Fighting the house overwhelm

There’s nothing like the New Year’s chuck to beat feelings of house overwhelm, is there?

I don’t know if it’s just the extra number of toys that have crept in over Christmas or the renewed motivation to start being more organised (yes I’m THAT person who sets the same goal ‘to be more organised’ every year), but this time of year makes me want to chuck evvverrrryyyything out.

Haven’t worn it in a year – GONE!

Haven’t seen it played with recently – GONE!

Husband has left it on the floor for the most part of the last month – GONE! (sorry Andrew!)

Total ‘first world problems’ for sure, but you know…

I don’t know why (must be a slow learner) but I’m always surprised by how little is actually missed. I’ll angst over getting rid of something I think I might possibly some day where again, yet once it’s gone I never remember even owning it.  Or worry that the kids will call me on throwing something of theirs out. But so far, nothing has ever even been missed.

I watched ‘Minimalism – A documentary about important things’ on New Years and I had to fight the urge to start chucking things out the door at midnight and go to bed.

Now I’m definitely NOT saying that I’m going to be throwing everything out and living in a caravan but there is definitely room for improvement and I think it will help with the getting organised thing. Especially with school looming, I have a feeling it’s probably time for me to get my shit together when it comes to being organised. No more last-minute grocery runs at 7am because there is nothing to pack in kindy lunches.

The boys really do play more often with what they have when they have less of it. It’s like when there is too much, it’s all too overwhelming and they don’t play with anything (they come annoy me instead – ha!)

I feel the same way. When the clutter and the mess gets to be too much – I just want to bury my head and hide instead of just cleaning my bench off.  I KNOW makes me feel a thousand times better, I just need to get on with it and stop wasting time stressing about it.

So here’s my plan.

• Chuck out all the old toys while the boys are at kindy this week

• Strip out all of the clothes from my wardrobe that I no longer fit or love.

• Deal with the junk cupboard that is behind me as I write this, taunting me with its’ overflowingness.

• Create some sort of system in our pantry other than put it where you can find some space.

• Meal plan each week (see fancy new oversized chalkboard on my wall that means I cannot ignore any longer)

• Embrace the chaos that remains after all these steps and fake it til I make it. (Because really, no one actually knows, or cares, that I had to do the kindy lunch run at 7am, do they?)

How are you dealing with house overwhelm this New Years?

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