Ok, so when I say “chaos”, it’s not really what you think. We are not hoarders (much). There is not a trail from the front door to a delapidated chair flanked by walls of junk and trash. It’s not THAT bad.

My house is generally clean from countertops to toilets, from dishes to laundry. When you live fast, though, things tend to pile up…high…everywhere. It’s just stuffed. It’s a fat, stuffed house.

I remember feeling overwhelmed a lot, inundated with work and stretched out by teenager crises. There were always places to be, appointments scheduled, and errands to run. We did slow down at night and often stayed up too late just sitting and enjoying each other in the quiet until we dragged ourselves to bed only to get up and do it all again the next day. We kept the house generally straight, but we accumulated so much that never really found a place. Stuff packed into drawers, on shelves, in corners…no wonder I felt overhwhelmed! I was surrounded by stuff.

The funny thing is that I am a highly organized person. I take care of things, and I can find things. I have bins and trays and lazy susans. My problem is that I’m pretty terrible at throwing things out, getting rid of stuff, tossing stuff in the trash. I’m one of those but-I-might-need-it people. I’m also a “but that cost money” person. And to add to my overwhelm, I am a don’t-know-what-to-do-with-it-so-just-put-it-somewhere person.

Girl, shut up, come home, and clean up.

I wanted to come home to take better care of my home. A clean, organized, decluttered home is a peaceful home, and a peaceful home makes for a peaceful mind. Boy, am I due for a peaceful mind! That’s one of my big “whys” for coming home. I, my husband, my children, we all need peace!

My priority was the primary living spaces, particularly the kitchen. I’ve tackled those! I have one slim cabinet of vases and glassware and one little shelf space (a catch-all nook) left to clean out, clean up, and straighten. I feel better already, and when I come in to cook, it’s as if I’ve given myself a gift. Utensils, seasonings, cookware, pantry items – all are orderly, clean, and ready.

My living room is fresh and minimal. I worked to take out anything not absolutely necessary for use or otherwise needed to enhance the space. It’s lovely and serene.

My sitting room, where I spend the most time, is fresh as well. I am undecided about how to decorate two tall built-in shelves, but they are no longer dusty, cluttered shelves. The room is tranquil, cool, and sparse. It feels good to relax there.

My room and bathroom, my closet, the half bath, and the laundry room are straight and inviting, but…

By the way…I have never felt “invited” into my laundry room. There used to be clothes in the washer that had been there way too long and needed another go. There were clothes in the dryer, clothes on the floor in piles (all mixed up), and usually clothes piled up on top of the dryer. (Remember in college when someone wanted to use the dryer for their own clothes, so they took yours out and flopped them up on top? Teenagers. That.)

Anyway…inviting, but there’s a monster upstairs!

I’m heading upstairs this week to what was formerly our school/craft/sewing/toys/prop building/book/play/office room. It is a bohemoth, and it might actually be haunted. I’m not kidding. It’s creepy. That space is an absolute tragedy, and I’m not looking forward to going up and getting started at all. We have kept the door closed so as not to let the spooks out into the rest of the house. I’ll be taking garbage bags, cleaning supplies, boxes…prayers and sage.

I am looking forward to telling you in a couple of weeks that it’s done, though. I’m praying I’ll even be able to tell you it’s peaceful and inviting. I want to make it MY space – an office, meditation spot, reading nook, crafting/sewing space, creative studio. I say “a couple of weeks” because once it’s clean, it needs to be painted and decorated. I have a truckload of items to sell and donate. I would imagine there will ultimately be bags and bags of trash to remove. The painting and such will take time.

(Ok, so maybe we were hoarders up there just a little bit. We have always been cute hoarders, though. And funny.)

As hard as it may seem, my goal is to live in the moment, breathe through the process, feel the feels, and savor the memories. Y’all think of me this week up there tossing and cussing and exorcising the demons while reliving homeschooling memories and organizing yarn.

One of my “whys” for coming home was to create and maintain a clean, cozy home, and I’m on my way. It feels good to clean up after the chaos and restore peace to our spaces.

OH! I got new yard flags, too. (I’m working on the outside, too. That’s a another conversation!)

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