Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Organized Chaos?... in a totally random post


I recently read an article put out by Real Simple, "Clean Your House In 19 Minutes " and in the end I had to laugh. Sure, I got the concept and it was a practical useful article, but even after those 19 minutes a day I still don't feel like I'm in a clean house...at least maybe my crazy definition of clean.
I was told of a woman who spends four (yes, 4!) hours a day doing heavy cleaning. Sorry but that's never happening. EVER. I have to admit, I find a huge satisfaction in cleaning my floors on my hands and knees, having a clean sink, and putting the laundry in the dryer before they get that nasty musky smell, but four hours of hardcore cleaning a day...I. don't. think. so.
Anyway, here is my dilemma. You know when you move to a new place you get all pumped...well I do...about having a clean slate to work with and to be super orgnanized and blissful. It's all fun a great when you are first there, and you think you are all good to go, and then you realize (well I realize) that I'm shoving things that don't really have a place into a closet here, a drawer there, and thus...chaos.
Look, I HATE clutter. I'd like to think my home is mostly clutter free. I cannot even tell you how many times I've caught Justin in our garbage fishing "perfectly good items" out. Now, if I think an item is perfectly fine and I have no use for it any longer I will give it to goodwill or somebody else who needs it, I only throw away garbage.
The problem these days is, that we have no basement. No real place for extra storage. How much extra storage space does one really need though? If you have boxes upon boxes of stuff that never sees the light of day, what's the point of keeping it? I mean I have holiday decor and such packed away in the garage, but do I have too much other random items? I'd like to think no.
So why is it my cleaning list never seems to end? Sure I get that sweeping the floors eight times a day is going to happen no matter what...especially with boys in the house, but I always feel like I have an area or two that is just too full, needs some help and is always on my list.
So, do I care too much, or am I really disorganized??? I can't figure it out. Is my chaos really organized after all? Oh, the drama.


5 comments:

Kimberly said...

Did I ghost write this post? Because I am telling you, there are no better words to sum up my exact feelings on the issue. I too love a clean house, but not to the extent of doing it daily. That woman will need a knee replacement before she is 40. Good heavens.

I don't know what you are, but when you find out let me know because I'm pretty sure that is what I am too:)

Bethany said...

Do you LIVE in your house??? I had a friend....an interior decorator and she had boys my boys ages. Whenever I would hop over for a play date her house was amazingly clean and organized. I started to feel like I must really suck. Because no matter how hard I try mine seems to have messes and never look like hers. Finally one day I asked her the secret. She looked at me and said Bethany, I work full time and my kids are gone pretty much all day we are not here to mess it up. You are home all the time...my place would be the same if we were home all the time. She made me feel so much better.

I also have this weird thing where I like to organize things but if it doesn't work I give up and just stuff them in until I have a moment to fix it just perfectly. If it isn't perfect it is a mess.

Quite honestly too there are more important things than a perfectly clean house. I mean I like a clean sink and toilet but really 4 hours a day....does she read to her kids and snuggle them, does she stop when they have some worms from the backyard to show her. Does she let them play with play dough and make a mess on the floor. Does she let them dig in the dirt and discover life and be creative? Does she sit and talk with her husband or is she running after everyone cleaning up? Seriously our life is a vapor I would much rather spend it soaking up the people I love then cleaning up behind them. Not to say we should all live in pig stalls there is a need for cleanliness and order but some things are just more important.

Anonymous said...

Anne, that's exactly what Steph and I are going through right now. We moved into this house that doesn't have a basement. I have stuff in boxes in my garage, closets, and my office that I need to go through, but I'm dreading it because....well...like you said, where am I going to put it?

Anonymous said...

love your insight Bethany :)

Anonymous said...

Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!