Clutter happens. It just does. We may not be proud of it, but even in the cleanest, most organized homes clutter somehow creeps into at least one junk drawer, drop zone, entryway, garage, closet, or pantry! Today we are getting real about clutter and providing some real life solutions to the problem! My friend Melissa from The Inspired Room has a new book launching this week and available on Amazon called Simple Organizing. Her book is a fantastic resource on how to tame your clutter for good!
Simple Organizing: 50 Ways to Clear the Clutter
We all love looking at tidy, magazine-worthy photos, am I right? Below is a picture of my family room that I might present to you here on the blog, or on my Instagram feed. It’s clean and polished and blog-worthy.
And here is a phone picture of what my family room looks like right now! Granted, it’s not terribly cluttered, but there is a suitcase, wall mirror, Target bag, and kitty playpen junking things up. The couch pillows and throw blankets are all disheveled–which is typical. My children and animals are decidedly against toss pillows!
Not impressed? Is this room not cluttery enough for you? Well then, let’s move to another spot that I’ve never shared on the blog. How about this room? Ha! Yes, this should do it!
How did this happen and more importantly what is the solution?! This room is the future home of our media room and everything currently in here does not have a designated home. When we moved in, I placed everything I wasn’t sure what to do with inside this room with the best of intentions to tackle it “soon”. It has taken us awhile to determine how we want our home to work for us and now that we’ve decided, I’m ready to tackle this room and get rid of most of what you see here! If we aren’t careful, clutter can overtake our home and render entire spaces useless.
“Clutter multiplies if we aren’t keeping up with it. We have to adapt our systems along with the changes that take place in our life. We need to continually pare down what we keep so we can be free to do the things we really want to do in life.” Melissa, The Inspired Room
Melissa encourages us to make our homes our sanctuary and not our storage rooms! Learning to tackle clutter is a life skill that helps us live a more inspired life! I think you’ll love learning from Melissa’s tips covered in Simple Organizing: 50 Ways to Clear the Clutter.
How about a giveaway?! In celebration of her book launch, Melissa is offering a chance to win a $250 gift card to The Container Store over on The Inspired Room. You can also enter to win a copy of her new book by commenting on this post and telling me your clutter confession! A winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, April 11th!
Want to see other bloggers’ clutter confessions? Please visit the following blogs:
TUESDAY
The Inspired Room Click to enter the $250 Container Store GIVEAWAY
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WEDNESDAY
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Cathe says
I too have a room just like yours… sitting there with all the stuff waiting to find a permanent home!! This is my ” year to organize ” I have started with the closets… cause that room and my basement scares me!!!
Toni Sprouse says
Thank you so much for your transparency..you have inspired me to want to get moving and do something about our clutter as well!
Mary Ann says
Drawers in our desk and the kitchen junk drawer need decluttering!
Kelly says
Thank you for the inspiration to tackle some clutter areas this weekend! Sanctuary vs storage areas….something to think about!
Debbi says
Every time I get my sewing/guest room organized, I promptly junk it right up again!
Debbie says
Clutter confession – I can’t keep my desk organized! Also my laundry room is a mess. I need this book!!
Pamela says
We moved too, last year and I now realize I’m beating myself up constantly about spaces like your media room. Thank you for helping to make me feel normal. I’m actually naturally organized so I thought perhaps I didn’t need the book but the move has totally flipped my wig! EGADS I need help!
Susan says
I love the idea of our home being our Sanctuary! That puts things in a whole new perspective! Having moved out of 3500 sq ft into 400 sq ft tiny house for a season, I lived very simple. It was very freeing but not doable for the way we like to do life. We are now in an in between rental as we decide where what areaof town to settle in. My clutter places rt now are my kitchen counters and sewing room. I so appreciate your sharing of the reality of normal life. It helps those of us that aren’t able right now to create our spaces as we dream.
Laura says
I love to organize but have many cluttered areas that drive me crazy. I feel like I don’t have time to fix them.
Sheila DelCharco says
Mine is the garage where I stash stuff I’m just not sure about. That and paper clutter! Ugh!
Erin says
Everything goes into the master bedroom when company comes! Instead of being a sanctuary, it’s always in various states of disorganization!
Rheonna Wiuff says
Boxes and boxes and boxes of old photos! I had to buy shelves to stack them on in my garage (whick clutters the garage). Everytime I try to dig in and go through them to organize, I get overwhelmed and give up. It’s so distracting to go through all those memories!
Ally Steinhilber says
MY cluttler area right now is the sun ion, and my second bedroom. My father passed away recently so I’m in the middle of going through boxes that I had stored in his home. It’s fun yet overwhelming at the same time. I loved her books, and can’t wait to read this one!
Karlene says
My clutter areas are my closet, the holiday/ family mementos closet and our grainery which we keep old wood and doors in.
Jessica says
My sewing room is my clutter spot. It kind of catches all my craft stuff.
Callie says
My basement is my catch all for everything I don’t know what to do with. I need help!
Christine Martin says
Stacks of papers ( receipts, bills, bank statements, owners manuals, etc) are the cause of my worst clutter nightmares! I am so ready to tackle this organizational project and get on top of it…and institute a system that will help me stay organized!
Tina says
My clutter area is my craft room and master closet where everything gets dumped when company comes.
Kathryn says
My office is my nemesis! It becomes a catchall for everything and nothing has a place. We are moving soon and I dream of creating an organized office!
Melissa Michaels says
Oh I love it, Beth! You made me feel more normal, I get rooms like this, too. Except sadly it’s not only when I move, haha!! Thank you for being a part of this tour, appreciate you, friend!
Christy Peeples DuBois says
My bedroom is my downfall. I also have my desk in my bedroom and between coming in and changing clothes and stacking make in my desk it seems like a never ending clutter zone which causes me stress.
Lori P. says
My junk drawers and closets need help!
storymusicgirl says
Clutter confession… we save stuff for our annual neighborhood yard sale…year-round. The space in the basement where we keep things starts out nice and neat in boxes but then starts to just spill over into an avalanche of junk. I just put on blinders every time I have to walk by it. Ugh! I think we either need to get shelves or just donate things to charity more frequently.
Anita L Jackson says
Right now my clutter obsession is fabric stashes hidden every where while in the midst of starting yet another sewing project with out finishing the first one!
DIY Home Sweet Home says
Love all the natural elements you include in your decor!!! Thank you for sharing your messes! makes the rest of us feel a little better 😉
meghan says
I really need to organize my closet!
Britney says
I need help!!!! We now just close doors…ugh
Alicen says
The kids toys seem to migrate all over the house….!!!
Heather says
My Craft Room is a hot mess 99% of the time. I will get everything put away and then i start 400 different projects again and its a mess. I’m happy to know i’m not the only one with clutter problems. 🙂
Denise Turner says
Th garage is my cluttered space. When we clean the house we move stuff out there then have to spend an entire day cleaning it out.
Kristina Thorsen says
My bedroom closets need help lol
Lisa T. says
Clutter confession? In the “extra” bedroom all of my décor has found a home on the bed and floor. It is a disaster! I need to buckle up and get organized. Thank you for the opportunity to win this book. Sounds like just what I need for inspiration.
Angela says
My desk at home- any and all papers end up there and within 2 weeks, the stack is a foot tall. I clean through it and 2 weeks later, there it is again.
Lori K says
My clutter gets put in boxes.