So many ideas

I'd never seen HGTV until we moved here to Utah. This is my new favorite channel to watch. I love seeing the transformations in the homes. Upon moving here but also seeing home shows, I've realized I miss my hardwood floors, kitchen tile, and painted walls in my home in Tennessee. (I've decided to call this rental house the Toothpaste house since the walls are all that pasty white - and it doesn't help that we haven't hung anything up so there is no color)

I love all the ideas I've gotten about decorating and arranging furniture and tips for selling a house. So many of the tips are simple enough that we could do the work ourselves. I think one of our decorating dilemmas is that almost all our furniture has been given to us (for which we are indeed grateful) but nothing coordinates so it always just looks like a jumble of stuff instead of a well-ordered room. And the rest of our stuff serves a practical purpose but isn't the handsomest of all. But - I figure if I decide what style I do like, maybe someday we can purchase items one at a time that will be timeless, practical, coordinated, and lovely pieces.

One of the things I don't like about HGTV is that some of the designers scoff at people's furniture, their special treasures they display, or their practical solutions (like plastic covers on their dining room chairs) when obviously they were probably doing their best with what finances or tastes they have. My goal is not to have a showcase house but to have a lived-in type house that has style and class so I sift through the designer's suggestions for application for my own home.

But one thing I can do now despite our funny furniture and house situation is to SIMPLIFY (there's that great word again) OUR SURROUNDINGS so that it is as pleasant as possible. After visiting Mary's house, I've been inspired by her classy, simple, and tidy decorating style (I'll take your houseplan and yard too Mar!). I've done really well the past few weeks at keeping on top of dishes. So this week I'm going to focus on tidying the family room a few times a day.

I found these 3 organizational ideas on an 'organized style' blog:

#1 Get Perspective
Many people find it hard to stay organized because they don't have the right perspective. Getting organized shouldn't be a goal unto itself. Organization is a tool to achieve life's bigger goals. For example, someone might say they want to get organized but what they're really looking for is more balance in their life. By being organized, they wouldn't waste so much time looking for misplaced items, such as keys and glasses. They wouldn't get stressed by running late so often. The goal is much more than simply having a neat house. It's about quality of life. So before you start trying to get organized, ask yourself, what are the big picture goals you want to achieve? Do you want more balance in your work and personal life, to be more productive at work, or even get out of debt? Those are worthy goals. Your plan for getting organized should be centered on achieving a bigger goal.

#2 Make a plan.
Let’s say you’d like to have more balance in your life and spend more time with your children. So start brainstorming ideas on how you can achieve that. Look for ways to trim wasted time or do things more efficiently. Start with Larger concepts, such as stop wasting time looking for misplaced items, then drill down with specific steps to help achieve that goal. For example, you could determine a specific place to put away your keys as soon as you walk in the door and resolve to do it each and every day. Keep going until you have a plan.

#3 Create an inspiration guidebook
Most people simply write a list of resolutions and some simply verbalize it. But getting organized is about developing new habits and making it a part of your daily routine. Create a visual picture of where you want to be by creating a collage with pictures and inspiring words. Incorporate your organization plan into it and then hang it somewhere you can see it everyday top inspire you – kitchen, office, near the medicine chest. The activity of creating your inspiration guidebook will reinforce your plan in additions to helping you maintain your daily routine.

So these photos (courtesy pottery barn) are part of my Inspiration Guidebook. Not that I'll ever have that specific furniture or home...but the basic idea of having a pleasant, well-lit space that is warm, inviting, and organized is my goal.

Another related idea about organizing is this from FlyLady:

The 27-Fling Boogie

We do this assignment as fast as we can. Take a garbage bag and walk through your home and throw away 27 items. Do not stop until you have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch it. DO NOT LOOK IN IT!!! Just do it.

Next, take an empty box and go through your home collecting 27 items to give away. Suze Orman taught me this in her book, The Courage to be Rich. This will change the energy in your home and bring about good feelings. Every time I do this I feel better and my home is becoming decluttered in the process. As soon as you finish filling the box, take it to the car. You are less tempted to rescue the items.

Rule of thumb: if you have two of any item and you only need one, get rid of the least desirable.