Sunday, February 18, 2007

70 things a week

This morning I read Meegan's post about another blog she had found and was inspired by. The idea was to free your life of clutter by getting rid of seven things per week in your home that you no longer want or need.

I had wanted to write a nice lengthy post about the clutter in my life and how it makes me want to start drinking at 7am but I thought most people would be bored out of their minds when they read it. Now that Meegan's gone and started it I am going to take her lead and go on and on incessantly about the clutter/junk/mess that each day fills me with dread as soon as I open my eyes.

My home obviously isn't as bad as some but if I had my way I would only own the bare minimum. Enough just to get me by with. One saucepan, one frypan, enough cutlery for three meals per day, three pairs of underwear, two t-shirts, four bathtowels...you get the picture.

The problem is I never have time to get to the clutter and junk and most of the time when I attempt to Henry will be at the other end of the house taking the flour, cordial and jelly out of the fridge and rubbing it into the carpet for me because he does that stuff so well. If I even turn my back on him for 30 seconds he will find something to destroy and it usually involves the pantry and refrigerator.

I do get around to cleaning out things once in a while but I often come across things that I simply can't get rid of because there is some kind of emotion attached to it. These things never get used and just take up space but to throw it away would be like cutting off one of my arms. I simply can't do it.

Just recently my sister (who lives alone and has only her own mess to clean up) bought herself some wooden coat hangers. I listened enthusiastically while she told me what a difference they had made to her wardrobe, how she was now able to more fully see what she owned and better yet, all her clothes hung at the same level and looked way better when they were colour co-ordinated onto the wooden coat hangers. How I marvelled while thinking that they couldn't possibly be that good!

While shopping the other day I found some on sale and thought I'd get some and just see if they would bring me instant happiness. Guess what? They did! Short lived but I was instantly gratified by the way they made my years old clothing look almost brand new. It was almost as if I had walked into an upmarket thrift shop. I made Maya come and look and couldn't wait for Ben to get home to tell him what a difference they'd made to one moment in my life.

I just wish everything could be fixed with wooden coat hangers.


PS. When I do get around to clearing out the clutter this hat that Maya paid 15 good, useful dollars for will be the first thing to go.

3 comments:

Meegan @ The Harvey Circus said...

As Marc and I read this entry, the Boy is pulling apart CD's. It too, never seems to end here :)

If only I could bolt everything down somehow...

Carla said...

oh i hear you michelle!! I've just bought a new wardrobe - the huge 2 door style that will take up an entire wall and we wait with bated breath for it to be delivered in 5 weeks so that we can organise our room!! (dave doesn't know it yet but if he hasn't worn an item of clothing in a year it's going in the bin!!)

Claire said...

Meegan

Kids (and husbands) are great for helping you create clutter and confusion and just plain mess. They drop it, you pick it up and life goes on like that until they leave home. After that you've only got a husband to pick up after.

Carla

Get some wooden coat hangers. They will make that wardrobe look like it came straight out of a catalogue. You know the ones where they have all their clothing colour co-ordinated and their shoes neatly lined up and all the t-shirts folded and stacked. Those wardrobes that someone puts clothes into but then never touches it again lest they mess it up.