Misadventures in Mess Management Episode 1 #MishMashMonday #declutter #gettingorganized

My house overrunneth with clutter. Thus the mess (in the title). And I am trying to get it under control. Thus the management. I write novels and homeschool and rescue animals. Bring in the misadventures. I mean, when is there time? My best laid plans are always going awry.

But since I added to my daily affirmations, “I live in a clean and clutter-free house” I figure I better get busy making that a reality.

HOW DID I GET HERE?

Who knows? I once owned and ran a housecleaning business with crews (and I also cleaned in one of the crews). I studied Don Aslett’s books, and I knew how to clean (and got paid good money to do so). Ooh, look he has lots of new books including new ones on tackling clutter, but these are ones I owned:

I also studied Confessions of an Organized Housewife, now renamed and updated to Confessions of an Organized Homemaker (yeah, I’m THAT old, they used to call us housewives), and my organizational skills were once the envy of my friends.But somehow six kids with a 22 year span between the oldest and youngest, kids moving in and out, sometimes with their families, all leaving stuff behind (why would they take clutter with them?), a decade long battle with depression as well as a few health challenges (age brings such joy with it) and I have a houseful of clutter. I also have a houseful of animals, but that’s another blog post.

Now that health problems and depression have been conquered, I have energy and I’m writing again, the last two remaining kids and I are tackling the house. (Last two remaining kids? No, I didn’t off the older four, although I do kill a lot of people in my books; the older kids have their own homes now.) Might as well get work out of the youngest two before they move off and leave their own clutter behind.

For what it’s worth, yes, I have Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and have started reading it, but I don’t think it’s going to work for me. Feeling an object to see if brings me joy is not the right approach for me. That method brings me panic. Once, for six months after my divorce, I was homeless. And it affected me in such a way that if I hold onto an object as she suggests, I can’t let it go. I just have to close my eyes and toss, or have my kids help me. “No, Mom, you don’t need it, someone else can use it.” I don’t think I’ll be finishing the book. But you certainly might find it useful.

WHERE IS HERE?

I decided I am going to document the process, so I can stay motivated/feel like I’ve accomplished something/have you cheer me on.

Here are a couple of pictures of the room after it has been cleared out and painted. And yes, space heaters are how we heat this house, which is almost 100 years old. As you can see, it’s pretty unique (that little cubby closet is under the stairs), which is one reason I love the house. But it being so old is also a reason it’s a challenge. Not only for the upkeep and repairs, but that there are very few closets or storage of any kind. Back in the day, taxes were charged on the houses per room, and a closet was counted as a room. So few closets were built and people used wardrobes.

And here’s some of the clutter we hauled out of the room that we are working on. It actually takes up most of my living room and dining room, yes, that room was packed.

So our journey begins…

Stay tuned! And if you have any suggestions on easy ways to declutter or your own experiences, please share!