I have a phobia of organizing products.
It was a late-onset phobia that developed in my mid-thirties. Right around the same time that my delusions that I would become organized once I became a true grown-up started to reveal themselves as . . . delusions.
Y’know. Since I was in my mid-thirties and could no longer deny that I was a grown up.
I had purchased (and been gifted by my well-meaning mother) many an organizing product. Mostly . . . storage tubs.
Storage tubs that I over-filled with random stuff to be dealt with later.
Storage tubs that over-filled my closets and bedroom and garage with . . . random stuff to be dealt with later.
Random stuff that I never dealt with later.
Soooo. As I’ve worked to declutter and develop decluttering methods that make a real impact on our home (instead of just enabling my love of procrastination), I’ve focused on dealing with each individual item instead of packing it away for future frustration.
That has worked exceedingly well for me.
But . . . I found that even when I actually needed a storage bin, I was still rather phobic. (Which doesn’t make sense, but if I call it a phobia it doesn’t have to make sense, right?)
When I worked on the Master Bedroom Saga decluttering project, I got to the point where I knew that I needed a new organizing solution for storing out-of-season clothes.
Instead of calling it a “new” solution, perhaps I should just call it a solution.
Because what I had been doing hadn’t been working.
It was a nice thought to hide extra clothes inside a table-that’s-not-really-a-table, but they were only hidden until a frantic search for something-or-other left the table’s secret life exposed. And as someone who tends to leave off the last step of any given task . . . the mess that resulted usually stuck around for a while.
I’ve blogged about this frustrating should-work-but-doesn’t storage solution before, so if you’re one of the people who suggested I give up on it . . . go ahead and tell me you told me so.
With much fear inside my Slob Heart, I shelled out the money for some tubs. Clear tubs
Three.
For my three kids.
I put each child’s off-season clothing into his/her own tub and then (eventually) put his/her tub in his/her closet. In his/her room.
Not my room.
And that’s one less constant source of disaster in my room.
We’ll see how it works in their rooms. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the three years of my deslobification process, it’s that even though not all organizing solutions are going to work, it’s still okay to give them a shot. You I can always try a new way later.
But even if this solution doesn’t work perfectly in their rooms, it’s a sure-thing that it will improve mine.
Disclaimer(s):
Disclaimer #1: I put (eventually) in the paragraph above where I said I put the tubs in the kids’ closets. At the point when I typed that, those tubs were still sitting just outside my laundry room where they’d been hidden during the two home group meetings we’d had since I filled them. But now, they really are in the closets. Because I just put them there. Blogging motivates doing. It’s my plan and it’s working.
Disclaimer #2: While I do acknowledge that you-were-right-and-I-was-wrong on the whole “Why do you still have clothes stored inside that table-that’s-not-really-a-table?” argument, I’m not ready to acquiesce to those who question the need to store off-season clothing at all. In fact, while I love having you here as readers . . . I do question your need for your own deslobification process. If one year’s worth of clothing truly doesn’t over-fill a closet and you have the presence of mind to be fully aware of what your children are wearing at any given moment . . . I admire your Not-a-Slob Brain. I’d love to be at that point. But I’m not.
Disclaimer #3: That link to clear plastic storage containers
Currently, I do not swap out seasonal clothes. Partly because we have plenty of space in our closet, (especially when I’m behind on putting stuff away) and partly because we don’t have kids yet. I remember the seasonal clothing change out from growing up, and though I realize it will be necessary when we have kids, I am absolutely not looking forward to it!
1. I have not commented that you should give up the table idea, but I have often thought it. Actually, you sticking with a non-working system helped me to reevaluate some of my non-working systems. It’s obvious when your system isn’t working. Not so obvious when my system isn’t working. Reevaluating some old systems has helped me to get un-stuck in a few areas, so thank you!
2. I totally understand your need to store away seasonally inappropriate clothing for children. They can be a little crazy in their choices. I don’t really want my daughter wearing her old easter dress to church in October. Also, going though and pulling out inappropriate clothes helps me to see what they might need for the new season. It can be a real blessing to take a good long look in each closet.
3. I’m impressed with your master bedroom saga. It’s entertaining and helpful. We are in the middle of a big move and some of your thoughts are helpful when I’m looking at things what needs to go. As always, you are an encouragement and a source of sanity.
You inspire me, and best of all, you make me laugh! I am phobic of those bins too…they are the same at my home and in my garage. Ick. I am trying to deal with them, and tempted to buy some clear ones so at least we can see whats in them. I saw some American made ones (Good for American jobs to stay focused on Made in USA products
, so I may take the plunge. What I will do with all the colorful ones in the garage once they are all empty…. I don’t know. I could build a VERY tall tower if I stacked them. Maybe they will .bless somebody else with them…unless that someone is like me…or you 
Thanks for the chuckles this morning, now if I can only keep smiling as I again attempt my own de-slobification process.. My kids clothes ARE in my room. The family closet I dreamed of has become a nightmare……it is looking a lot like my garage . No, I don’t have a car in either…but come to think of it, I do have a little child size motorcycle in my closet and …thats really crazy. I think that it won’t get fixed for my son after all despite my hubbies good intentions…its been waiting…and it just may need to go, now! I see why your blog helps you!! I bet nobody else can confess a motorcycle in their closet, hope that makes you feel better!
That is what we have been doing since birth (the seasonal clothing tubs) for our children and it does work, as long as you put them out of reach of those little hands or threaten their life (LOL, not seriously!) if they do go into the tubs and make a mess of them and usually the bedroom floor, hense making more work for you to put the clothes away again! Our closets are big enough to store everything, but it makes it easier to use the closet and for our little ones to see what they have if there are fewer things hanging in there.
Thank you for being real. Sometimes I get to feeling like I am the only one that struggles with not being organized. I have prayed that I would be and worked hard but never seem to get much progress. Definately baby steps to getting better, but never seeming to arrive.
Thanks again for your encouragement.
I too finally cracked and bought clear tubs for the kids clothes and on this past Sunday morning when I was trying to find some weather-appropriate footwear for #2 out of #1′s hand-me-downs, those clear tubs saved me QUITE a lot of time. My husband did the storage unit auction thing last summer (talk about CLUTTER!!) and we have a lot of leftover tubs, but I really wish I could sell them and just get all clear. I think you are on to something there. Keep on plugging!
This cracked me up because I’m the opposite, even though I have cured the delusion that organizers will organize me, I still get the itch to hit the catalogs when some part of my house frustrates me. Surely having someone redo my pantry like they do on the home shows will fix it, right? (Except the real problem is that I dump things on the floor. I don’t think they make a product for that)
Also “And as someone who tends to leave off the last step of any given task . . . the mess that resulted usually stuck around for a while.” is something I need to have posted somewhere. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON MY HOUSE IS A MESS. I don’t consider putting away part of any task, so of course I harp on my kids about it, hoping to someday convince myself.
I do the same thing with the big tubs-fill them with random stuff. But now I have 3 bins outside with Christmas stuff and one clear one with my hubby’s old Boy Scout t-shirts that I will (one day) make a quilt out of. What gets me is those shoebox sized bins. I buy about a dozen whenever I feel the need to clean up. But these end up getting filled and their lids end up getting mixed up or crushed. I have over 20 that I end up throwing away every year because I can’t find the lids. I always have the best of intentions, but it never works. They are filled with pencils, art supplies, and kids toys. It’s frustrating.
I really wish I could afford to click and buy from ALL of your affiliate links. It makes me sad that I can’t. (I HAVE done a few) Still, you deserve every penny and more. I doubt that ANY of your readers begrudge you this. You bring so much to my days. Thanks for all of your hard work, your humor and your support of your readers.