Ba-bye hot spot!!

I got rid of the notorious drop spot, dump spot, hot spot, whathave you!! I really hate this spot in my kitchen that seems to be a magnet for all things random. And everytime I glance and see it all cluttered and disorderly, it brings up a myriad of negative emotions. Do you have a spot like this in your house, you know the one, you walk in the house with your purse, todays mail, school papers, those things you grabbed from the car and where do they go?? All in one collective spot...and THAT is the hot spot!

As you can see this is WAAAY overdue, this thing is growing and if I don't blast it out it will soon need its own zip code. Believe it or not I've cleared it off before, yep true story. I put everything in a box, threw the lid on shoved it out of the way and haven't seen it since. Well, except for the one time I needed some papers out of it. So, this time I brought in the folding table from the garage. Set it up so it would be in nice and close so I could take everything of this counter..and alas..there really IS a counter there!!

The other reason I used a folding table is so it wouldn't become a perminant fixture, this thing was in my way. There's no way it could be here any longer than necessary. I had to clear it all off in order to put it away. And I refused to put it back "neatly" or shove it in a box. I looked at this table now covered in random stuff and thought..

hhmm..if I were a stack of books where should I be?! If I were an important receipt where should I be?!? Everything headed for it's appropriate home. I decided what I would actually allow back onto the counter and put those things back. The end result eased the anxiety and brought on a sigh of relief..much better!!

So if a little spot of your home is looking a little conjested and disorganized and you wish it would go away..JUST DO IT!! If I can, you can, believe me!! It really didn't take that long, I wish I would have timed it but I forgot. Probably 30 mins!! Next I will be tackling the cubboard above and the drawer below this counter!!

One day at a time, one project per day (or more if time permits), I KNOW I will get this done!! Please let me know what areas you struggle with in your home!! Tell me what works for you and what doesn't!! Obviously you are not alone, so let me hear from you!!

Backpacks empty - Check!!

Really?! I waited this long for a project that took me a whopping 22 minutes?! And why?!?!

I seem to suffer from the affects of disorder in the form of overwhelm. I sit, nearly paralyzed in one spot. Not knowing where to begin because there's just TOO much!! Not anymore..now that I feel so exposed, as well as accountable to my friends who are trekking along with me!!

Time to spend some quality time with my guys..maybe I'll tackle another project this evening!!

Oh Boy!

So I figured it was time, since there is only 21 days until school starts, to empty out the boys backpacks of all the goodies they brought home from there last day of school. Yup..I'm awesome!! They have been hanging by the front door since then, just chillin'. Waiting for ME to get my act together. Well today is the day!! NICE. I can't even believe I'm admitting to this. What I need is the gift of "TOSS IT" like several other people I know have!! They throw EVERYTHING away. It makes me nervous, WHAT IF YOU NEED THAT LATER?!?! Oh you mean like this finger painting of the desert?! YES!! But it's so pretty!!?? Or how bout the birthday party invite from 4 months ago..hey..you never know. Not for the invite silly..........but...the picture of spiderman on the cover could come in handy. Maybe I'll need to frame it or something?! Well, you get the idea I'm sure!! I am going to adopt the "TOSS IT" mentality as I sort through all of these papers. I've set up an empty box that I intend to fill of things to be TOSSED!! Yeah me!! I will check in later to show you what I ended up with.

*Just so you know, this is a small chunk of a bigger project I have on my hands. Years of school work and pictures and things from church, VBS, and such. 3 boys worth. All needs to be sorted out!!

And it Starts

I wrote this on Friday and was gungho..then I got cold feet. I am just gonna go ahead and post it. I need to push myself along. Anybody got a caddle prod!?



So today as I was vacuuming it dawned on me. I've spent sooooo long waiting for this perfect moment to come along to complete certain tasks. I've sat on these dreams, desires, just wishing I would get organized. At some point I will develop a logical, systematic flow for every single piece of paper that comes through my front door whether it be mail, bills, school papers, flyers, coupons, etc. Hoping that sometime I will have a great system for chores and such for the kids. Someday I will start more of a routine where I teach the kids about different things and we'll do crafts and projects. In the midst of it all I have lost myself, and the desire to pay attention to what I eat and what I do or don't do. I look around my house and there are piles of papers, lost and forgotten projects. There is mounds of disorder. "To Do Later" stacks. Stashes of sort'n'file. What I see around me feels like a reflection of what's going on inside of me. So many things I will just take care of tomorrow. Oh..there it is..the worst word in my vocabulary - TOMORROW!! Goes right along with maybe, someday, sometime, when this happens-then I will do that, when that happens-then I will do this, if, etc. All of these words seem to keep me trapped in this vicious cycle of complete unproductivity. Am I lazy? Am I the worst procrastinator you'll ever meet?? Maybe, or maybe I just am lost in this whirlwind I've allowed and created for myself. Oh sure, go ahead and convince yourself that you can't relate!! I realize some people already are happy with themselves and/or their home. Maybe you were born that way, well lucky you Mary Poppins! I would be happy to hear of any advice or tips you may have on the matter!! Cause obviously you are doing something right!!



I look around at this mess and I see symptoms of a problem that must be inside of me. Where else could it possibly come from? Why do allow this? Why do I procrastinate? Delay, reschedule, plan but never execute, etc? Why do I not change my horrible eating habits? Why do I not exercise? I've healed up from the spill I took nearly 2 yrs ago, so what's my excuse NOW? At this point I'm not 100% sure. But instead of waiting, instead of not doing what I need to do because I'm waiting for something else to happen or change first, I'm just gonna push through. I am going to alter the direction of this ship one little shift at a time. And maybe along the way I will discover or uncover the issues that lie beneath that I've allowed to self sabotage my life for way too long. And maybe, just maybe when the perfect time comes I'll actually be ready!!


I had a little epiphany, I have caught myself saying, "I am going to" or "when such and such happens - then I will blah blah blah". And the thought that followed those was, "Jesus always said "I am"!" hmmm...maybe there is a lesson that's applicable to us! Maybe I need to start saying, "I AM in the process of getting more organized, losing weight, tackling those abandoned projects"!! And instead of waiting for this 'perfect time' to come along when I can begin accomplishing, completing, and finding success, I will choose NOW!! Now is when I will change. NOW is when I will begin this process.


So here it is folks, I am going to change my world!! I know this isn't an overnight event! There is a lot to do, but one day at a time I am going to push through. One day at a time I will eat away at this elephant! And maybe you can relate...or maybe I should say you know someone who can relate!! Cause isn't that how we think?! I am inviting you, (or someone you know!!) to go through this process with me, because maybe there are things in your life that you wish for, or that you wish could change. Things you hoped you could accomplish, but you've been waiting for the perfect moment to arrive. STOP WAITING!! The perfect time is when you decide to begin!!



So here are my goals.



1 - I will watch what I eat more carefully. Plan meals by the week, so that I can plan healthy meals and not fall back on boxed or drive through.



2 - I will find a way to do exercise of some kind.



3 - I will do daily tasks to maintain my house.



4 - I will also do extra daily tasks to work through all the boxes and piles, etc. Whether I am tossing, sorting and filing, donating, etc.



5 - I will do my best to schedule myself and hold myself accountable.



I believe, since it took me at least a decade to get to this point, it will take about 1 year to get out. I believe that is realistic. I hope that in 1 year from now I will be physically fit, mentally sound, emotionally stable and so organized it would make Martha Stewart gag!!



So here we go!!