Getting Things Back in Shape…

I know Ladies, it is almost Monday. We’re supposed to be working in the master bedroom…and bathroom. And, yes, I’ve done some cleaning and organizing especially in the bathroom.  If you are a Flylady fan, then that is this week's zone…but with Christmas over, I’ve done a lot of work all over the house.

 

It’s always kind of refreshing to get the house and especially the living room all back in order after the holidays. I’m celebrating because I only put back HALF the Christmas boxes in storage that I pulled out. Next year, I’ll be all streamlined with my holiday decor which will make the holidays even easier to prepare for. Might as well de-clutter while you’ve got everything pulled out! My motto—never miss an opportunity to purge and clean!

For Christmas this year, one of the things I received was a set of lovely antique kitchen utensils from my friend Laurie. She also gave me the antique spools of thread you see on the little ledges, several years ago. I just can’t wait on the FlyLady schedule (kitchen week)  to share them with you, so here they are! Aren’t they pretty?  It’s amazing that some kitchen gadgets and appliances really do pass the test of time. Of course, some…like these…don’t! Ha!

I must fess up to you all..I bought a new GADGET!!—even worse…it’s a new kitchen appliance! Yipes!!! You can be sure that my daughter and I had quite a soul searching discussion--to buy or not to buy.    I had a credit for a gift that didn’t fit and the only thing I could find was this coffee press.  Since we are so low on counter space, and three of our family members are coffee aficionados', we decided that we’d all enjoy a gorgeous coffee press.  The coffee we made in this pot is SO SMOOTH! And we can make it as strong as we like it too.  

We’ll be able to get rid of two bulky electric appliances—the coffee pot AND the espresso machine. I love how new things are taking a more ‘retro’ swing. They fit right in with my decor.  Plus..there’s something much more ‘feminine’ and pretty about THIS kind of coffee pot. We can set it on the coffee table with our china coffee cups..and it will look very ‘dainty’.  Great for entertaining!

The coffee press will go perfectly with my new kitchen canisters..all stainless steel..and ‘weevil’ proof—a serious consideration in a kitchen out in the country.  Tim just can’t get over  the idea that I would want canisters, totes, and a coffee pot for Christmas…but then..HE’s not a woman is he? But he sure does love the order and cleanliness that results. from my passion. And he's thrilled about my new habit of de-cluttering with empty boxes and bags. (Yes..I did, indeed, fill the box that the coffee pot came in with fabric scraps…and the shopping bag with old clothes. :o)

With some of the Christmas money that I was given by generous family members, I was able to buy ORGANIZERS (and serger thread)!!! I know, I just told you that organizers aren’t the solution to too much stuff only two short posts ago. But, I’ve been de-cluttering and have earned the right to buy a few—yippee!! With the money my husband’s parents gave me for Christmas, I ran straight to Target and bought these lovely fabric collapsible totes. Thank goodness for boring ole’ me, they didn’t have enough of any one color so I bought several of each color that I thought would go with my new couch and dining room table cloth. I thought the design element of mis-matched color blocks was pretty great!

This cubbyhole shelf has been a lifesaver and the bane of my life at the same time. It’s been useful in every room of the house…a home school grand central organizing station (kid’s school books, teacher’s manuals, school supplies, and even curriculum, and it's been used for pending projects, toys, and fabric.  It’s lived in every room in the house at one time or another depending on what I needed.  It first housed my ‘standing to do list’ of sewing projects. For me out of sight really can mean out of mind, which is a bad thing when you are behind on projects. Later I found a different way to organize those sewing projects. 

I now store my fabric, sorted by type, in the 12 cubby shelf and have been for the last four years. The problem with putting it in the sewing room, though, is that it’s also the office and school room and there just isn't room for it--so it had to go in the living room. The problem with that though, is that it just didn’t look nice to have a bunch of fabric on display with my living room decor . I have always had to cover it with a quilt or fabric of some kind to hide what was inside because the fabric didn’t look all that great. But it was always a headache to 'dig' under that blanket, trying not to knock everything holding the quilt in place over. And it looked tacky in my opinion. What a mess! Finally..I have a solution that looks nice for a change. And it's so much more convenient!

Speaking of antiques, my mother gave me several lovely things too…like a cradle, a rocking chair, and some of the kitchen utensils above. I just can’t resist something lovely…that brings back memories of a slower and more ‘natural’ pace of living.

This is a great time of year to get things off to a better start…time for new habits, new organizing solutions…and a new outlook on the year. How about you? Are you starting to feel like life is getting ‘back to normal’?  Any new habits you are trying to establish? Just think--31 days…and it will feel like second nature!