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Bye-Bye Clutter!

Yall know that I detest clutter, and although my house doesn’t always reflect that claim, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still the truth of the matter.

I may be a Flylady Flunkie, but there is one thing that has always stuck with me, and that is to have certain designated clutter-free zones.  Even if my bathrooms are growing frightening scientific experiments, there will not be clutter on my entertainment unit, for instance.  Another clutter-free zone is the top of the bookcase in my foyer.  My husband and kids know not to set anything on these surfaces for fear of losing a hand.  I would love to say that my kitchen island and counters are another clutter-free zone, although this is a goal that I rarely achieve.

But for each spot that I have designated a clutter-free zone, I seem to have a corresponding spot that is a clutter-magnet.  The laundry room is the biggest clutter magnet in my house, and the next biggest is our computer desk.  Which is ironic, seeing that I spend the greater part of my days sitting right here.  You would think it’s the very first place I clear off, wouldn’t you?  But no, I sit here and do my best work amidst piles of pictures, receipts, grocery store circulars, magazines, used napkins (ew!), school forms, and other assorted papers.  And of course, the whole area is usually blanketed with a thin layer of dust.  And crumbs.  Because who can expect me to dust around all this clutter!?

See?

Well, yesterday I decided enough was enough.  I started pulling out folded-up papers and file folders and pictures and empty granola bar wrappers and crunched-up receipts.  And crumbs.  Lots of crumbs.  (EW!)  I opened the big file drawer and emptied out the stack of folders and papers laying in the bottom, which I have been intending to file for, well, ever.  I enlisted my husband’s help, as half the crap stuff in there was his, and together we cleaned, dusted, sorted, filed, shuffled, tossed, and labeled until we had the place looking like a work of art.

See?

Ahhhhhhh…  sweet relief!  NOW there is no excuse for mediocrity.  My posts should be brimming with brilliant prose now that I have a clean, spacious place to work.  Although I might not be able to handle that sort of pressure.  So don’t set your expectations too high.

But hey, at least there’s a nice open spot for my morning Dandy Blend.

If you tackled a project this week, visit 5 Minutes For Mom for Tackle It Tuesday.

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19 Responses

  1. Beautiful. It would’ve been even more beautiful with a piping hot mug of La Colombe! Just kidding! I’m glad you found your coffee-alternative. Hard to believe I own the same computer cabinet. Mine looks disgraceful!

  2. Yay! Now, make sure to take a picture next week at this time and see if the clutter has returned! 😉

  3. wow!! good for you!!

    that is definitely something i should do today…. as long as i can remember though, i have worked on top of a cluttered desk. i can usually manage to clean clutter, but then i can’t seem to keep it that way.

  4. That’s usually what my desk looks like…cluttered! When my laptop fried recently I no choice, but to clean up so I could get my new desktop in place. I feel like a professional person with all my “free” space! I’m still waiting for the creative juices to catch up with all the cleanliness!!

    (Love the bobble-head!)

  5. A perfect example of the Law of Conservation of Clutter: Clutter can be neither created nor destroyed; it can only be schlepped from one place to another. Darn that Antoine Lavoisier!

  6. Ok, you need to come over here and tackle my filing cabinets. It looks awesome! Clutter calls to me at night – HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  7. Beautiful! I am anti-clutter as well, but it always seems to get the best of me anyway. Sigh.

  8. Wow, that is a really great job. Our computer desk is the same thing. Although ours hasn’t been that clean in a while.

  9. Wow! That looks great! I love that your website was pulled up on the computer. Nice touch! My desk in the classroom is all clean and organized. The desk hubby and I share in the downstairs office is a mess!But, we both use it and it’s where most of the “action” takes place. But, you might have inspired me for later!

    PS. Thanks for mentioning me in your blog. I think I’ve made it onto 2 blogrolls and now I’m getting a shout out from a you on your post. My celebrity status is just shy of OFF THE CHARTS!!

  10. Thanks. You just reminded me of ONE MORE THING I have to do before tomorrow! Sheesh! 🙂

    Seriously though, congrats on getting it done!

  11. First of all, thank you for making me feel “normal” – if you can have messes, then I feel like I’m not so bad!! LOL! Your nice, cleaned up space looks awesome! Way to go!

    I have all those clutter-free aspirations too – and I try – most of the time. But I have some issues myself as well!

    Remember – there’s no such thing as a FlyLady flunkie- she says, “Just jump in where you are” and she’d be quite proud of your clean desk and all your efforts! I tell you this, because it’s true, but also to remind myself it’s ok! At least I’m fluttering – most days!!!

  12. It’s all your fault!!! LOL! You “forced” me to do it! … I cleaned the top of my computer desk! My kids are ecstatic! Thanks for the push 🙂

  13. Great job! You wanna come do mine now?

    I know what you mean about clutter free zones and clutter magnet zones. My dresser is the worst place in the house. I dread getting to it everytime. But it feels so good when it’s done

  14. Oooh, that looks nice. We are constantly decluttering around here. I seem to be the only one who wants it to be decluttered but everyone else HAS to help ’cause Momma said so! LOL
    All for His glory, ~Rhen

  15. Oh hey, could you come over here and do that, too? Cause since my desk area is Command Central here in the Dirty Laundry household, I have everything under the sun piled up over here. Right now I can put my hands on body spray, magazines, air freshener, hair bobs, toothpaste, Q-tips, CDs, medicine, and the list goes on!

    Maybe I’ll bookmark your picture and it’ll inspire me. Maybe.

  16. WOW that looks awesome – I LOVE what you did, I have a desk almost exactly like yours and I need to put mine together more like that!

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