~~~~~PREFACE~~~~~

As is true with every person, I have some insecurities.  You know those little things about yourself that you really don’t like and REALLY don’t want people to know about.  Well, I have three HUGE insecurity issues, and a fourth one is quickly starting to take form.  One of them I can do nothing about, another takes a lot of time and effort and third is a gift that I severely wished that I possessed, but very clearly don’t, and the upcoming one is a forming habit that I am trying desperately to nip in the bud.  Anyway…..  you have to know that in order to understand this post.


{See, you didn’t know that reading my blog would be like high school A.P. English where you have to look for symbolism and do character analysis!!  HA!  Now you know WHY you had to study that in school.}

Now I am not going to divulge all of my secrets, but I will let you know of insecurity #3 (if you try really hard, I bet that you can guess the other 2 1/2)  Big inhale….

So, up in heaven when gifts, talents and abilities were being handed out, I think that I was standing in the cotton candy line instead of the line for organization.  Seriously.  I didn’t get one single sprinkle of organization.  Not ONE!

It has been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember.  I mean I really, really, really struggle.  It is one of those weakness that I sincerely pray daily to overcome.  It is my Ether 12:27.  I can buy storage containers like you wouldn’t believe.  I can make plans.  I can strategize like no other.  But, when it comes right down to it, I think that I could walk a tight rope blindfolded easier than I could organize solo.  (I know that some of you are nodding your heads when you are reading this… because you have seen me in action.)

Thank heavens I have an amazing support system of friends that help me make up for my weakness.  They are this amazing circle of super women who cook, sew, bake, craft, can, run, do yoga, organize, and work magic… all before 10 a.m.  All the while they are able to keep them homes clean and their children happy, thriving and learning to play Mozart concertos on the piano and violin simultaneously.  Nope, I am not one of them, but I am grateful to be in their company.  I have been in awe that their afternoons are completely free to read a book, go on a walk, go to the library, what have you.  I have always wanted to do that, I just didn’t know how.  I feel like I am always cleaning. 

That leads me (after a very very long intro) to my story.

Last week, I contacted a specialized realtor to look at my home.  We set up the appointment for this past Monday.  Now, I don’t know what kind of experience everyone else has had with realtors, but I know from past experience that realtors like to look all through the home to see what they are dealing with.  So, I found myself in the middle of a predicament.  I needed to have a clean, totally organized home, in 5 days, while dealing with 3 kiddos, doctor appointments, meds, cooking and the ever famous Toad.  However, I was blessed that it was the kids weekend away with dad (well, the days at least) so I mustered up all of my faith and prayed my guts out!

Friday afternoon, I hit the ground running.  I started upstairs and got the closets and bathrooms done, all before the kids came home for the evening.  Over the course of the rest of the weekend, I worked from the minute the kids left each morning until 2:00+ a.m. stopping only to put them to bed.  I threw out 30+ HUGE bags of stuff we didn’t need, broken toys, etc.  I went through a gallon and a half of bleach.  I even burned out the motor on my Dyson (NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT!) I even did every single speck of laundry in the house. 

By the time I crawled into bed on Sunday night, I was so tired and sore that I could barely move.  However, the house looked pretty dang good.  Now, this is compared to what it looked like before, not compared to the above mentioned super mom’s homes.  However, I was sufficiently pleased.  I swear I was channeling Peter Walsh.

So, Monday morning comes and I get Toad sufficiently occupied.  I finish spot cleaning what I can.  I sat back and went into a nervous craze over the reaction that the realtor would have.  She came in and her eyes glanced about the front entry.  She complimented me on a nice home (I am sure that is completely protocol.  I mean really… are they going to say, “Really….. you chose to live here!”)  and came to my dining room table where we sat to talk logistics.  Her business partner soon joined her and did the same thing.  An hour passed as we discussed the details of the options that I was considering.  They then got up and said very nicely told me that they were excited to work with me… and left.  I sat stunned at the door after closing it.  They never even asked to see any portion of the house beyond my dining room, which is the second room inside the house! 

I was flabbergasted at the fact that I spent the entire weekend, non-stop working, sweating, and discovering muscles that I haven’t felt since I was 16 on that house…. and no one saw it!  I had to call a couple of friends to come over and let me bask in my moment of glory just to prove that it had looked like that at one point in time. 

So, I hope that you don’t mind, but I am going to share with you the pictures that I took to document.  Now, I will admit, that I feel awesome that this is done.  There are some things that need to be done.  There are a couple of random drawers and cupboards that need some work.  I still want to go through all the rooms again and get rid of another several bags of stuff we don’t need.  However, for the first time in a very long time yesterday… I sat down in the afternoon… and read a book.  Now, they won’t compare to some of your perfect homes, but I am proud.

The toy room.  Formerly Toad’s room.  These are all the toys we kept.  The rest are outta there!

Nena’s room.  If I was going for greatness, I would have swapped out the trashed blinds, and hid the controller for the heated blanket and moved the stereo.

But not too shabby.

I think open doors and drawers are a theme in this line up.

I had great intentions of replacing blinds.  They used to be cherry wood and are currently under my bed.  However, I like the sheet effect!

Even Bear is excited.

Someday I will finish the painting, and get the pool hose from off of the light.  However… now it is out of the reach of the boys and they aren’t whipping each other with it.

Formerly the laundry catch area.

See!  Mostly organized!

The flute is now gone.  Aren’t you impressed that she is practicing!  And LOVING it!

The newly formed craft storage room.  Formerly known as the messy toy room.  This room now houses every craft in neatly organized and arranged boxes 🙂

The sewing room… again…. someday I will fix that water damaged ceiling!  Just not today!

That closet if full of notions, patterns and accessories.  Again, all organized by type!

This is my ahhhhh room now.  I love that I can sit back and relax here now.

The storage room.  Ok, so it isn’t perfect.  However, I am putting all of the stuff that I don’t want, but that I have to hang on to.  You know what I am talking about.  In great news though, you no longer have to scale boxes to get in!

I love my kitchen.  Yes, my outdated, beat up kitchen.  I still wonder what I was thinking when I bought a glass top kitchen table.  Oh yes, I didn’t have children then!

My dining room.  This is the only room they saw (besides the piano room to it’s left.)  Notice the jimmy rigged blinds!  I know!  Totally W.T., but I don’t mind.  And no, Bear is NOT posing in this picture.  He is really reading.  See that darling furniture…  Stay tuned because it is getting a make over!