Yet Another Organizing Challenge

There is a "Spring Cleaning for Normal People" Challenge going on.

I'm not gonna lie.... we worked hard during our little Christmas holiday staycation. Hot used his new drill to do things. (Wow... that didn't sound very good, did it??) I mean things like put anchors in for the kid coat hooks.... when I put them up I wasn't sure they should stay so I didn't anchor them and they were quickly coming out of the wall and leaving little piles of sheetrock dust on the floor. Now they are solid.

And just this weekend I got the whole "computer" corner in order. Backed up to the old machine and stashed it in the shed. (what? So what if my idea of cleaning is to stash things in an outbuilding. Don't you judge me.) I do still need to hang the power strip up where tiny hands can't get to it but big hands can so we can prevent that pesky "vampire" issue we have with energy. Yes, I do have a giant pile of "things to scan" but I'm working my way into it a bit at a time.

So progress is being made but I always love a little motivation..... here, in condensed form, is the to-do's for this week.

B) Quickly go through your entire home with a garbage can and toss out any and all trash you find.

DONE. Not so bad. The garbage can in Sweet's room was a little nasty so I soaked it. The garbage in our room (ok, yes, it's an old restaurant sour cream container) is empty. The bathroom garbage is out. And the kitchen garbage... well, we are back to sub-zero weather so the kitchen cabinet must be open all the time so that garbage HAS to be emptied or the dog will gorge buffet-style on trash. There. ta-da. Oh, bonus... I emptied the lint trap and gathered all the little bits of tinfoil from kisses wrappers by the couch. I also cleared the messy pile on the counter..... I admit to considering just putting it on the laundry room counter.... but I actually disposed of it. I also fixed all the "glue it" projects piling up in the laundry room. The "baby cut" horse. (It's an appetizer knife with a horse handle.... Tuff loves baby cuts for spreading butter on bagels.) A broken transformer helicopter blade, a broken arrow, a broken wand and a broken toy cell phone. Who knew the key to motherhood was crazy glue, epoxy and a hot glue gun??

Still hot and needing work: The laundry room counter. It's better but it is such a catch-all zone. Right now it has a plastic box of stuff to be sorted for baby books/ kids scrap books, a plastic letter organizer I need to return, a globe that I want to put on a shelf over the window... if I ever go get a shelf, the sewing machine (that actually belongs there), and a box hiding some sweets I got the kids for Valentine's day. Sigh.

C) Take three boxes labeled "give", "sell", and "maybe" and begin in one corner of your home and gradually move out until you have briefly scanned every room in your home. As you do this, scan each item you see and briefly question yourself: "Is this useful to me and/or our family? Is this beautiful to me and/or our family?"

Working on this. I moved most of the "give away" stuff to the garage but now need to load it in the car and take it to the local college for their annual fund-raiser garage sale. But it's so cold out.... ok, I know. Get busy. This is the last week for drop offs. This is hard for me. I'm so use to just stashing things in the garage and/or shed..... but my goal for the summer is to get the garage cleaned and organized (and make the most kick-ass kid play area EVER). You laugh and think that is a weekend project... you haven't seen how BIG my garage is.... or how full.

But more of that plan later.

How's organizing in YOUR life??