Please Excuse Me

But do you see this...


This makes me feel bad. And crazy. And overwhelmed ON A DAILY BASIS (no not Baby... the room!).

Since babysitting this fall I do have a handle on EVERY other room in the house. (For real)

But this desk just does not work. AT ALL.
Even when the papers are not piled up in teetering towers.

As hard as it may be to believe we can actually clean this space up. BUT it will return to this within a few hours or days. This space has just always been the family dumping grounds. In part because this one room has 5 doors leading in and out of it. Partly because it is on the way out (or in) our back door. Partly because it is next to the laundry room (note clothes all over floor and spilling out of closets). Partly because it is Mr F's "dressing room". Partly because it is my "craft room". But mostly because it is apparently a war zone of paper, trash, and junk.

This office has just never worked for us in this house. It does not have adequate storage for the things we actually need to store in here. It doesn't have appropriate furniture that defines the space.

Since the moment we moved in this space has floundered about undefined. This is the room we never really unpacked. This is the room where all those bizarre odds and ends got placed while they awaited their final resting spot (only to remain here FOREVER). This room didn't have to be *presentable* and so it never has been.

One reason I was excited about the prospect of moving was that we could move away from it.

Now we're staying and I need this space to feel less like a large trash can and more like an extension of our house.

And it needs to be my priority.

I need to fix it.

I'll see you all when I have done that (it could be hours... or days... it could be YEARS).



If you want to play along put a link in the comments. I will check them out (on my sanctioned breaks of course)

Sucking It Up

I've noticed a trend around here... maybe you've noticed it too... every couple of weeks I hit a wall. I feel overwhelmed and tired. Then I feel a great push to get back on track. Then I get my mojo back. Then I start baking. Then I get tired and stressed. Then I hit a wall. Sounds familiar right? (And yes I'm fairly certain this cycle has at least a little to do with my... um.... cycle.)

Well, I know I've said it before, but enough is enough. I'm sick of the rollercoaster ride. You know when I didn't feel this way? That's right when I was losing weight. Why? Because I didn't let anything sway me from sticking to my diet and exercise routines. Not hormones. Not holidays. And you know what? I felt great. I had energy. I was proud of myself. I was.... a.... BADASS. Damn I miss those days.

I'm not "technically" trying to lose weight. Although I should say that instead of having a weight range of 109-112 I have found myself hovering at the VERY top end of that range (so yeah not exactly a range)... which might explain why my stomach looks pouchy in all my videos! And my body fat % is actually up and stuck at 22% which means those extra couple of pounds are pure fat. And we all know where I like to store my fat! So I guess I am technically trying to lose fat. And that isn't happening (in fact clearly I'm gaining fat) doing things the way I've been doing them.

I'm getting back on board. I'm going back to square one. I'm cutting out Mc Donald's, soda (yes I've had a couple this week), and baking like it was a full-time job. I'm going to (not just try to) get in 5-6 hours of cardio a week. And I am going to (not just say it but do it) to do two 30 minute pilates routines. If I bake (and even though I say I do it for the kids... I inevitably eat 8 of 12 muffins) I am going to limit myself to 2 servings of said baked good per day. I am going back to precise calorie counting (not guesstimating because I'm lazy or tired).

I'm not starting next week. I'm starting today. Right now. By June 7th (my birthday) I plan to be 20% body fat and a steady 109.

The First Step Is Admitting You Have A Problem

Hello we are the Furious Family and we have clutter management issues...














You might recognize many (okay all) of these "hot spots" from other posts. Believe it or not we actually manage to get most of these cleaned up on a regular basis.... but clearly our *storage* and *organizational* systems are inadequate since our house inevitably looks like this every Friday. We do understand how to clean and put things away it is just that we are clearly missing some BIG piece of the puzzle. It might be that we have 2 closets in the whole freaking house, or it might be that we hoard things with an apocalyptic like fervor. Either which way something has to change.... because I've got nine baskets in the living room alone and even that is not coming close to keeping all this crap in order.

Disclaimer:
It should be noted that this morning the house doesn't look as bad as in these pics. These are really the worst case scenario. It should also be noted that we really do know how to clean and organize (really) we just clearly don't know how to maintain it in that state for more than 12 hours (while the kids sleep). Here are the things to keep in mind while reviewing this issue: When Mr F is out of town I am able to keep the house spotless... and in fact feel motivated to do so (unfortunately he does not travel for business). That doesn't mean it is Mr F's fault... I'm just saying there is something about the dynamic that fuels the clutter. Other major issue to keep in mind is that we SERIOUSLY lack for adequate storage and that is a legitimate issue with this house (and don't write in to hang shelves people... shelves full of crap look even worse... and we have old plaster walls, few interior walls, lots of windows, and shelves is not going to happen until we can get built-ins). Also I've already tried FlyLady and I gave it a good six months... it didn't really work for me. Okay now you can have at it. Keep in mind I may not do any of the things you tell me to do and I'll probably still post whiny complaining disorganization posts in the future... so comment at your own risk ;)

* Hot Spots is defined as ALL horizontal surfaces in our home (except the ceilings... so far).

Hitting The Wall

How can a day be both so up and so down?
Today was a great day on the blog. I felt I was making some headway and starting to work on improving my life. Hell I even busted out a new dance move.
But that was then and this is now...
I'm about to have a complete break down. I feel depressed and overwhelmed and disappointed. I realize much of this is due to my serious state of sleep deprivation. Baby has been up (literally... and when I say that I mean that) a minimum of 10 times every night for 2.5 weeks. I just can't do it anymore and I want to fall on the floor in a fit of sobs. Her top teeth are finally breaking through (she has only had her two bottom teeth for the last 5 months) and I'm hoping that this bad phase will end. But apparently not tonight. Right now I'm exhausted and it is all I can do to contain my strong desire to start screaming and slamming doors and walking off. If I had anywhere to go... believe me I would go... right now.
I'm done. It is too much. I need a break.