Picking my style

Well today is the first day of my week. Lets see how I do. After reading 4 different books on organinzing.... I chose to start back up with my *old faithful. I spent last week getting it all ready to us and even having a couple "Practice Days"

After reading Its all too Much. I was truly overwhelmed with all my stuff and inspired to do a room by room inventory of what I wanted that room to function as, what stuff needed to stay and what needed to go.

After reading Sink Reflections. I was convicted about my martyr type attitude and pride. I also realized I could never truly follow this system because I just cannot wear lace up tennis shoes in my house every day. I have claustraphobic feet :-) . Also its just not realistic for me to polish and shine my sink all day as I use it way too much and to keep my dirty dishes under the sink until I can wash them just grosses me out.

After reading More Hours in My Day. I realized why I liked her system to begin with and I remembered the first time I read an earlier edition of her book. I of course cannot foller her system exactly as I just always have to tweak whatever I do to make it best for me and my family.

After reading Managers of Their Homes. I cried. HA HA HA, yep I really cried. It wants you to be scheduled every half hour of every day. Rotate your childs activities, schedule every half hour of their day etc. I felt discouraged that I wasn't doing enough as a homeschool mom and I just cried. (Thank goodness this is when Rob stepped in and helped me think logically about it all)

I also read a 5th book that also like More Hours in My Day uses the 3x5 card system, but I currently cannot remember the title of that book. I liked it and using the info I read from there and More Hours in My Day is where I came up with OLD FAITHFUL!

*Old Faithful : I use 3x5 cards to track my daily, weekly and monthly chores. When they need to be done etc.

One thing all organizing books, shows etc I have read have in common is they all have the Keep Toss, Give Away type of organizing for keeping up with or removing the clutter. They all say that just 15 minutes a day and in 5-6 weeks you will see an amazing difference, so here goes praying I can get those 15 minutes in.

Yeah this blog was just boring so if you read it.... wow!

The Uncluttering of me!

Where do I begin... I am not sure if I am a born organized type or a messy mommy! I have been both I guess. What gets me in trouble the most is my perfectionist side. I never know where to begin because I want to do it all, perfectly, at the same time. To stop mid project just frustrates me and I would rather just not do it at all.

Well I am now a mom to five and I have no choice, either drown in the chaos, or give in and do it in the time I have.

I have been reading several different books on organizing, housecleaning, scheduling, etc. realizing I need one place to write it all down and track my progress, my goals and just have a basic control journal as some books have wanted to call it. Well the folder I bought was too small and didn't have a place to keep my pens. So I went looking, because I know I have other folders in this house and I know I have a pencil pouch somewhere... probably even more then one. Well the lightening hit as I crawled up into my attic... wow box after box was stacked and I had no idea what was in them. Then I went into my craft/toy storage room, yep there again box after box of what? Toys, crafts, hobbies I no longer had time for. Then it hit me, I looked around my house and saw it, little boxes everywhere, in every room all filled with ??? Yep I was trying to hide my clutter in boxes. It sure looked neat, and yet I knew deep inside hid all my secrets. All my junk just waiting to spill out. Well in my garage it has spilled out..... So here we go the uncluttering begins.

15 minutes a day with 3 black bags, Give Away, Toss in the Trash, and Relocate.

My first blog... I have tried blogging before and never got very far. Now I am headed into a huge project and thought maybe if I had the accountability of a blog I would do better.... we shall see.