Clutter, Clutter Everywhere.....

Mondays are a challenge.  It was a not so stellar night for sleep, so my eyes struggled to open this morning!  The day has to go on no matter how tired I feel!  Somehow, everyone made it out of the house without being too off schedule!

I'm entering into Week 3 of the Making Your home a Haven Challenge from Angell at Passionate and Creative Homemaking.  This week's challenge is to work on:

 CLUTTER

Now, this is a subject that makes me groan!  Clutter is always a challenge for me.  Too much stuff...too little time to clean...too many people that don't clean up after themselves....this has been a sore subject for me lately.  I have tried over the past year to go through our things and donate what we really don't use or throw out the trash(that I don't even know why we have kept!).  Despite my efforts, it often feels like a losing battle!

In fact, I had a little "moment" on this very subject on Friday night.  Things have been extra busy around here between everyday chores, kids' sports, and planning for the first fundraising event of he year for the Senior Youth Group at our church that Jay recently became the leader of.(Which went great...but it was a ton of planning and leg work!)  

My discussion with Jay on Friday was about our need to spend some focused time, once the fundraiser was over, on attacking the clutter in our home.  Because, on my own, I am completely losing the clutter battle.  With a clingy baby and an active toddler, it's a struggle to get the laundry, dishes, and dinner done every day...never mind all the extra areas that need attention!  It's like a fungus that is starting to spread to the whole house.  Being home with all of those trouble areas staring back at me every day is very discouraging.     

I have no desire to live in a show house. (Good thing!)  I just want to be able to have an outward calm in the house at the end of the day because there's a place for everything we actually need....and that the "place" isn't just the corner of my bedroom.  

I also talked to Jay on Friday about the need for a family meeting to remind everyone that cleaning up after oneself is important.  Lately, laziness has reigned with shoes, backpacks, and sports bags being dropped  and forgotten as kids walk through the door.  Cleaning up after taking out snacks or lunch ingredients has become a problem area as well....throwing dirty laundry in the hamper, putting away shaving supplies, not putting dirty dishes in the sink, leaving papers meant for the trash on the counter...I could just go on and on and on!  Each little thing on its own isn't a huge deal....but with 10 people in one house, each little thing can create a mountain! 

Not to mention that, as a mom, I want them to learn to be responsible and considerate with the little things....and not just when they "feel" like it!

My Living in the Moment plan for the week will have to be to focus on what I can do to fix the clutter issue as the moments present themselves throughout the week.  Clutter will also be a subject for instruction and re-focus for all of my kids, and an opportunity for Jay and I to work together to solve some logistics issues as well.  Sometimes just knowing that we have a common goal takes a lot of the pressure off of me(so it doesn't just keep building up and I pop!)

I guess this week's focus on "clutter" is great timing for me!  I think it will take much more than a week...but just starting to head in the right direction will be positive.(and very needed for my sanity!)