03/05/2022
People assume every corner of our house is tidy because I organize other people’s houses. I hate to admit that this is not so, friends! I think the gift in organizing other people’s homes is that I’m rarely overwhelmed by mine, and it doesn’t matter to me to have every last corner organized, but it does matter to me that I *can* organize every last corner if it becomes important to me. When I notice an area that causes consistent frustration, either in my personal rhythms or my family’s, I know I need to address that spot. This cabinet was that spot. Everything was roughly grouped already but it bothered me to open the doors and try to pull items. I don’t like spillage, of course, but I’ve also been playing a game with myself in which I have not bought any new containers (bins, baskets, jars, etc.) for this house, and I only had three of these bins left so I’d just let this cabinet remain in this state. I don’t usually use labels in my own home, either, because, let’s face it, I am The Keeper of the Things (and maybe you are, too?!) and I know where they are without labels. I caved on this space, though, because my No New Vessels game was less compelling than knowing nothing would fall out of it if I spent twelve dollars and ten minutes working on it. Ten minutes, five additional bins (at less than two dollars per bin), chalkboard labels and a chalkboard pen solved the problem that’s been nagging at me since November. It wasn’t pressing enough to address back then because there were more important things happening (a new baby, three older kiddos, COVID, unpacking, etc.) but I decided today was the day: ten minutes later and the task is complete! It’s worth noting that everything in the third photo is still present in the first (except the miniature WD40, which actually lives in the cabinet to the left of this one!). Finding homes for things really does make life easier!
