I snapped this picture this morning when I walked back into my bedroom to get dressed. And this is only the bedroom. Like everyone else, I have my periods of being completely overwhelmed.
The rest of the house is just as bad. There's two weeks worth of shoes by the front door, almost all of my coffee cups (except the one I'm drinking from right now) and most of my forks and spoons are in the sink, waiting to be washed. There are papers piled all over the floor of the office to the tune of "I'm doing my taxes." There are three bags of recycling I haven't found time to walk the ten steps to the bin to discard, various bits and bobs of change, receipts, lip goo and business cards piled on my landing strip, not to mention the piles of laundry patiently waiting for their turn in the washer and dryer (though I did go so far as to sort it!).
I know I'm not this only one. I've got friends in the same predicament -- tight deadlines, overcommitted, an attack of the lazys -- and we've been iming pictures back and forth, comparing how messy we've gotten, one uping each other, putting each other into hysterics. "I'm so behind on my laundry, I'm nearing the bathing suit as undies red zone," was one message, followed by "the only reason my kitchen floor got cleaned is because I dropped a glass on it this morning," which should quickly shatter any illusions you might have that we're all clean and organized machines around here. We're not.
We're just as human as you are, fumbling to find methods that work for now, for later. But, as the Wizard of Oz said to the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow, I do have something you may not. I have resources. I can live this way temporarily, reveling in my messiness even, happy as a pig, because I know that it is temporary. I know that sometime this weekend, when I've met my deadlines, when the phones are quiet and the email is still, there will be an hour or so that I can devote to restoring order. I know where to start, I know how to regain my center. A little music, a little elbow grease and my home will be sweet again.
Did the Wizard really give Dorothy's companions anything more than a rolled up piece of paper, a heart shaped watch, a medal? Perhaps not. But what he did give them was faith, in themselves and in the future. Today you may have a messy home but if you can imagine a clean home, an inviting home, a home that welcomes you and your dreams and your friends and your family, you are more than halfway there.
Here are some tools to give you the faith to start you on your way to home. We're here to take you all the the way to Kansas.
- How To Clean Your house In 20 minutes A Day For 30 Days.
- Simple Clean: Pay Attention To Just One Item In Every Room.
- 5 Ideas To Get You Cleaning
(Image: Abigail Stone)
Dirty Little Secrets of Tidy Families
Hillary & Michael's Refined Roost
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Nomade Express Slee...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Summer Cocktail Staple: Campari & IPA Spritzer
Love this - and definitely timely for me. I've been feeling the overwhelmed mess of my current home lately. Working 60-80 hours a week just hasn't been conducive to taking care of the chores.
It's so good to know that I'm not alone on this one.
Add in that my husband and I are moving soon, and the packing has both legitimized the mess and helped me get it under control
Are you joking or bragging? 'Cause that ain't messy. At my house, that's called "Thursday."
I'm half-teasing. It's a beautiful room.
Absolutely lovely even with that deep mess ;)
Most people's real life doesn't look like a photo shoot. People who are clean and tidy all the time kinda freak me out. Get a hobby! I try to manage the mess and clutter during the week, but sometimes it gets the best of me, and it's not a big deal. Like the author said, there's always the weekend to find a spare moment. If I have company coming over, I tidy up. If it's just me and the dog watching a movie at home, there's no rush.
LOLOL! You've got to be kidding. This is not a mess. This is just a case of not putting things away for a day. Your nightstand doesn't even have any plates or wineglasses on it. Please.
Reallly!? It's called living and yup, that's what weekends are for if you don't get it done during the week.
I try and clean one room a day during the week so come the weekend, it's my play time or just sit and veg out with Netflix.
Then there's those days, about every 3 months, when I do a massive cleaning which means pulling the furniture away from the walls, getting the q-tips to clean those tight spots in furniture and frames, etc. I call those days "A bug up my butt and I gotta clean" moment. Ha! ha!
Where'd you get those curtains?
i'm normally a very regular cleaning person...always on Sundays...it's the first thing I do when I wake up, and I don't stop to eat, shower or sit until it's done. But the past few weeks have been filled with friends and family, and GORGEOUS weather so it's hard to stay indoors. even this weekend, my schedule is packed...but i'm hoping i can get everything back in place sometime next week.
in the meantime, i am content with the way i've spent my last few weekends...and will sweat the small stuff when it rains =)
I've really been inspired by this blog recently: http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/
The author advocates cleaning with 20/10s--cleaning for 20 minutes, then taking a break for 10. If you've got a major mess, it really helps to break it up into small bites this way. My house is pretty clean, but I've been doing my job hunting with 20/10s and it really helps me to get started in the morning when I feel like I can't face it. (BTW, the blog is NSFpeoplewhodon'tlikeswearing.)
I think it's beautiful. Looks lived (and loved). Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves. (:
Personally, I just try to tidy as I go...sneak in a bit here and there...because otherwise I hate it.
It's a mess when you can't walk through the room, sit down, or put something down because there are no clean surfaces. This is a joke post, right?
If you think that is messy, you would have a heart attack at the sight of my bedroom. My husband and I have a problem with procrastinating on putting laundry away, which leads to piles on the dressers. Not to mention that two people sharing a tiny room with a tiny closet is not ideal...
More importantly, what a BEAUTIFUL room! May I ask where you found the zebra rug? Love!
I would be thrilled if that was the worst my room ever got.
Such a beautiful room---I'm sure it will take no time to clean up. Can I ask what color (paint) your bedroom walls are? I've been looking for a nice light gray blue for a long time.
I think this looks less messy than it is because the clothes/shoes/stuff all over the place completely match the colors of the decor.
So, the key to being messy is making sure your mess coordinates with your room design! hehe
Lovely room though!
Illuminatedpst - The first thing I noticed was that the clothes completely match the decor!
I love what you did with those picture frames.
and yes, tha'ts not really messy at all! I usually have 2 laundry baskets that need to be folded...along with other clothes..bras...pillows..I'd reall pay someone just to make my bed every morning.
Are you sure you didn't stage this mess? It looks a little too un-messy to me, lol.
10 minutes tidying when I get home from work.
Another 10 minutes before I go to bed.
Sometimes just focusing on the worst room. It really makes a world of difference.
In our house that would be considered "almost cleaned up."
I would hardly consider this messy, you don't need than 10 minutes (at most) to clean this up.
I learned to keep my living room organized at all times - if you don't count dog hair everywhere - i.e. no dirty dishes on end tables,no clothes, etc. Basically, to make it really visit-ready I just need to vacuum (I can vacuum every other day as my dogs are 24/7 shedding machines).
My kitchen is usually a lot more cluttered and sometimes, in my office at home, the "tax season" lasts half a year. :-)
Not super messy, but I can understand why it annoys you. For me, the kicthen is the worst; I love to cook, but that usually mean the floor gets dirty all the time and counters full of plates and bowls... sigh
Nice bedroom by the way :)
Wait, really? I spent like 30 seconds looking around on the page for the "before" photo. That's a good day in my bedroom!
Love the bed! Where did you get the bed frame and headboard??
Riiiiiiight. That is totally fake. It looks like you cleaned up the room within an inch of its life (figuratively) then tossed a few things around so that you could be all "omg it's so messy!!" which is really just bragging. It's like a friend of mine who at 40-something still looks like a Barbie, and moans about her extra 10 pounds (don't know where she's hiding it, maybe under the soles of her feet or on her scalp??). Not buying it at all.
hahah yakkodot, so true! This room is looks catalogue messy. That said, if it were my place, I'd be supremely bothered by the crap everywhere. But at least it's just messy, not unclean. Based on the description in the article, it seems we should have gotten a picture of the kitchen instead of the bedroom....the kitch sounds dirtier.
But hey, it's a cute room regardless. Nice inspiration.
I think messiness is relative, and unrealistic demands on oneself cause disappointment and frustration. I always reminded my sister to cut herself slack during the years she was raising her kids. I redefined messy and rearranged my priorities after my house pets arrived a couple of years ago so I'd never resent them for being real, live dogs. Their companionship is well worth the adjustments in my standards. Cleanliness and order are important, but they're not the only, or the most, important things in my home.
I literally lol'd- talk about staging! Definitely not a mess- though I'd be interested to see what the room devolves to when it's *actually* messy- let's say week 3 of maternity leave.
What, throwing everything you own into the closet so the home appraiser can't see it isn't the right way to clean a room?...
Can you tell that is what I did this morning?
Great post. It doesn't take much to make my wee apartment 'a mess'... right now I have an unmade bed, pjs on the floor, open sliding closet door, dissarrayed sofa, laptop speakers on arm of sofa, two coffee cups and one glass in my field of view right now, snacks on the floor by the sofa, mail and (used) cloth napkins on my kitchen table, and a sink overflowing with dishes. Oh, and probably cat hair on my rug, but I can't see it in the dark. :) Its hard to motivate myself to get started cleaning- especially with the dishes! Keeping my floor clean is easy, clear everything into the closet and vac that cat hair, which I manage to do 3 times a week even when I let everything ELSE 'go'....
I'm so proud of myself when I vacuum MY cat's hair once a week......I feel i've accomplished a 'whole house cleaning' ha..and I'm pretty much seeing all the same things ladykatey is seeing in her wee apartment...thank God for chairs is all I can say..........great coat,scarf,jeans,shirts hangers........alllll of the chairs.. ; o
STH, thanks for that link!
Strangely, I found the photos on that tumblr of serious messes more inspiring to get my act together than the photo at the top of this thread!
Yep, those folks are dealing with some serious messes. That blog always makes me feel like such a neat freak, even though I'm not!
huh?
just make your damn bed and STFU.
what a non issue
I'm nowhere near a neat freak but my house is pretty tidy overall with a few well contained messes (my art supply area for example).
I get weirded out by houses where everything is super clean and orderly. A bit of mess makes a house feel like a home, not a museum showpiece.
I don't mind mess. I mind dirt. There's a difference.
this is staged "mess".
I wish I just had a few week's worth of messes to clean up. I'm dealing with more like 6 months of messes. I think I need help :(
This is currently what's on my kitchen table:
8 empty water bottles (waiting to be refilled with delicious San Francisco tap water)
Bag of Trader Joe's tortilla chips
iPad
A spork
Benadryl
A packet of Splenda
A water pistol
Napkin dispenser
My purse
A wadded up napkin
Paper towel roll on a spindle
A bottle of tequila
A shot glass
The week's worth of pages that I just tore off my "word of the day" calendar
A mini disposable Glad container
Two spoons
Two tiny plastic dolls
My laptop
My elbows
Why don't overworked people hire someone to help with domestic chores? 3 hours once a week on a Friday and you have a tidy home for the whole weekend.
Oh good, it's not just me! I think picking up and cleaning has not been a priority due to a health emergency with my brother. But, now that that has resolved itself I actually cleaned (supper cleaned really) the bathroom the past weekend. It feels wonderful.
It isn't horrible, but I get where you're coming from. I would get a nice wicker laundry basket to toss clothes in. Also, I noticed you don't have much room on your night stands, perhaps getting a small magazine rack for underneath one. I can't tell what you have and don't have in your room because of the shot of the photo. Nice decor. :)