declutter

This impromptu blog post was inspired by a "Declutter Calendar" I found via Facebook. Seriously you need to check this out. It's broken down quite simply with easy to manage tasks each day. Things that will most likely take you 30 minutes to complete. Some may take longer, but it gives you TONS of ideas to get your house cleaned and decluttered. What I loved about it was it's suggestions of things I rarely think about doing {if ever!} It's a good reminder to to get to those areas of your house that maybe get forgotten. I'm excited to get crackin on this right away!

Prior to this calendar, I have been working on organizing and decluttering already. Things like the storage area in the bathroom. {this odd space that will someday be a half bath but for now serves as the storage of odd crap} I went through that over Christmas break and found new homes for things that were just taking up space. I also finally purchased a wrapping paper storage container {one of those vertical ones} and got my wrapping stuff more organized. It takes up much less space than how I had it before and it looks fantastic! {and only $7 on sale at Target} My husband, Jason, and I also tackled our basement. It's old. It's dark. It's cold. Not a cozy finished basement {someday...}. But it had to be done. That ordeal was prompted by the need to build walls down there for our new plumbing to run through... and the fact that we've recently found and become addicted to the show Hoarders. After watching just one episode I was freaked out that I could become a hoarder. {deep down I know that's not a reality, but it's really disturbing} I know I'm not currently at risk of becoming a Hoarder for a few reasons.

1 - crumbs on the counter irritate me
2 - I vacuum at least once a day
3 - my desk gets a regular cleaning to keep me sane
4 - I have an irrational desire to rearrange furniture regularly
5 - beds made make me smile

Those are just some of the reasons I couldn't let my house get the way they do on the show, but for someone without my OCD clutter-free personality, I can see how things can get out of hand rather quickly. Just one day of me being gone and the dishes pile up and toys are strewn everywhere. {nothing against my husband. he's a big help and a clean person, but the messes don't bother him like they do me. a good clean up at the end of the day would be fine with him. not me.}

So why not become a professional organizer? Well, for starters, do they have a degree for this? It seems like it is pretty self explanatory for someone like me, but maybe I'm missing something. Is there a market for it? Our area is near booming communities, but here in the Fox Valley... is there enough of a need to make it worthwhile?

Tell me about your home? Are you super-organized? Or weaving around the piles of stuff? Or somewhere in between? Where are your 'trouble spots' {for me it's the top of my desk} It's not a resolution, but I do plan to follow this calendar each day and see where I end up at the end of the year. Are you going to try it?