Friday Five: Clutter

1. If our little 1500 square foot story-and-a-half house has taught me anything, it is that I am unsentimental. We simply don't have room to keep every paper and piece of artwork that is created, every small sock, every hand-me-down-Christmas ornament. Not long after we moved, I realized that I ask myself about three questions for every item I own: Will I get the chance to have this again? Will I regret the money I will have to spend AGAIN if I throw/give this away? Will anyone even miss it? For most things - like the one-lost-one-broken earrings and colored lettering pages and thousand bread baggie ties, I can firmly get rid of it. There are things I hate getting rid of and choose to "pass on" instead of throw away (barely used beauty products, shoes and clothes, jewelry) mostly to assuage my guilt.

2. What I despite most are the little places that collect and collect and collect until one day I open the cabinet door and think HOLY SHAMOLEY what is happening in there..like in my makeup drawer and under every sink in the house. I found some awesome contact paper at TJ Maxx, loaded up on dollar store bins and set to work to straighten everything out. It's the little things that keep me sane. 

2. awesome tjmaxx contact paper find

3. crazy, right?!

3. Do you see this?! This was and is my life. Mellow's toy shelves are my only concession. Legos, big and little trucks, books, games, assorted action figures - and other things that are impossible to keep sorted had all found a home on an open bookshelf. Despite how many bins and baskets and containers I purchased and labeled, it was always a mess. Over Christmas, I declared our living room a TOY FREE ZONE. And then I found this baby. B was all do we really need another piece of furniture and I was all IF I HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT MESS ANY LONGER I WILL THROW EVERYTHING AWAY. So, now, I have doors. Green doors. Peaceful, clean, quietly closed green doors.

4. I've been knocking out seven or more hours of sleep every night. This is unusual for me because normally I clock between 4-5 hours; I spend more time with my eyes closed cataloging my closet or creating work plans or scheduling an agenda than I do dreaming. These last two weeks, though, we've been erranding and gyming and getting home late-ing. A flurry of dinner-bath-and-bed leaves me completely exhausted. B even questioned me the other morning if I needed vitamins or had I been taking sleeping pills. This pace is overwhelming and grad school isn't in full swing yet. I love being busy, but - sheesh - this is busy!

5. Our home is officially over being childproof. Mellow opened the KNIFE DRAWER yesterday to retrieve the can opener. KNIFE DRAWER. I nearly had a heart attack. Very few things still have kid-proof latches: knife drawer, under-the-sink household cleaners, makeup drawer, guest bedroom (more for the guest's safety than Mellow's). Last weekend, B decided to show Mellow how to UNLOCK THE HOUSE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE so he can help let the cat out. I though this was the worst idea known to mankind, until B started removing every ever-loving safety latch from the house. I nearly had a panic attack. I still need that net, I think, that foggy idea that something is safe from Mellow's inquiring little hands (like, guest changing clothes for example...and bleach).