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Friday, September 2, 2011

As Coping Mechanisms Go, it Could be Worse

When things get tough, I get cleaning.

Imposing organization on thing just makes me feel a million times better.

After a vacation, I usually feel a strong need to clean and organize. I always try to do this before I leave so I don't return to a messy house. But typically we all think of things to add at the last minute, and there's no time to pick up after yourself, and so there's a pile of clothes here, and a bunch of shampoos and travel size stuff there, and then a very sad Stephanie when she returns to anarchy.

This time I tackled our bathroom. I have done a good job of putting everything in these little bins. We each have our own bin, and then a few communal ones in our linen closet.

This time, I tackled the bins even further and imposed some more order by putting like items together in Ziploc bags and throwing out expired and useless meds (e.g., I had a bunch of sleeping pills and No-Doz I had taken to my trip to Italy over 5 years ago that fell into both of those categories, as neither worked and my jet lag was legendary).



First Aid Bin Before


After: Sigh, we had a loooot of extra stuff in there.
Extra Supply Bin of Mystery, including bug spray from when I was pregnant with Wee 'Burb.


Slightly more organized. Why did I keep the bug spray now that I think of it?
I also put all my travel size items and other things I don't use that often in separate bags and moved them to our larger linen closet in our downstairs bathroom, a very under-utilized space (because I'm too lazy to go all the way downstairs to get most things).

What is the hardest room in your house to organize? Does organizing stress you out, or do you find it therapeutic? How long does your organization usually stick around?

11 comments:

JoAnna said...

By the wya, you made my Feel Good Friday list today, a little late, but still.

My hardest room to deal with is not so much the room, but the table. We have a strange house where you walk right into the living room but there is no place to put anything down, except right on the floor, on the furniture or into the kitchen on the table. And no matter how hard I try, I just can't not put things on the table. Since we eat most meals on the table outside in the summer, it's even worse right now. A couple of things have been on that table, literally, all summer. I just cannot get a grip on where to put my things when I come in the door.

I am a very organized person, really, especially with things outside of my house. But inside, it usually looks like a cyclone came through and k-ster allows me to live like this, so it's not stellar. I do not live in filth, dirt and germs bother me and I do wash things, I just can't find anything to do with me STUFF. And those little bins do nothing for me because then I just have lots of bins in the way. I dont' really have closets, one of the biggest problems in this house.

Aleta said...

It's not a room that I find the hardest to organize, it's the closets... an any room :) But yes, I do feel a LOT better once it's done and I do find it therapeutic. In fact, when I get upset, my house is sparkling clean, because I have to do something with the energy from being upset.

Kat said...

Our office and basment/man cave are absolutely frightening to me. Once I'm done running all of the errands that we've been putting off for months, those two are at the top of my list.

I'm terrible at scheduling time to declutter, so usually I just action it as the mood strikes - it's more cathartic that way.

chimomwriter said...

The laundry room - There's just so much random "stuff" we never touch but can't seem to toss. Parts. Pieces. Manuals. Random cleaning stuff. Storage of every football prize my husband got in jr high and high school. Ugh.

I loooove a good organization day.

Rach (DonutsMama) said...

I'm trying so hard to get organized too! And the medicine cabinet? I think we threw away a big box of expired crap. It was insane the amount of expired crap we had and we realized we had about 10 bags of cough drops too b/c everything was in 5 different places. Come over anytime and help me organize!

Working Mommy said...

I feel it difficult to organize my house as a whole. I love to clean but feel as though I am doing it all the darn time. After I get finished with one room, the family wrecks it and moves to the next one I just cleaned. I am constantly going over where I just cleaned. Ugh...never ending cycle!

WM

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

I absolutely LOVE organizing things, but I need to have specific time alone to do it, so with three boys you can imagine how much time I've been able to devote to organizing. Right now I'd LOVE to organize my pantry and my office. Both are a hot mess and would take hours to organize. I just haven't had the time and it's driving me BATTY!

Kristen said...

I have daily freak out OCD moments. Having one now, but have nothing to organize because we recently moved and I cleaned all day yesterday... that's a problem....
I think the hardest to keep organized is the kids little things - they multiply overnight I swear!! It drives me crazy.....

trininista said...

my bedroom is a nightmare. it's like where do I start? lol

Amanda @ It's Blogworthy said...

Tell me why we (as in, me, you and probably a bunch of people ) hoard medicines and bathroom stuff? When we moved to Florida I brought a ton of stuff like ths.....half empty bottles. Really? What was I thinking?? Glad you got some organization going on!

The Woven Moments said...

Take your pick, I SUCK at organizing any space with a door on it. Closets, cabinets, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. But put me in a kitchen or a dining room and I. Can. Work.

What is it that I have against doors?