Well, it looks like I have fallen behind on writing the past couple of days. What can I say… Spring Cleaning has kicked in! I don’t spring clean like a normal person. I spring clean like a crazy, insane, wild woman. I actually really enjoy spring cleaning, so when I get the urge, I ravenously tear through my house like I am in a race. I figure I burn more calories on one of my cleaning sprees than I do during a 5k race! If spring cleaning were a sport, I would be a world champ!
I have a problem focusing on anything until my house is clean. This isn’t to say I can’t ever let it get a little out of order, but, if I let it get unorganized, it is like an avalanche!
I have tried to tell myself to relax and not to worry about it, yet in the back of my mind, I am subconsciously thinking about the unorganized mess of fabric I have stuffed away in a clothes basket!
Letting myself fall behind only makes me have to work harder later. I look at organization sort of like I do working out and eating healthy. I can do it now, enjoy doing it, and reap the benefits, or wait till later, and try to make up for my lack of dedication! I choose the first method!
My way of preventing clutter is to do a major cleaning every season. I consider it my house “detox.” Just like my body needs a good cleanse several times a year to help it to run more efficiently… so does my house! I go through every drawer, every shelf, every closet, and I reorganize, sort, and redistribute. I let the girls “help” me sort and deliver and usually have about 10 baskets filling up at one time… each one headed to its own designated spot.
By doing this, I don’t necessarily always have the perfect house, but I am able to keep the clutter down… I like having empty counter tops, empty tables, and even a few empty drawers and closets too. By leaving some empty space, I prevent my silverware drawer from becoming a “junk drawer”!
I really think that it is beneficial to one’s health to declutter and organize. When I feel organized, I am much more motivated to eat healthy and exercise!
So, while I haven’t been writing, these are some of the things I have been working on!
My first love was cooking, and my second love was sewing. Over the years, I have collected quite a assortment of sewing and embroidery supplies and machines. If my space isn’t clean, I don’t enjoy sewing! I like to keep most of my supplies (threads, tools, fabric, etc.) a reasonable distance from the place I actually work. By separating my work space from my storage space I am distanced from clutter. I also have to make a conscious effort to get things out and PUT THEM BACK!
This is the shelving that I organize all of my supplies and fabrics on. I go through, sort, and reorganize very often, or it becomes a mess! I lucked up and found these metal pails at Target in the dollar area at the front…. well, they were actually $3 each, but that is an awesome price! I love containers and boxes, both transparent and opaque. Both have a place in my home… for example, all of my grains and flours are stored in clear glass containers. I can easily distinguish the different grains without having to label; plus they look pretty on display. These buckets, on the other hand, are full of spray adhesives, burp cloths, and foam balls. I don’t mind hiding those things!
I made great use of a lazy susan that my Grandmother gave me as a gift. Again, I don’t care for sit around items, so using it in such a practical way was perfect… and she is happy that I am using it! 
Last, I love to save all scraps… even in my sewing room. Every scrap is saved, organized, and used for something! I like to make use of jewelry organizers, button organizers, and tackle boxes for this!
Hope you enjoy spring cleaning!! Remember, if you do it with enough zeal and enthusiasm, you can count it as some really good exercise!
P.S. I thought I would share the glass containers I was talking about too! These are so useful to store dried ingredients. I purchased them at Hobby Lobby on sale! The place that I have them stored is where the former owners of our home had a microwave. We now have one above our stove, so this space was left empty… This is a great way to fill up that empty space and actually put it to good use!!
