me like that. We even watch the show Hoarders occasionally and he? He sympathizes with the people on the show while I fear what our home will become if we doesn't start making a dent.)
But!
(And let me state I'm not a fan of New Year Resolutions. It just so happened that the dishwasher fiasco - the instigator - randomly happened during the holidays. And I had plenty time of reflection while washing the damn dishes by hand multiple times a day.)
This time, I am trying to lead by example instead of my usual getting-fed-up-and-throwing-an-almighty-hissy-fit tactic. Something tells me this doesn't work.
For starters, I've been slowly easing my way into the FlyLady system (which? oh my god the amount of l-o-v-e they talk about. goodness). Yes, I totally realize I'm joining a bandwagon on this one, but if it works for so many people there's a good chance I can follow it as well.
It's my goal that shining my sink will lead to clearing out and organizing the basement. I hope to store items we're keeping in rubber bins (classy) and line the finished basement "family room" walls with them, instead of the shtuff taking all the space now.
I hope that by doing so, Aaron will make a dent in his cave (which is So Full, the door doesn't even open fully) and have it cleared out before gardening season arrives. This will give me an opportunity to paint the room, rip up the carpet and start living in our space instead of storing crap in our space.
And while we're talkin' pie-in-the-sky hopes (ha), I also hope to maintain my home in a manner that anyone can drop by at anytime and I won't feel humiliated by the state of my home. I'll save the hope for always-on-hand-freshly-baked-gluten-free-cookies-to-offer-our-guests till next year.
See? I'm a totally reasonable person.
Those icicles have been known to KILL people!
10 comments:
I wish you the best of luck, and FlyLady is a good place to start! I am hoping that this is the year that people actually hear me when I rant, "It doesn't have to be clean, I just want to see a PATH!"
I've been getting the FlyLady digests for a little while now. I am not totally on track, but I am a little better. :) I ordered a Rubba Swisha the other day and Chris thinks I am insane for so eagerly awaiting the delivery of a TOILET BRUSH.
Best of luck! Am trying to tackle our house too, and it's no small task. Mike did clear out The Room Full of Bins in the basement and turned it into a guitar cave. We still have a few bins to go through. Have found a little bit of treasure and a whole lot of crap, and I think that will probably hold true for the rest of the house.
Best of luck!! I am sure you will get everything done.
yes, I do flylady too. some parts make me a lttle nutty, but a) the methods work, b) the products are awesome and pretty inexpensive. We cannot live without the calendar, and the amount of gunk that the dryer kit removed was astounding. And she helps me with the get rid of 20+ things every day. Because gary's mom was a keeper and my grandparents are hoarder show-level hoarders. good luck with it- it takes time but you'll see results.
Ah yes, the "CHAOS" effect (can't have anyone over syndrome) -- I understand completely!!
Use to blame it on having a kid (boy) -- but said "boy" just turned 18!! Doesn't seem to ring true anymore!!
Keep us "informed" and "alerted" as to your continuing clean-out status!! (ha - go get 'em girl!!)
Bonnie
I am on a similar path this year. Over the last ten years, we have moved three times but been in our present home, which we own, for about five years. I have the issue with unpacked boxes. I also hold onto things for sentimental reasons. Some are valid; Most are not.
And then, yes, the husband is a bit of a hoarder, as well as our 17-year-old daughter. It's something that we are all working on this year.
I do believe that our surroundings are an indication of what's going on inside our heads. I'm decluttering my mind and feeling clearer headed. Now, it's time for the house to match my mind.
Good luck!!
I had never heard of Fly lady until your post. Thanks so much for the info! I don't have a shiny sink yet, but I'm about to!
ha! the l-o-v-e is a little overwhelming. but it is working for me. xo.
I had a car accident and am now in a wheelchair. Because of the chair I now live in half my split level house. Pack rat hubby has taken over the other half for stuff. Even as he carts it upstairs and I sort and mark it for donation he then, not loading it in the van and dropping it off, takes it back downstairs and forgets where the Goodwill pile is and so a year later we do it again. Oh and in the space, all the math department supplies that had no home as his high school reorganized and he thought might be needed for summer school or night school. But I have hope because he has promised 12 hours of decluttering before Christmas break (which ended last week)!Damn! Better luck to you!
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