Cyd
So sorry to hear you are ill. Welcome home and take care.
((((HUGS)))))).

Cyd, hope you are on the mend quickly.

Okay, I don't know if this is allowed or not, but I just took a video of my messy master bedroom. And I would like to share it with you. I am open to anything. I need help with it. I need ideas to make it useful and purposeful. I also need it to be a relaxing place and a study place, which I don't have.

I have very little money to do anything to it. I do have pictures to hang up to decorate it. So here is the link to my very own messy room in need of organizing video, and sorry I was a bit winded when I recorded it and I was in a hurry.

http://youtu.be/7fa7cBIZ5WA

Please copy and paste it into your browser in a new window to view it. I really need lots of input. This room is a library, with a part of a bed, my necessary equipment, and its also a place to watch tv and for me to prop up my swelling leg everyday. So I can't get rid of the chair.

I have the tv in one spot until the tv service ends soon, and the antenna only works in that particular window. I don't know what to do. I know I need a place to put all of the extra papers and junk.

I can't store them upstairs in our loft because it is not finished yet and its hard for me to go up and down the stairs. On top of all of that, the loft is either too hot or too cold and there's no air conditioning up there and no heat and there are silver fish up there and other creepy crawly things.

There are five of us living in this house and only 3 bedrooms and one bathroom. Our laundry room is in the kitchen and our dining room is in our living room and every room is full and every room is like a multipurpose room.

It all has to make do though until I start working again when I complete school, which is next winter. So please help me find a way to organize all of that stuff and find a way to put everything in manageable zones. I am open to anything.

You have a lot of things in there, but the"alikes" are all together, which is a good thing.

So is there a basement in the house or a garage? If not, then that wouldn't help what I was going to suggest, which would be to move the books, out. Now, we can work with you....don'tfeel overwhelmed, one baby step at a time. How about starting with the shredding....do that first, and then get that out of the room. Next The areas that have the file cabinet and bins, could you cover them with a blanket or drape, if you don't use them that often. I will watch it again, and write down any ideas I have, but of course, am leaving for a mini trip on Sat
So we can continue to work, the ladies have excellent ides ALL the time.....Let me hear your input also on my suggestions.

What a brilliant idea to share the video. You seem to have some good stuff in there for storage. I agree with Diana, don't feel overwhelmed, and do get anything done, like the shredding, that can be done.

Take a deep breath when you feel anxious and remember, we all go through this at times with particular spaces in our homes. I'm looking forward to hearing what the more expert GONers come up with! I'll take another look at the video, too, and see if I get any ideas.

Well,the books have to stay for now because I am still in school and I have to do them for certain paperwork. I am a student nurse. So it's all important; however, some of them I would love to move out of the room. The only thing is, I don't have a basement or a garage.

We started renting this place when we moved here and now we are on contract to buy it. I think I am totally having second thoughts. It's just not big enough. I need a storage place like a basement or garage to put my workout equipment, and our vehicles since there are four vehicles in my driveway and they are parked in front of the house. No shelter for them either.

The workout equipment is up in the loft, but if the loft was completed and maybe sprayed for bugs, then I could move my bedroom upstairs. I was hoping to expand the house and put two bedrooms upstairs and another bathroom. We still would not have a storage area for my stockpile stuff and we would not have a basement.

We were planning on expanding on the back of the house and do a partial remodel on the main level of the house. And since there are five of us here and my boys are sharing a room, every room is full and no place to put anything.

To make matters worse, I may have company coming in July because I am walking in the graduation (yes they are making us walk early). So I am in school full time, I have to do my clinicals, and then I have a ton of housework and paperwork and studying to do on the days I am off, which for this quarter until the end of May or early June, the days are on Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends. It takes me several hours to do all of my paperwork, so there's not much time to do organizing when I have so much basic chores to do.

I still have some health problems with my back and my leg, so I have to do everything slowly and with lots of breaks. I know things can be done, but where in the world do I put it all? I don't have the money to buy the things that I need like organizers and decent furniture that I so desperately need. So for now, I am slowly weeding it all out and I am placing most of it in the upcoming yard sale that we are going to have whenever it stops raining here. So yeah, I agree, the papers can be shredded, but the thing is I don't own a shredder. I had several of them and had to throw them away, just couldn't handle the job. So now I have to hand shred them all one by one or go buy another one, which I don't have the money for.

My house is a wreck and it makes my blood pressure go up and I feel terrible. Too overwhelming for me.

I like your motto under your signature, "don't put it down, put it away". I wish everyone in my household would learn that rule. It would be so nice. I think I just need to do small things a little at a time until I can get back to work. I really need to think twice about keeping this small house. I love the neighborhood though. I think less is more and if I had it my way, that is how it would be. My mom was like that, and it only took her like under two hours to clean her whole entire house and that's including mopping and all everyday. She had a plan for everything, but now she's not like that anymore. Times are too fast she says and no one has the time anymore. I am enjoying the tips and I am going to try to make a dent in it as I can. I have to tackle my paperwork homework first though.

Where to start You have entirely too much going on in your life right now, along with the health issues. Just do little things, maybe pick up some boxes with lids from the grocery store(apple boxes?) and place some of the items there. Or those folded canvas cubes you can pick up at the dollar store ( a couple week) and place items in there.

Some banks shred papers for customers once a year...but I would try borrowing one from a friend. You could also go thru your clothes in the closet, shoes, etc. Little things that will make you feel better while you are so busy. When things slow down
in your life you will have time. Right now it will wait for you just do what you can.

First off be proud of becoming a nurse! To me that is much more
important in your life now.

Another thought I had was a storage shed...but they are pricey, so the best thing would be to declutter and have your yardsale, and good luck!

Thanks Dianaro2. I already went through my clothes in my closet yesterday, and I have started going through papers. I have gathered items for the yard sale. I moved out a few items (out of season stuff) and I am going to put items that I know won't ruin up stairs. I think that it's a good idea to get some of those cubes because they can stack and plus when I am not using them they fold away for storage. That is a good tip.

Good for you WTS, you are really getting at the problem. Every bit you do makes a difference.

Our son has a small house for himself, DDIL and DGD. They love their neighbourhood and although sometimes there seems to be a lot of stuff, they do periodically toss or pass on things. My only problem is that they don't have enough space in their basement for me to haul out his stuff from our house and dump it in theirs, LOL. But he does occasionally go through stuff here and toss some.