The strict policies with myself.

[4-9-21]

OK, so I'm actually not a strict anything, more of a rebel mixed with a lover of rhythm and ritual. I refer to them as my strict policies in my head, but they are my sacred roots, my way of staying mentally healthy.

Phones don't go into the bedroom or bathroom. Social media once or twice a week (if that). Money into savings first. Coffee and dog food on auto-orders so they never run out. Tell your partner you see them, you appreciate them, that you adore them. Get dressed and feel into Spiritstyle so you show up. Continue learning.

When Dave and I recently decided to de-clutter and cut back on how much stuff we had, strict policies were needed. The sacred roots needed to be dug down.

I have always envied people with houses where they didn't have to shove their piles in closets for someone to walk in the door. I imagined I just wasn't cut out to be that person. But the closets were full and with five kids and a blended family and two adults who held on to stuff, we were feeling it.

It has been a slow process. I take one thing at a time. One cabinet, not the whole kitchen. One drawer, one bin, one box. I've been at it for months, and I'm still going.

What I discovered is that it is all about having a place for every single thing. That is how people don't have to shove things in the closet. Because they can put things away. In. Their. Place.

Maybe this is obvious to you. It was not to me. I just kept trying to make things fit anywhere I could, and then the process of cleaning was always this huge adventure in sorting and organizing, not just tucking things away.

Like the dishes. I used to dread putting things away. If all my dishes were clean at once, we were screwed. I had overflow all the place. Now, every single thing has a place. And if it doesn't and we can't make it one, it leaves.

Life changing. So I made a strict policy with myself. If it doesn't have a place, it goes. I actually read it in an article, but implementing it changed everything for me. I was able to let things go that I never could have before. And, things are making sense in my home, there is a flow. I told Dave it takes 5 minutes to clean up now whereas before it was hours and lots of stuffing in closets.

As I go through one by one and find things that are clutter I make a plan. Even plants!! I had so many plants, I had to find a spot for each one, if there were too many, I got rid of them. This helped me to truly love on them and now they feel purposeful rather than part of the clutter.

My spices drive me nuts. I order in bulk often from Thrive Market (they are recyclable and organic) and then I have all these bags of things and random bottles and I can never find what I want and it makes the pantry feel crowded. When I order in massive bulk, like pounds of something I put them in large Ball jars. But for everyday cooking we needed a system.

I researched for ideas and read about spice drawers. I found these cute 4 ounce Ball jars and grabbed my label maker. (If you or kids have ADHD or Inattentive ADD, label makers will change your life. My entire house is labeled.) Now I have a home for all the spices I use and I store the bulk bags in a container with a lid that I can pull down to refill the jars as needed.

The initial investment of jars is one time, these will last lifetimes. This has made the kids cooking more accessible and they aren't constantly asking me if we have this or that. Open the drawer, find the label. Done. You could alphabetize them or have one of your kids do it.

A place. A sacred home. Ease.

A strict policy that roots me down, just a bit deeper into the devotion I want to feel in this space that Dave and I love deeply and call home.

I see you. I appreciate you. I adore you.