24 Comments

  1. Elise Mansfield says:

    When I say I NEEDED this I mean I needed this! You took the words out of my mouth when you described how distracted and chaotic your brain was in the mess. Just last week I had moved almost all my stuff to my bedroom and office before our floor refinishing guys came. Even after the project was done, I hadn’t done anything about the mess I had made and it GOT TO ME. But after reading your article I cleared my schedule and got to work, and I feel like a weight has been lifted! Thank you!

  2. Christina Conley says:

    So funny I read this today, because I literally did the same thing the last 2 days. I realized that having fallen behind on MOST of my “life” stuff, including keeping my house clean and organized, was preventing me from doing anything else.
    So I knew I had to give myself the time to address all of that before I could tend to other areas of my life.
    Like, i had a full day off of work, and i would normally hit the gym, but I chose to spend the day tackling all this stuff that was getting in my way! And I feel so much better 🙂
    Thanks for sharing this.

  3. Heidi Tonseth says:

    This is my month. literally. I cut back to just the basics for the kids’ schoolwork for the month and am working through the house decluttering. I went through the upper cupboards in my laundry room yesterday and was actually a bit miffed when I was done because I didn’t remove anything. I straightened but didn’t find anything to remove. I even looked back through to make sure I didn’t miss something. I guess I’ve done better with that section of the house. Others are probably going to take days (Master bedroom, because like you, it ends up as a catchall)

  4. I’m not sure I could do it in a day or two? Or maybe I am jumping from a pickup and put things away to a deep declean. I tend to make the project bigger or more overwhelming than it needs to be maybe? Right now it feels like I am a mouse and the resetting job is a mountain. :/ Thank you for giving me a bit of hope though.

  5. Kristina Yeley says:

    This! Is exactly what I’ve been doing I had Monday and today (Wednesday) off work. Made a list of each room Did a little on Monday Your email came this morning when I was meditating on what to do today. First thing was, shower, shave my legs and condition my hair. I’m usually a quick shower er today I took time to enjoy my shower time. Got dressed including my shoes. I REALLY appreciate the encouragement I’m gonna finish one room, the kitchen, before I take a break then move on to another area in my list before I walk to the library to print of February of my SOS planner.
    Thanks again, let’s crank up the worship musica ? today and stay focused. ?

  6. Thank you so much for this. It’s like you peeked into my house and just knew I needed help! LOL

  7. Love this!! I read a great ebook yesterday about resetting our playroom so I’m thinking that may be my next job!!

    Your comment about email overload and Facebook being your brain break made me laugh! But seriously have you ever tried unroll.me for your email? Of not, it’s amazing!! And it’s free!

  8. Meg Brown says:

    I used to do the same thing when my kids were young. Movies all day—-no problem! Now that my kids are older, it’s not diaper changes and making them food. It’s pick up after them, talk to my daughter away at school or listen and give advice. I agree with EVERYTHING said. When I do it though, I pick a room, pick a corner and start there. clean top to bottom all the way around. Wipe the wall, move the couch, (get the pound of dog hair out) wipe each picture, vacuum under the baseboards clean everything, put it all back and move around. That way if you have to stop, the whole room isn’t totaled either. Usually getting to the bedrooms last but, they get done eventually. Living in a 1500 square foot home with 3 children, it is a must that you purge and declutter, otherwise you get so overwhelmed ! I think the key is to do what you can, when you can. But, keep it up !! And do NOT beat yourself up for what you didn’t do when life gets in the way!! However you get it done, doing it makes you feel lighter and accomplished !! You then are more peaceful, a better person and mom in the end !!

  9. beverly warren says:

    Yay Kayse! I can’t wait to do this at our home! We’ve been finishing some remodeling of the kitchen and the piles are everywhere. Everywhere. Its been hard to believe there is an end in sight, but it is close and a reset will pretty exciting. I am taking your words to heart and getting rid of everything we don’t use or no longer like. I read somewhere this week that white space is where the magic happens. I am longing for white space and so happy you created it in your family’s lives, physically and in your schedule. Love reading about your challenges and victories, both energizing and encouraging.

  10. Deb Jones says:

    I needed this today. I have a packed schedule right now due to Physical Therapy and doc appointments for my mother. Added to that are all the things I normally do and issues with health insurance and having to change bank accounts. My place isn’t a mess but my schedule and mind are. You post was just the things I needed to get myself in gear and unsettled. Thanks..

  11. Kayse, your emails, and blogs are always right on time for me. I had been working for months in chaos, and feeling guilty because of it, but not knowing where to start. So I did a little there, and then life happens, and new stuff comes in, or new projects get added, and it starts to pile up even more. And to think of taking a day, let alone two days to reset seemed impossible. But after reading your blog, it’s necessary. Because, you described all the characteristics I was displaying in a cluttered house, snappy, unsettled, irritable. So thank you for permitting me to reset my house.

  12. Shannon Alcorn says:

    This is a wonderful reminder! Thank you for the quick tips! I will definitely be referring back to this post, a lot!

  13. Good post, and very practical…..thankyou for sharing this post with us,,,,,,,

  14. I’d never heard of this before I read your post. I LOVE IT!! Such a great idea – I certainly agree that physical clutter leads to mental clutter, and I gotta admit that there are some areas in our home that get me down because of disorganisation. Am definitely going to try this. Thanks for the tips.

  15. I asked for a day off from work to do this very thing. I’m excited to get a reset!

  16. I read somewhere that we should diarise a “catch up Day” “reset Day” into our diaries at least every month to catch up on those things that are bugging us that we never got done. Block the day out to do these things

  17. Becky Johnston says:

    Oh Kayse, I spent a whole day ‘resetting my house’ (well, except the master bedroom – cause you know, that one seems like it never gets attention) and I had soooo many other things to do, but I just couldn’t think straight. I felt weird that there were other tasks that were more ‘pressing’, but I really couldn’t think straight. My house was a WRECK! I felt so much better after, and I didn’t mind that the other tasks were put off for a little longer once the house was more in order. Thanks for the outpouring of grace in this post!!!

  18. Where were your kids while you were working? Our home desperately needs a reset, but I work full time and have, not only a preschooler but also a–very mobile one year old. Did you get laundry caught up as part of the project or was that a separate thing altogether? You purged and organized, was actual cleaning part of it too? Teach me Jedi master.

    1. One of my kids was in school, and the other I totally let watch Netflix all day the first day. Am I proud of that? Nope. But it was one day, and he will survive. Also he thought I was the coolest mom ever. 😉 Laundry – we had caught up on that over the weekend, but I’m already behind on that again. Laundry is a monster. It’s easier to deal with right now though, since the rest of my house is clean. I did purge and organize, and I did basic cleaning – nothing too deep. But sweeping, vacuuming, wiping down all surfaces – that sort of thing.

      You have TINY CHILDREN. Don’t stress about doing this perfectly. Even just purging one room at a time can bring relief. Can you maybe just do your bedroom over a few days? Then you’ll have a retreat when life gets crazy!

      1. Thank you for the feedback Kayse, that’s encouragnig, and very helpful! I can do one room at a time… 🙂

  19. Good post, and very practical.

  20. I feel ya, friend. We did the opposite–moved to a bigger space and I got overwhelmed immediately because we had more spaces to clutter and it takes so much longer to clean! But we’re slowly reclaiming, purging, and everyone is understanding that this mama can’t function amid the chaos and is helping turn it around. Now if I could only stand to tackle our new catchall… the basement.

  21. Marcella Nalley says:

    The more organized and simplified my home gets, the better I feel! I started several years ago. (Had collected a lot of stuff.) I would go through and organize/toss/repeat. I’m now at the final stages. In fact, this week, I have been doing some final passes on our main living areas and it’s amazing. Things that I couldn’t/wouldn’t have let go a few years ago, I can now toss/donate/gift without a second thought. It just gets easier and easier. And you’re right about the feeling free.

  22. Since my oldest son started college this year, suddenly our house seems too small. My younger son is an artist and he’s always worked at the kitchen table, and now my older son is set up there all day (and often evening too). There just seems to be papers and books and STUFF on my kitchen table and hutch ALL THE TIME! When you walk in my front door, my kitchen table is right in your line of sight. I never feel like my house is clean. I really, really need to figure something else out because it’s driving me crazy. Also, I have to spend 10-15 minutes just clearing the table off so we can eat!!! We’ve switched seasons, but my house has not caught up. Since I went back to teaching this year, I have very little time either. My plan is to take spring break to really tackle things, but after reading this, maybe I need to do it sooner!

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