When we moved to this town almost eight years ago, I swore I would never move again. I love a tidy, organized home and I couldn’t think there would ever be a possibility that I could move with kids while keeping any sort of sanity. Plus, I loved my house so why would I ever need to leave? Then, we spent March through the end of 2020 in the house and by the time December rolled around and my husband inexplicably caught COVID, I found myself scrolling through Zillow and finding what I can only describe as my dream house. From the moment I saw her, I knew she would fit our family’s needs perfectly and now that we’ve moved in to her, it’s been confirmed that my instincts were right.
Still, lots of people kept saying all the things about how they couldn’t imagine how I could move with two kids and keep my brain together. This is the moment where I’m here to remind you that other people’s opinions of your choices are truly none of your business. Especially in this instance, I did not have any room for anyone’s negative drama about moving during this time. If nothing else, I had a secret weapon up my sleeve that I want to share with you here.
Three words: Clean One Room. Y’all. I am a super organized person, but I’ve gotten bogged down in clutter in the past and then would let my system break down because I felt caught in a loop of clutter. This would mostly affect my kitchen counters and the island that separated my kitchen from my living room. Both areas were constantly cluttered from 2013-July 2020. Enter Clean One Room (COR). I worked through the program last July and my counters were completely clean until we moved out last Friday. My cabinets stayed organized and together that whole time and now four days into living in my new house, my cabinets are already put together and organized and my counters remain clutter free. I’d call the program magic, but I know better. It’s a system that helps you get to the root of your issues keeping areas of your home clean. Once you address those root causes and follow the clearly outlined steps, maintaining the room from there is simple.
The routines this system allowed me to build last July translated into the smoothest move I’ve ever had. I knew exactly where I was going to put everything before I even moved in. Because I followed the system in each room of my old house last July, I had a built in plan for moving it all last week. While there are definitely some items still at my old house (read: the guest room closet that houses any and all holiday decor), everything else came over easily and smoothly. I was able to unpack as I moved everything in because everything had a designated place to live. It’s streamlined and simple and so so effective.
You have to find an organizational system that works for you in order to achieve success and a peaceful home and there are definitely other options out there, but Clean One Room is special because it doesn’t just tell you what to put where and how to make it pretty. It addresses why you have each item and forces you to truly look at the necessity or utility of keeping that item. It is the only system that has ever worked for me in my kitchen. And I’ve tried A LOT of systems. I wanted to dedicate this post entirely to Clean One Room because I’ve found it so helpful and I’m hopeful that you might too.
I started this blog partially out of frustration that women are always told to practice self-care, but then we chastise ourselves and each other when we prioritize that self-care above the wishes, whims, and desires of everyone else in our lives. It serves no purpose in my life to worry about someone else’s grass and how they tend to it. I prioritize me and when I do that, I’m a million times better able to be the helper and friend I want to be. So this post is my reminder to you that it doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to do whatever “it” is like anyone else. You need to find what works for you and roll with it. And if you in any way have clutter in your home, please get on the Clean One Room train. Let my finally clean after years of clutter kitchen be your example that it works.
If you want to talk more with me about why I’m so excited about this particularly program, please DM me @mamacomesfirst or leave a comment on this post. I would LOVE to talk to you about it. And no, I’m not getting paid to talk about it. It’s not in any way an ad, just a person who’s super passionate about organization and found a system she’s actually excited to stick with forever. Until next week, Happy Wednesday!!
Put Mama First 
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