Hi Magnificent Mommies!
Here is your official call to act
ion! It’s spring and it is the perfect time to get a hold of your hectic, yet fulfilling lives and get organized! This week, I am going to give you a few tips on how to best get rid of clutter and disorganization that may be driving you up a wall.
Now of course you make it look effortless as each day you manage to successfully get nearly everything done on your task list: 1) feed, bathe and clothe the kids; 2) spend time with your significant other; 3) prepare healthful meals; 4) help with homework and lets not forget; 5) handling your own work and/or school duties – and of course you do it all while looking gorgeous. You make the many things that we as women do everyday look easy. But your fellow moms know better. You are suffering in silence; cringing at the sight of overflowing junk mail, preschool art projects from 2010 and a months worth of Sunday papers on the kitchen floor. Put this stuff in its rightful place…and out of your face before you go out of your mind!
Below are some tips on how to reclaim your life and stay on top of those things that can easily make you crazy when they get out of hand!
- Attack cluttered areas room by room so that you are not overwhelmed. Even enlist the help of the kiddos in sorting the mess. Invest in a shredder, or dust off the one in the home office and begin getting rid of all that unnecessary paperwork. Items that don’t contain personal information, just dump it in the recycling bin. (Just be sure to use the shredder in a safe place where the kiddies cannot access it. Shredders pose a serious threat of injury to small children and pets).
- Check the pantry and the fridge and discard expired items or donate those foods that you are never going to eat to your local food bank or church. Those granola bars that you thought would be tasty…no one in your house happened to like them, so why not take them to work for your co-workers to enjoy.
- Pack up the winter clothes. Surely those size 3-T pants no longer fit your little prince or princess so pack them up to donate to a deserving young family, or save them if your family is still growing. And if you haven’t yet worn that outfit you bought on clearance in 2009, donate it to women’s shelter. It’s just taking up space for that new sundress you have been lusting for.
- We often neglect our wheels, so get your car washed and detailed. If you are lucky like me, your hubby will gladly do it. It is amazing how many crumbs are in that car seat, so wash the car seat covers and wipe off that unidentifiable substance growing in the crevices of the seat.
- Do the heavy spring cleaning when no one is home. Lets admit it, its hard to clean when you have a house full, and your little one is constantly taking toys out of the toy box. If you can only do this on a weekend day, see if granny can watch the kiddos, and send your guy out – or enlist his help if he is willing. Or if you can, take a vacation day during the week to get down and dirty with the vacuum, mop and furniture polish. Once everyone is out of the house for the day, get started immediately. Once done, treat yourself to something nice for enduring this torturous act. A bubble bath and glass of wine. A spa treatment. Take a trip to the mall before the kids are done with school. Or take a moment to veg out with your favorite book, magazine, or guilty pleasure. Go ahead, dine al fresco with a late lunch at a nearby cafe. You deserve it!
Now I know it can be difficult to stay on top of everything for many ambitious moms nowadays. We have so many things and people that we are responsible for and our task list can appear infinite. Of course, it does take some work and planning to keep clutter and disorganization at bay. However, if we make small improvements in the organization and management of our home environment we can see clearer, be more relaxed and feel more in control…so its all worth it. Your home is your sanctuary; a place to decompress, be yourself and enjoy your family. Making the effort to focus on preserving the order of this special place benefits everyone, especially you mommy!
Happy Spring Cleaning!
Stay Healthy and Wise!
Ericka L. Abrams, Public Health Practitioner
P.S. I’d much rather sit on a cactus than clean my house, so I can totally relate to those of you who are throwing imaginary daggers at me for writing this article. 
