I used to be one of those uber-organized people.  Everything had a place and a place for everything type girls... then you have kids and it's a game changer.  You can still be organized, you just have to figure out new ways to control the clutter and hide the toys.  It's not always easy - especially when you are constantly on the run.

My kids are pretty much past toys now at 9, 13 & 15.  My 9-year-old still loves her barbies but she keeps them in her room and goes there to play.  Once in awhile she may bring them or another toy, downstairs to play but she always returns them to her room.  I have tried to make the first floor toy free. 

Paper free is another matter altogether.  I have an office on the third floor of  my house.  I don't visit it much because it's a hike and right now it's a disaster.  I haven't had the time to really get in there and get it the way I want it since it became my office in the spring.  I gave up my favorite room in the house - which was my office - to my older daughter for her room.  She didn't like the third floor and feeling bad, I agreed to the switch.  I regret it now. 

All the papers that come into this house boggle my mind.  Between school assignments, notes home, bills, advertisements, grocery store fliers and on and on.  I was taking all those papers and piling them on my kitchen table and usually at the end of the week I would throw some away and put others in another pile on my desk on the third floor where they are still sitting waiting for action.

The other day I stopped by my friend Ro's house to borrow something.  While we were chatting she pulled out this giant binder filled with folders - a folder for every kid.  Genius!  I have folders for all my kids - upstairs in my office - not readily available as needed.  This puts all the day-to-day stuff at your fingertips. 

Yesterday I went to staples and bought a two inch binder, a set of paper folders, a new set of sharpies (just cause I love them and they were on sale) and a pencil case to go in my binder.  In my binder I put 10 folders - one for each child (x3) one for bills, one for coupons, one for "to be filed", one for store flyers, one for recipes (i am always tearing out of magazines & newspapers), one for me and an empty one for something I haven't thought of yet. I also added envelopes, loose leaf and the sharpies in the pencil case.

All my kids projects and reports due and medical forms and class lists, right there at my fingertips in my kitchen.  No more piles - it comes into the house and goes into the folder. Brilliant. It's like having my office in a binder. No more trekking up to the third floor for the book report memo or class phone list. 

So thanks Ro for the tip - it's nice to learn a new trick every once in awhile.

Cara's two cents: Aaah folders...welcome to the dark side.

Did you just get a Barney flashback? Or maybe you are still in the throws of Barney and you hear that song everyday, 10x a day like I used to. The Purple Guy has a point. "...everybody do their share!"

Everyone around here is. Well they are being "recommended to" let's say. Christmas has pretty much sang it's last carol around here 'til November. Everything (almost) is wrapped, labeled and tubbed, waiting for some helpful elves to bring them back down to the basement. The only thing left is my tree. I always have a hard time taking that down. The other stuff gets on my nerves but not the tree. We cut it down this year so it's still fresh, not crunchy like it usually is by this time. Since the rest of the room seems empty now that everything is put away it seems even more pretty. So I am going to leave it for a few more days. Eventually, I am sure I will say enough, but not yet. Now I still sit by it (when I have a minute to sit) and enjoy it. Smudge is going to miss it too. He loves to sit under it.

So besides the Christmas stuff, I purged the kitchen like I said I was. Every cabinet. Really, how many water bottles from VBS, Jump for this, Walk for that, does a family need? Toss. Mike is really not into Bob the Builder anymore (not since he hammered the big screen tv with a real hammer and cracked the whole protective screen 'cause Bob was hammering something and he thought he would help. How did he get a real hammer at 2? Maybe his Dad should post about that someday....ok I digress. I do that a lot)

Anyway, he would die if a buddy walked in and he was eating his waffles on Bob. Toss. (a little reluctant, hate tossing things out that look at me..so I put it in face down). I did save a little Dora the Explorer cup. No, Mike doesn't use it. Maybe a little one will be here and I will let them use it. Well...c'mon let me hold on to something. I am not as good a thrower outer as Jenn. I threw out every plastic container that didn't have a lid. You can buy them for beans now in the store. Years ago there was only million dollar Tupperware and you didn't dare throw it away.

Today I enter the teenage abyss. I offered to let them, have everything ship shape by Sunday or I would go in this week and clean MY way to get them off on the right foot for the new year, since resolutions about clean rooms were made. They both opted for Mom Clean. Big surprise here. I would have NEVER let someone into my room as a teenager and go through my drawers and throw things away. They don't mind. So armed with black garbage bags I will go in. I am brave. I am ready.

And we are off. A new year. The first "regular" day of the new year is really the beginning for me. I know it's the 4th already but the last few days were still "the holidays" around here. Still eating non-stop and seriously if I eat another Christmas cookies I will die. Still sleeping later than usual and still have Santas looking at me in every room.

Today everything starts to get re-wrapped and put away. Places that were covered with angels, Christmas trees and glitter will get wiped and polished. The everyday stuff that has been patiently waiting in the Christmas tubs downstairs will be brought back out and put in their rightful place.

By the time I am done the house will feel lighter and seem to breathe a sigh of relief. As will I. As much as I love, love, love Christmas and all that comes with it, I kinda like regular too. Like I told Mike who was a little bummed that Christmas is over, without regular stuff the great stuff wouldn't be so great.

Now I am not looking forward to the rest of the winter. I like winter from Thanksgiving to about now. We had a white Christmas which was awesome. It snowed just enough not to make trouble on New Years. It had snowed all day yesterday which was lovely, since we had no where pressing to be. But I am good. Winter can take a hike now. I know though that's not going to happen, as hard as I wish..no dice.

So this month for me it's about organizing. I will tackle the house room by room. I can't sit at the beach but I can get my linen closet not to look like there has been a pillow fight going on in there for the past two months. I got new everyday dishes for Christmas so I can purge my kitchen cabinets and make room for them and get rid of "stuff" lurking in the back. If I keep very busy maybe I won't notice the grayness outside.

So I am planning on grabbing January by the...well you know what, and getting things done. That's my theme for the month. Someone may get hurt. Wish me luck.

Jenn's two cents: You go girl! I am looking forward to January - to staying inside and not having to go anywhere - I have a linen closet that needs some help too!

Cara: Maybe our linen closets have been pillow fighting each other?? lol