Red Light! Green Light!

I am on a 40 day journey to a well-ordered home through the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton. Feel free to grab the book and join me.

Alright, I have dreamed my dreams, assessed my organizational level, and now it is time to start implementing small changes. We are challenged to decide on three habits to stop, three habits to continue and three habits to start. These are supposed to be simple changes that propel me towards my dreams of orderly living.

Stop

• I am going to stop being in charge of ministries at church, and limit our commitments outside the home.

As a wife of a pastor it is so easy to get swept into the many great ministries and activities that take place in our church. It has taken me a long time to see and understand my role and where I fit into the life of the church. I have had to ask the hard questions... What does God want me to do with my time? What does my husband want and need me to be doing? How can I best support him?

I started out feeling that I should have a ministry that I did personally. Or, at the very least, minister at my husband's side. This was especially felt in youth ministry. I wanted--and still do want--to be part of what is going on and ministering to the young girls.

But, over the past year God has made it abundantly clear through his word and through my husband what His will is for me. My ministry is being a wife and mother (Titus 2:4-5). In addition to that, my husband needs me to be his behind-the-scenes supporter. He needs to come away for a while and rest in the peace of our home. If I am constantly in the middle of all the church activity and bringing it into our home, where will he rest and replenish his soul?

I have been going through the sometimes painful process of pulling out of activities. This has truly enabled my husband to accomplish so much more in ministry. It has also made me more available, that way when he needs me to step in and help out...I can!! I let my husband pick and choose which activities he wants us to attend and participate in. This is one way I can accept his leadership and protection over our family. It is actually freeing for me, because I don't feel conflicted, obligated or guilty in anyway. Saying no is so healthy!

By the time our third baby is born I will no longer be in charge of anything or volunteering specifically in any ministry at the church. This sounds so wrong. But is it? Ministering to my husband and my children is a full-time, 24-hour ministry! It is vital, it is God ordained and husband sanctioned. It's better to be in God's will than fulfilling my own ideas so I can feel more fulfilled...or worse yet, trying to meet the expectations of others.

Furthermore, this is a season... my babies will not stay babies forever. They require a lot of care and attention right now. If I am stretched too thin in every direction...do you know who will suffer?...the little ones!
Continue

• I would like to continue to stay active physically. Doing pilates and walking really energizes me and helps me to get more done.
• I want to continue to try to get my daily chores done. These are the bare minimum chores that I set up in my Super Flipper. 
• I need to continue to find time for prayer and Bible reading. This may or may not include being part of a Bible Study Group. Either way, I need to be in prayer and in the word. I need to commit everything to the Lord.

Start

• I want to start setting a timer for myself when I get on Facebook. That way I don't space out and waste a bunch of time.
• Actually complete one organizational project/room before starting a new one.
• Declare our bedroom a 'No Dumping Zone'--- as in not allowing any more baskets and items to be brought in there until they are dealt with.

Stay tuned... next journal entry will be about Day Five.

The truth is in the toilet paper...

* I have invited my blog readers to join me as I go through the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton. I will be journaling about my 40 day journey to a well-ordered home and life... 

On day two we are asked to take the famous Felton Toilet Paper Test.... it helps to measure our level of organization based on how we handle a new multi-pack of toilet paper.

I am not sure what my grade would be on this test.... what happens to multi-packs of toilet paper in my house was not even an option on her test. And I found it ironic that this test was in the book considering that the TP sitch in our house has been driving me crazy.

Here is the life cycle of the toilet paper multi-pack in our house.

• The toilet paper is brought in from the car, but placed on a desk in the middle of the house. Or, on the floor in my bathroom.
• For a while I was able to store it under the sink in the main bathroom. However, a mouse came in and ate it all. Then we had to clean it out... and trap the mouse... and remove said mouse... and then clean it out again. (This process got stalled in the final cleaning phase). Additionally, the toilet paper holder in that bathroom is broken... we have a new one that is just waiting to be installed.
• Since we have no place to store the toilet paper and no place to hold the roll... rolls go rolling through out the house. The girls love to TP their bedroom, and drag the roll all over the house. I usually end up throwing out a grocery sack full of TP when I clean their room. 
• So, it is not unusual to sit down on The Throne only to discover that someone has hijacked the TP. This results in yelling for the children to come and bring you some. They bring a TP roll from some hidden place in the house. And you just use it, because when you are delivered TP in this manner it is better to be on a 'don't ask, don't tell basis.'

Just for grading purposes I think it is safe to say that we have failed the Felton Toilet Paper Test. The challenge of this day is to look at what I am already doing and then take it up a notch or two. I am glad to report that the space under the sink has been cleaned and the toilet paper now has a home. I am able to disperse the rolls between the two bathrooms. And hopefully someday soon that toilet paper holder will be installed.

Dreaming a Fabulous Dream!

On day two of 'Organizing Magic, 40 days to a well ordered home and life.'

Sandra Felton challenges us to dream about what we want our homes to be like. 

I like all of the examples she gives in the book. But, here are my personal dreams that I want to add to that list.

In my dream home ...

1.          The stuff we have would fit in the space we have. If at all possible I don’t want our 1300 SF house to feel stuffed to the gills. In this perfect dream; the number of books we have would fit on the book shelf, the clothes we have would fit in the drawers, and we would only store what we have room to store in the shed.
2.          Every item would have a space and a place. If I noticed an item laying around I would be able to pick it up and immediately know where to put it away.
3.         My kid's bedroom would be able to be picked up in 10 minutes or less and the girls would be able to pretty much do it all by themselves. They would also be able to safely play in their rooms, and have a reasonable amount of toys.
4.         I would not be fighting a clutter war all the time. Instead we would be able to tidy up the whole house in 30 minutes. Then I would be able to actually do daily cleaning chores to maintain the house. And… spend more time doing other things!
5.         Our home school materials would be contained, organized, and usable.
6.         I would have what I need and use what I have.
7.         I could be ready for guests in a flash, and be able to entertain on a dime.
8.         My bedroom would be a restful, clean and romantic place to be… rather than the overflow and dumping ground for all things that need sorted.
9.         Our home would be a peaceful place for my husband to come home and recharge and study. Rather than an overwhelming place with a chore in every inch he can see. 
10.      My counter would not be the clutter magnet that it is!!!
11.      Of course I would also like my home to be described as stylish, orderly, peaceful, calm and homey. I don't want it to be so clean that no one feels comfortable. I also don't want to be a slave to my home. But I would like it to be a peaceful dwelling place for my family to reside.

   Well, that's the dream. Now to work towards making that dream a reality!

Working the system, Making it work for me

For those of you just plugging in, I am going through the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton and have invited you to join me. We are just getting started so it is not too late to join in.

On day one of Organizing Magic Felton mentions the Messies Annonymous Flipper. This is a system to help you maintain your home. And, I happen to have this system. 

This includes a day by day plan to maintain your house through daily, weekly, and monthly chores. It also has an option to set up a rotating meal plan complete with shopping lists. It has a guide and instructional CD to help you set up your system.

Setting up my Flipper system was a project. I listened to the CD several times and poured over the guide...and really it is not that complicated! I just had to really think about what chores needed to be done and how to clean my house. Did I want to do the room by room approach? What chores needed to be done daily? How often should we be washing curtains...something I hadn't really thought about. In the end I ate a lot of dark chocolate but managed to set up the system.

My Super Flipper in hiding. 

As you can see the Super Flipper comes with this very streamline photo album to hold all your chore cards. On one hand it is great because you can tuck it on a shelf and it isn't something that is going to add to the clutter in your home. However, I tucked it away a little too easily! And unfortunately my Super Flipper was yet another victim of the out of sight out of mind phenomenon.

When I started reading this book it reminded me of the system I already had in place. But, I had to do something to make it work better for me. My solution was to put my Flipper System front and center.

So, I went to the Goodwill and bought two table top photo albums for about $2 to $3 a piece. One of them has significantly more pages...In this album I put all the cards that make up my days of the week chores. The other album has the daily chores. These chores need to be done everyday, but they only have one card per week.

The next change I needed to make was to give myself a little reward when I finished my chores. When I complete my card and check off all my chores I can flip the photo album around. On the other side I have a cute picture, or a verse or quote for me to look at. It truly is a reward to not have my chores staring at me in the face.

Enjoying one of the cute pictures I get to see when my chores are done.

So far this has worked much better. It is also much easier for my husband to take a look at what I wasn't able to get done and he can help me check one or two off the list.

In the end... I believe the Super Flipper is something I Like A Latte!

40 Days to Fabulous!- Day One Journal

Well, here we are... Day One of the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton. I am so excited that several of you have taken up the challenge to read this book and attempt to have a more well-ordered home and life.

I may not do a post about every single chapter...I may combine a few days, but we will just have to see where this journey takes us.

Here I am. Day One.... and I am just coming out of two weeks of letting the house go. First week I hurt my foot and could hardly stand on it. Second week... nasty cold/sinus infection. The result... my house is super messy and overwhelming and desperately needs an over haul. In addition... I am overwhelmed by the task.

So, no place to start but at the beginning!

I found this chapter to be a great jump start. The phrase that best sums up this chapter is..."Make your life easier!" We are supposed to pick out tips from this book that are going to make OUR lives easier. We need to be willing to try new things, and carve out the time to devote to changing our habits.

I think for me the two biggest challenges I have ahead of me are: reducing the amount of stuff in my home and breaking my own bad habits and trying to teach my children new and good habits.

The quote that sent my fist shooting up in the air with and exuberant YES! was:

"The purpose of this book is not to ratchet up the details of your life a notch or two. It's not designed to help you fly higher and longer, to be more of a hardworking perfectionist. You're probably already expending most of your time and energy and don't want to expend anymore.
This book will help you work less and still accomplish your aims- maybe even better than before and certainly more efficiently."- (Sandra Felton, Organizing Magic)

Here goes nothing!!! (In actuality, here goes a lot of things... right out the door!)
I need to get my home more organized to make my life simpler... so therefore the solutions that produce the organization can't be complicated systems to maintain.

Springing into Cleaning

After we found out we are having a boy, the nesting instinct started to kick in. In addition to the nesting adrenaline, we got a bit of Spring sunshine. Where we live winter is a long dreary experience... sun is a novelty. (If it happens to come out while we are driving in the car, poor Rose starts crying and demanding we turn off the light.)

When the sun does start shining through after the long, long winter....suddenly it is apparent that it is well past time to dust and wash windows.

The combination of making room for baby and spring cleaning produced an overwhelming desire in me to get my house in order. Plus, we are making plans for a little Baby-moon....and I would love to have everything in order before we go... an admirable goal.

All these forces coming together...Spring Cleaning, Nesting, and Baby-moon Deadline. I was one part motivated and one part completely overwhelmed. Time to make a plan!

Step #1: Time to commit my ways to the Lord. As always God wants me to have a heart for him. He wants me to be a devoted wife and mother. He also wants me to have a worshipful and peaceful heart.

Step #2: Start lining up some help. I have two small children, limited energy and a husband who is working full time who is also in Seminary. I am going to need some help with some of these jobs, especially with organizing the shed.

Step #3: Consult an expert. There are a lot of great organizing experts out there, but my expert of choice has been Sandra Felton. She is the author of The Messie Manual, and Organizing Magic. She also founded Messie's Anonymous. I like that she is a reformed Messie. Her tips often pertain directly to those of us who are prone to be Messie.

I decided to work through her book Organizing Magic. I invite you to go through this book, which is a 40 Day guide to a well-ordered home.

I will be writing about my journey through this book. Order the book and join me! It will be more fun with buddies to share the road with!

So order your book! Shake off your feather duster and let's get our houses in shape!!

Recovery... The Final Chapter of Mamma Shouldn't Get Sick

Through all the ups and downs in health my health we noticed that our family fell into a pattern. 1. Prevention 2. Survival Mode and 3. Recovery. 

This article is focused on the Recovery Phase. Throughout the years I would enjoy seasons of improved (if not precarious) health. Recently due to my treatments with OSB I have been able to get a taste of true Recovery. The Recovery Phase is when you start to pull out of Survival Mode and suddenly become aware of your surroundings.

For me coming out of survival mode always feels a bit like the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. The girl was asleep for 100 years… and so was her entire castle. When she woke up there was 100 years of dust and weeds around her castle. Now, fortunately for Sleeping Beauty she has a whole castle full of servants who were really rested to help her clean it up. But, the rest of us wake up from a physically and emotionally draining time to a huge mess.

If I could sum up the Recovery phase in one word it would be: Overwhelming.

The blessing of Recovery is that you are feeling better. But, in many cases you may just be barely better. I know for me, after some of the surgeries I have had, I found myself on my own with my house and my kids and I didn’t have  my strength back.

The Recovery Phase is tricky because you are recovering on multiple levels. You are recovering physically and have to build up your strength. You are recovering relationally; your family has been missing you and is ready for a steady you to be present in the living room, rather than your bed. And you are trying to recover your house out from under 100 years of mess.

Here are a few tips for the Recovery Phase:

1.     Commit your ways to the Lord. Thank him for this new phase, ask for the strength to meet this challenge of recovery head on.

2.     Hydrate, take your vitamins, and rest as needed, get outside and get some fresh air. In other words, don’t over-do it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and trying to recover from Survival Mode in a day will just send your health back into the dumps you just came from. Pace yourself, do what you need to do to continue to gain strength and put distance between the present and that last health upset.

3.     Be physically and emotionally present for your family. It is easy to let the state of your house and affairs to overtake you at this time. Be mommy in the midst again. Be the wife at your husband’s side. Be available for hugs, present at the dinner table. Try to be super observant and in tune with your husband and children. Go on a date with your husband. Do something fun and out of the ordinary with your kids. Enjoy the moment!

4.     Get a plan of Action and someone to help you. Sandra Felton the Author of Messie’s Anonymous suggests using the Mount Vernon Method. You start in one corner of the house and work your way around the home. This is where you start. Sorting and purging and cleaning each room before moving to the next.

a.      Prioritize. Start by getting the main spaces livable….Get the kitchen to a functional level.  Tackle Laundry Mountain. Swish that Toilet.

b.     Smell hunt… find out what that smell is…Your front loader, that drain, something in the fridge.

c.      Clean something that your husband will appreciate. What is your husband’s happy place in the home? Make sure the bed is clear for him. Clear a path between the door and the computer.

5.     Take Baby Steps… when your baby first learns to walk every step is a accomplishment worth a round of applause. This is what the Recovery Phase is made of! Each little step towards Recovery is a victory. Rejoice in each accomplishment. Don’t get bogged down with the end goal, celebrate each victory. With each step you will gain momentum. Recovery is like slowly peeling away the layers of an onion. (And sometimes you cry during the process.) Layer by layer you will peel away the mess left behind from Survival Mode and in the end hopefully find your family and your kitchen counter in the process.

Like A Latte: A pen for all reasons

I love it when a normal thing that is just laying around the house gets taken to a new level of usefulness. As a writer I have a thing for pens. But there is a certain kind of pen that gets used to the max around here. The dry erase marker gets the gold star! (Wet erase markers work great too! Just be sure you don't confuse it with that other pen that is often despised by mother's everywhere.... Mr. Permanent Marker)

What can you use a dry erase marker for... other than a dry erase board? Glad you asked! Let me count the ways!

1. For laminated charts (take a trip back in my blog and see a few that my children and I use daily) These charts are great visual reminders of what needs to be done. They are also wonderful teaching tools that can be used again and again.
5210 & Chore Chart
Weather Report Chart

2. Ever have water glasses sitting out all over the house? One great way to cut down on confusion and dishes. Simply write everyone's name on their glass every day.

3. Decorate your mirror. I am notorious for writing notes to myself on the mirror. This is often where I put my 'To Do' list. I also write items that I have to remember to take with me the next day. On a romantic and more encouraging note.... you can substitute the dry erase marker for lipstick and write your husband a love note or encouraging words of scripture.

** This is an especially wonderful idea if you have a daughter that spends a lot of time in front of the mirror. The mirror can often be a place of self scrutiny and a spot where we focus on the beauty we lack rather than what our Creator sees. Take the chance to counteract those negative thoughts with beautiful words and scriptures that will point your children back to the One who made them and loves them.

4. Prevent leftovers and meals in the freezer from turning into mysterious monsters of grossness. Label the food and put the date on it. Then just wipe it off when you are done with it!

Who knew that a pen could be used to prevent so much waste and clutter? Happy Marking!

(A word of caution: Do make sure the pen is in fact a dry/wet erase marker and not permanent. Also test out the surface before you write all over it. I made this mistake by writing on my oven hood....oops!)

Counter Action

As a recovering Messie one of my recurring messes is my counter. My wide open space of counter top is really just an over sized stuff magnet. In fact I think that we may be able to scientifically prove that "stuff" is actually magnetized. It is my firm belief that if you place anything on a counter top it starts to take on magnetic properties  Stuff begets stuff. Stuff attracts stuff. (I am pretty sure that food storage containers self propagate!)
This magnetic process starts out very innocently. You go to the mail box, you set them mail on the counter, you walk away. Or, your kid does an art project and not all of it get's cleaned up. And next thing you know you are conducting a therapy session for lost, broken, misplaced and homeless items. I am not sure if the items on my counter need therapy, but I sure do by the time I finish a whole day of trying to clear it off.

And really, who wants to spend their whole day cleaning off a counter? I could be doing more productive things like cleaning the bathroom!

In all seriousness, my goal is to stop having to battle the clutter everyday all day. I'd rather spend an hour actually cleaning the house instead. Then do something else!  Busting out a few chores each day is so much more rewarding than spending a day rearranging clutter around a home.

So, I decided to get serious and do some major counter intelligence! Here is my process:

Photo #1-- The Old Normal

Step 1: I took an inventory of all these seemingly random things that ended up on my counter. I did a case study, if you will, of what typically found its way there. This study was conducted as I put things away.

Step 2: I reviewed my inventory and looked for patterns. Then I found spots for the frequent counter offenders. This way the next time they ended up on my counter I could swiftly put them away.

I easily eliminated stacks of paper by following my friend Melissa's advice. She fills a magazine holder with pocket folders and quickly files all those papers that need to be accessible yet need a home off of the counter. Each person in the house has a file folder, and each major activity your family does has a folder. For instance we have one for church papers, a folder for phone numbers and directories, and one for local community and preschool places and events.  It works!

In my inventory I found that a huge amount of clutter was due to my daughters love of paper and crafts. I dedicated a drawer to all her papers. This eliminated me trying to sort through them at all. I just scooped all her papers and put them in the drawer. (I also created a system for keeping kids art.... more on that later)

Light at the end of the tunnel! This is at least functional.

When cleaning the counter off I always end up with a pile of random stuff I don't know what to do with. These random items usually end up in a laundry basket that I take from room to room looking for homes for it all

Step 3: Remove whatever does not need to be on the counter from the counter. Since I am a believer that stuff has an inherent magnetic property, I decided to remove as many magnets as possible.
I got rid of my paper towel holder, spice rack, and the decorations I used to put at the end of the counter. I also made a spot for the blender in the cupboard. Even if I use something every day... it still does not need to be on the counter. We don't keep all our glasses and plates on the counter (well I hope you don't)--- how hard is it really to just get something out when you need it?

Step 4: Do a clean sweep a few times a day. Have zero tolerance for counter clutter. Take that mail to the trash, don't let the kids pile their toys on the counter, find a place for that item...or get rid of it.  These are all new habits that I am having to retrain myself to do and encourage my family to do the same. 

Victory! Now to keep it this way!

The Table: The Missing Link

One of the joys of getting a handle on the clutter in my house is the rediscovery of furniture. One piece that we have been missing for quite a while is our dining room table.

It has always been my intention to have regular... if not daily meals at the table. What young wife doesn't envision her family sitting down like a Norman Rockwell painting while she swoops into her chair--- Cool, Composed and Collected... not to mention Chic wearing her 50's style vintage apron. 

Then reality hits... AKA…babies enter the picture. As I look back over the past three and a half years I see that we have tried to sit at the table. But many meals have been spent with me doing the nursing mom thing. Feeding me, feeding her, spilling food on baby and using the burp rag as a napkin. We tried variations of family table time with the baby in a bouncy seat, swing and then later high chair. 

However, I would often survey our average meal time: The girls at the kids table, Rory eating in his spot over the sink, and me sitting in a chair somewhere... or for the past six months after surgery I ate in bed and couldn't physically sit in a dining room chair.

So now, as a recovering back surgery patient, and a recovering 'Messie'--- We are embarking on new territory of meals at the table.

There are so many benefits to eating together at the table. It is a great time to reconnect, to teach manners, to enjoy our food and many more. One definite plus is that my kids eat more of their food if we sit down and eat with them. This is huge. The family meal table isn't just about building relationships it also leads to better eating habits in our children!

So pull up a chair! Bon Appetit!

Watch for some meal time tips and more benefits I have discovered along the way.

Funny Thing

Right now we are in the midst of planning a Wise Woman Workshop on Organizing so we had a planning meeting at my house. Seemed like a good idea... but wait! The cleaning and organizing experts are coming to my house... the newly self actualized Messie!
Fortunately for me these are my friends... and they have been to my house before.... and they still love me!

However, this wasn't that big of a deal because I had been working hard all week putting into practice my new method. The Mount Vernon Method. Apparently this is how they clean at George Washington's house in Mount Vernon-- you start in one place and work your way around the interior of the house cleaning and organizing. The place you stop at on one day is the place you start up on the next. AND, before I knew I was a Messie, I had already started sorting and cleaning and have actually made some progress. That is progress on most of the house....except our room. But who is going to see that! So I thought....
So I was feeling pretty good about my house when the ladies came over for the meeting.
Even better, just as the meeting was about to start my sister, Cara, called and wanted to Skype with the girls. This was great because she read them stories and kept them entertained during my meeting.... all the way from California!
All seemed well and good, until I realized that I couldn't find one of the books on organizing... in my room. My sister couldn't help but laugh as she watched me (from the computer screen) frantically root through my disastrous room looking for a book on organization.
Then one of the ladies in the meeting said, "If only we had a box of random things to sort through for our demonstration."
I just smiled and said, "I think I can help you with that."
I went to my room and brought out two boxes of random items that had been placed there when I tried to clean my room over six months ago.
The organizing ladies were delighted.... it was just what they were looking for! The scary thing is I had absolutely no idea what was in there. I did peek to make sure there was nothing too embarrassing. (I mean more embarrassing then having your junk box sorted in front of a crowd.) However, I would rather donate the boxes to science then  have to face them myself!
A little while later they said, "It would be so nice if we had a pile of papers to sort for our demonstration."
To which I responded, "No worries, I have a nice pile of papers you can sort through too."

Keeping Perspective

With all this talk of Messes and Cleaning I wanted to throw out the flip side. 

I have never had an experienced mother tell me that she wished she spent more time cleaning her house. They always say they wish they hadn't worried about it so much. Time flies and babies grow up so fast. AND kids learn through making messes. Kids also learn from helping pick up that mess. 

It is about balance. Part of that journey for me is learning how to bring that balance about. I want my kids to have room to play safely. I want to have a home my husband wants to come home to. I also want a house that is comfortable to live in.

Comfort is one thing I always think of when I think of our house growing up. It wasn't always the cleanest, and we did have clutter here and there, but we were comfortable. It was a nice place to be, and our friends liked to be there. My mom and my dad taught us how to work as a family to keep the house clean. 

I will always be thankful for the wonderful home I had the privilege to grow up in! Thanks mom and dad!

Here is a wonderful poem, a Wise Woman named Bonnie sent me this week. I thought I would pass it along to you too!

SONG FOR A FIFTH CHILD

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958

The Cleaning and Scrubbing Will Wait...

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

hang out the washing and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

but I'm, playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep. 

You have to be one to know one

Yesterday, I mentioned the revolutionary podcast where I realized that I am a Messie.

On the podcast Sandra Felton gave the identifying characteristics of a Messie.  As I listened I definitely identified with her list and realized that I deserve that title.

You are a Messie if:
1. You hate unexpected guests- right before Christmas, Great Nana was coming over to bring the girls presents. I turned into Tornado Sue and in a frenzied whirlwind I cleaned... OK stashed. (I had been sick and the house was really bad!)

Long painful list of Library fines. 

2. You can't find important things-- just that week we lost our first Library Video. (We have lots of late fees but this was our first lost item.)


3. You feel bad about how your house looks.

4. You feel bad about how your house works.

5. Inertia sets in when your house gets out of control

6. You are not visually in tune. You don't notice that the house is a mess until someone rings the door bell. You can walk through the house without paying attention to the mess.

7. You are not lazy, you work hard but your work does not bear fruit. (No one can tell you've been cleaning all day- You find yourself rearranging piles of stuff)

My stack of magazines I was saving to read.

8.You have a hard time throwing out magazines and newspapers because they are full of ideas and you are an idea-oriented person. I don't just browse through magazines... I READ them, and then tear out the good parts and make my own little book. BUT, this has become my cookbook. However, I got rid of the majority of this pile of magazines. (This was surprisingly difficult)  I am also planning to donate all the cookbooks I never use.

We used to have three jars of pens on the counter.

9. You are a perfectionist- this is the chief problem that hinders a Messie

10. You save stuff just in case you need it. But this does not do you any good if you can't find it when you need it. Or if you know where it is but can't access it easily. But there is something so satisfying when you do have a need and have just the thing you need!

11. You have lots of clutter--- There is a lot to be done in a Messie's house.

Our ONE mug of pens!

12. You are sentimental and like to save things.... like baby clothes etc. This week I donated a bunch of clothes the girls had out grown. (I did save a few special items.)


13. Writing a letter is very difficult because you have to find a working pen, stationary, stamp and address to get it done! (Hmmm... I think I have a few unsent thank you notes hiding around here from when Rose was born. She's two by the way.)


14. You keep lots of pens even if they don't work. I downsized our pen collection immediately. 

15. You have high ideals and are interested in important things - like your family. Is wanting to be Marry Poppins too idealistic? 

Show Stopper

While doing my morning walk on the treadmill (an absolute must if recovering from back surgery) I like to listen to podcasts. Well, there was one that I heard this week that almost stopped me in my tracks!
The podcast was from Focus on the Family, July 31, 2009, Coping as a Messie.
At WayPoint we are putting together another Wise Woman Workshop (seminars we put on quarterly where women from our church share their wisdom and expertise about a variety of issues). This month's workshop is on Household Organization.

I was blissfully walking along until I realized that this podcast was made for me! It is no secret or surprise that my house is a mess most of time. Since having children, my husband and I have tried very hard to get it under control. Various factors were working against us.... I am sick a lot, we had two children in close succession, breastfeeding, back surgery, no storage space or garage, small house... and the list goes on.
About four months after back surgery I felt like Sleeping Beauty must have felt waking up after a 100 years and looking at the mess the castle had become. I had so many helpers, but everyone put things in different places. The girls had outgrown clothes, summer clothes needed put away. A lot of stuff had come in, and nothing had gone out. Meanwhile, I was just recovering from surgery... not a lot could be done, at least not very quickly.
So, I  had already begun the slow process of sorting after surgery. However,  a revolutionary thing had come out of my surgery... a shed in which to walk on the treadmill...and storage! (Thank you to the many men who helped build the shed to make this possible for me) Having storage has greatly improved our living situation.
I digress... I was walking along on the treadmill in my miracle shed and I realized that beyond the circumstances that contributed to my house being a disaster most of the time... I was in fact a Messie person! According to Sandra Felton, people who have Messie houses usually have certain temperaments and tendencies that contribute to the sorry state of their houses.
Sandra Felton founder of Messie's Antonymous was discussing with Dr. Dobson about the characteristics of a Messie. I could not help but recognize myself in the description. My Messie tendencies in combination with our circumstances and my poor health were a bad combination. Out of this podcast I feel like God is beginning to teach me how to deal, and help my family deal with the ups and downs of my health. I work hard to get the house somewhat under control, then I am down-and-out for a week or two and the house gets completely out of control. Then I get better and have to work hard to get the house back to almost under control. In reality I can't get past the clutter to do any actual cleaning. This has caused me so much frustration, but I haven't known any other way to get past it! And round and round I go!
The ephiphany was that if I get the house under control, it will take less work and energy for me to maintain. I would love to get past just dealing with clutter day in and day out, and actually get to cleaning the house. In the podcast Sandra Felton was very positive and practical. She gave me a few simple solutions to get me started that I already put into practice that have made a big difference.
A second thought that occurred to me is that it will be easier to ask someone or pay someone to come and help out when I am sick or going through down times. People can come in and clean, but they can't really sort through your clutter. Then when I am better I won't have so much catching up to do. I am praying that we can end that cycle, and Rory and I can feel like we are moving forward rather then always trying to break through the clutter.

So... I ordered a few of her books with some Christmas money. I am excited to begin this journey from a Messie to a Cleanie. Change is hard, but so is living in a mess all the time!