I HATE Clutter

I hate clutter.  I don’t just hate clutter….it makes me crazy!  I don’t really know when I went from the carefree teenager that had cans of Coke stuck under the nightstand, clothes laying on every inch of my bedroom floor to this person who actually gets anxious from time to time when I turn around and see all the stuff on the counters, in the closets, on the floor, in the corners, in the garage, in the bedrooms, in the closets….you get the picture.  I really, really try hard to keep on top if it.  A clean, clutter free home gives me peace.  I actually believe that the planets are aligned and hear angels singing when I look around and see nothing but bare counters and corners.   But with 5 kids here a day – it seems impossible to keep it this way.  With limited garage and closet space and no basement…where do you put it all?   I don’t keep things I don’t need but I need a lot of stuff with kids and the daycare.  I searched the Internet on tips to be clutter free and found this Ehow.com article on how to organize the clutter in your home:

• Step 1 
  Stash the clutter when unexpected guests stop by. Before they arrive, take big boxes or laundry baskets and toss all of your clutter inside. Place these containers out of site to organize after guests leave.  – Ok I do this one…but then I forget where I put all the stuff and I end up having to pay late charges on my credit cards.  I also use old Target bags to shove stuff in.  LOL
• Step 2
  Use clear storage bins. These can be found in most large stores, and they will help you organize the clutter in your home without losing sight of where you have put your things. – Good tip too..unless you keep all the bins in your garage and you have to shove them out of the way to get to the car door and then you forget what’s even in them and have to go buy new stuff that you thought you lost but really it’s in the bins in the packed garage. 
• Step 3
  Donate your clothes to a local charity. Each month, go through the clothes in your drawers, and in your closet, that you haven’t worn. Make a donation box or bag and take it with you the next time you run errands. -I once had a box of clothes for charity in the trunk of my car for 6 months. Once I took them in..they didn’t need them because they were for last season.
• Step 4
  Shred your documents. Make time each weekend to shred all of your sensitive documents from that week’s mail. Paper shredders can be purchased at any office supply store, and they come in many sizes to fit your needs. – Who in the world has time to do this weekly?!  I’m lucky if I even get all the mail opened weekly!
• Step 5
  Set a limit for yourself on the length of time you allow yourself to hold onto old magazines. No matter what, once your time limit has passed, toss the periodicals or give them to your local library. – I am a magazine junkie (to be covered in a later blog!)  I’m not giving away my magazines!!
• Step 6
  Leave the lids off of toy bins in the play room. A toy box is meant for play, and the lids will only limit what you can toss in when you organize the clutter. - Do kids put the toys back in the bins even when the lids are shoved behind the toy shelf without you threatening them that you’ll throw them away??

I start out staying on top of it – but by now, 10:00 pm, I’M DONE!  Let it be.  It will still be there in the morning and I’ll still hate it.  But, at least I won’t spend my only hour of the day to myself cleaning.  So the never ending cycle of cleaning and de-cluttering will start again in the morning.

What’s your best tip for staying clutter free or do you struggle with it everyday?