So here it is. I'm scared to share

I took photos of my house the day before I started to super clean.  I had a few days to work at home and I feel I accomplished quite a bit.  I will show the improvements next post.  So, here goes...messy!!!

When you walk in the front door, this is what you see.  Not a great impression I know, but I can say it is an improvement that I actually created a purpose for this front room which was designed to be a dining room.  It was just a small sitting area with my prettiest furniture and accessories, but didn't serve any purpose at all really.  It works very well as an office where I can meet clients, and the whole family can use the computer here.

This is our Family Room/Kitchen open space where we spend most of our time.  My office is up in the front, so when I meet with clients all must be clean!

View from the back door...

Kitchen view...

Well, I think my kitchen was extra, super messy, and I didn't take a photo of it.  

Here is the stairs, things to take up and to take down always seem to stay for awhile.  

Then here is the view at the top of the stairs looking into the craft/play room and further into my bedroom.  This is always a problem.  I use this table to place boxes and containers that need to go elsewhere, and it is a huge embarrassment every time someone visits and this is what they see first coming up the stairs.  Right now, since I have been eliminating lots and lots of things, I am happy to say that under the table and against the wall there are just empty containers, notebooks, and bags.  Yeah!!!

Here is the Craft Room.  I will always be creating, even though I can't do much of it right now, so this space is important to me.  The kids also have a space for arts and crafts and puzzles.  I have great storage space here.  This was an organized space, but since I moved much of my things from the garage into here to make room for my flower designing, I now need to start over.

This is my bedroom after a weekend of work - last room on the list as far as priority unfortunately, but it does serve it's purpose...sleeping.  

My goals for this room:  Wall system for TV, with additional storage to put things away.  Getting rid of the mattress on the floor (which is mine because our bed became too soft for me - my body didn't like that soft King bed during and after my second pregnancy).  This room is a great size and is obviously not used at it's full potential.  A new rule I have put into place is no toys in Momma's room.  It's been several days and my kids are doing good so far.

Kid's Bath.  Not too hard to keep up with.  This is about as bad as it gets.

Baby Girl's Room.  The problem with this room now is that I have put Christmas boxes at the side of her bed to get them out of the hallway.  These have needed to go in the attic for about 4 months now.  OK, that is bad.

My Boy's Room....toys, toys and.....wait for it..... toys :)

And I have already had two garage sales this year.

OK.  I put it all out there for everyone to see.  Kind of embarassing, but I feel I will be much more accountable to accomplish more and more.  I am actually excited.

 I guess that is enough for now.  I'll share closets later.  This is overwhelming enough already.

Life is always changing, improving and God's mercies are new every day!

Well, I have several blogs, many of which have not been written in at all.  Perhaps it is because I've been searching for a purpose, and I'm glad to say I have found it.  Seek Christ, take care of my family, and all will be well.  Life still has its ups and downs and everything is not perfect, but I finally have a peace beyond my own understanding that God will take care of everything.  "But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matthew 6:33 This entire Bible message is at end of this post.  

So here it is...

I love beauty.  I see it first in my kids and in relationships with my family and friends, which I enjoy the most.  Those are my deep thoughts...but I also love pretty notepads, paper lanterns, handmade paper flowers from Mexico, and arranging fresh flowers.  There is a lot of paper in that sentence, isn't there, which brings me to my current mission.

Minimize and Organize

I have been inspired lately to focus on the important stuff in life, things we can't live without.  So I want to share with you my journey.  I know there are many, many women out there, specifically moms, that have the same problem I do - I've search online for solutions and have found so many moms are asking the same questions:  "Where do I start, it is all so overwhelming?", "How do I find the time to organize my bedroom closet?  I barely have time to get the clothes washed."

I look at all the advice and solutions that the professional organizers have come up with and even that is overwhelming me.  So, I have decided to develop and test my own system.  This may take a while, but this is how I'm going to do it. 

I want to share with you some photos of my house - I feel it will keep me accountable. 

 Please feel free to share, I love to hear how real moms do the real thing!

Matthew 6:19 - 34

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^b?

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.