Day One of Mission Organization (for real this time)

So, my house is a mess. As usual. My dining room is still being taken over by the batting that ate New York. My bins of fabric are sorted, but not yet labeled and still sitting on the floor at the end of my dining room table. My island looks like, well...I cannot quite come up with a colorful enough phrase to describe it. It is a mess of paper, things that don't really have homes, a stray dish or two and some random fabric scraps that I have yet to decide if they are worthy of keeping.

My living room is getting better. We were able to clear out several big baby toys and empty a tub of random toys, thanks to the garage sale we had a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, I have not yet seen through my vow to have no more toys in the living area. Going through toys exhausts me. I don't know why, but I have a sneaking suspicion is has a little to do with my family's guilt curse. What I should ask myself as I sort is: Do they love it? If the answer is yes, then I should ponder as to how deep the love goes. You know, do they love it enough to actually play with it? If the answer is no I should then move on to whether the toy is in good enough condition to donate or if it will need to be regulated to the landfill where it will no doubt remain until the end of time. I wish we could recycle toys the same way we recycle those pesky but oh-so-convenient water bottles we just have to have now and again. But I digress. I usually don't take the proper approach when sorting through the flotsam. This is a sample of the internal (and sometimes external, as you will see) struggle that I face when getting rid of toys.

I pick up a stuffed animal. It has been in the bottom of the toy pile so long that my kids don't even remember that it exists. Well, it is clear, I should just toss it in the donate pile. But wait! Who gave this to them? Was it a grandparent or favorite auntie? Was it a birthday present from one of our closest friends? What if that person comes over, and after two years, just happens to mention said stuffed animal? What do I say?

Enter my husband. "Hey," he casually says. "You're not donating Mickey are you? The kids LOVE Mickey."

So you see, I have internal guilt AND external pressure. No wonder I never get organized. But all of this is changing! I am making my resolutions early this year. I am going to de-clutter my way to peace. Tips from a great article I found on a green living website: Tag all of your clutter with one of the following Clutter Codes.

Stagnant: things you can no longer use, such as a pile of magazines or catalogs. You know you are never going to read them, so put them out with the recycling, or better yet(my tip), drive them over to a recycle bin at your local school or library. Institutions with the big green bins actually profit from your paper donations! Clothes that no longer fit, old vitamins and pills, and expired coupons also fit in this category.

Stuck: This is a big one for me. Stuff you will probably, if you are honest with yourself, never use. I am talking old high school papers (you know you have them!), papers, mags, fliers, books you will never read or have read but will never read again, and (drum roll please!) unfinished craft projects!! Yep, I have a million of those!

Waiting: things you use occasionally or seasonally.

Active and Disorganized: My life. But seriously...clothes, papers, projects that may be used soon, but are homeless for the time being in that they are not stored, filed or put away properly. Think MESS here rather than CLUTTER.

Active: Things that you actively use, usually on a daily basis, like sunglasses, schoolbags, etc. This category also includes activities of the day or next few days that are in process.

Luckily, I already have the waiting category pretty much taken care of. Or so I think. I am pretty good about keeping seasonal items stored together in bins that are placed in the attic. It makes me crazy to have Christmas lights shoved in with the Halloween decorations, so I don't have a lot of work here. These other categories, however, will prove to be a challenge.

I hope these tips will help you on your quest to finding peace through organization. I would love to hear from all of you, so share your tips, struggles or success stories. Good luck!