- I could have written every word of this post… I am so glad Katie at Simple Organic wrote it for me… 15 Things I Just Don’t Clean… Go on read it… and the comments… brilliant!!!
- Look at the cutest baby pic I have seen for a long time… spotted on Ohdeedoh.
- I have to just tell you that I love and adore Ann Wood… Just have a look at her adorable paper mache tea-cups… Seriously, too darling for words!!!
- I spotted this on Bloesom and I love it!!! I think I would need one for me and one for the kids though… I could definitely while an afternoon away with a bunch of Crayola’s and this!!!
- If your kids are like mine, and love making their own food then you have to take a look at this: A Brilliant Pasta Bar at Create-Celebrate-Explore.
- Does this not look like the most fun: City Design and Construction by LMNOP.
- Oh Happy Day!!! Lilla A Is having another Exhibition Folks!!! I am so exited to see this… We will definitely be doing a bunch of self-portraits around here.
- This week on The Organizing Junkies 52 Weeks: #8 Keep Flat Surfaces Clear. Well I love cleared flat surfaces… they are my great “My house is so organized looking” tool… I tell you have a couple of large clear surfaces then it appears to be that way.
Meanwhile when I started the 52 weeks I had on my list simple little tasks like clean-out the junk drawer, organize the post pile, sort my RSS feeds… I never signed up for the total rampage and onslaught on decluttering that is going on in our house!!! NEVER!!!
Folks ask me what do my kids do while I declutter. They play of course!!!
And show me stuff!!!
Finally, it had to happen I bit off more than I could chew… last week I shuffled furniture and sorted around the house and this week I planned to tackle kids books and school… Well the books just overwhelmed me and I thought they had got the the better of me… so I quit!!! Mid-mess… I just despaired!!! All I could see was the mess… not the fact that I popped two half bookcases and a tall bookcase out of the house because we don’t need them anymore… I reduced the kids books to this: 
But the mess that was left in it’s wake!!! So I really needed to see the post about clearing those surfaces and after two days off I started again today and worked my way through a surface from start to finish… 
Pack away… 
I reduced the two drawers of niknaks that I have put off decluttering for so long that it just isn’t funny… took about fifteen minutes – here is what I saved… 
With that key chain I can remember my entire varsity life in an instant. 
Two empty drawers and so place for the CD’s… 
And one less surface to take care of… 
And one more book surface to deal with tomorrow. 
And the book project will be done… I have to say I know that I will like this when it is done – but I have got to the patch in the total declutter when it just isn’t much fun. I know I have to do it now because there would never be time during school term, so on I will go… but I need to slow down the rate of attack significantly, and break up the projects more – just for survivals sake!!! That’s our 52 weeks so far…Hope you have a Fabulous Weekend and that you are decluttering nothing!!!
And the Se7en + 1th Thing… 
Excellent job! I am overwhelmed right now too but we’ll get there! 🙂
Oh, how I love books. We’re relocating to Texas for a bit from Washington State, and I’m having to let go of a few books. I’m quite proud of myself as I’ve managed to donate, sell, or lend 6 large boxes. In fact, I’ve culled until I *only* have 18 boxes to take with us 😉 Good luck with the rest of the surfaces! Those are my weak spot!
OH, and I must say that I love all the creative things that your kids tackle! What a great family you have!
I love the color of the room your books are in. And heck with that many books, it is no wonder you quit midway! I am glad your steam picked back up! Onward!
Hay Martha… Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!!! Taking a day off really helped!!! I just turned a very blind eye and I am back to just one thing a day. I reckon when you get totally overwhelmed it is better to just keep going forwards in small steps. So my mantra for the week is one step at a time… Already it is so much easier for the kids to tidy up – because everything really does have a place. I wish you all the best this week!!!
Couldn’t resist following your links this week. Especially the first one. Always a comfort when I realise that I’m not the only one!
Well done on your clearing. Surface clutter is my downfall.
Hay Jana, Thanks for the encouragement!!! I thought we were ready should we ever move till I discovered how many books we didn’t love and adore – why were we keeping them!!! My poor kids cringe every time they hear the words: “Do you love this book?” I must say I could only really face the kids books!!! And tried to keep it to a shelf per child – its not like we don’t take se7enty books from the library every week!!! Good luck with the move it would totally consume me if we moved and my family would most likely go into hiding while I tossed!!! Have a great week!!!
Hay Allysgrandma… So good to hear from you again how encouraging is that!!! Thank you!!!…yup: onward!!! A lot of books and that’s just the kids books!!! But an average of a shelf per kid is what I was reckoning on… It is harder as they get older because more and more of their books are special gifts…from special people… Anyway we did well for a first book attack… and hopefully this week we will be able to clean up the wake left behind from the major declutter around our home… Hope you have a fabulous week!!!
Hay Cheryl!!! How is that link – amazing hay!!! When I read it I kept thinking – I don’t do that either, or that or that – too funny!!! And as for the decluttering – this was the week I wondered why I ever started… I can vaguely see the outcome… but seriously my advice to all: Let sleeping mess lie!!!
I enjoyed the LINKS! That BABY PIC! That self portrait! THAT TABLE ready to DOODLE! OH my!!! Congrats on your clear “flat space” too. I work hard at that… doesn’t always happen, but I love clean counters.
Hay KM… I totally knew you would love that baby pic!!! And as for that table… Oh My Indeed!!! All the best with clear surfaces… Remind me never to declutter again… this is totally my last time… everything is nearly in its place and we are buying nothing ever again… Nothing I say!!!