January Challenge

In honor of my old standard, traditional New Year's resolution, To get more organized, which I never do, I'm giving myself a Better Homes & Gardens challenge, just for the month of January. Then, by golly, I'm moving on, because I know I'm organized if I can find my kids and my keys and I haven't left them all in my car, together, with the motor running. Plus, why prolong the yearly agony of discovering my home organization skills have not improved.

The January issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine attracted my attention at the local IGA on New Year's Eve with it's cover story, Cool Calm, and Decluttered: 25 Ways to Pare Down and Get Organized for a Fresh New Year. I'm a sucker for that kind of enticement into believing the experts can help me work miracles in my life. I slapped it on the conveyor belt with my collard greens and black-eyed peas, both of which also carry age-old promises for new years.

Although, I'm giving myself a challenge, there's no need to over do it. Don't expect 25 posts on organizational bliss. No such will happen. Very quickly I eliminated several of the suggestions as undoable. For heaven's sake, number 15 is simply indecent. There is no way I'm going to let a girlfriend declutter my kitchen cabinets with me. The only way my girlfriends will see behind those doors is if I die and they have to rush over to my house, as promised, and put it into death ready condition.

I have selected 10 of the 25 tips to try. These 10 made the cut because they're the ones that require the least amount of effort, they make sense to me, and they will impact my house and family the most if they work.

This exercise in futility should make January a very frustrating month for my children, my husband and me. And a very funny one for you.