Uncluttered = Calm

I didn't always understand, as a child, when Mom would talk about not being able to relax if there were things everywhere. I thought "Of course you can. You sit down. You relax. What's the big deal if there is clutter? How do the two (clutter and relaxation) have anything to do with each other?

Well...now I understand. I am TOTALLY my mother's daughter!

I don't mind a little clutter. But eventually I have to pick it up. And I REALLY don't like it when the clutter builds up and up and up...and goes on and on and on.

The past month, I've had things in my apartment. I'm tutoring this summer, so some school materials came home for me to use. Some are in the dining room and some are in the living room. Discreet...but there.

Two different piles for a garage sale took up my living room for two weeks. The garage sale came and went and I got rid of all of that.

Then just a few days later, all the VBS craft supplies came home to stay. 5 boxes and a few bags were lined neatly up under my wall of clocks. Not in the way, but taking up space. Gradually a few would find their way to a different home, but the pile remained. Haiti food supplies were next. A different corner had peanut butter, pancake syrup, bandaids, Tylenol, Desitin, stickers, bubbles, and you get the idea!

I love VBS and I am thrilled and beyond blessed to go to Haiti.

But I was ready for my home to be calm.

MJ and I packed all the food and medical supplies for Haiti on Saturday. One corner clear! The suitcases are sitting along my bookshelf, but it's not piles!

Andrew loaded all the VBS boxes in to his car today, so that cleared out the whole living room!

I put a lot of the school/tutoring materials (from the dining room) in my car to drop off at school tomorrow. I brought a lot more home than I needed, just not sure what all we would use, so I'm returning what I don't need.

Not everything is back in place. There are still some piles that need to be 'put away,' but overall I'm feeling a little more at home and less chaotic.

I know.

Apple...meet tree.