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Saturday, March 1, 2014

Work in progress

I have inherited my mother's dislike of clutter.  However I have a five and half year-old who has so many toys you'd think we actually have three kids instead of one.  I also have a husband who likes to leave things around and I myself am not very good at keeping up with my paperwork.  Résultat: when I walk into my apartment there is a "pleasant" sense of disorder;  I try to look past it and see the cheerful colors, but I generally get absorbed by all those dust bunnies and suddenly I feel all yucky inside.  I'm not a perfectionist about housekeeping by any means.  But I keep wishing things were cleaner around here.


The problem with me is that it takes years (literally) for me to finish projects.  I think I mull things over a long time and I am also limited by time and help since Remi works a good part of the weekends or we spend maybe a third or closer to half of all Sundays at his greenhouse.   Excuses, excuses.  Maybe I just don't have the get up and go to throw things out and clear spaces.  Maybe I'd rather blog or make muffins or chill than get into radical clean mode.
But I finally decided to take action on at least one corner.  I'm 99% on the way to getting rid of my dinosaur computer from 2005 that I no longer use.  Gotta wipe the hardrive before I take it to the recycling center (any advice on that?) but I did manage to fit the old computer desk in my miniscule car and get it out of the apartment.  Good friend Caro and her obliging husband helped me get a new Ikea shelf box in my car.  Remi helped screw in the tough parts but I'm proud to say I did most of the constructing of my shelf (score for womankind).
BEFORE (Mega problems getting iPad photos in right position!)


AFTER

And slowly but surely one corner is slightly more functional, which allows me to clear clutter in other areas.  I'm still so far from my dream world of storage space for everything.  Does anyone remember this Rubbermaid ad where the family organizes their house with storage tubs?  Check out the 90s hair!




I still find myself thinking my life would be perfect if only surfaces were cleaner.  That's just not true.  Sometimes I do have to remind myself, the dust and grime can wait, Juju doesn't care about a clean house but just having fun.  But part of me keeps thinking just one more storage unit might solve all my problems!  And that this would be a truly dreamy living room (minus the bear rug!).  Check out more cool ideas from their website: http://www.digsdigs.com/ikea-storage-organization-ideas-2013/

4 comments:

Mil said...

I don't know why pics I import from iPad can't stay in the right position. Any advice?

Michelle said...

I can't help with the iPad pics, but I do recommend the Billy Bookcases from Ikea, we have them in the playroom, they hold a lot of toys, games and books, but keep them accessible for the kids. And also in our mezzanine, which is the landing space upstairs, we have all our books up there!

Holly Hollyson @ Full of Beans and Sausages said...

I can't help with the iPad thing either - mine always seems to right itself by itself? Well done on being that bit more clutter free! I really struggle with this, but plastic storage units do help!! That Rubbermaid ad was awesome!

I Say Oui said...

I'm amazed how some people keep the surfaces in their apartments clear all the time. I much more relate to you-- I like having clear surfaces, but it's more of a goal rather than a constant state of being. It takes a long time to chip away at one pile of stuff, and months later you can bet that new things will be in its place.