The organized AND kid-filled car

Yet another comment this morning to me about how clean my car is.  Well, I guess it is, but I guess it’s just normal to me to have it that way.  Yes, I did take all the seats out a few weeks ago and vacuumed to make room for field trip goers that I was driving to and from.  But really, it usually is just that neat. 

It’s interesting that I DON’T have a no eating rule in my car.  We do eat in there.  Maybe not super messy stuff – like Cheetos or powdered donuts!  But we have nuggets, goldfish, and the standard toddler snacking fare in the car many days.  So, how does it stay so neat, with three kids under 6 years old?  I’m not THAT neat? 

Here are some of my tips that I have implemented over the past few years: 

1.  Have a place for trash to go. 

If you accumulate LOTS of trash during a single day, think about getting a small bath trashcan and just putting it in the floor of your car.  Throw a plastic shopping bag in there (from Target or the grocery store… we all have those!) and then take the bag out every few days.  I have a small bag in my console that collects tissues, gum and wrappers.  I actually made it out of a few paper lunch bags (to give it a little heft).   You could use a bag, a plastic bin – they even sell vinyl bags for trash collecting specifically for the car. 

2.  What comes TO the car goes back OUT of the car. 

I have a rule when we get home from school.  You take your own backpack up to the kitchen – so that mommy can unpack lunchboxes and get folders unpacked and organized.  And anything else come out of the car, what you TAKE to the car, you have to carry back in the house.  It’s kind of like hiking in the forest – Carry out what you carry in. 

3.  Stock supplies in the car. 

I have small children – that always seem to get covered in stuff.  Or get stuff on ME!   So I have wipes in the car – not in a diaper bag – just accessible for any kind of wiping or cleaning needs.  I have used them for EVERYTHING!  First aid, muddy shoes, spilled coffee (oops mommy) and well, for the traditional use for wipes!  Also have pen and paper – just throw a notebook in the glove compartment with a pen clipped to it.  Also, a first aid kit:  this could be store bought it or just a baggie of band-aids.  Our family is, well, challenged with walking sometimes, so I have LOTS of band-aids, Neosporin, antibacterial spray and a few other things.   Also, think of specific needs your family might have – things that seem to always be needed when you are in the car.  We have a few books and toys for when we are waiting at various places.  Also, think of specific needs for each season such as bug spray & sunscreen for summer; maybe gloves or an ice scraper for winter.  And make sure they are all gathered in something.  Find nooks and crannies to store these things in your car.  Or get a caddy or a seat organizer.   Nothing is on the floor – nothing is flying around the car!  I have a couple of spot in my van where things can be stored – then I have a “kid kit” in a backseat organizer. 

4.  Eating in the car.

Establish what rules you want for your car.  These will vary greatly depending on how much time you spend in the car and the eating habits & ages of your kids.  I mentioned our eating rules for our car.  We do sometimes eat lunches in the car.  I have divided lunch containers that I use if packing from home.  And I have emergency plastic cups and bowls that I use to divvy out chicken nuggets or some kind of food from a drive-thru when we are on the road.  This helps to decrease trash explosions and reduces spillage! 

5.  Emergencies.

Things will happen.  And a few things you can plan ahead – for those just in case moments.  Things like jumper cables.  Or extra clothes for your kids.  Or for YOU!  Most of these “emergency” supplies don’t come to the car until after you have the emergency and DON’T have the supply you need.  When you end up carrying home a pants-less child because of an accident.  I have extra clothes for my kids in the car (you can guess my emergency that I didn’t have supplies for).  Just think about who you guys are and where you go – and if there’s room, stick a few things in there.  You will hopefully never have to be glad you did.  But if you do, whew!! 

Keeping things off the floor – while having what you need – is the trick to have a neat and highly functioning vehicle.  But that IS the trick, right?  Easier said than done?  Some days, it’s just not going to happen, but one rainy Saturday, clean out that car!  And you will be amazed how much space there is.  And you might even find that lost soccer sock or the missing chicken nugget…  Gross. 

The To-Do List

Now the big clean-out seems to be looming in the future – at least at my house.  It hasn’t happened yet.  I hope that it will soon.  But admitting that it needs to happen is the first step, right?  I have identified the problem.  And I know what I want it to look like.  But finding the time to get it started, let alone get it done – with all the other daily stuff that the house and people IN the house need – is a task in itself!

So I’m going to talk about another organizing tool – or torture devise – depending on how you see it!  The To Do list!  Some people love writing out lists and checking things off – and some people just keep the list in their head.  But however you do it, you’ve got a list.  Somewhere.  And as for me, I have a ton lists.  A daily list.  A long term list.  A weekly list.  Lots of lists!   

So to those that do not like the list, here are some benefits to making to do lists – about anything, really - long term projects, daily tasks, things to get, things to do.  And some ways to use the list, once you have made it!

The Good:

Visualize - You get to see what needs to be done.  Sometimes the task seems so big, that when you write a list, it doesn’t seem so bad.  Or the flip side of that – the task seems simple, but when broken down, it is revealed to be more involved. 

Prioritize – Having the tasks written out helps you see what needs to be done first, get you on the right track and keep you on the track!

Sorting and Grouping – The list will also help you sort and group items together – making things a little easier…

Delegate – This is a great way to get through the list faster.  Get some helper!

Remember – And yes, the list will help you remember what needs to be done. 

However, there are some bad things to making lists.  Yes, I know, I just said that.  Unbelievable, right?  But this is where I am most of the time. 

The Pitfalls: 

Lose the list - Where did it go?  Now what?  I wrote it down to remember. 

      • Go digital with backups.  Or store lists in a notebook or journal. 

No action – You get caught in just making lists and nothing ever gets done.  Then the list keeps growing and overwhelms you.

Dreaming too big – Sometimes you add too much to the list or start getting too deep – instead of focusing on “first things”

     • For these two, start small and keep things focused on one topic or area

Making vague lists – Not being specific enough about what needs to be done can be immobilizing. 

     • Instead of saying “clean room” say “fold clothes, make bed, etc” 

So with those ideas in mind, let’s make some lists!! 

What’s next?

After doing a few trouble spots of organizing in the house, what is next?  (see last week’s blog for details) 

My spots were the pantry and a kitchen cabinet.  And I feel better already! 

You can keep going and hit a few more small spots.  It’s an easy way to feel a sense of progress and success.  Also, you will be learning your style of organizing.  This is important when you get to the bigger stuff.  To know how you clean out and how throwing things out and moving things around affect you will be important when you get to emotionally charged things. 

So, what about organizing style?  It may seem, by watching home improvement shows or reading magazine articles, that there is a right way to get organized.  But there are SO many different styles of getting through all the stuff and finding a system that works for you. 

The most important thing is to find an organizing system that works for you is that it is easily maintained.  But here are a few basic principles to keep in mind: 

•  Find a spot/home for everything – nothing lands and stays randomly

•  Keep surfaces mostly clear

•  Pair down enough so that things can “breathe” - aka you can see everything!

•  Group like-items together

You might not be a labeling person – and that’s ok!  You might love storage boxes or baskets.  You might like to hang things on the wall (going vertical is a great way to use space).  I love to label, and I like to contain things.  But you might like open shelving and easy access to items.   What you want to find…is all your stuff!   

You want to find a system for you that you can maintain.  There will probably be an initial purge.  But after that, there needs to be a plan for things that enter the house.  And this can be for each area as you get to work on them – different plans for different areas of the house.  The plan will change over time.  And the plan will be forgotten.  And cleaning out will happen again.  But getting to know how this system works for you in YOUR house will help in the future.  It’s best to not just throw everything out (even though, some days, I just want to do that) – it’s going to be a slow-going and sometimes frustrating process.  Yikes!  Who want to start now?!  Yay?  But it’s like a diet – you need something that will work long term.  A crash diet will work short term, but it’s hard to maintain and there is major burn out quickly.  To be organized in the home is to find a “stuff diet” that works – and can keep working. 

The goal should be that you are using your home and storage areas to have the things you need and know where it all is and have easy access to it when you need it.  I am going to be on this organizing journey too.  I like to do it – but sometimes it just NEEDS to get done!  Organizing is an ongoing project.  Things are always coming in the house and need a home.  And if the stuff that’s already here doesn’t have a home, where is the new stuff going to go? 

So I am going to be tackling some big areas in the near future…  There’s a room in my house that has been catching stuff all summer (and for the past 4 years) – and there are so many things that I need in that room, that I think are in that room, and I have no clue where they are.  Or I have to move stuff out of the way to access them.  And it’s driving me crazy.  It wastes my time.  It results in duplicate stuff.   And the time is now… or at least very soon!  

Let’s get started

So the weekend is almost here, fall routines are finally kicking in and the house still seems to be disorganized.  The relaxed and haphazard days of summer are long gone, but now the fall stuff is sitting on TOP of all the summer stuff in the house.  Those “summer” projects are still sitting there – that room, those shelves – that were going to get to before school started are still there.  And now things that have come in the house for school, for fall, for later - are now piled on top of those undone projects.  So how do you dig out of that?  How do you get motivated?  How do you get started, if NOW is the time to get organized?

Start Small. 

Pick something small to start with – I suggest a drawer.  Now, which one?  Find a drawer (or even a small cabinet) that is just bugging you.  It could be a desk drawer, or one in your bedside table.  Maybe even a kitchen drawer, like the utensil drawer.  Here are my criteria on what to pick for that first “get you going” project:

1.     Pick a small area that can be started and completed within 30 minutes or less. 

2.     Pick an area that is used often and would benefit from a quick emptying, purge and cleaning. 

3.     Pick a spot that will give you high impact after it is done – this is good encouragement for your brain to continue the process and pick the next spot! 

4.     Pick a place that is “neutral” – meaning no emotional items or hard choices need to be made.  

One place you may have that you might want to start would be a “junk” drawer in the kitchen (or in my case, a junk spot).  My advice is save that one for a little later.  It could turn into an archeological dig that might stir up emotions and would probably take longer than you think.  This spot is usually the “save for later” spot.  There is a reason that so many things land here.  It’s where things go that have hard decisions with them.  Should I keep it or not?  Where should I keep it?   How about here for now…  Save this drawer for a little later in the process!! 

A good place to start in the kitchen, if that is where you are motivated to be, is the pantry OR fridge.  Most items are easy to make decisions on.  Has it gone bad?  Are we going to eat this?  It’s a great way to clear out and make a huge impact!   Another one is the utensil drawer.  It’s pretty easy to do and just a clean and straighten can make opening that drawer more pleasant! 

So once you decide your spot – and set aside your time to do it – get going.  Because this small accomplishment will get you motivated to attack that corner of your closet.  Or that junk drawer which might be next… 

What do you want to be?

What do you want to be when you grow up?
 I don’t know if I really ever had an answer for that.  When I was a kid, I guess I probably said something like a nurse or whatever came to mind at the time.  When I went to college, I was pretty sure I wanted to be a physical therapist – but things happened and my path was changed.  That’s a whole other story, but I ended up just where I was supposed to be – it didn’t make sense at the time, but what things like that DO make sense?   So I thought about what I wanted to do – what did I want to be now that I was pretty much grown up?  I was married, so I knew exactly what I wanted.  I wanted to be a mom.  Well, it wasn’t so easy for me.  Through many struggles, hopes, longings, heartaches and joys, I am now a mom!  What do I want to be?  A Mommy!
 And once again, I’m asking that question.  What do I want to be, now that my kids are growing up?  They are still so very little, but I want to put in practice now, doing something that I love.  So, what do I love?  I love organizing.  I like cleaning out, making systems and rediscovering stuff I thought I’d lost or space that I didn’t think I had!  It’s energizing to me!
I also love writing.  Journaling and blogging (when I make the time) really bring me joy, bringing out the creative parts in my brain.  The day-to-day life of moms with young kids can sometimes wear down those creative juices, so I’m working on bringing them back!
 I want to be doing something with organizing – helping people, helping myself!  So I’m starting a blog about organizing!  Instead of waiting for something to happen in the future, I’m jumping in the way I can right now!  I’m going to work on cleaning out and organizing spaces and stuff in my house.  I’m going to share tips, goals, ideas, fun ways to get organized and successes that I have at my own house!
 

Wacky days are here to stay

Last week, my Wednesday was weird.  And it seems that the weird stuff always happens on Wednesdays...  But last week, it was really awesome stuff.  (wait... or maybe that was two weeks ago - either way, it was pretty cool)
God was moving in my life in a very simple, but clear and obvious way.  I found out some great news from some friends - God was blessing their family in an amazing way!!  And answered prayer too.  And the things that happen that are totally bizarre or even somewhat inconvenient at the time, but then completely make sense later that day - seem to always happen on Wednesdays to me.
The other wacky thing is the draft of this blog that was not published somehow published itself.  Um, it wasn't really sentences yet.  Not that what I write is ever in a complete sentence...

And then last week, I just had a wacky week - the WHOLE week.  It was just crazy enough to not fit all in one day.  Among them were a closed road due to a gas leak (thankfully we didn't have to evacuate our house like last time.)  And I think my favorite was the huge bumble bee in my shower stall at the gym - that one was just crazy and disconcerting (that buzzing noise...yikes.)
One night of storms kept me up a lot, so the next day I was tired.  I didn't know how tired until I stumbled in my bathroom into the drawer handles and got two HUGE bruises.  Seriously, I hit that hard?  Then the next day, I tripped on a little car that was left in my path.  I slid and rolled my ankle and smashed my toes.  I was sure that one of them was broken.  I couldn't walk for a while.  And my oldest remarked, "You have ANOTHER boo-boo" - yes, yes indeed.

Rainy Monday

I love rainy days.  And I really love them when they are on Monday.  I'm not sure why I love Monday.  Maybe it's because I'm not going into an office anymore.  I was SO not cut out for the Monday - Friday work week.  8am Monday and I were NOT friends.  It wasn't pretty, even with coffee.  But now my job is at home.  Still not pretty without coffee!  It's 7 days a week - more exhausting, but more fulfilling.

So Mondays to me are kind of refreshing.  A new start to the week.  Kind of a "reset" on everything that went a little off-kilter over the weekend.   And just add in the rain - Makes the morning a beautiful gray color that invigorates me!  But let me be clear - just RAIN.  Not storms.  Maybe 3 rumbles of thunder, but that's all for a nice rainy day for me.  Mondays are my fresh start - new lists, new goals, more "possible" chances to get the stuff done that I didn't get done last week.  More opportunities to maybe read a book?  Or even blog?  Monday is my day to hit the ground running after a restful Sunday.  

So a nice refreshing rain.  A nice run on the treadmill.  A nice Monday to start the week.  Let's go!