clutter | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD – Writer for Children

The other day I wrote about the new carpeting we are getting.

I was excited, not only for the new carpeting, but also because I was looking forward to the opportunity to CLEAR OUT ALL THE CLUTTER that tends to accumulate on bookshelves and the dining room table and in cabinets and drawers. In fact, in and on virtually any surface or space that is available to park papers, books, the odd piece of clothing…you name it and it is probably there…somewhere…but please don’t ask me to find it!

I guess I should have known by now, having moved several times during the last 4 decades, that things would get worse before they got better. It definitely looks like we are moving…with half-filled boxes on the floor and the dining room table littered with papers (do we really need that piece?). I’m glad our children are grown, because adding little ones into the mix would only make it more difficult.

However, there is a shining light in the distance…my heart beats with hope (or is that from walking up and down the stairs 20 times with boxes of books?)…the 2 bookcases are EMPTY!

Next step: wrap and box the dozens of framed photos and knicknacks on the piano and sideboard.

At times, it does seem overwhelming. Parenting can seem like that also, don’t you agree? So, I guess I will try to do some of the things I did when my children were young that helped me put everything in the proper perspective:

Make a list of what I need to do each day…the night before! (You sleep so much better when you’ve written it down.)
Get a good night’s sleep! (Not always easy to do with little ones…have a cup of soothing tea before bedtime, close your eyes for a few minutes, breathe deeply, visualize the job done.)
Do the hardest or most unpleasant thing first…it empowers me and energizes me for the rest of the day! (There is a book out there called EAT THE FROG! Check it out…it talks about this phenomenon.)
Take breaks to walk, dance to great music, sit in the sun for a few minutes! (All work and no rest or play can burn you out quickly.)
Ask for help if I need it! (Sometimes we are too proud to ask for help because we think we should be able to do EVERYTHING by ourselves…is that you?)
Spend time with the ones I love…in person or on the phone…this renews me! (If you have children, no matter what you are involved in, please try to spend positive time with them…someone once said: To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today…so true.)

I hope this list helps some of you…just making it has already helped me!

We just got back from the carpet store. Our downstairs carpeting is in BAD shape and so we took the plunge and ordered a new one (made of recycled soda bottles).

From where I stand (on a worn-out rug) this is a WIN-WIN situation for me. First of all, we will have beautiful new flooring. Secondly, in order to have the carpeting installed, the furniture in the rooms will have to be moved by the installers. In order for them to be able to move the stuff, I have to empty every bookcase, cabinet and clear off every surface of anything and everything in the rooms that has to be moved.

Now, you might think this is a big job, boxing up hundreds of books and photos in frames and all the other STUFF that somehow accumulates as we journey through this life. And, you would be right! However, it will also be an opportunity to go through EVERYTHING. The question is, will I be able to toss or give away some of the STUFF, so that the house will be less cluttered.

I truly believe that clutter increases stress in one’s life. What do you think? I’ve always wished my home could be neat and organized so that if company came, you could open a closet and STUFF wouldn’t fall on you. Or, you could open a drawer and wouldn’t have to push the STUFF back in so that you could close the drawer again.

When my children were little, I had an excuse…I wanted to save EVERYTHING that they created…every picture and craft project. I know it is really difficult to be organized with young children…but if you can be, it makes life so much more simple. No running around the house 5 minutes before the school bus arrives, looking for a missing shoe. No wasting precious hours searching for the car keys that are hiding under several layers of papers on the table instead of hanging up on a key holder.

I’ve read quite a few “how to get rid of clutter” books…right now they are on the bookshelves…soon to be boxed up with the rest of the STUFF. Getting rid of clutter (and staying rid of it) is a mind-set one must acquire.

Wish me luck!