I am not an organized person. Don't tell anyone.

I am organizing today. I spoke in front of a group of women yesterday and endorsed the book and its methods, The House That Cleans Itself, by Minday Starns Clark. I was on a panel with other women who talked about how they keep their homes organized, tidy, and clean. Kellie talked about the Fly Lady, Kelsey talked about her own organization method as a reformed hoarder, Kelly talked about Managers of Their Home a scheduling guide for busy Christian families, and Jill talked about how she keeps her home and life organized with 4 kids and a home business. I felt like a complete fraud. I WANT to be organized, but I am not naturally so. I find myself stuffing and stacking rather than putting things neatly away. I was hoping none of the women in the audience ever came over and inspected my basement or the clutter in my kitchen cupboards. And that is why I was organizing today. 

I love the book, The House That Cleans Itself because the author is not a born neat freak -- like some of my friends on the panel; my friend Jill gets excited to clean when she smells bleach, bless her heart. Like me, Minday Starns Clark, found herself overwhelmed. She developed her methods out of frustration when she found herself wading through clutter just hours after a big cleaning attempt. I've implemented many of the ideas like keeping my sight zones clear and organizing for the way I live instead of trying to change my habits to fit the organization. I also pray more as I face the mess in my house. It's very therapeutic and prayer always reminds me that the mess on my floor is not as important as my 2 (and sometimes Daddy makes 3) mess makers.

Over the last year and a half, since first reading the book, I've organized several areas in my home according to The House That Cleans Itself. The ideas work really well and it takes little effort to maintain tidiness after the organization is complete.  I recently organized my very cluttered mess at the back primary entry. We still need shelves built and a few more pegs on the wall, but already the organization methods is working. No longer as shoes and rugs and gloves and coats piled so high that the back door won't open. I love that my husband comes into a picked up area when he is through working.

Today my project was the TV cabinet with our TV that will be obsolete except for DVD and VHS viewing. Underneath was stored board games on one side and DVDs and Videos on the other. I toyed with the idea of taking a picture to show you, but it was gruesome and I wanted you to get some sleep tonight. Imagine at least 8 decks of playing cards mixed with 2 decks of Uno, Taboo, Bible Flash cards, Bible Memory, Old Maid, Dutch Blitz, Addition and Subtraction flash Cards, the Prophets game, and a few random scrabble pieces, Chinese Checker balls, Candy Land pieces and cards, a Twister turn table, and Logus Sr. (a word game that challenges your brain and your agility) letter tiles. Even though that game cupboard was off limits, Emma and Mandy got into it occasionally and I was always too irritated at the time to help them clean up the mess properly. So, I always stuffed the mess back in the cupboard because who really wants to spend their morning playing 15, 346 card pick-up?

I am happy to report that the games are organized and put else ware. Up really, really high and you have to be 19 years old in order to get them out without supervision. That's the new house rule. 19 years old. The videos are across the room in a drawer with the kid's movies easily accessible. The cupboard is now empty and my hubby asked me at lunch what I have planned to put in there. I am thinking toys, so I no longer have to reprimand little hands from opening those eye level cupboards. Toy's in labeled bins. Oh, that would be lovely. For now, I am just relishing the fact that I completed my organization project and maybe someday I will not be embarrassed to let people see the dark corners of my home. That would be my goal, to have every area in my home neat and tidy. And everything will clean itself, just like the books says. That brings me to the question, what are do you have the hardest time keeping tidy?