by Molly Hix Cooper, Cooper & Co
Some call it organized chaos and some call it hoarding. I call it STRESSFUL! Clutter is faster at piling up than it is getting put away. Y’all, why for the love of clutter do we do it to ourselves? I pride myself in organization and “a place for everything and everything in it’s place” motto, but cutter gets the best of all of us at one point or another.
Let’s face it, the simple fact is that being messy is so, SO much easier. Picture this. Your mom calls, and she is on her way (or worse, your mother in-law – I love mine though) for a visit. You go into full-on panic mode. If you’re like every other normal human on the planet earth, you start pitching things behind the couch and into the closet that hopefully you won’t have to get into while they are visiting. You yell at the kids “WHY ARE Y’ALL SO MESSY,” when, honestly, it is everyone’s mess. Your husband comes through, and you yell at him just because he is walking and not RUNNING! I mean it is like a madhouse for a good 10 minutes while you hide all the evidence, when, seriously people, it all could have been avoided.
If we can just train ourselves to put it away instead of piling it up, we will live a less stressed life. Personally, I never leave mail on the counter. My husband brings it in. I chuck what is junk, put the unwanted bills in their respected “spot” and I am done.
I have taught my kids that nothing goes on the floor, it has a home and unless they want extra chores, they put it away. Don’t worry, y’all, they are not perfect, and they get extra chores often. They just know what’s expected of them, and they don’t fuss when I send them to work. We also make our beds EVERY day. Kids too. No the bed isn’t perfect, but the point is they have tried and that is what is important.
I listened to a U.S. Navy Admiral give a speech on YouTube once who said, “If You Want to Change the World, Start Off by Making Your Bed.” In the video the audience laughed, but he is right. You have accomplished the first step to a clutter free and tidy home.
You’ve worked all day, so why work all night on what could have already been done. My mom always told me, “don’t put off till tomorrow what should have been done today.” I’ll be honest, I go into a stressed-mad race to get everything put away on the days I come home to a messy house. I can’t take it. Don’t pile it up, don’t wait till tomorrow, don’t stress yourself out when you don’t need to, simply put it away, right away! Take the extra two minutes, and just GET IT DONE. You will be so proud you did!
In short, get rid of the clutter. Throw away or recycle what you can, find a home for what you can’t and live a simpler life with way less stress and way less junk to have to pitch in the closet when your mom comes over!
Editor’s Note: The laundry room pictured in this article was designed by Molly Cooper based on her believe that everything has a place. Let Molly help you design your living spaces in your log or timber home. Contact her here.
