The Closet: STIRRIN' UP DUST!

"The Closet," Blog #2's background: The following is a condensed, bulleted version of the spousal interaction which occurred on a Friday, AFTER my husband's always-busy workday and its collision with my  5  hours of closet organizing:

• Husband: What do you think about changing the location of the laundry baskets?
• Me: Actually, I like them where they are.
• Husband: OK.
• Caution:  TROUBLE is brewing! After applying make-up for our Friday evening Wendy's meal, I turn to annoyingly catch my husband doing... whaaaat? He's changing the location of the laundry baskets!
• Me: I've been working all day long organizing the closet and want the laundry baskets where I put them. I already tried them there and didn't like it. I turn my back and you change the set-up! without including me!... and yada, yoda.

 


Today's donation pile excludes the round pillow

     I now realize the physical and intangible dust that closet-cleaning stirs up. Wardrobe decisions include emotions. But chaos will be worthwhile for all, in the long run. Here is a re-cap of the beginnings of order (presented in the chronological order I performed them--Sensory Processing Disorder or HAMS doesn't necessarily allow me to work in an orderly fashion):

     First, it helps to allot a few days for this challenge AND purchase a few inspirational tools beforehand: Two random thrift store purchases birth in my mind the beginnings of order... a 4-tiered, sturdy shoe rack that holds 15 pairs of shoes and a storage basket. It's like Christmas in October.

• The huddled self-cheers begin: Start somewhere!! Just begin, with any step, to motivate myself.
• Store the ironing board. It takes up space and can be easily set up when needed. It is a magnet for strewn clothing. 
• Wade through zillions of dusty shoes. Some are ancient! The new shoe rack and arranging my shoes differently really helps, as well as getting rid of at least 10 pairs.

     To delay additional unsettling clothing decisions, I sensory react and distract, to the testosterone-laden portion of the closet. What was I thinking diving into that chaotic danger zone, attempting to create a semblance of order? This ultimately stirs up the emotions I shared in the beginning of this blog and includes these ??harmless?? actions:

• Create logical stations: Hubby's work shirts and pants are miles from each other. His exercise wear is equally scattered. His side of the closet begs for logical stations.
• Create a large shoe-purging heap: Hubby's work/casual shoes could fill a large bathtub, and he wears less than 6 of the pairs.

• Be storage-creative and re-use: I roll into the closet from another room, a mildly-used, small oak TV stand/storage unit. First, it needed to be cleaned out. I position it with the laundry baskets.

  
      It is now 4:30 p.m., and I know that my husband becomes uncharacteristically disturbed, with process chaos. He will hate the donation pile in the bedroom and the shoe-purging heap in the closet, but surely the day's productive accomplishments and closet-vacuuming will override the chaos.

    I re-position the laundry baskets and tweak a few more items, and then enjoy a much-needed shower. My husband will LOVE my work. NOT!

    Enough of the dusty mess. I stirred up both dust and thunder clouds, with allergy-sneezing and hairs standing on end. Click this blue link to read:   Round #1's GO-IN' IN!! -- MY WAY! MY WAY! MY WAY!

     My closet now has two beneficial seeds: 1) It has the beginnings of organized, and 2) it is manageable. Round two, done. Round three will be shared in my next blog.