Mission Possible

Photo by moonlightbulb

I am a woman on a mission.

Who among us doesn't long for the day when clutter is a thing of our past? Do you ever feel that--no matter how long or hard you work to clean your home--clutter is the unstoppable force?

As a child I used to believe that, when I went to bed at night, everything in my room came to life. (No doubt it was a combination of every book or movie I enjoyed during the holiday season.) But really, doesn't it seem plausible that items in our homes can move themselves? I can clean my home, run out to the grocery store, and come back to find an itsy bitsy pile I would bet my house on that I had already taken care of.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?!

This week I am going to talk about the strategies I am implementing in my house to combat clutter. Clutter, despite what we may have been taught to believe, isn't always junk. Sometimes it's useful objects that just haven't found the right place. Once objects are left to orbit the house, they become clutter.

Rule #1 for all HouseHoncho readers: Everything in the house must be given a legitimate and consistent place of residence. Everything. As in . . . mail, books, school supplies, etc. Ev-er-y-thing. Nothing is off limits with this rule. Whatever doesn't have a proper place is evil.

Come back tomorrow to learn the important question that will put you half-way to banishing clutter forever.