Getting Organized--Is it Really Possible?

I try to maintain a decently ordered home. I sweep and vacuum on a daily (okay, sometimes every other day) basis. Between the dog, two cats, and kids there is always a lot of cleanup. I consider it part of my job to make the home front as livable and sanitary as my circumstances allow. There is no denying, however, that this is almost always a thankless job, and there is very little satisfaction gained from it as the work is perpetual. I guess you'd compare it to paper pushing. At the end of the day, no one is going to give you a big pat on the back because you cleaned dog hair out of the corner though you would certainly know it if your crawling, drooling baby started producing hairballs to rival your cats. And, so it must be done.

In October of 2008 we moved into my childhood home, and so there has been some adjusting to make a house that was once my home feel like home again. Of course, this is a joy and a privilege even if it does come with challenges. In our previous house, modest compared to the one we're so fortunate to live in now, everything had a place and it felt like "me." Not so here, at least not yet. And, with kids these things take time--time and money we are reluctant to use.

But, we have made a few minor changes and purchases to help us try to control the clutter, and, hopefully, ease the tediousness of the constant clean-up by providing items with a suitable home. We got this item on a pilgrimage to Ikea.My friend has the exact same shelving unit in her basement, and I had been coveting it for months. It houses all the kid clutter in our family room, provides storage for cookbooks, photos, and our cable modem and wireless router in a clean, hidden, and eye-friendly manner. Well worth the $200, if you ask me.

My husband, bless his hardworking soul, recently received a performance award in the form of gift cards and chose to use them at the Container Store. And, no, I did not suggest that. Our next project is to make our home office (what used to be my parents' formal living room we rarely used) into a friendly, usable space. So, he purchased this little baby to aid in the storage of a mishmash of cords, DVD-R's, CD-R's and various other office paraphernalia. I couldn't be happier with his decision. So, although the dust, the dirt, and the endless piles of laundry are not going away, at least our things are finally finding their niches in this place we call home. I hope one day I'll find my niche here, too.