Dealing With Everyday Clutter – PUPA Action

Dealing With Everyday Clutter – PUPA Action

Picking up clutter is one of my many mommy jobs. 

I affectionately call it P.U.P.A. action, this means Pick Up-Put Away.  It is a method I use in dealing with everyday clutter.

When you have a family stuff happens, stuff is everywhere. Stuff grows in corners, behind curtains, under beds, in cabinets, on tables, and on the floor.   In a nutshell, if it’s a flat surface or a remotely looks like a basket stuff will be there, and it will grow.

The obvious answer is to get rid of some things.  I do this on a whim about once a month.  But the truth of the matter is I like my stuff, and I am pretty sure the rest of my family feels the same way.

So when the stuff falls someone has to pick it up and put it away.  And usually, when it falls my family depends on the clutter fairy showing up and making some magic happen.   To my knowledge, the clutter fairy has never made an appearance in my house.   I am obviously open for this… but will not hold my breath.

At one time I would l sit at my desk and dream of ways to get my family in shape.  You know, drill sergeant them into seeing things my way.  Turn them into obsessive organizers and clutter conquerors.   Oh, the daydreams I had on my home and its clutter.

My usual fantasy consisted of shock and awe.  You know, mommy fright tactics.   Scream, whine, throw a toddler tantrum and make myself feel miserable and make my family miserable as well.   I am embarrassed to say that sometimes I just didn’t daydream this one…. I did the dirty deed.  Shame on me!

 Dealing with Everyday Clutter, Older and Wiser

But, now I am older and wiser.  I know that if I wanted to, I could ask my husband to pick up a room.   I think he would do it.

Yes, I am pretty sure he would.  I mean the guy brings me coffee every morning and rubs my feet on occasion.

And my boys will pick up if I asked them or bribe them.  The oldest goes on organizing rampage missions.  He is just like his momma that way.

My little guy, who is just a young seven, will put all of his toys in one big box if he is guided and given a Good Job card.

But still, there is stuff.  And yes, some of it or a whole bunch of it is my stuff.  I could make excuses for days about all the things I have to accomplish as a work at home mom but it’s not like I am the only WAHM in the world!

So, I do my PUPA dance for about 10 minutes each day.  And I do enjoy it and here is why:

1. Once found an old tiny little sock complete with a small train embellishment.  It was the little guy’s baby sock.  I cried and then put it in my desk drawer.
2. I found a collection of paid gas bills in my little guy’s toy box.   I still do not understand why.
3. I found my Room Rumba.  It was behind the curtain hiding.
4. I thoroughly enjoy counting several stray socks I pick up.  Sometimes I keep a running tally for the week, and if it hits 100, I treat myself to an ice cream scoop in my coffee.
5. I found a letter written by my oldest on how much happier he was since moving to our new state.  I keep this one in the family bible.  I cried and still cry when I think about it.  (No worries, I was not snooping; it was in a pile of books we were donating)
6. I can still find stickers from the book The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, even a year after kindergarten.  I find them mostly stuck to the floor. (You know that book, now grab a tissue)
7. I find twist ties by the hundreds….  It reminds me of my neighbor in Oklahoma as I child.  She made bread tie art.  It was amazingly detailed pictures of mountains and streams, flowers and cottages and a few actual portraits.
8. Diet Coke cans…. are on most tables on most days.  I take these to the school for recycling.  The school will love our family.   Little Guy is a milk drinker; the other two are total DC addicts.  Somber.
9. Little works of art are tucked in bookcases, on the floor in the little guy’s room, on my desk, on the couch, on the counters…etc. These are tiny memories, and sometimes I file them, but sometimes I give them a tiny momma kiss and give them to the recycling bins.   I can’t keep all of them even if he is the next Picasso.
10. Toys: Toys are my joy and toys are the enemy.  My son likes to have them in certain orders in random places around the house.  This is his calling, and I encourage and enjoy it most of the time.  And then once in a blue moon, I go momma crazy and toss a few old ones and put several in a big box to be forgotten and then give them to other little boys.

This list is just a few of the reasons I enjoy my P.U.P.A. dance time.

I think we can all enjoy a few minutes of picking up clutter we just have to remember to enjoy the journey.

Dealing With Everyday Clutter

So my challenge for the day is for all of us to make time to do a little P.U.P.A. dance.  I hope you each find a very special memory or maybe a dollar bill or two.  That would be like a little icing on the cake.