Decluttering Frenzy

It was my daughter Lisa's 20th birthday on Sunday and we had arranged for a family get-together to celebrate the on-set of her Tweeny years.

I had decided that this year, there would be no home cooking (my mum usually takes control of this), instead we would have 'Pizza (a) metro'. This is gourmet pizza made in 1/2 meter lengths as opposed to the traditional and uninteresting round pizzas.

With the main food all under control, the only thing left was the salads & dips to prepare - prepared by my mum because dad grows his own vegies :-)

A vision of my mum going to the pantry for spices, oils & vinegars and then searching through the cupboards and drawers for appropriate strainers,bowls & salad spoons set me off in a cold sweat!

Mum & I work quite differently in the kitchen. I clean up as I go along whereas mum likes to do it all after she's finished preparing a smorgasbord of dishes.

And that is what sent me into my decluttering frenzy.

I didn't want to be constantly showing mum where I keep things, or discover that I had run out of essential items. I just wanted us all to have a relaxing and fun time.

It was then that I realised that my kitchen was not 'user-friendly', it was only functional to me (not a good idea when you want the kids or hubby to prepare meals)!

I was only going to do a little 'buzz clean' - the utensil drawer, the essential pantry items & salad cupboard. Instead, I went all out and decluttered the whole damn kitchen!

What a lunatic, what on earth was I thinking??? How on earth can I contemplate doing this AND the rest of the housework & laundry the day before a party?

I enlisted the help of (reluctant) kids & hubby and we managed to get it all done - and with time to spare!

Now I will be the first to admit that this is not normal. Decluttering should not be attempted in this manner.
But then again, those who know me will tell you that I am truly unique LOL. Below is how I should have done it.

Easy decluttering:

1. Baby Steps
Start with a small or problem section/area, don't beat yourself up hoping to do the entire kitchen

2. 3+1
3 boxes + 1 garbage bag - 'Sort' box, 'Put Away' box, 'Return/Donate' box + rubbish bag

3. Timer/Clock
Set at 15 minutes

4. Action Plan
Set yourself a realistic goal & time frame for what you want to achieve

5. SPAM Method

Sort
Empty the contents of drawer, cupboard or shelf and place 'like' with 'like' items

Purge
Put loved,used & required items into 'Sort' box
Put items belonging in other areas/rooms into 'Put Away' box

Put borrowed, no longer used, unwanted items into 'Return/Donate' box
Put all broken, mouldy, expired items in rubbish bag & throw out immediately

Arrange
Organise all items in the 'Sort' box into the cleared space, keeping 'like' with 'like'
Return all items in the 'Put Away' box to their appropriate areas/rooms
Return borrowed items and thoughtfully donate what's left in 'Return/Donate' box

Maintain
Regularly review & purge to maintain your organised space

6. Reward
An organised and efficient space to show off !

A Fine Mess!

I can't begin to count the many (unsuccessful) attempts I have made at clearing clutter and 'getting' organised....way too painful!

Many weekends I have exhausted myself with my 'cleaning rampage', overwhelmed, knee-deep with piles of stuff that required sorting, making last minute dashes to Howard's Storage & Officeworks for more containers and manila folders, tearing hamstrings whilst de-cluttering and trying to convince my children that divorcing their mother was a COSTLY (if not drastic) excercise!

Yep, I have gone through the paces & failed every time.

So, how does a person, whose personality relies so heavily on structure & order, end up being so disorganised?

Read any book on clutter, organisation, time management or psychology and you will find there are different personality types, disorders, symptoms and situations that lead to this fine mess.

For most people, it's one or two of these things.

I, on the other hand, don't like half measures. No, I need to go ALL OR NOTHING!

I had the scarcity belief drilled into me by my parents so I would constantly hoard, I was forever bringing things home from the Salvo's rather than taking stuff there, I would defer making decisions and made matters worse by procrastinating, and probably a touch of ADD if I bothered to see a shrink!

My Motto: If it couldn't be filed/sorted/put away perfectly then it would have to wait until it could.

Add to this lovely mix, a family business in crises, skewed work/life balance, children & family commitments, poor self-esteem and you have a recipe for disaster.

Through trial and error, I have realised that you just can't 'get' organised, you have to become organised.

I have also learnt that there is no set style of being organised. It's personal and should be tailored to work for the individual.

Just like there is no manual for parents, there is no manual for becoming organised - YET (stay tuned).

I have taken affirmative action - I am reclaiming control and have started becoming organised.

Time Management & Being Organised - Part 3

Upon arriving home, Jen & the kids unload the grocery shopping. Jen dumps the mail on the kitchen bench and the kids leave their school, dancing & soccer bags on the hallway floor.

Hunger pains are starting to kick in and focused eyes are scanning grocery bags for snacks.

During dinner, the family catches up on how their day was, what school work needs to be done, which bills need to be paid and all the school-yard capers during lunch time.

After clearing the dinner table and stacking the washing machine, Jen is absolutely exhausted and chills out by spending some time with her husband and kids watching a bit of TV. The kids quickly lose interest and the girls head off to the computer to 'chat' with friends whilst her son switches on the PS3.

As there is no set bed time, the kids need some prompting to 'brush up & get to bed'. Depending on the mood swings and energy levels, this could take between 1-2 hours before the kids are finally in their rooms, another hour or two before they are finally asleep!

Jen reflects on her day......

'Phew! What an exhausting day. No wonder I don't have time to do join a gym. Probably don't need to with all the exercise I get during the day!!!'


This is decision making at its best or should I say worst?! How different would Jen's day be if she decided to plan her day the night before?

The real problem here is this.....JEN DOES NOT BELIEVE SHE HAS TIME MANAGEMENT OR CLUTTER ISSUES!

Time Management & Being Organised - Part 2

With the chaos behind her, Jen goes to the local shopping centre where she will buy some groceries for dinner. She browses the shops for any sales or new products that she may like.

It's past mid-day and Jen needs lunch before she can even contemplate grocery shopping, so she stops at a cafe and has a leisurely lunch. After all, no nagging kids to put up with and she still has plenty of time before collecting them from school.

As Jen is walking through the supermarket, she is trying to remember what is in her pantry, what she needs to replenish, what she will prepare for dinner & therefore what she needs to buy. She plays it safe and buys cold meats & dairy products, fruit, treats & snacks, cleaning & bathroom products (just in case) and roast beef & potatoes for dinner.

Queuing at the checkout, panic sets in as Jen notices she has only 5 minutes to get to school to pick up the kids and take the girls to dance classes & her son to soccer training!

Risking life & limb, she maneuvers the shopping trolley that seems to want to go in the opposite direction of her car, quickly dumps all the grocery shopping in the boot of the car & heads off to school to pick up the kids.

Running 10 minutes late, the girls arrive at dance class & do their warm up amidst disapproving looks from their teacher whilst her son is getting dressed in the car for his soccer training.

No time for that roast tonight Jen says to herself. Take away will have to do.

Time Management & Being Organised - Part 1

This may come as a shock to some of you, but being organised isn't about having all your "stuff" in containers, stacked coloured boxes or labeled shelves!

Paper work & clutter can reproduce and manifest just as easily in the strongest containers & most colourful boxes as well as on any counter tops & floors.

Whilst the reason for the initial clutter and its treatment may vary, the success to being organised is based on Decision Making and Effective Management of your Space & Time.

Sounds simple doesn't it?

So why do we struggle with clutter and constantly complain that we don't have enough time in our days?
Why are we always running late or stressing when we can't find our keys, mobile phone, tickets, books, permission slips.....???

Why can't we manage to finish our project, housework, reading, shopping, errands and have time left over for leisure and to do the things that we really like to do?

Case In Point:
My friend Jen has three kids - two girls and a boy (9, 10 & 13 years old respectively). She is a SAHM (stay at home mum) and her kindergarten duties are well and truly behind her so her days are totally hers to do whatever she likes with them.

Every morning Jen has her coffee before the the kids get up & the morning madness kicks in.

There is no time for breakfast amidst the usual arguments as to who is wearing who's clothes, how long each is spending in the bathroom, questions of 'where is my soccer socks, dance tights, locker key, permission slip, school bag, THE favorite jeans......'

Jen ignores their battles as she's got a battle of her own - 'where is my mobile, house keys, make-up bag, purse....?

Eventually, the kids are rounded up into the car, the bickering is halted as Jen chastises them for not being ready in time & blurts a brief lecture on responsibility and preparedness. The kids are eventually dropped off at school 15 minutes late.