Small Attempts to Organize

I easily get overwhelmed by clutter. I know the best way to battle clutter is for everything to have its place in the house, but it's when the puzzles start sharing a place with the books, hotwheels, and balls that micro-clutter happens. In the past year we've added some new storage features to the living room to battle the stacks of clutter, but those places themselves are no longer serving their purpose. If you were to walk into my living room, you might not immediately declare it a disaster, but the space has the potential to be much more functional and relaxing.

Here's a short list of how I plan on tackling the living room in the next couple days.

1. Simplify. One place that exemplifies my need to reduce is the mantle over the fireplace. I don't believe that a lamp, wedding portrait, set of pillar candles,stack of mail, two 5-year old mostly burned down mismatched candles, cat brush, ceramic baby handprints, Christmas snow globe, tube of tall matches, random vase of rocks and fake berry branches, and a pack of batteries count as home decor. Right now I am thinking that just the portrait and lamp would be enough.

2. Cycle the toys. My friend Danielle only gives her daughter access to several toys at a time and cycles them in and out regularly. A couple days ago, the floor was covered with letter magnets, puzzles, tracks and trains, hotwheels, and every piece of riding equipment in the house. It was simply too much for me to handle, and judging by his frenzied jumping from one activity to the next, it was too much for Daniel to handle as well. I have the same reaction when I walk into a Kirklands.

3. Create efficiency. Part of creating efficiency in the home is quick and simple access. I work from home, and this is my work cabinet. It is supposed to have the text books I need for quick reference to address my students' questions. It has been hijacked by spare computer parts and cords, stacks of music and data cds, broken cameras and scrapbooking rejects (I don't scrapbook, but somehow I have acquired a few supplies), which makes simple access problematic. Also, we have moved the printer into the living room from the dining room (it's that efficiency thing), so now I must make room for printing and school supplies.

4. Gather, not scatter. This is a half-completed project. Yesterday, I found these $4 baskets at Walmart and began the process of deciding how to use them. Daniel's toys used to take up two cubes on the shelf, but would scatter over the edges, onto the floor and get stuffed in various corners and on top of other surfaces. He now has two baskets: one for puzzles and the other for cars and some other random things I need to cycle back out. The next step is to put away for later those things that don't fit in the baskets.
The top basket currently has stationary and some office supplies. I still need to find the stamps, which I believe are in the bedside table in the guest room (see the problem of scattering I am battling?) The business envelopes just might be in there too. I never do write letters, so I may end up junking the whole thing.

I am hoping to have a picture of a nice, organized living room to share by the end of the week. Hopefully I'll snap it before the place totally blows up again!