Spring cleaning

OK, the title’s not accurate. I’m not exactly engaged in spring cleaning yet; I’m immersed in organizing at this point. As every domestic goddess knows, you can’t really clean until you declutter. Step by step.

I’ve gone through the kids clothes, discarded or passed on what they don’t need, and have gotten them outfitted for summer. This week I’m going through my own clothes and packing up everything that doesn’t fit me right now. Sigh. I’m trying to look on the bright side: I now have lots of room in my closet and the motivation to walk a bit more and eat a bit less.

Today I tackled the attic storage room, packing up the winter clothes into Rubbermaid containers, and pulling out spring fare. I still have to go through the stacks of children’s artwork that I’ve been piling in there. I’ll also be reacquainting myself with our stash of spare toiletries and office supplies so I don’t keep buying the same things over and over again. And I’ll be peering into the mysterious cardboard boxes, seeing if what’s out of sight and out of mind is worth keeping I already discovered a box of cassette tapes. I don’t even own a cassette player anymore!

My biggest nerdy accomplishment? Over the weekend, I caught up putting photos in photo albums. I even took the time to pull out my travel guide books to make sure I was correctly remembering and spelling the names of places we had visited. Oh it felt good to slide the last photo into place and put the album on the bookshelf.

I still have to do the kids albums. I’m creating a set for each of them using copies of my best photos. I don’t scrapbook the photos, but it still takes time to label them. I find if I leave the albums out on the dining room table and work on them in short increments throughout the week, it seems less overwhelming. Of course that means the table is a mess. Hey, you can’t have everything.

Bit by bit. I may have tortoise-like tendencies but remember: “Slow and steady wins the race.” With a little luck, I’ll get to the spring cleaning by summer. ; )

April 2, 2007

© 2007 Veronica McCabe Deschambault and V-Grrrl in the Middle. All rights reserved.

Comments

[furiousBall]

Speaking of spring cleaning, I decided this morning would be a good time to clean up my blogroll. And lo and behold, I realized I had forgotten yours! I read you every day, yet I didn't have the common decency to blogroll one of my favorites. For shame, for shame. I apologize with a tenacity unforeseen by Vankind.

[bice]

Isn't it interesting the natural human tendency the world over to bring order back to our lives in the Spring. We must, subconsciously, be identifying with the rebirth process that is Springtime.

We are dealing with 61 years of accumulated clutter as we prep our parent's house for sale. Shudder...

[V-Grrrl]

Bice,

I've been there and done that, which is why I'm so committed to not leaving a mess of junk and boxes of unmarked photos behind when I check out! My siblings and I worked six straight days to get my parents' house cleaned out. It was painful in every sense of the word.

[V-Grrrl]

furiousBall,

Proud to be blogrolled by Van the Man.Thanks amigo!

[Inside Out]

I remember where I put it! Its in the box marked Misc in the attic! Then I opened the attic door. I so need to get in there and clean. opening the door was as far as I got becasue I couldnt even walk into the attic.. I updated the Homeless in Houston post. My six year old floored me...I/O

[Nance]

Am sending you boxes of photos. Please organize into albums ASAP.

[amber]

Gosh, you make me feel like a big lazy looooser! Big L.

:)

[mamatulip]

I'm trying to do this as we pack...but I'm nowhere near the 'updating of the albums' stage. Yet.

[Ortizzle]

I'm with Nance. You can organize my albums any time. Slow and steady is good. Because it's a lot faster than I am doing with it!

Seriously, though, your kids will get down on bended knee and bless you one day in the distant future when they pull out these albums to show their kids. What a good Mom you are!

[TB]

I know what you mean. Even at nine months pregnant, I'm so happy that we moved now because it's given me an opportunity to have the house organized just the way I want before the baby is born. What a load off my mind.

Also I'm so with you on the spare toiletries. I think we each have at least five deoderant sticks because I keep forgetting I already bought some. I just bought more yesterday in fact... it's a sickness.

[Mignon]

Cassette tapes are the quintessential item in the mounds and mounds of extra belongings for which I have no place to store. They are outdated and impractical, yet hold so many memories and a certain unquantifiable value. They are what the word miscellaneous was meant to describe.

I also must praise your diligence with the photo cataloging. Please tell me you weren't so good about it when your kids were toddlers... please? Because I am not and I can't rationalize away the guilt.