Caddy Remedy

I am cursed with photographic memory. I say cursed because at times I have so much information rolling around my brain that I feel more than s l i g h t l y crazy. For example, something at home requires a solution and I instantly have magazine pages floating behind my eyes. Not indexed or in any kind of order, just a visual assault of possibilities. If I happen to be pregnant when this happens, it only serves to overwhelm and frustrate me. This week was that week of sheer over the top, unnecessary frustration. I decided to start my way from the bottom up. Beginning with organizational needs. I figured I could handle that. I love to organize and while its very useful, if I don't finish its not the end of the world. <----denial.

Because really, does it matter if the one large closet in our small bungalow is a topple down, Monica Gellar secret closet, MESS?

Shoulder Devil: Yes! You sloppy poor excuse for a woman!

Shoulder Angel: You're pregnant and you have two toddlers, give it a break!

(while they debate, a once well organized wicker basket full of light bulbs can be heard falling from top shelf of said hideous closet, crashing to the floor in a foreshadowing of my life next week)

I took a small time out involving two five oreos and decided to evaluate the main organizational needs in my life at the moment. The fact that I have "organizational needs" at all and am not homeless, covered in gulf oil or living in a pile of earthquake rubble already makes me feel grateful and gives me a much needed kick in the reality pants. I celebrate with an additional oreo.

Really, the "needs" boiled down are:

1) The bog of eternal mess closet sometimes called a linen closet.

2) The disaster zone each evening in the back corner of the bungalow. Peaceful, well organized living room as the sun comes up, absolute chaos as the sun sets. Its a pain in the butt to clean up 900 puzzle pieces and 50 matchbox cars every night before I go to bed. Sometimes my pregnant body really can't handle anymore and I need to just give into my humanity and go to bed with a messy back room!

3) Nancy Drew and the Case of the Missing Toddler Shoes.

4) Home school corner. School starts in August, am I ready? Lord, no!

Ahem.

I tackled the closet today. Rearranged the linens, restocked and organized the cleaning supplies, etc. It really wasn't that bad. I have a few things I need to give away and a few things I need to reorganize, but all in all...not bad. If I had time/money I would wallpaper the inside of that closet in a fun lemon yellow print. But really, I have no time or money for that kind of Real Simple Cover delight, so why bother? For now, its clean and it works! Moving on...

The boys and the missing shoe/everything problem. We are ready to go out the door, where are the shoes? Where are the clean shirts? I invested in two plastic cleaning totes (basically, a shower caddy) today while at Target. I like that they have handles and stack together nicely. I like that I can store the boys shoes as well as a few decent changes of clothing to help Daddy out when he is confused on what matches and what does not. I like that I can move it all together from one room to another with minimal fuss. It works. This is not my idea, it came to me in the psychedelic blur that is my photographic memory.

Ahhh....smell the organization

Homeschool corner is under construction. I am currently trying to find a shelving unit that can work for our needs. I bought the boys their basic supplies today: slates, chalk, notebooks, construction paper, glue etc. I went ahead and invested in a GIANT industrial size box of non toxic washable crayons online and a few other essentials. I am having the curriculum books bound at Kinkos sometime this week so the boys can lay their books flat on the table.

sidenote: When I say "curriculum books" I don't mean that I am drilling my 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old in Geometry this fall. I found great preschool curriculum books for 3-4 year olds and am supplementing those accordingly. This fall, the Bear is technically in school and Cubs is technically invited so that he won't feel left out. Cubs will mostly be working with coloring books :)

I'll post some pictures once Homeschool corner is up and running.

Lastly, the back room of no return after sundown.

I've done a lot to make that back room functional. Baskets, bins, puzzle racks, amazing play table with built in storage unit, etc. Most of the time, it looks really great. Lately, I don't want to put in the mass amount of effort needed to clean up every last miniscule toy or puzzle piece and then return it to its rightful Type A place.

So I bought one more caddy at Target. I decorated it with cute stickers. I am making my kids clean up their own Tazmanian Devil messes. Meet the clutter caddy. Its for all the little pieces that I don't the have energy to clean up late at night. I love the clutter caddy. Great Solution!!