5.15.2009

The Post About Don't Look Behind the Curtain

At my Lost 5th Season finale party, a first-time guest was complimenting my little abode and said "It must be easy to keep it clean since you're single and don't have kids." See, Chris. That's where you'd be wrong. I pride myself in being organized at work (although the chaos can overwhelm at times.) The inside of my car is clutter-free and ready for passengers. And my schedule works like clockwork - rarely late, rarely selfish.

However, my home can pile up at times. There are some snazzy benefits of living alone. But there are some costs as well. No one to share the bills with. No one to kill the bugs. And no one to cut their eyes at you when you take off your stilettos in the dining room and leave them there until you wear that wrap dress again. Some might view that as a positive, but when you are hosting a get-together, you need some temporary holding areas for the things you've left to linger throughout the house.

My primary drop-off spot is my bedroom. This is how it looked Wednesday night:
Temporary Holding Area
Notice the canvas totes holding groceries and other canvas totes. Note my "cleaning" iPod radio for when the inspiring move-your-booty-music needs to travel from room to room. At the back of the line are five of the 721 handbags that require a daily swap-out. And finally my most private confession: I cannot seem to open the hamper, so the clothes rest wearily on top.

No worries, the door stayed tightly shut and none of my guests were the wiser.

Until now.

P.S. If my future husband is reading this, please go back and read blog posts about how fun I am and how I care about orphans and the hungry.

Any tips for the cluttered home? Confessions?

(image: Jamie)

12 comments:

  1. I would suggest that you keep Billy and Catfish for 1 week. They are so organized and clean. They could fix your place up in a jiffy!!

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  2. This looks like my whole apartment right now. We actually have a spare room that becomes the main dumping ground.

    I'm going to be having houseguests in a few weeks, so I need to find someplace to dump all the stuff that's in the spare room. HELP!

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  3. Do you really have 721 handbags?

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  4. Try Flylady.net A great way to make cleaning a habit. We had company at Easter and didn't have to hide anything except getting Sam's toys out of the den. What freedom!! Although since Easter my office has suffered. A pity since it is half of the dining room. Oh, well. Flylady works if I do!

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  5. I love my hampers. Hampers hold oodles of stuff that might be laying around the house that shouldn't and it is easy to scoot them from room to room in order to pick up all that doesn't belong. Remember, I am a homemaker. Side note: I will be visiting Flylady.net as soon as I leave this message!

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  6. I knew it!!! No, I didn't - because you're exceptionally good at hiding it.

    I am not suitable to give advice in this area since I'm one of those "throw everything in the closet" kind of people.

    I don't remember the last time I actually folded my clothes either - as opposed to throwing them on a chair in the corner of my room.

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  7. You're a mess. I would kill you within the first month of living together. And then your mom would be sad. However, your father might thank me because he wouldn't have any more late-night repair/lizard jobs to worry about.

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  8. J: Your children are the opposite of organized.

    pb: I have been know to store stuff in the trunk of my car in an emergency.

    K: Nope. Where would I put them? More like 20-ish.

    AC: Thank you for the great web resource - I'm headed there next...

    kk: I need more hampers.

    S: I have thrown everything in the closet before and then forgotten and regretted not remembering.

    C: True.

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  9. At least your clothes make it to the top of the hamper. Mine usually land on the floor in front of it! ;P

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  10. We have zero room in this little apartment. I love being organized, but right now I'm looking at my Christmas tree, all boxed up, acting as a wedge for files stuck between my desk and the tree.

    I tried FlyLady, but I am not putting on shoes to clean. It was a "thing" for me. I've gotten pretty good about everything except the office/my closet room.

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  11. I love your honesty! My apartment is typically a disaster (except the living room stays clean because I mostly hang out in my bedroom where the pillows are). However, if I have people coming over I'm super anal - "Is there a nice candle in the bathroom with a coordinating towel?" and "OMG I didn't care about that spot on the carpet for the past six months, but now that 15 people will be here in about five minutes, I HAVE TO CLEAN IT".

    Hmm, still want to read my blog?

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  12. HTEAC: Thank you for making me feel a little more organized :)

    KO: I think we all have those rooms that just go by the wayside, mine is my bedroom...

    M: I do! My OCD will pop out as well about 2 hours before a shindig and then I'm scrambling to hang things on the walls and change out picture frames - crazy!

    ReplyDelete

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