Agonising over Organising

Hi all!

Hope you'll have managed to have some well-deserved rest and relaxation over the holiday period. We had such a special first Christmas for Alex, well 2 to be exact. We drove up to Shane's parents on Christmas day and then to my Mum on Boxing Day. Alex loved spending time with all his relatives and soaked up all the attention and fuss. Shane and I loved it too and while we couldn't see all of our family unfortunately, we loved the time we had with those we did manage to see.

For many Australians, the week or so after Christmas is usually a time to relax by a beach, go camping and fishing or just lie about in the air con watching the cricket or other sports on tv. For me, I generally cant really relax after a move until my home is neat and tidy, the necessary unpacking is done and my To-Do list is completed or at least attempted.

Since our big move about a month ago, I have been feeling very Out of sorts as I just couldnt find the time to get the new place tidy and organised, and it was driving me nuts! I'd be looking around the place at the mess and clutter and agonising about when I would be able to get on top of things! But I have had to learn to be patient and know that in time, things will get done. Alex is very close to 6 months old now, and while he's happy for periods of time on his own with toys, taking care of him is still very time consuming for me. Whether this is the case for all Mums I'm not sure, but I do know that I have an annoying habit of doing things the hard way sometimes! Being an "Older Mum" (at 33), I am quite set in my way I guess and I like things to be done, well, the way that I like them. Everything from the bedtime routine to making up his solid foods, I do in a very specific way for him because that is how I would like it done for myself. A friend told me recently, "its harder for us older Mums because we have done all the reading, and have had time to think about how having a baby will go or what kind of mother we will be. So when things don't go to plan, its very difficult to accept". Aahh SO true, in my case.

Hmm... sounds ridiculous, and especially reading it here, in black and white! LOL But at least I can admit it. SO basically since our move I haven't been able to fully relax. Even late at night I've been up doing dishes or folding clothes or trying to get the kitchen organised so that we can find what we need, quickly.

And Finally.. now, I am happy to say, the place is almost to the stage where I can feel relaxed. The kitchen is organised, the clothes all have homes and there is very little clutter around the place. We are lucky enough to have a large storage area with a built-in cupboard, downstairs next to the garage, so we have kept alot of our belongings packed up in boxes there. Things we don't use at the moment such as DVDs (as if new parents have time to watch a movie!! Ha!), ornaments that I want to keep intact when the little cutie pie is walking and grabbing things; and excess "stuff" that we don't use but may use in the future.

Whenever we move I try to do a big clean out. And if we haven't moved for a while I try to do it on a fairly regular basis as well, at least once a year. The clean out always consists of sorting things into piles. One pile is to keep out (in the home for usage), another pile is to pack away (not being used), another pile for Throw aways, and another pile for Give aways. Its very simple really but the tricky part is deciding which pile something goes into.

I find it useful to turn off the Sentiment, and try to bring out the Logic. (To a certain degree of course. Sentiment always gets first preference when dealing with anything from my beloved Grandma who passed away just before Alex's birth, for example). I think when you are holding something in your hand, and you are trying to decide if you want it or if it can be given to charity, the best thing to do is to think through a few things. Do I LOVE this object? Can I live without it? Will I EVER need or use it again? Could someone else use it? Will I feel terrific when I have less clutter around? Will I feel good about myself when I recycle this object, give it a new home, and do my bit for the environment?

Last week I was doing a tidy up and clean out in the garage. We hadn't had time to sort through everything before the move. I came across a few pieces of furniture and the first pram we'd bought second hand (and hated!) and I made a pile to be given to charity. I was so excited as I called the Salvation Army to come and pick up my growing pile of items to be donated. Sadly they couldn't take all of it. Some of the furniture was slightly damaged, and their standards seem to have risen alot since the last time I donated furniture. Anyway, I now have a bit of a predicament as to what to do with this unwanted furniture. I know this sounds bad, but an idea I have is to take it to the street where we used to live. This street is the kind of place, where you can take out an old vacuum cleaner (for eg), leave it on the side of the road, turn around to wave Hi to your neighbour, and then by the time you turn back the vacuum cleaner has disappeared in a puff of smoke! And the smoke probably isn't coming from something legal. Haha!

So if I took the furniture to this Street, left it there over night and go back the next day to make sure it has been snatched up by some needy person, what's your opinion?? Do you think that is ok? I think its ok, and certainly better than sending the items to land fill! Which is the only other place they could go since the Salvo's don't want them. As long as I go back and check the things have gone to a home or pick them back up, I dont see the harm in trying.

(By the way- I would leave it out the front here at our new place but I suspect someone who lives in the area is on the local council. An old air-con was left out the front and we all promptly received a letter from the council demanding the offending item be removed at once or fines will be given out! To whom they were going to give the fines, I'm unsure of. Otherwise I would have thought That Person would have received the fine already, and the rest of us not receive the Letter!!).

Darn it I am out of time already as Alex is about to wake from his nap. (And by Darn It I actually mean HOORAY as I just love picking up the cuddly little cutie pie from his nap!! How cute is he and Gosh he is getting 4 teeth now up top wierd hey?? I thought bottom's came first).   I might have to leave it here for now, perhaps to be continued.... I'm sure somewhere in this foggy mind I have some more ideas about how to do a successful clean out. Oh yes! I do! Definitely to be continued :-)

P.s I'd like to add a note here to thank you all for the comments on my last few posts. I haven't had time to reply to all of them I'm sorry, but I always read the comments and really appreciate you leaving your thoughts :)

Xxo