Constant Quest

My yarn and fibre stash got the better of me last year. It was to the point I didn't even know what I had on hand nor where to find what I needed. Sound familiar? I am not a person who obsesses about a neat and tidy environment but I do need to be able to find stuff when I need it. And I like leaving my house in pretty good shape when I go on a holiday.

From what I can tell, the key is to find a system and stick to it. So this week at Canadian Tire, 9L bins were on sale (half price) for $1.99 each. They're stackable, see-through and have clear lids as well. I bought 8 of them and may drop in for more today. I dug out my label maker and started organizing in my office/craft room. You can see my shelves need some work. The paper bag on the sofa is where the cat sleeps.

These bins really only contain the 'overflow' from most of my stash, which are on IKEA shelves in another corner of the room. (That is an old photo. They cubbies are now 80% full of yarn and books). And yes, there are still piles of stuff but the most of them are organized now, too. I have lots of room in my house and adequate storage space, I believe. I just need to keep purging to make room in the spaces I have for the many things I'm going to keep or am not yet ready to throw away.

I have tried to make good use of the space under my desk as well. I like having everything within arm's reach. The binders hold printouts and patterns in various categories and the laundry basket is my paper recycle bin that gets emptied every month or so. The boxes in the top right corner are my beading stuff (they could use a bin, too).

Like most Baby Boomers, I now realize I have been very 'acquisitive' and now am always looking for things I can discard. I am on the constant quest for both simplifying my life and things and storing/organizing them so I can easily access what I need.

Alas, being ultra-neat and tidy will never be a trait of mine, but I have been working on getting things in better shape around the house, in general.  I feel sorry for the person who will have to go through my stuff when I am no longer able to take care of myself or I die. But I'm hoping to make it a little easier for them. Watching "Hoarders" has shown me that I'm really not that far from the 'slippery slope' to being a true hoarder. This awareness (and having more time to explore more domestic pursuits) has really helped get me moving in a positive direction.