Clean, Organize, Tidy Up...New Years Resolution Anyone?

I woke up this morning in a haze! I went downstairs and was instantly greeted with toys scattered everywhere, a very dirty kitchen floor, little piles of who knows what gathering in every corner and a kitchen counter and table that I could barely see due to accumulating christmas treats and such! And then there are the areas that weren't in my immediate view! Refer to the pictures below!;) It seems that in the hustle and bustle of a very fun and busy holiday I have let my home go to waste! It's amazing to me how I can walk around oblivious to the chaos that is beginning to surround my little family and then BAM! I wake up this morning with an overwhelmingly sick feeling in my gut about the chores that do, in fact, have to be tackled! Well, a VERY timely post on Stephmodo, a genius blog Bri and I follow, has given me back my confidence and resolve that I can in fact get my home organized and fresh for the New Year! The post is about an article she found in lifehacker called the 1 Minute Rule! All you have to do is find a little time here or there throughout your day to do chores that take 1 minute. Set a kitchen timer and quickly rinse a few dishes, fold a few articles of laundry or clean a toilet! This way you can stay on top of the smallest chores! Make a game of it to see if you can get a particular chore done before the buzzer goes off! The article says that, that perfect time can even be during a commercial break in your favorite TV show! My Dad also has an analogy that can be applied to this situation as well. He used to tell me when I would get bogged down with stress that I didn't have to "eat the whole elephant at once! Small bites would suffice over time!" He's a smart Man, my Dad! So let my race against the kitchen timer begin!!!

These pictures are embarrasing! They represent a few of the rooms in my home I would rather keep behind closed doors! Permanently! The above picture is Ace and Indee's play room. A constant work in progress and struggle to keep even semi-clean! And here's the best part folks! It's right off the kitchen! Which in planning seemed genius since I could be in close proximity to the kiddos when busy in the kitchen! Right! Well...maybe wrong since it is a room that is always in full view! The below picture is my chaotic mess of an office that my sweet husband so kindly set up for me at the beginning of December. It has endured countless hours of Christmas wrapping and crafting! And is an absolute eye sore! So, my Hubs job was bringing in the desk, table and tech support! He succeeded! My job? To organize and beautify it to my liking! Unsuccessful! But a little at a time I know I can get er done! A before and after post for another day perhaps!!

And below, one of the dreaded storage rooms! It seems this room will NEVER be clean! With the influx of decor and dishes coming in and out of this room at any given time, it seems impossible right? Nope! A little at a time! Making sure not to get lazy and put a Christmas bin where the Easter goes just because there is a vacant space! So guilty of this maneuver by the way! Everything needs to have a designated place!

I was also on the phone this morning with my incredibly smart Momma who could tell I was a little discouraged. She gave me some great advice on after Christmas organizing! She says that anything in your Christmas decor storage that you have not used in the last two years should be packed up and given away! Out of sight, out of mind! Because inevitably over the years we collect more and more. An over crowded storage room is a room no one wants to go near! I'm a total pack rat! So this piece of advice will not be easy for me to put into action. But I do know I will stay more organized if a take the plunge and listen to my Momma!