Netflix and Chill? Nope, Netflix and Tidy Up!

Resolutions. We all have them. Mine was launching this website and business. Maybe yours was flossing? And how are we both doing so far?? Right. But I'm finally sitting down to write out blog #2 and I would have to imagine that right behind the ever popular resolution of getting healthy/working out/losing weight is the other popular resolution of getting organized.

When it comes to tidying up, my take is this - there are those that love it and those that just don't.

NOT can't, just don't. Do I believe that you can learn tidiness? Yes, of course. I am committed to raising my children to be tidy at a current 50% success rate. I'll take it. But as an adult, do I think that your core being will change and that you will suddenly become a person who loves order and organization after that super cute Marie Kondo has you holding and folding every item in your house? Nope.

Yet I know it's likely that we all still look at those amazingly organized and labelled pantries on Pinterest, full of matching containers and baskets and think to ourselves "imagine opening the doors up to that every day?"

While those pantries and closets are worthy of such praise I know to scroll past them and put any envy aside because in my real life, it's completely impractical. I LOVE order but I cannot commit to labeling and carefully re-stocking my pantry and it's tiny areas of "in-your-face snack baskets" every week. I cannot imagine what kind of bodily harm threat I would need to put on my kids and husband to have them not mess that pantry up? It's got to be the kind that gets your kids taken away - which I guess would end result in that neat pantry! Win?!

So, here's what I can pass along to those of you who live more like me. This is how I maintain organization in our house without making everyone else live in the garage (which by the way in our home is a DISASTER!).

1. Pick an area and focus on just that. Don't look at your whole house, that's too overwhelming. Pick a kitchen cabinet to start. Maybe it's your silverware drawer? I love closets people. Make it small victories! Grab yourself an empty box and some cleaning wipes. Empty every item out, wipe the area down and slowly work your way back in.

2. Here is where Marie and I see eye to eye: Does it give you joy? Basically, have you used it lately? If you have not, put it aside. Seriously. Put it aside. Go through every item and put away what you use and put what you do not in that empty box. If you did not wear it in the last year, you aren't wearing it this year either. Really, you aren't. The exception to this would be clothes reserved for somber occasions - we're always thankful when we don't have to put those on! As a side note here - there are seasonal items that are as such, seasonal. Holiday cookie cutters - yup, you'll need them again at a later date so save 'em.

3. If you've made it to step 3, you're already creating a habit! Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have touched every item. Ok, maybe it's not a habit yet, but you have to do it because you can't leave what you have undone all over the place. What are you, an animal?

Yes, It takes time and commitment. It's honestly not fun, it just isn't, but it is really nice to live in an organized home. And once you have organized areas, you'll want to keep them that way because living like this is much much easier. I promise.

Now about that box of "thank you, nexts". The one that you have filled with items that for the last 40 years you felt you needed to keep, like that yellow plastic banana slicer that I cannot seem to just throw away even though my kids are 9 and 7? Put that box aside. Hide it in the basement or in the garage. Put it in the back of your car and drive around with it pretending that you will donate it. Whatever you decide, as soon as you have placed it down, add a reminder to your calendar on your phone to grab that box in 6 months and see if there was anything in it that you needed and didn't have. It's unlikely that this will come up, since if you had needed something in the last 6 months, you went downstairs and tore that box open to get what you needed! At this point, just let it go. Set it free.

I recently tackled our foyer and pantry. I needed to remind myself that this process works. I took an afternoon and emptied out the entire pantry, going through each item and creating separate piles. I knew that most of the things in there I still used and needed because i generally live in a constant state of "do I need this?", but not everything. And all the plastic cups/plates/serving trays for use out by the pool are way better stored TOGETHER. It's not labelled. But it's neat and tidy and my family can keep it that way. If that's a win in your house, you're welcome.

I encourage you to find YOUR own version of neat and tidy. For all the rest of you with tiny tents made from shirts and pants, my over/under is 5 months, max.