What Do Mary Poppins, Martha Stewart and Marie Kondo Have In Common?
Have ya got a minute?
Great! Grab a cuppa (or a glassa) and lets talk.
Mary Poppins‘ friend Bert…. in the movie of the same name, said:
“Winds in the East, mist coming in.
Like somethin’ is brewin’ and ’bout to begin.
Can’t put me finger on what lies in store,
but I fear what’s to happen all happened before.”
And Mary Poppins said:
“that’s a Piecrust Promise…Easily made, Easily broken.”
AND
“everything is possible, even the impossible.”
Now let’s quote some Martha Stewart:
“It’s hard to be productive when your desk is a mess.” (That’s why Martha encourages you to file away those piles of papers into categorized folders or baskets before you get to work.)
“Between work meetings, doctor’s appointments, and your kids’ extracurriculars, you have a lot going on in your week. So a well-organized planner is necessary to maintain your sanity, Martha says.”
“To tame a messy drawer of spatulas, silverware, measuring spoons, etc in your kitchen, Martha says she likes to use drawer dividers or cutlery trays. “
So now we move on to Marie:
Here is what some of what Marie Kondo has to say:
“Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.”
“I have yet to see a house that lacked sufficient storage. The real problem is that we have far more than we need or want.”
“But it is human nature to resist throwing something away even when we know that we should.”
There is a theme going on here and I’m sure you can see it.
These ladies, Mary, Martha and Marie are sorta cleaning experts.
Notice that they are the three M’s?
Mary, Martha and Marie? Hmmmmmmmmm.
First, I am not an expert on de-cluttering or cleaning…all one has to do is look under my bed and see the little dust bunnies that have snuggled up close to a few Christmas boxes of decor. (thanks to “Wally” my cleaning robot…….)
True, these automatically programed ‘thing-a-ma-jigs’ (named Wally in my case) roll around the room sucking up dust and ear ring parts and they do that quite well; but if they have to push or nudge a box under the bed,… chances are the little dust bunnies just roll up a little bigger (think rolling snowball effect) and remain in place until I drag the boxes out with clusters of dust clinging like a mountain climber clings to the side of a granite wall.
Folks….I can be quite organized…on the surface!
I have an amazing DAYTIMER and it helps me remember appointments and such as well as reminding me what I wore to church on Sunday.
Full Disclosure…. it’s whats behind door number 3 that really twirks my jaw.
I found this list of 10 helpful tips somewhere on-line….sorry I can’t give credit where it is due, but this list could be on pretty much everyone’s “to do List”
If we, (okay If I) do just one thing a day…in a few months (or years???) it will all be “spit-spot” as Mary , Martha and Marie would say. Or at least it should be.
I have added my own personal notes beside the original list of someone trying to be helpful with clutter.
Let’s proceed.
- Clear off a cluttered surface. Think coffee table, kitchen island, your desk or bedside table. And it doesn’t count to move it all to a closet and close the door. NOT that I have ever done that.
- Hang the clothes in your closet in color order. (But first pick them up off that hat box or remove them from being draped over the rod. (i don’t know what the time limit is on how long one can keep saying “that box is going to to the Goodwill store without taking it)
- Clean that one space you have been putting off cleaning. (I’m not talking about the whole house, though I have been known to do that)….just one space and for me that is my office…and/or the garage.
- Sit outside for 5 minutes and breathe in some fresh air with gratitude. (NOW that I do regularly, but I believe it takes longer than 5 minutes. More like an hour…or two. (I have a lot to be great-ful for and that takes a lot more than 5 minutes)
- Clean your computer screen. I’m always surprised at how many fingerprints and speckles?? are on the screen and I don’t know where the tiny crumbs come from around the keys. Just tip your laptop over and tap gently on the back like you are burping a baby. Oops, excuse me while I let out a little air of my own. Thanks I feel much better now.
- Declutter your underwear drawer, socks too if you have them. (Now this can be tricky, I shouldn’t tell you this but the Captain folds his underwear just like it is still in the package, plus he rotates ALL of it. Me, on the other hand, I feel good if the underwear comes out of the dryer in a wad and gets dumped into my drawer in the same wad. Now before you get all judgemental, let me tell you I USED to roll them up and place them in a neat row in the drawer.
- Write a card to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. I also like to send birthday and anniversary cards, as well as Holiday cards like Easter, Valentines St. Patrick’s, Halloween and Thanksgiving and it goes without say Christmas Cards. I even put stamps on them in advance of the day but apparently you then actually have to mail them because sometimes I find one or two stuck in the BACK of my daytimer. Better late than never or so they say.
- Take your pile or box of ‘donate items’ to a donation center. (See #2 above)
- Wash all your sheets and towels and don’t forget to make your bed after putting on fresh sheets. Now this one is kinda difficult to understand. Is this ‘washing’ only once a year? Daily? Once a week? Just askin’. …..Personally, I always make my bed daily, even though as some say it will only get messed up again when one goes to bed. BUT not me! Right after I rise in the morning, I am making my bed before I even brush my teeth. However, I do wash sheets weekly, EVEN though the Captain is gone for seven days at a time and his side is therefore clean. (It’s not like one could turn the sheet around so one could sleep on the clean side the next week.)
- Set a timer for 10 minutes and spend that time looking for items to declutter. This is not a good idea for me, because what would I do with the other 9 minutes?
Can I just tell you that even though these 10 tips are all well and good, I have many friends who come to my home and comment on how clean my house is and how beautiful the decor is. Obviously, what they see is neat and tidy and picked up.
(I also teach a Bible Study here in my home every Friday and serve them a little sumpthin’ sumpthin’ in the way of refreshments).
I want to share with you one last thing.
I was up this morning by 4 am (way before first light) and after a little quality time spent with the Captain before he had to go to work (flying)… we both enjoyed looking at the beautiful moon that is not quite full but will be in the next couple days. (See “The Harvest Moon”)
After the sun came up… I set to watering all the plants, both in the front of our home (lots of potted mum plants) and in the Secret Garden (lots of potted rose bushes) in the back of our home.
Even in that early hour the sweat was dripping off my brow and I was feeling sticky and very, very hot…after all this is SW Florida.
After I was finished watering and dragging hoses, (which took a good part of an hour)…I felt a euphoria and a sense of accomplishment as I rested in the courtyard sipping my glass of cold refreshing tea…. and watched it rain!
Sigh!
Now if you will excuse me, I could have been cleaning out the fridge in the time it took me to write this post…but it wouldn’t have been as much fun. 😉
Thank you Mary, Martha and Marie!
Have a great and Blessed day.
Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and His Disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I love this post, Kari. I’m so glad you ended with the story of Martha worrying. That was my first take on my expectations here, given the subject header. The dust bunnies were to the point of walking themselves around our booths at the antique mall, so we did a much needed cleaning and restyling a little over a week ago. I can relate to so many things in this list….the bed-making, the underwear (we are both like the Captain in this house), the undelivered bag/box for Goodwill (cleaned out said underwear drawer but the articles still sit on the closet shelf, not even bagged!), and though my desk inbox is stacked neatly, the truth is there’s lots of paper needing scanned / filed electronically and shredded.
Oh, and that game last night…..West Virginians are not happy with the current coach at all. But our Marshall University beat Notre Dame at South Bend and that was worth celebrating! I am looking forward to basketball. Huggs was inducted into the HoF this weekend, something else to celebrate.
Have a great week,
Rita, the Captain has always washed and dryed and folded his clothing…He evens irons his dress shirts…He had done this for many years before he met me and I thought he should keep on doing it…LOL Seriously, he has to iron a shirt every night when he is flying and he knows how he likes it done….same with packing his suitcase. He is in a hotel room every night for 7 days and he has developed a system. When we first got married 18 years ago….I started to help him pack and I kept putting things in the wrong place (at least in his mind) LOL..After he told me I put an item in the right tennis shoe rather than the left tennis shoe…I said “that’s it…I’m done” !!! and he said “good’. The same with his clothes at home. I wash my clothes…he washes his. I wash towels, etc and fold them. He washes the sheets and folds them and he always puts the fresh ones on the bed for me., I cook and he cleans up the kitchen…(of course. I go back and make sure all is done my way). I order the groceries on-line, he picks them up at the store. Hey, it works for us.
Yes, the game went into overtime, I was shocked at the high scoring game! (even though we are not known for our football, I think the win was a fluke LOL)…basketball is really our game at Kansas! Good for Marshall! Yes, every year the sports analysts wonder why it was taking so long for Huggy Bear to get into the Hall of Fame. I’m glad he finally made it. Congratulations my friend!
I am one that loves all things. But I don’t like clutter so I rotate many things. I too am one to tidy every day. Our kitchen has to be clean each night after dinner. And each day I make sure that anything left out on the kitchen island is put away in its place. I always try to clean one room each day and make the bed each day.
Great post and I may join your Bible Study one day!
Thanks Nancy, I don’t like to leave my home even for an hour without everything in place…but unfortunately, somethings got neglected during my illness and became a “catch-all” for stuff (ie; caregivers and the Captain and me) with the main catch-all, our three car garage….that only has room for one car. LOL We do not have basements in Florida so storage areas usually wind up in one’s garage. This is my biggest project as I will give, donate and toss much of it…but I have only made a small dent in my progress. I would be thrilled to have you at our Bible study. Hugs and Blessings Always
Dear Kari, I always make the bed every day and once a week I wash the sheets. Now, I am a paper clutterer and I promise to make an effort to clear off a few areas one at a time. I have a bag on the dining room table that I have been meaning to give to good will, and I will try to do that today. It has been setting there for months, and I’m not telling how many. lol
My daughter accuses me of having a discard pile and then going back to it and pulling things out again…LOL She reminds me that when I discard, to take it immediately to donation center. I tease her and say she justs wants less to deal with when the time comes for her to go through my stuff. LOL Luv ya dear friend and thanks for stopping by.
Such fun Kari! I am trying, I am trying! After living in our big house and raising my children and now sharing with my son and his two boys, there are 6000 sq ft that are full of acclamation of all these years of living! I keep telling my children to hire someone to have an estate sale when I’m gone because I don’t have the stamina or strength to get rid of it all! My mantra is “1 bag a day” I try to get rid of something everyday, but don’t always succeed, but hey, every little bit helps right?? Thanks for the inspo, I will keep trying 😂
Oh Jenna…so true. Especially for us bloggers as I have way too many dishes and decor but can’t part with any as they are like my children. :(. Sadly, my daughter has already told me she doesn’t want any of it (she is a minimalist) and my sons said maybe a cookbook is all they each want. LOL The Captain said he would sell or donate….so all my “stuff” just means something to me and me only. AND that is ok, it brings me pleasure just to look at it and set a table with it. BUT I do try to tidy up my closet with the “one new one in” and “the old one moved to a different closet”…Oh wait….I don’t think that is what is suggested. Oh well……
Thanks Pam….You are right about the kitchen and bathrooms…and since my home has an open floor plan, the living room, dining room, and kitchen need to be tidy as it is not only visible to all, it is where friends and family gather. The bedmaking is a must for sure. Thanks for stopping by and wish you were here on Fridays too.
Sister In Christ,
Kari
You got my attention this morning. I love lists of any kind. The Bible’s 10 Commandments, Travel Books “1000 Places to Visit before You Die”, Hit Parade (oops, dating myself), etc. Your #1 will be on my agenda for today. For years I followed Fly Lady’s cleaning schedule and her routines. Her #1 was to make your bed every morning. Check! I also color code my closet, underwear drawer (rolled up), napkins, and plates. I too love sending cards. Paper clutter and flat surfaces is my huge down fall. Thanks too for the reminder to be more like Mary.
Good morning, Kari. I do not claim any organizational skills. However, I always make the bed. A clean kitchen and bathrooms are daily tasks. I love the Mary and Martha scripture and I would love to be at your Friday morning Bible studies. Have a lovely weekend, my friend!
Hey Jan…I hear ya on the Hit Parade….I LOVED that, of course I was a mere child at the time…yeah, right! LOL Yes, it has become a chuckle for our Bible study when one says “Martha, Martha”! Because we can all identify and we should be more like Mary! Thanks for stopping by my friend. Blessings Always!