Organization and Peace in the Home

I've been trying to organize everything in our house.  Many things have gotten very DISORGANIZED lately.  Of course this didn't happen overnight, but has been slowly creeping in to the closets, cabinets, boxes, etc. 

I also haven't been staying on top of any deep cleaning of the house.  Yes, the main things have been kept clean, and the house is generally tidy, but I want more than that.

In this time of uncertainty and lack of control in some areas of my life, having control, organization and peace in the home is a way to take my mind off things.

This is how I've been working toward having a more organized and clean home:

1.  I have a weekly to do list of all the things I need to get done.  Not everything on the list has to do with the house organization and cleaning.  Some things are routine, like make deposit, pay bills, balance checkbook, laundry, making phone calls, groceries, water plants, etc.

2.  Two of the items on the to do list each week are:  my weekly cleaning chores and my weekly area of concentration.

The weekly cleaning list is based somewhat on Flylady's weekly home blessing.  I also have to give credit to the author, Emilie Barnes, who first introduced me to working on a job for 15 minutes a day. 

Each week, usually on Saturday morning, I am trying to spend an hour or so doing just 10 or 15 minutes each of dusting, vacuuming, dustmopping, mopping,  emptying trash, cleaning the bathrooms and general pickup/tidying.  These chores aren't meant to be deep cleaning, but just general upkeep.

I also choose a weekly area of concentration which is usually a room, area, or cabinet that has been bugging me.  For instance this week, we are working on papers, records and filing.  This has definitely been bugging me.  Its amazing how fast papers pile up if you don't stay on top of this.  We having been living in this house for 2 and 1/2 years and are just getting around to straightening out the filing cabinet that came with us!

Hubby has been on a paper shredding mission!  He loves to have things organized.  One of his favorite ways to organize is to put things into binders.  We noticed that our bank statements come with pre-punched holes for fitting into a 3 ring binder, so there is one good way to organize some papers.  We are working together this week to get the paper monsters in our home under control.

The week before last my area of concentration was the master bedroom and closet.  Last week it was the guest room and its closets.  One of the closets in the guest bedroom has been used for storing Christmas things and other odd things.  I'm happy to say that now the Christmas things stored in there have been organized and decluttered.  Just in time for Christmas, I know what's in there and if I need to buy any wrapping paper, etc.  Also, the bedroom floor has been thoroughly cleaned and I even washed the window.  If you look under the bed you won't see ANY dust bunnies!

It will take me a while to go through all the areas that need organization and deep cleaning.  And as you know by the time you get it all done, its time to start over again.

But I think if these things are done I will have more peace and then I will have more time for sewing and other things that I enjoy doing.   I can see myself now:  Sitting at the sewing machine and knowing that the 2011 tax records are safely filed away and that the Christmas paper and bags are in their own space.

I have been enjoying watching the You Tube organization videos of Alejandra Costello found HERE!  If you want some motivation and ideas to get organized you will enjoy them too.

Some areas that have been bugging me that I'll be working on soon are some of the kitchen cabinets and the SEWING ROOM.  The closet in the sewing room is a total mess.

I will be showing you some of the finished organized areas and the tools and ideas I'm using, as I can.

I hope your week is peaceful and organized!