Clearing out the clutter.

Every time I've ever started a new job, I've always asked for a week off between the end of the old one and the start of the new one -- does anyone else do this?

I always felt like I needed a week to get my life completely in order before starting a new endeavor. It's like cleaning the house before you go on vacation -- I need my mind to be free of the stuff like laundry, crap, clutter, dishes, crap and more crap.

Knowing I was going to focus more on this blog, a couple weeks ago I started feeling like I needed to get the house under control. Yeah, the basement is organized (pretty much), my closets are beautiful and I know where to find things in my pantry...

BUT. Until last week, our garage looked like this:

Stop gagging, it's better now. I swear. Please don't enlarge the picture. Please. I couldn't take it anymore and during daycare and nap time a couple days that week, I hit it hard core. And it felt soooooo good people. It looks amazing now! I have one more project to finish in there and then I'll show you. I know you can barely stand it, you are so excited. I know.

My car has been my "office" for the past two years, and pair that with a two-year-old and let's just say I would never, ever, EVER subject you to the before pictures of that. It was reheheheeeeally bad. I spent one hour with trash bags -- one for trash, one for stuff to go back into the house. Now it smells yummy in there -- nice and clean. Not like before. Three little words -- "forgotten sippy cup."

I may know how to organize, but the paper clutter just sticks in my craw. (When's the last time you heard that phrase? Wordsmith, I am.) Seriously. I cannot handle it. I've tried just about everything, but the only thing that works is this big fat basket:

I just throw every random piece of paper I don't want to deal with into the basket. You'll notice the pile started on the side as well, and on top. Ummmm...it's not working so great. About every week, month, three months, I sit down and go through it. I finally did it last night and felt like a new woman.

Then I found this bag of crap from the car clean up:

Shakes fists in the air!!!! Curses!!

And now the garage is clean, the car is clean -- but this is the laundry room:

Have I mentioned how very, very much I hate laundry? Like, a lot. A lot a lot.

And in the middle of the paper and laundry and crap, I realize that buying four new pieces of drinkware has completely thrown my kitchen cabinets into a frenzy. I was trying to figure out how to fit all of these:
Into this:Ummmm yeah. Should I mention we only really use two wine glasses ever and for parties we use plastic cups? So why the need for fifty trillion glasses? I guess I keep having dreams of having a super posh party where everyone drinks out of real glasses and never breaks a single. one. Never gonna happen.

This weekend, I plan on getting rid of as much clutter as possible. It feels soooooo good folks! I challenge you to do the same -- even if it feels too big to tackle, you'll be surprised what just an hour can do. Try little bits at a time. Make room for large piles -- trash, put away and deal with later. You don't have to find a spot for every little thing right away.

You will feel like a new woman (and a couple men) afterwards, I promise.

I am so excited about your requests for consults and advertising!! I'm beyond thrilled and can't wait to get moving -- bare with me as I get through this weekend, and next week I'm all yours. ;)

P.S. I am so glad you loved the sewing table as much as I do!! Guess how old the Singer is? You'll never believe it -- 103 years old! Isn't that the coolest??