More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

I can't stand it anymore. I'm about to lose it.

I can't blame it on being a mom, I've always been this way. DH can't stand it, especially. You should see my dining room table right now. Everything just ends up piling up...

Any advice on how to keep organized and to avoid clutter?

TIA!

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Yeah, I'd like to see the responses on this one, too

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

I have absolutely NO patience for clutter in my house, though it doesn't seem to bother DH of course.

I don't let things pile up - I throw out a LOT of stuff everyday. When I come home from work with the girls, I spend 10 minutes tidying up before we do anything, and Alex usually helps me out. That's how I stay on top of it...

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Well I am a SAHM so I may ahve a little more tim ein the house, but my DS is soo active,


I chose eone thing per day to do aside form regular chores...I either clean out a drawer, go through clothes, dust a fan, clean out a closet....it helps...

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Try flylady.com. A few people on here have recommended it & I've been using it for about a month. It really does help.

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

While I was pregnant I didn't do as much in the house and our office became the danger zone for all the items I didn't know what to do with. At one point we couldn't even walk into the room! I was NEVER like this. DH is a messy guy but he was getting frustrated to go in there. What I do is I dedicate 15 minutes a day to cleaning out that room. And in 4 days you can definitely see the difference.

I've recently started reading FlyLady and it has totally helped me stay on top of some things and get into a routine especially before I go to work.

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

wow this flylady thing looks great! Thank you!

Man, what would I do without LIW?

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Thank you for sharing the Fly Lady website - I need this! My life is clutter

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

I hate clutter ...I am a super multitasker - in the am before work I will throw a load of laundry in and it will wash while I'm feeding tommy then I will throw it in the dryer right after...every night after dinner I take 15 min or so after the baby is in bed to clean up the dishes, wipe the counters, clean up junk mail, swiffer etc. I need to do that for me, if it's not done I get anxiety attacks!!! I think it helps just to set aside even 15 minutes to tackle stuff so it doesn't pile up.

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Hey Tara!! I am the organizing and storage queen!! Steve and I cannot handle clutter. 99% of the time you wouldn't even know we have a 17 month child in the house!!

Because we don't have a separate playroom for Emerson's toys we had to find some way of organizing her things in the den where we always are. I got a rack with colored bins at Target for $50 and a lot of her toys fit in there nicely. At the end of the day all we have to do is pop the box back on the rack and the den is neat again. Now that she is older she helps to clean up too and she knows to put her toys back in the bins as well when she is done. It's easy for her to grab what she wants to play with now.

We also got rid of our coffee table before she was born and replaced it with a microfiber (SUPER easy to clean fabric) ottoman that is the same size as our table was. It opens up for storage inside but cannot slam down and hurt her fingers. Very safe, very functional and a lot of her toys go in there as well. In my wall unit I put 2 canvas totes on the lower shelves to hold her toys and she can stack her books on the sides of them too. Now that she is older she walks across the room, chooses a book from the shelf, and puts it back when she is done. SO nice!! For any remaining toys that we can't fit in the den we bought a Step 2 toy box for her room so we keep some of her toys in there as well.

As for the big stuff, we retired things as soon as she showed no interest anymore. Swing, exersaucer, etc. You should also get in the habit of straightening up every night so you start the day fresh with everything clean and organized. As soon as Emme is in bed the first thing we do is make sure all the toys are away, the counters are cleaned off, the sink is emptied, etc. so that we can now relax in a clean house and we don't have to wake up to a mess. You just have to make it a priority to stay on top of things and to find ways to organize all the stuff.

This is the toy bin we have in the den


Here is the storage ottoman that also gives her a surface to play on as well

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

i pretty much throw everything out....no joke. if it serves no current purpose i donate or throw it out. i love in a small house so i have nowhere to store stuff. i throw away mail IMMEDIATELY and keep the important stuff in a covered container-like bills, invites. then go through that and throw stuff away. i also use a wooden trunk as a coffee table which is toy storage and have baskets with lids that look nice in the living room. the key to not having clutter in my house is just getting rid of stuff! i don't know why people hold on to some of the stuff they do, but that's just me! i hate messes!

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

I can't stand clutter at all.

I get rid of so much. I am not a big toy buyer, he doesn't have tons and tons of clothes...no reason.

I had to learn how to deal with dh...read a Peter Walsh book...great. He can't buy something without knowing that we will be throwing something out when we get home, or giving something away.

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

I can't stand clutter, or mail on the counters, or laundry left on the couch, shoes in the doorway, coats on the back of chairs, keys on the table, etc....There is a place for everything...so there is no reason for things to be left out. We have a finished basement, so the kids playroom is down there. I have a wall unit just for toys and that is how I keep the toys organized. The kids play with their toys all the time..but they also know that when your done playing with one toy, it goes back before you play with another one. My DD is younger so she is still learning. Everything has a "home". We have a leather ottoman in the living room that opens up for storage. Important papers get filed away. Bills gre placed in a "bill" bin I bought at Home Goods. When you use something, put it back immediately. Throw out junk immediately instead of saving it for later. Make the beds when you get up, clean the bedrooms before you start the day. Your life will be more stress free without clutter. Even my drawers in the house are organized. If I need something, I know exactly where it is. I am the same way with cleaning my house. Everynight something is done. I will not sit and relax until everything is done. My sick mind is always going I am also able to spend more time with my kids because I don't have to spend HOURS cleaning up. I also don't want my kids growing up in a house that is a mess/cluttered or dirty.

Message edited 2/15/2010 9:42:41 AM.

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

It's so funny you should post this today...

I was raised in a clutter-filled environment. I will admit to being a slob, mostly because I'm lazy. But since I've been a homeowner, I've made a HUGE effort to control the clutter and keep things from piling up. There is no worse feeling than when a friend just wants to "drop by" for a second and your house looks like a disaster.

Controlling clutter is NOT easy for me...it has to be a deliberate thing every single day. As others have said, I try not to go to bed until the clutter is at least controlled. My biggest pet peeve is a messy kitchen--papers on the table, crumbs on the counter, dishes in the sink...so I really try to get those out of the way.

I think the most frustrating part of my situation right now is the fact that my mom is living with us until she finds her own place. Obviously, this being the person who raised me in that cluttered environment, she leaves stuff EVERYWHERE. I've started making her life a living he** about it--I automatically tear up any of her mail that doesn't look important, because it WILL sit on my side table for a week. I'm constantly after her to remove her coffee spoons from the counter, to wash her pots and pans and put them away--so I think the most important thing for your sanity is to make sure ALL members of your household are on the same page as far as controlling the clutter is concerned.

Best of luck--it's definitely a learning process. I don't think it will EVER come automatically for me

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

WE live in a small 2 bedroom with 2 kids!!!!! needless to say thgis post is helping me.

I found that as they get older (2-3 yrs) i have even more LITTLE pieces

so I designate a spot for books, a bin for railroad tracks, a bin for fake food, a car organizer and a place for animals and blocks

This way DS helps me clean up!!!

I also started throwing things away---i cant take it anymore. I even took 1/2 of their xmas toys to daycare

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Posted by Hofstra26

Hey Tara!! I am the organizing and storage queen!! Steve and I cannot handle clutter. 99% of the time you wouldn't even know we have a 17 month child in the house!!

Because we don't have a separate playroom for Emerson's toys we had to find some way of organizing her things in the den where we always are. I got a rack with colored bins at Target for $50 and a lot of her toys fit in there nicely. At the end of the day all we have to do is pop the box back on the rack and the den is neat again. Now that she is older she helps to clean up too and she knows to put her toys back in the bins as well when she is done. It's easy for her to grab what she wants to play with now.

We also got rid of our coffee table before she was born and replaced it with a microfiber (SUPER easy to clean fabric) ottoman that is the same size as our table was. It opens up for storage inside but cannot slam down and hurt her fingers. Very safe, very functional and a lot of her toys go in there as well. In my wall unit I put 2 canvas totes on the lower shelves to hold her toys and she can stack her books on the sides of them too. Now that she is older she walks across the room, chooses a book from the shelf, and puts it back when she is done. SO nice!! For any remaining toys that we can't fit in the den we bought a Step 2 toy box for her room so we keep some of her toys in there as well.

As for the big stuff, we retired things as soon as she showed no interest anymore. Swing, exersaucer, etc. You should also get in the habit of straightening up every night so you start the day fresh with everything clean and organized. As soon as Emme is in bed the first thing we do is make sure all the toys are away, the counters are cleaned off, the sink is emptied, etc. so that we can now relax in a clean house and we don't have to wake up to a mess. You just have to make it a priority to stay on top of things and to find ways to organize all the stuff.

This is the toy bin we have in the den
IMAGE

Here is the storage ottoman that also gives her a surface to play on as well
IMAGE

Message edited 2/15/2010 10:46:23 AM.

Re: More Mommy shortcuts needed- how do you control CLUTTER?

Posted by TaraGotHutched

Posted by Hofstra26

Hey Tara!! I am the organizing and storage queen!! Steve and I cannot handle clutter. 99% of the time you wouldn't even know we have a 17 month child in the house!!

Because we don't have a separate playroom for Emerson's toys we had to find some way of organizing her things in the den where we always are. I got a rack with colored bins at Target for $50 and a lot of her toys fit in there nicely. At the end of the day all we have to do is pop the box back on the rack and the den is neat again. Now that she is older she helps to clean up too and she knows to put her toys back in the bins as well when she is done. It's easy for her to grab what she wants to play with now.

We also got rid of our coffee table before she was born and replaced it with a microfiber (SUPER easy to clean fabric) ottoman that is the same size as our table was. It opens up for storage inside but cannot slam down and hurt her fingers. Very safe, very functional and a lot of her toys go in there as well. In my wall unit I put 2 canvas totes on the lower shelves to hold her toys and she can stack her books on the sides of them too. Now that she is older she walks across the room, chooses a book from the shelf, and puts it back when she is done. SO nice!! For any remaining toys that we can't fit in the den we bought a Step 2 toy box for her room so we keep some of her toys in there as well.

As for the big stuff, we retired things as soon as she showed no interest anymore. Swing, exersaucer, etc. You should also get in the habit of straightening up every night so you start the day fresh with everything clean and organized. As soon as Emme is in bed the first thing we do is make sure all the toys are away, the counters are cleaned off, the sink is emptied, etc. so that we can now relax in a clean house and we don't have to wake up to a mess. You just have to make it a priority to stay on top of things and to find ways to organize all the stuff.

This is the toy bin we have in the den
IMAGE

Here is the storage ottoman that also gives her a surface to play on as well
IMAGE

Thanks Kris! Thank God it's not really Riley's clutter that's driving me nuts- it's my own! But I can't even IMAGINE what it's gonna be like when she gets even more stuff than she already has! We definitely could use an ottoman like that- GREAT idea!

Everyone has given so much great advice- thank you! My problem is having a hard time throwing things away!

Message edited 2/15/2010 1:01:18 PM.