Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once, and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.
My words are:
messy ~ disagreement ~ help ~ play ~ books
messy ~ disagreement ~ help ~ play ~ books
Now THAT sounds just like a regular day at our house! Navigating through messy rooms to find stuff we need, having a disagreement with Mr C on gadget privileges,
As hard as I try to keep things neat and organized around here - it always feels and looks messy. And you know what they say… if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck - your house probably IS messy.
After completing the #100HAPPYDAYS challenge I joined 365 items in 365 days - and I have been posting twice since. Yes, I work in monthly chunks.
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| baking drawer BEFORE |
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| baking drawer AFTER |
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| wardrobe drawer BEFORE |
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| wardrobe drawer AFTER |
What is holding me back to tackle the rest of the house then?
Well, first of all,
I simply hate the work that is involved.
Doing the work is more annoying than enjoying the result. I'd rather write on my blog, play a game, watch a movie or read a book.
Secondly, the rest of my family and I are in disagreement on how to handle "stuff", which is not helpful. They insist that it is important to keep magazines that go back to the year 1990 - because when I am retired I want to read them again! Those magazines, along with cassette tapes and vinyl records - for which we don't have any equipment to actually play them anymore - take up a whole cabinet in a prime location like Colin's room! Plus one in the basement. And let me tell you: those are smelly!
Gotta hand it to the guy, though: after much nagging from my part, he unsubscribed the daily newspaper because it kept going directly from the mailbox to the waste paper stack - unread. Because, iPad!
What's with the broken guitar, you ask? Weeeell, one day I'm gonna have it fixed, so I can play again! There are also two or three remote controlled choppers that one day might get fixed. Maybe our grandkids get to play with them?
Have you ever read about the day our water pipe leaked and soaked all of our belongings in the basement, because our storage system basically consisted of a bunch of paper bags?
I rented a steel container and spent a whole entire afternoon dumping everything that had become soggy - lots of picture postcards, magazines and books - or had to go because it was broken, dusty or otherwise annoying. I was feeling so accomplished!
Can you believe the husband spent the whole entire evening taking everything out again and sorting through stuff that might still be useful? Major disagreement! Not one of our marriage's finest hours...
Third: I lack space and storage solutions, and I really think the retail offerings around here are not helping my purpose. I was searching high and low for a shoe rack where boots fit in. Couldn't find an affordable one. It took an old boyfriend with a good memory to solve the shoe issue. And I'm not even a shoe girl!!
The number four reason: Once I get myself to start, I not only get carried away but also distracted. I'll show you. These are my purging boxes:
They come on wheels for easy traveling between rooms. I bought them last Christmas, I thought they would be a motivator. So the other day I wanted to tackle the bathroom cabinets. In order to be ready I first had to empty the boxes. This alone is annoying, right?
The last time I filled the keep box must have been in February cause I found Valentines candy and a picture frame with hearts. I can't quite remember what happened on Feb 14, but something tells me it wasn't huge this year. The love hearts will only expire in 2015, so it's all good. The box also contained some unopened mail, thus invoices. Also dating back to February. Ooohps. Oh, and the Planes DVD that C had been looking for.
Then I needed to empty the trash basket. What I saw reminded me that I wanted to take a picture that I wanted to included in one of these posts because I thought it was hilarious.
This is why: the other day C asked me "Mommy, you don't have to tell me which ones, but yes or no are you going to give me planes for my birthday?" I wanted to act noncommittal, but he gave me this mischievous smile and said "I kind of know you are - I saw the receipt!"
What is this, conviction, based on evidence? I didn't even remember having thrown away the receipt after hiding the toys in the furthest flung corner of my closet. I needed to find a new hiding spot after the youngster had raided my former secret stash.
He ran to the waste bin and showed me. Indeed! Then I put on a mischievous smile myself and said "well, well, what do we have here… a candy wrapper? How come? Has someone stolen my Lindor balls again?"
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| What your trash tells about you... |
A couple of days later it got worse! He was helping me making pretzels, and I asked him to take a picture of my dipping the pretzel into the baking soda water, and he did. (He took about 50 pics and videos, but that's not the point.) He kept the phone and started scrolling through the pictures, pleased about the ones where he makes faces. All of a sudden he beams and goes: Now I know what planes you bought:
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| Pssssst, don't tell him, he is going to get the circled ones from his Godmother! |
Five: Cleaning out usually involves cleaning, dusting and other unpleasant activities. No like. I do enough of it just to maintain the status quo.
The sixth reason: I am too short, too weak and my arms aren't long enough which makes it hard to reach for those far flung places and carry those stuffed boxes.
And finally, no. 7: As if cleaning up wasn't bad enough, but cleaning up alone is no fun. I have to talk to myself and I've got to repeat myself quite a bit:
"When is the last time you've used this? You can't remember? OK, it has to go!"
"What are you saying? You will wear / use / read it again? Who are you kidding? Donate!"
Which leads me back to reasons number one and two… So if anyone out there loves to purge and is willing to help, please be my guest! I'll bake for you, I'll make dinner, hey, I'll even do your laundry!
Takers? Anyone?
Now please go check out what words the other bloggers got and what they did with them:
Baking In A Tornado
Spatulas on Parade
Stacy Sews and Schools
Sparkly Poetic Weirdo
Evil Joy Speaks
Someone else's Genius
Confessions of a part time working mom
Follow Me Home…
The Bergham Chronicles
The Sadder but Wiser Girl
Battered Hope
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