CONFESSIONS OF A NEAT FREAK

Dirty, messy spaces really bug me. I find myself not wanting to be in them, uninspired, even drained by them. This is true at work, at home, at places I shop... anywhere really.

The exact opposite happens when I clean something up or when I find a space that is organized and makes sense. I become inspired, I gain energy, I want to enjoy it.

One of the biggest drains in my life is messy spaces I can't find time to fix. One of my most motivating things is solving that problem. The 2009/2010 school year is going to be my year of removing the junk and making my spaces into the ones I want to actually live in.

As a result of this wild crazy cleaning hair I have crawling up my back side, I went on a cleaning/simplifying spree here lately and fixed tons of stuff that's been bugging me.

• Fixed the ceiling in our bedroom from a leak which resulted in an entire sheet of sheet rock being removed and left unfinished in our bedroom for 4 years. For some crazy reason, I decided enough was enough and fixed it with a friend. It is now textured and painted and good to go.
  
• We rearranged our bedroom, ditched the drapes, and lost some stuff and it's cleaner and neater. I might actually get dressed slowly now before leaving. Maybe I'll even read in bed. Maybe.
• I helped clean out and organize all of Jake and Billy's clothes.
• I cleaned out and reorganized our kitchen pantry and cupboards.
• I sold a bunch of stuff in a garage sale.
• I sold a bunch more on craig's list I couldn't sell at the garage sale.
  
• I gave a bunch of stuff I didn't want to bother selling or couldn't sell either way.
• Then last night after church, I cleaned out my office/work out space in the single car portion of our garage. This one has been a long time in progress. First I put up the wall and built the cabinets and added sheetrock about 4 years ago. I then painted and added the desk. Last night I added carpet that I scored for free and now all I have left to do is paint one more wall and perhaps put in a door with a window and I'm done with this room.
  

On my to do list:

• find a way to get rid of the carpet in our house- the whole house.
• shelves for becky's room.
• make a new hall cabinet
  
• make a new cabinet for our play room.
  
• 2 bathrooms
• 1 kitchen
• a few interior doors
  
• shade sails for the backyard.
• paint our house trim
  
• finish the front planter project I started 2 years ago.
  

Wish me luck. Might have to be the 2009/2012 plan... but I'm gonna keep cleaning and pray when I'm done, God doesn't move me again :)