Friday

This Organization Insanity - Find Your Happy Place

Imagine if you will the sun shining. You're a young girl. Only 8 years old and you're stuck inside your room while your friends run through the neighbourhood. You hear their laughter. You're mad that you're missing out on all the fun. So why are you stuck inside on this glorious day? You have to clean your room and you can't go outside until it's done.

When I was 8 years old I spent the better part of a Sunday inside my room while my mama and Aunt Sharon helped me clean my room. I remember everything about that day - including hearing my cousin Jen laugh outside while she frolicked with all our friends. I vowed on that day to never have a messy room again. Fast forward 22 years and I'm still holding up my agreement with myself. If having a messy room meant I would miss out on playing outside, I was never suffering that Hell again and so I became a sort of compulsive cleaner.

"Compulsive" you say quizzically? You're exaggerating Major Gal. Sadly friends, I am not. I can't relax surrounded by mess. I'm acutely aware of my surroundings and I notice even subtle changes to my belongings. Similar to how Kathy Bates' character knows James Caan's character has escaped from his bedroom prison in Misery because..."Paul, my little ceramic penguin in the study always faces due south." I know when people touch my stuff...and I'm not a huge fan. Especially if I've just cleaned up.
via 

I also blame my mom. Well not "blame" so much as thank. When she was sick with cancer, we had nurses and cleaning ladies come to the house. My mom would watch the cleaning ladies like a private detective. She knew when they came and when they went. She knew what they cleaned and how they cleaned it. Truthfully, I think she was upset with losing the ability to take care of herself and her home and needed something to focus on. I still remember coming home from school as a fresh faced 14 year old and having my mom tattle on the cleaning lady. "I put a movie case on the floor on purpose. I watched her vacuum around it. She didn't even pick it up!" When the day comes that I can afford a cleaning lady (and truthfully I don't know if I'll ever want one), I'll also set boobytraps for her to ensure the cleaning is to my standards.

I will admit, I can get really particular and borderline Rain Main when my stuff gets moved, used without my permission or messed up. Sorry if I've ever jumped down your throat (siblings, boyfriends, besties, old roomies) for "invading" my personal space. I know I roar flames at times and I apologize. To make it up to you, I'm sharing some of the most genius ideas I've seen online for staying neat, tidy and organized.


Bathroom storage


Clever shoe storage - let's face it "shoe racks" being sold in most places a) don't hold enough pairs of shoes and b) don't allow for the highest of heels.

I dream of a laundry room like this. Mine is a disaster.

Confession: I'm a HUGE fan of to-do lists. I make them weekly and colour coding really helps :)


More colour organization - this time for books. I saw this in InStyle years ago and have been displaying my books this way ever since.


Excellent office storage and organization idea from none other than a woman after my own heart - Martha Stewart


There you have it folks. I didn't include any of my favourite natural, homemade cleaner recipes because honestly, I can't wait to write an entire post about that.! Yes, crazy cleaning gal and I'm not at all afraid to admit it. 

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