I love a good project...

In my haste to de-clutter the house before returning to work, I've managed to collect a growing pile of old things I no longer need. A lot of those treasures went to a local shelter, but I've retained a few to re-purpose because I can't resist a good project.

Enter an old over-the-door shoe organizer. I cringe when I say that it's been hiding behind our closet door for three years...with NOTHING in it! Originally, I placed it back there because, well, it would be out of the way. And I guess it was. Until my inner cleaning goddess reared her ugly head and said "clutter be gone!"

I perused the internet and found several sites which re-purposed shoe organizers as wall planters. Very clever if you have a horizontally-spaced organizer made of fabric. Or perhaps you need a place to stow garden tools or electronics- again,  this works perfectly.

But if yours is vertical with mesh pockets like mine, let's just say it limits the possibilities.

And then I thought of something that manages to wreak havoc on us each year. Enter our garden supplies. Each Spring when the stores start displaying vegetable seeds, we snatch them up. Our storage solution? A shoebox and Ziploc bags that house various varieties of tomatoes, squash and peppers. A mess? Certainly! Good luck finding what you need when you need it.

Finally, a project made for my old shoe organizer. I inserted the seed packets, hung it up and at last my organizational craving is satisfied.

If you have any other re-purposing ideas, please share them!

At long last...

I have finally finished up my spice rack project, but must admit to some major procrastination getting in the way. Somehow all that negative mind chatter was doing its best to convince me I would never complete this task. But I finally overcame that nonsense and got right to work gluing my magnets onto the jars as soon as they arrived on my doorstep (what did I do before Amazon?!).

While I did purchase the heavy-duty neodymium magnets, I soon found that even they are not tough enough to hold up a full 4 oz. spice jar. The result- jars either sliding down to rest on my stove, or a misaligned menagerie of spices dotting the top of my range. So, my nephew came up with the solution above. And I happen to think it looks even better (less clutter and more uniformity)!

I'd love to know what you think about the finished product. : )

Is it really possible?

Is it really possible to get so excited about order and de-cluttering?! Apparently so.

And I must thank one of my dear friends, who just turned me on to a fantastic website that helps you maintain order and avoid chaos in the home!

Go check out FLYlady!

And I'm back after completing my 15-minute bedroom de-clutter blitz. Holy heck did that feel good, just throwing away with reckless abandon! I tend to agree that our bedrooms hold a lot of clutter because that's where we put things when we don't feel like actually "putting them away". : )

So gone are the work-out routines I've been saving (I'm not ashamed to say some were of the 1998 vintage!), the expired credit cards are in the shred pile where they belong, and those Martha Stewart-esque flower garden plans? To the trash- I live in the desert for goodness sake, and I didn't see any tips from Martha on how to avert jack rabbits and the neighbor's goat herd to foster the perfect flower bed!

Now off to your bedroom- I know you're just itching to find your own hidden treasures!

The Clutter Conundrum.

So there's apparently a very good reason why we hold on to clutter- that dirty little term known as "emotional baggage". I always assumed that phrase described one of those odd folks you dated back in college...maybe it was the creepy obsession with cats (all 10 of them), the hourly "just checkin' in" calls to his mother or the weird little "characters" he acted out during temper tantrums...but I digress... what on earth could "emotional baggage" have to do with the clutter in my house? It turns out quite a lot.

According to Daily OM, we are scared to welcome the future and are afraid of hurting others' feelings; that's why we hold on to the clutter from our lives. I've had this discussion with my Mum many times- why are you holding on to this or that? It's because FILL IN THE BLANK gave it to us (read: what if they show up one day and I don't have that tacky vase or ugly mug to show for myself?!). God bless my Mother! Apparently, she has a way bigger heart than I do.

I look around my house and see an absurd amount of trip souvenirs that must be nearly 10 years old. How about the spelling pin I was awarded in grade school...the costume jewelry from senior prom...keychains from my first car. This article is spot on. The reason I still have these mementos is because somehow I think that giving them up will erase those memories forever. The mind does indeed play silly tricks on a sleep-deprived, clutter-hunting woman.

Perhaps there really is something to that "emotional baggage" theory. But I don't have cats nor tantrum characters...I do however, call my Mum on a daily, but not hourly basis. One out of three doesn't make me totally unstable, right?! : )

Happy reading- I hope you can gain some insight, too!

The Weight of Objects

Tension Rod to Organize Cleaning Supplies?

So this is pure brilliance-and definitely on my kitchen de-cluttering "to do" list!

Oh, how I love thee, Real Simple!

Use a Tension Rod to Organize Cleaning Supplies

 The finished product!

There are times when it feels like the whole world is crashing around me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. It was one of those days.  I'm so very thankful to have a job in such a tumultuous economic time in our country, even though ultimately it means working long, irregular hours away from this sweet, little boy and my wonderful husband. While I try not to focus on going back, it manages to linger in the back-burner of my mind. How will I ever find this balance I crave to play the various roles in life that are so important to me? When will there ever be enough time?

And then this popped into my inbox:  Quality vs. Quantity

Indeed, it seems that Daily OM had this message in mind for me. Quality versus quantity. I have learned that I focus too much on quantity of time spent with someone or pursuing something, instead of remembering that the quality of time I spend doing these things is far more important...even if it's but for a small segment of time.

And so it is- my first real lesson in embracing time and the space in between.

The spice rack solution.

Just when I was starting to back pedal away from organization (yet again!), I found the solution to my spice rack quandary.

Enter www.thekitchn.com and their fabulous article on a DIY space-saving spice rack. Very cutesy and efficient! I must say I've never been so excited to exercise my organizational muscle in my OWN home! 

I found 24 four-ounce jars at Wal-Mart, I ordered my lids from Kitchen Kraft (which is magnificent by the way; I ordered on a Wednesday and they arrived on Friday!) and am sorting through the array of magnets out there. Something tells me I'm on to something good!

I'll be posting the finished product soon, but here's what I've done so far:

A bit of weekend inspiration.

"Desiderata"

by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be
greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career
however humble;
it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham,
drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Independence from kitchen clutter?

First things first- Happy Independence Day, America!

Today symbolizes independence; not just for our nation, but in my household- freedom from kitchen clutter! The kiddo got me up bright and early this morning, so after laying him down for a nap, I dug in. Armed with "One Year to an Organized Life" in my left hand and markers and notecards in the other, I laid out the haphazard map for my new and improved kitchen.

The revamp was already approved by the hubby- he's away this weekend, and I warned him that I felt an OCD-organizing moment surfacing; how about unleashing it on the kitchen? Absolutely, he says- I love that man, and the way his OCD-organizing mind works.

Let us not get too far before I make a confession. I've had that damn book for 2+ years and had the best intentions. After all, self-proclaimed "zen organizer" Regina Leeds makes it look effortless. But as I admitted before, I have a hard time committing to organizing my own messes. And there's a certain element of fear looming as I attempt to embark on that whole "out with the old in with the new" concept. We are creatures of habit, and we get used to the way things are; even if they are a mess, it's all our own.

So I'm doing it on my own terms, hoping for a better outcome this year- I think the "doing" is the most important part. The chapters are organized by months- the kitchen is March. Am I a rebel or what?!

The author is all about establishing three hubs for the kitchen: Preparation/Cooking, Baking and Clean-up/Storage.

Do you see my problem?!

In between naps and nursing, I've managed to semi-organize the baking and cooking zones. Frustration set in briefly when I started to uncover the duplicates in my spice shelf. It's no wonder I could never find anything! Ultimately I persevered, but found myself with a new dilemma: how in the world do I organize these things? I'm thinking alphabetically would be the wisest, but I have few cupboards and even less counter space. What solutions have you incorporated into your own kitchen to manage spices?

An introduction.

Time and space- that's what life boils down to for me. If you play your cards right, you get just enough time and the space in between to "enjoy your achievements, as well as your plans" (Max Ehrmann).

My plans include being a better wife, wonderful mother, daughter and friend while pursuing my writing, photography and graphic design hobbies…which I must admit have taken a back burner to this thing called life.

How do I intend to accomplish this, you might ask? Well, truth be told- it's been said I'm an organizing whiz. Let me step out on a shaky limb and say I agree with that assessment...to a point. 

And here's why- I know me too well. And the me I know is great at organizing stuff for other people (events, thoughts, can closets, anyone?) but not so hot when it comes to bringing order to my own messes. This includes my hobbies and my household (just ask my husband)!

This blog is about my journey to use that organizational prowess in my own life with the hope of better utilizing the time and space I've been given- both the physical and metaphorical varieties!

In addition to mindless tangents (hey, it's just the way I'm wired!), I'll post a smattering of inspiration from books, articles and real life that I feel bring me closer to accomplishing my goals.

Thanks for joining me!

Lindsey