This video is so well done, and shows how simple it can be to downsize those bulging closets and rid yourself (and your kids) of clutter.

Thought for today:

Clutter=unhappy Organization=freedom & happy faces

I was just doing the crossword (a favourite past-time of mine, even though I can NEVER finish it without my mother) and came across the clue: 3 letter word for disencumber.  Easy.  Rid.

But I couldn’t help thinking what a lovely word “disencumber” was.  (Ok.  Maybe it could also sound a little Bobbitt-esque too) but my first association with that word was a feel-good relief.  Like being able to breathe after taking off something really heavy (or too-tight jeans at 36 weeks pregnant.  aaaaaahhhhhh.)

Say it out loud.

“Disencumber”.

Now read it again, and this time, actually say it out loud (because I know you didn’t do it the first time.)

“Disencumber”.

Think about it for a second.

Doesn’t it make you want to rid of the things in your life that weigh you down?  Like the potted plant that you accidentally killed, but still keep watering, hoping that it might spring back to life?  (Ok, maybe that is just me).  Or the 6 of the same _____ (fill in the blank) that you keep buying, because you can’t remember where you put the last 5?  Your medicine cabinet, linen closet, laundry room, drawer of despair…  whatever it is, disencumber yourself.  Get rid of the crap that weighs you down and immediately feel like you have lost a few pounds.  It is like an hour long, cathartic weight-loss program, and really - who wouldn’t be into that?!?

OK, I probably shouldn’t have mentioned “Bobbitt-esque” because that is probably seriously overpowering how great the word is.  So if it bothers you, just stick with the three letter word that was so easy in the first place.

RID!

While living in Saskatchewan where we have been enduring a blistering windchill of -40 (works both ways for Celsius and Fahrenheit.  As my friend Mary-Anne says, “it is Tuckin’ Cold!  You tuck your head in your shoulders and run”), you would think this post would be about wondering when spring will finally appear.  But No.  Full of surprises, aren’t I??

It is about the fabulous Bill Murray movie and how it is exactly how our lives are 99% of the time.  Oh, the drudgery~!!!!!!!!  Seriously, sometimes the monotony of it all makes you want to drive off a cliff  Or at the very least wonder why beds need to be made Every. SIngle. Day.  Dishes need to be dealt with after Every. Single. Meal.  Crumbs, dust bunnies and cheerios multiply like unchecked frogs in Australia.  And if you have a penchant for dark wood furniture - the dust that appears immediately after you JUST FINISHED DUSTING!  What about the laundry where, at one point, you had a really cute shirt that made it somehow to the BOTTOM of the pile, only to finally get washed when it is no longer in season, or even in style?!??!  Are you going mental thinking of these things, because I know I sure am!

But have you noticed that these things are the most painful when you are not in a routine??  When I am in a routine, making the beds actually feels therapeutic.  Walking into my bedroom and seeing my bed made gives me a small sense of accomplishment.  As does having a clean kitchen.  There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING that gives me greater peace of mind (think less yelling) than when my house is tidy, orderly and calm.  I love loading the dishwasher and wiping the table right after lunch.  No dishes on the counter.  None in the sink.  It even makes me want to think about making dinner!!!  What??!!?

So while in the midst of all the day to day, that really does need your upkeep, remember the biggest drudgery is when you feel locked to your house because it isn’t “done”.  Or when you are so overwhelmed that you don’t feel like you can get out of the mess you and your dear loved ones have created.   That is the most mentally exhausting place to be.

But when you are in a routine and can actually fit in other things to help balance your life and give you a few precious minutes to yourself, you can get a break from the mind-numbing relentlessness that you sometimes feel like your life can be.  Make time this Groundhog day to do something for yourself.  If you are like me and half-frozen, have a bath and dream of green grass.

But make sure your kitchen is clean before you go to bed so February 3 feels like a new day; not a repeat of old ones.

My friend Daria posted this cute video of her unboxing and discovering Project Life, a new scrapbooking system by Becky Higgins.

Boutique Cafe also has a giveaway going on right now where you can snag your own Project Life Kit! It’s the essential system for busy moms who want to be a super scrapper but have limited time…and energy. Go check it out, it’s organizational-liscious (yep that’s a new word).

While I haven’t been on here in, oh… pretty much forever, I have been thinking a ton about the site and how much I have been missing it!  I miss thinking and feeling organized!  There is nothing quite like thinking about organizing all the time to keep you on track.

Here is the quickest update:  had a baby, had a massive flood in the basement, renovated said basement, rebuilt half an Ikea store, unpacked - brief moment of aaahhhhh, then a spontaneous move just after Christmas with the new house needing to be re-done and husband in busiest possible rotation in internship, (because why make life easy, right?!?), months of disorder and various states of unpacking/half-finished projects, then ANOTHER BASEMENT FLOOD IN THE NEW HOUSE, (seriously water gods, what have I done to offend thee????),  a sudden (albeit cr-AZY) realization that I was going to have to homeschool all the hooligans, more renos to the basement…

Oh, and I am presently expecting baby #5 in about 4 weeks.

Good times.  But holy dinah - it has made me a virtual expert in dealing with water issues in the basement.  Woo-hoo.

Tip for the day: As my good friend Daria once told me, “You can save money OR time, but not both.”

So true.  And when you opt to save money because of hubby being a perpetual student, it makes for a Very. Long. Renovation.  Many months later, the basement is nearly, nearly done and I am finally back in a space where I can think about organizing.

But, man it feels good to be back!  I can’t wait to share what I have learned/re-learned, as well as what NOT to do to get back on track.