After Three Long Days, I Have Put Away The Vacuum

It's not perfect (I keep telling myself, "it'll never be perfect; it'll never be perfect; make your peace with it; it'll never be perfect") - and there is still work to be done - but for the first time in about two years, I feel like I have control of my house instead of the other way around. I have thrown away THIRTEEN garbage bags full of, well, I don't know what. Stuff. Burp pads. Old washcloths. Pacifiers. Expired vitamins. You name it. And here's the thing...none of the stuff was out in clear view...it was in closets, in chests, in the secretary, the armoire, the pantry, etc. THIRTEEN BAGS.

I still have to tackle our closet, which actually isn't that bad, and Alex's closet, which is overrun with clothes, but all in all, it was a mighty successful weekend. Plus, I made a list of a few things that David and I need to do every single morning - nothing complicated, just practical - so that we can make this our routine and not just a phase. I'm sure you'll be waiting on pins and needles to hear how it all turns out. :-) Seriously, though, "re-purposing" some closets and pieces of furniture was huge - because the way we're using our space finally, FINALLY makes sense to me. That's a big deal. I feel like we have a system, which is what I was after all along.

And LOOK! LOOK! I didn't take "before" pictures because, um, I was too embarrassed. But I promise you that it's better.

Notice how nothing is falling over onto anything else. My mama would tell me to apologize for the fact that there are rolls of toilet paper in the picture, but it is a closet in a bathroom, after all.

Peaceful, tranquil bedroom...no clutter. And I used the great linen spray that I bought after smelling some that Janie uses in her house - love it.

Finally, if you need a content, happy toddler while you turn your house upside down, put on a DVD of his birthday party. Works like a charm. And you also get the added bonus of hearing your child sing "Happy Birthday" over and over again. Which is kind of sweet.

Thanks for all the encouragement, internets. I couldn't have done it without you. Seriously.