Take A Deep Breath

Do you ever watch the show Clean House? The premise is, the hosts arrive at a home and organize the surroundings of the people who live there. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. These folk, with children and dogs and jobs and seemingly normal lives, are living in an alternate universe of clutter, junk, squalor and mayhem. They don't sleep in their beds because the bed has disappeared under piles of clothes, linens, magazines and who knows what else. There are trails through the house and every wall, floor space, cabinet and closet is exploding with "stuff." Stoves that don't work, cars that don't go, coupons never used, mail never answered. There are foodstuff long since expired, litter boxes that are never cleaned, vents and fans and filters that should have been discarded years before......and and stains and mold that would have a normal person run screaming out of the house.

The hosts attempt to talk the hapless family into discarding, organizing and reassessing, all the while promising a sparkling and newly decorated environment once the mess is gone. They beg and plead to sell the 200 beanie babies, the Bobble Head collection, Grandma's crocheted doilies, (all 4 crates of them) and anything thing else that does nothing but gather dust and clutter. The smiling hosts do not find this an easy job. It is like pulling teeth for these lucky recipients to give up their "stuff." No matter that are raising their families in chaos- order, structure, discipline and self-restraint are not a priority.

As we wind down summer and look toward a new school year, wouldn't it be a good time to really look around at our own living environment? What kind of space and atmosphere are we creating for our own family? There is something so satisfying about cleaning out, moving on and only keeping the things around that we love and use. A comfortable and well managed home not only gives our children a sense of security, it models a type of behavior that will put them in good stead for the rest of their lives.

So, throw out the old National Geographics, drop off the clothes that have not been worn in a year, discard anything that does not have all it's working parts and really appreciate what you have chosen to hold onto. Living abundantly is not what you have, it's how you live. It's easy to feel like you're drowning in clutter. Throw you and yours a lifeline- and simplify your life. chrissie

Home Is Where The Story Begins

I am a Reality TV addict. Top Chef, Project Runway, The Real Wives of New York City, The Nanny, Sell This House, The Girls Next Door, ......embarrassing but true. It's like looking through windows when someone leaves their curtains open. Superficial insight. A new catch word for these edited glimpses of real people with a camera on them 24/7.

One show that it a particular favorite is Clean House. A crew goes into a home and organizes the family. The hosts cajole, plead and barter to clear out the clutter, sell it in a garage sale and redo the house. Grown men and women are reduced to tears as their lava lamps, Nascar posters and high school prom dresses are placed on the lawn to be sold and carted away. "But I might need eight non-operational lawn mowers." "I am planning to weave Navajo rugs one day-please don't take my loom." Two hundred and fifty two dusty and moldering beanie babies? "They're gonna come back. I just know it."

A glimpse in these houses is really not funny. Chaos, disarray and clutter do not a happy home make. Boxes piled everywhere, closets overflowing, counters strewn with this and that- this is no place to raise a family.

Home should be a sanctuary for us. A place that means safety and security. Home should be a calm and restful oasis where family and friends feel comfortable and welcome. The word cozy comes to mind. What our children associate with their home is the model they will carry with them to their own home and in their own family.

Chaos, disarray and clutter can come in many forms. The atmosphere in a home can be destructive or constructive. It can be consistently positive or always negative. A house can be safe and loving or volatile and angry. A happy home can be a blessing. A chaotic home can be a curse.

It's a gift to your children and to yourselves to make where you all live together a place you all want to be. If necessary, start addressing concerns and problems. Step back and look in as if the curtains are open and you are on the street. Where can you reorganize and revamp the climate and the atmosphere of your home? How are issues and frustrations handled? How are differing opinions voiced? How does your family interact socially? How do you express love and affection for each other? What are priorities in your household? Standing out, looking in, what do you see?

Have a big old internal garage sale. Get rid on the clutter and the junk and the old stuff that is carried around like an albatross. Keep all the things that make your tribe unique and important to all of you. Spring Clean. Revamp. Refresh. Renew. Claim a rebirth for who you are as a family.

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