Read a Book: 5 Days to a Clutter Free House by Sandra Felton & Marsha Sims {book review and declutter progress #honestcraftroom}

This month I have selected 5 Days to a Clutter Free House written by Sandra Felton & Marsha Sims to share with you!

We are in a declutter movement, as it seems, right now. I know it's not just our house, but those around us as well. The amazing popularity of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up  is just proof of the declutter movement. But, it hasn't entirely worked for me. I love the concept and getting everything in one category at a time. But, that is a super daunting task! I was searching for some books at my local library, (Cleaning House: A Moms Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement & The More of Less), and came across this one instead. I figured, why not see what it suggests? I mean, 5 days is an incredible feat? Right? How could this daunting task be completed in that time frame? How could I transform my incredibly overstuffed house in just 5 days? So, as any desperate person would, I checked out the book.

The gist of the book:
Get a bunch of friends and put everything that is out of place in boxes.

Label boxes by contents

Line up against the wall

Go through at your leisure

Umm... Ok...

Needless to say... I was a little disappointed.

I don't want friends seeing all the trash, junk, and everything else in my house. I don't want to have to answer question after question about what an item is and what box it should go into. And I'm not decluttering, I'm moving the mess from the tables and counter tops into boxes along the wall. How does that even count?!?

And then I thought about KonMari and the gathering of like items to go through. I have barely made it half way through KM-ing my items because of going through the house and gathering. The categories I had completed did not get removed quickly enough and managed to become re-scattered amongst my joy sparking things.

I needed a more systematic approach to gathering items, especially since I am so ready to move the baby into her room (which is still currently the craft room, 4.5 months later)... And this book gave me that approach. I'm realistic. It wont be completed in 5 days, it hasn't been completed in 5 days. But it helps. If I applied the zones a little better, it would probably help even more. 

Here is the craft room before (embarrasing, I know):

Horribly sad... My #honestcraftroom since I'm a hoarder of all things #sewing, #quilting #scrapbooking and #crafting ... This is to become #babyberry3's room... I have to get to it! At least I started today! #konmari #purge #makeroomforbaby

A photo posted by JessiBerry (@jessiberry09) on Apr 6, 2016 at 12:31pm PDT

I started taking out all the fabric after this, and stalled.

I told my mom about the premise of the book. One saturday afternoon she came over with some boxes and helped me get started clearing more space off the table and desk (both are going to have to be sold). 

And this was as of last week:

Progress. #honestcraftroom #craftyproblems #crafthoarderproblems #makingroomforbaby

A photo posted by JessiBerry (@jessiberry09) on Jun 23, 2016 at 10:30am PDT

I'm still not happy about having everything in boxes. We still have things in boxes from when we moved into our house 3, almost 3.5, years ago. and the chances I actually go through them are pretty slim. But the approach has given me something to work with, and a way to group everything by category.

as of yesterday:

A nice thing about the book, it is coming from a perspective that seems to understand the trouble with staying clutter free, versus KonMari where the author has always organized, decluttered her things, and easily purged objects from her room.  Especially for us crafty type people, those things do not always come naturally. "We cannot have a museum, library or store in our living spaces and still maintain a gracious, orderly, welcoming, and beautiful home." (pg 120) This is how I treat my craft supplies, something I can shop from without having to go to an actual store. It is something that is cluttering up my home and taking away from the beauty of it. I need to "make a decision not to keep everything" (pg 135) and I need to consciously understand that it is ok to get rid of things. This is the hard part with KonMari. Yes, she makes sense as well, but doesn't appeal to my own sentimentality as these authors do.

It has helped having someone here with whom to organize things. And it helps to have someone who understands the different types of craft supplies. KonMari has had me doing it alone. It hasn't worked. 

I wonder if I will be able to use this for the office space, which will become the craft/office space, in the master bedroom? So much to do.

This is where the craft space is getting moved to, also super embarrassing. Those drawers at least are for fabric:

This is where the craft room is being moved to. .. embarrassing #honestcraftroom #craftyproblems #crafthoarderproblems #organize #decluttering

A photo posted by JessiBerry (@jessiberry09) on Jun 23, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

Book Scoring:

• Content - eh, half of it is something I feel like I can use. I don't like all of it, but it might work well for others  (1/2 check)
• Organization - 2 parts. the boxing up of things and then the going through the boxes. The second part is too much for me. yes/no/maybe boxes. then go through the maybes and place into yes/no. too much sorting (1/2 check)
• readability - easy enough. understandable and relate-able. repetition of certain concepts and monotonous. (1/2 check)
• Conversation worthy - It started my mom and I talking, comparing the KonMari book and this one (check)
• Invokes personal thought/reflection - It's getting me thinking about my habits and what I need to change in order to successfully create a beautiful living space I am not embarrassed to show to my friends.(check)

          Overall: 3.5 checks (stars, what have you)

Books Read in June:
Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine on audio

Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

The Surgeon (Rizzoli and Isles book #1) by Tess Gerritsen

One Second After by William Forstchen on audio

Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well by Terry Walters

Check out my other books reviews here

Join me on GoodReads here, I'm always on the lookout of a new book and to share with other book loving friends!

tell me:
How do you organize your craft supplies?

Yummy Cookies!

I am so thankful for Fridays because they start my weekend! Especially lately with feeling super tired every day after work, and the heat is starting to kick in. On Wednesday I swear I put a lot of miles on my shoes just running back and forth trying to keeping things somewhat calm in a crazy 5th grade classroom that had a sub. Substitutes are not good for some of the kiddos on my caseload because of lack of structure and the change. It doesn't help when outside forces add to the behaviors of those kiddos!

The Need to Craft

I feel as if I am going to go crazy! I have taken two scary naps today because I just sat down and passed out! Them being scary because Nikolai was up and awake. The first one he managed to dump left over cereal onto the floor. The second one he had managed to get into the candy container on the counter and sneak out a werther's original. But after a week with 2 stressfull IEPs, prep/planning and having a formal observation, and still trying to get stuff unpacked, I feel that I need to just do something that doesn't involve work, cleaning, unpacking and is just fun. I need to be creative and to be crafty!

It's Been a While...

Almost 2 weeks... Things have been crazy! But I am excited that I finally have internet access here at the house! Yay! We don't have everything officially moved from the old place yet, but we do have everything out of the house. Now it is just yard ... cars and car parts and everything cars, well at least as it seems anyway. I am We are not yet done unpacking. I am finally starting to feel mostly better from being sick since the 23rd of February. But that also means I have a done of catch-up at work to do including IEP meetings and 2 new students to do transfer meetings for... Eeek! So much! Thank goodness Spring Break starts Saturday! :)

Pushing it Back...

A little bit of disappointment. I was really looking forward to learning the gender of the baby, but things happen that are outside of our control sometimes...
Nikolai had been sick, poor thing. I do not like when he is sick because I know he is hurting and I am hurting for him. But, he is a LOT more cuddly than normal and does NOT squirm nearly as much. It is nice holding a little boy that does not squirm and squiggle. At least I didn't have to worry about taking him to my doctor's office.

Our First Overnight...

At our new house! Granted, still no refrigerator and the washer/dryer have not been moved over yet. But I think Brandon is nearly as anxious as I am to start living in the house! Nikolai loves it there. We came home today to do laundry and gather more things, which has turned into the boys napping and me doing laundry and playing on the computer. But hey, I haven't been on all weekend and need to play a little bit of catch-up!  I need to share! And I missed Valentine's Day... Almost... Brandon got me a bear, chocolates and a card that made me cry. And with the suggestion of a co-worker, I needed to do something like this picture.

We are Homeowners!

I am so excited! We have the keys, the carpets have been cleaned. We have started moving stuff into the house; the dining table, three bookcases, and a ton of boxes have all been moved into the house. The main room in the house where we have spent the last 4 years is looking pretty bare without the boxes taking up a ton of space and no dining table.

17 weeks...

Things have been super crazy. I don't know if it is because we will be moving, or because school is crazy, or because I am preggo.  In a way it feels like things are moving 10 times faster than they were a few days ago.

Partial Relief

We signed the documents for our house yesterday! Granted yes, we were supposed to close the 31st, but at least it is still getting done! I am so excited! We should close and get the keys by the 5th!

Ending the 16 Weeks

Well, I am 17 weeks on Wednesday. I have had headaches nearly everyday for a week (ugh), though at least most of the morning sickness is gone. We are set to sign the documents Tomorrow (though it was supposed to be today) and we close on Thursday. We are hoping that we can get the keys on Thursday as well. But do not know yet... It is Tucson, and everything moves slow out here.

41:31

41 inches! That is the circumference around my stomach at this point in time, with a quick measurement. Is that fast? I have no idea...

 

And... 31 days until we go into the doctors office to see our little peanut through that wonderful ultrasound wand and up on the TV! :) So excited! :)

Extra Preggo Info...

I forgot to share this information on my post on Friday! How could I forget?

 

When I went into the doctor and was weighed, I am no longer loosing weight but have gained! Yay! I would like to thank the dissipating morning sickness and the ability to keep food down!

 

They (meaning the doctor and the UofA student) took the fundal height of measurement. One got 13 the other got 15. I am taking the middle and saying that I am right were I am supposed to be. :)

 

I do not know the heart rate. I do know that it is sounding healthy, it is strong and consistent. To me, that is more important than knowing the rate.