Last month I borrowed a book from my friend, Corrie, and I haven’t been the same since.  🙂  I read Organized Simplicty in about 3 days, ordered my own copy, and then re-skimmed it making notes and tagging pages. 

I enjoy reading books on organization; my home may not always reflect what I’m reading, but I strive for organization, and reading about it helps motivate me to follow through.  Over the years I’ve read many books that claim to have the answer in cleaning and organizing, but none have struck me like this one did. 

The author, Tsh Oxenreider, is a wife, a blogger, and a mom of three trying to maintain some sanity in life like us all.  She addresses the root of the problem with clutter and disorganization, instead of just giving you a list of ways to move the clutter around and keep it in order.  She talks about being a slave to our stuff, using our time wisely, being a good steward of our money, savoring the little things, and creating a haven in your home that works for your family.  After convincing you that you need a simpler life, she walks you through how to get there. 

Room by room she helps you determine what to keep, what to get rid of, how to clean, and then how to reorganize.  Most of this isn’t rocket science, but one phrase in her book has stayed with me and will help inspire me to purge in our home. 

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”  ~William Morris

This is profound!  Suddenly it becomes very clear what stays and what goes!  The author makes this statement: “Whether you are aware of it or not, you are making a choice to own and keep every item you have in your home.”  Is every single thing in our homes worthy of taking up squre footage in our house?  After getting rid of things you no longer use or love, you are left with the things you DO use or that you cherish in a special way.  You are now free to enjoy the things you love rather than getting lost in all of the “stuff”. 

Maybe I’m into cleaning out right now because spring is around the corner and many of us get the “spring cleaning” itch this time of year.  Or, maybe I’m just tired of seing too much stuff hidden in every nook and cranny of our house.  Either way, I’m motivated to do it, and I think my dear husband is on board as well, even though he still thinks I’ve just joined some sort of cleaning/organizing cult.  Thank you, Kenny, for being willing to sort with me. 

So, the other day while James was playing with friends, (Thank you, Lora!), I took every single thing out of our bedroom closet, removed clothing we don’t wear, cleaned the closet, re-organized it, dusted everything in the room (even the pictures on the walls and the ceiling fan!), cleaned out and re-organized the dresser, vaccumed (even under the bed!), and washed the windows!  It’s amazing how much work you can do without a toddler under foot!  🙂  It felt great to have that done knowing that the only things in the room are items we use or that are beautiful or hold meaning to us.  Amen! 

Even though I’ve only tackled our bedroom so far,  just finishing one room of the house gives me inspiration to keep going. 

So, if you’re convinced that “organized simplicity” is for you, head over to the author’s blog and participate in her Project Simplify next week!

“A peaceful home requires a change of attitude, a habit of regular maintenance, and a lifelong commitment to place a higher priority on relationships and events than on things.”

“Simple living is about living your life with a purpose that aligns with your values.  It’s about enjoying the things you love and care about and not about stressing over the things that don’t matter.  It’s fulfilling; it brings peace; it drips with contentment.  Living simply is about being who you were made to be.”