• Home
  • Get Started!
  • Speaking
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Jesus Doesn't Care About Your Messy House
      • Get a Discussion Guide
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me - free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
    • Take Your House Back
  • Decluttering Coaches

Dana K. White

A SLOB COMES CLEAN

Reality-Based Cleaning, Decluttering, & Organizing

 

  • About
  • Contact
  • TV & Media

  • Home
  • Get Started!
  • Speaking
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Jesus Doesn't Care About Your Messy House
      • Get a Discussion Guide
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me - free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
    • Take Your House Back
  • Decluttering Coaches
Videos
Blog
Podcast
Products & Courses
Books
About
Decluttering Coaches

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas . . . Everywhere I Look!

December 29, 2009 By Dana White | 7 Comments

  • 7shares
  • 3
  • 0
  • 4

Evidently, I’m not the only one who struggles with organization. I’ve been amazed at the huge number of “helpful” articles I’ve been seeing as we head toward the new year. It seems that shedding pounds and shedding clutter must be the two big New Year’s Resolutions people have. Someone must have done the research because magazines and stores are really pushing weight loss and organization right now.

coat_hook_organization_ideas_everywhere_at_ASlobComesClean.com
Here’s a small project I did today, inspired by a little blurb I read somewhere (I think it was BH&G) about a woman who hung an over-the-door shoe thingy on her door where everyone came in and took off their shoes.
We come in through the garage into my office/gameroom. If you’ve been around this blog, you know how much I’ve put into the office. I LOVE it now, and while it is totally a utilitarian room, I don’t want it to be ugly. I have a cute little shoe cabinet/bench, but it simply isn’t big enough for all of the shoes that 5 people leave by the back door.

(This really isn’t a legit before picture because I took it after I moved some to the new spot and the boys and hubby left wearing theirs.)

So I went to my closet and got out the narrow shoe shelf (my mom salvaged it from her neighbor’s remodeling trash a few years ago) that I’d put in there when I cleaned it out a while back. I liked it in there, but I also had a hanging shoe thingy that could hold my out of season shoes. Besides, I put on and take my shoes off by the back door, so they never make it to my closet. I measured it and it was the perfect size for the small corner space by the door. I turned it so that when you look into the office from the living room (it’s a total pride thing that I can actually leave that door open now), you don’t really notice it.


And here’s what will hopefully solve the “coats everywhere” problem. I got one with each family member’s initial.

organize shoe clutter coat hooks Ideas, Ideas, Ideas Everywhere I Look at aslobcomesclean.com
I find myself overwhelmed with the lists of helpful hints that I’m seeing everywhere. One magazine advertised 50 great ideas. Many were good, but since I need an organizational overhaul instead of a gentle boost, the thought of starting to do all 50 of the things I really need to do made me feel hopeless.
I am also thinking about resolutions right now. But because I know from experience that “Get Organized!” would only set me up for failure because of its hugeness and vagueness, I’m thinking differently. I’m thinking of a philosophy change, something I can repeat to myself throughout 2010, and that isn’t an all-or-nothing resolution. I don’t want to give up on January 3, if I forget to “put my shoes back every single day.”

For those of you who are regular readers, I’m guessing that you also are thinking of some organization related resolutions for 2010. If I can figure out how, on Thursday (New Year’s Eve), I’m going to have a Resolution Party. I don’t have a ton of readers, so it won’t be something to grow your blog, but if you’d like some community support as you resolve to make some changes in your home, I hope you’ll join in. It encourages me so much to get comments from you that you understand how I feel and that you’re rooting for me. I want to root for you too.

Now, I know that many of you aren’t actual slobs like I am. So if you feel funny sharing that you read this blog, feel free to say things like, “There’s this blog I read because I feel so sorry for this girl.” Or, “Sometimes I read this blog so I can feel better that I’m not as bad as she is.” Or, “I just happened upon this and thought I’d participate but wow, get a load of what a mess she is.” Or whatever you need to say, I promise to not be offended, and your secret is safe with me.

Related Posts:

Read Newer Post Projects vs. Progress – Adjusting my Thinking
Read Older Post Cleaning out my Pantry – and Hopefully Saving Money

Filed Under: diy day, goals, organization, progress, tackle it Tuesday | 7 Comments

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    December 29, 2009 at 8:49 pm

    I love the idea of a monogrammed hook for each persons coat. Our coat closet is tiny and thus is filled with my coats alone.

    Reply
  2. Jennifer in Iowa says

    December 29, 2009 at 10:20 pm

    I just wanted to say I stumbled upon your blog today and love it! I love the honesty and many of the emotions you write are things I have felt – if my house is messy does that mean I am lazy? I don't have a dirty house but my house is lived in and suffers (the object of course, not me!) from disorganization, clutter, and disorder often. You are inspiring me to tackle and organize more of my clutter and try to cut out the excuses. Keep up the good work and keep blogging! Thanks for showing us a peek at real life with real moms who get busy and don't do things perfectly!

    Reply
  3. MysticFish says

    December 29, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    I have been reading your blog for a little while now, and am a follower. I read it every day, because you totally are an inspiration. I admire that you are honest about what you need to do.. but also that you keep doing it! That is amazing. I am a slob most of the time, and I totally can relate to the "I have to work at this everyday" because we don't have that "whatever" gene that makes us just do it without thinking about it. My sister has that Gene.. and my Mom had that Gene.. it missed me somehow, so I struggle with those things. I think more people than you realize struggle with this very issue, as is apparent in all the articles, magazines, programs, and careers out there for folks to "get organized" and stay on top of things! Again.. I love this blog, please keep it up!

    Reply
  4. Robin says

    January 3, 2010 at 10:46 pm

    I just stumbled upon your blog and I am loving those monogrammed coat holders. Where did you get them? I am all in for trying to organize my house. I wish my kids would be in on it too : ) I love to organize things but I have a problem with my household members unorganizing our home. Is there an article on that???? I can't wait until I have a chance to read your blog. Best to you on your organizing endeavors. I will be back….

    Reply
  5. Nony says

    January 4, 2010 at 1:55 am

    Hi Robin, welcome! I got the monogrammed hangers at Hobby Lobby. They were 7.99 apiece, but were 50% off. About every other week all of their "wall hangings" are on sale for half off and these qualified. They were a Christmas present to myself!

    Reply
  6. Lenetta @ Nettacow says

    February 3, 2010 at 4:35 am

    I should have noted this on my other comment but I am loving the enormous shoe rack by the back door idea. That mess is exactly what happens in our house…

    Reply
  7. Leila says

    June 7, 2022 at 9:00 am

    “Sometimes I read this blog so I can feel better that I’m not as bad as she is.” Never! I just started reading your books/blog a couple of weeks ago, and my reaction is mostly, “That woman has been in my head!” However, right now I’m looking around my den and thinking about the work I did yesterday in the utility room + the non-cleaning stuff I need to do, getting overwhelmed, and starting to think, “there’s no way her house was ever this bad”!

    I have to take a minute to let that feeling pass because there has been progress. The dishes are done, the bathroom is slightly cleaner, the kitchen floor has one less layer of dirt on it, and a few of the things that needed to be trashed are in the herby-curby. I’m very grateful that you’ve been willing to “expose” yourself so completely. It is providing a lot of emotional support as well as inspiration to get my house into shape. Future you just published your third book. I haven’t read it yet, but I finished the second one a few days ago. Thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want solutions to your biggest decluttering problems?

Get my newsletter and we'll start by teaching you how to declutter without making a bigger mess.
* = required field

Popular Posts

Why-I-Have-To-Run-My-Dishwasher-Every-Single-Night-at-ASlobComesClean.com sidebar
Five Truths about a Clean Kitchen even without a dishwasher at ASlobComesClean.com sidebar
How to Clean a Messy House at ASlobComesClean.com sidebar

Topics:

blogcast Cleaning daily checklist decluttering failures figuring myself out kitchen laundry Menu Plan Monday organization parenting podcasts progress random stories reader stories recipes sponsored posts Uncategorized

  • PR/Advertising
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Website Terms and Conditions
Search

  • About
  • Contact
  • TV & Media

© Dana K. White | Site by Little Leaf Design