Once Upon a Time, All My Ducks Were in a Row



I'm a natural organizer. I love to clean out closets, tidy the pantry, and be able to easily find things in the cupboard under my bathroom sink.

But over the years, imperceptibly, things changed. Life got busier. My kids grew into not-so-tidy teenagers; I started a writing career and began juggling multiple projects at once; four grandchildren came into my life; and then came Facebook. Before I knew it, my once glowing closets, pantry, and cupboards began to look scary.

On top of that, my 50-year old mind doesn't help. I smash countless carpet fibers zooming from room to room trying to locate my glasses; I forget where I specifically set my phone/Kindle/list; a freshly made salad will languish and die in the back of my fridge; and the mail and paper pile near my telephone could create a bonfire that would light the nights of the entire Gulf Coast of Florida for a month and a half.

Fortunately for me, my inner organizational freak occasionally springs to life and I tackle the most dangerous areas before anyone gets hurt.

And fortunately for us all, my sweet friend, Glynnis Whitwer has written a fantastic book called I Used to Be So Organized: Help for Reclaiming Order and Peace, and I crave order and peace!



On top of that, Glynnis is hosting a January Clutter-Free Challenge on her BLOG that will help even those of us who misplace our glasses every cotton-pickin' day. {Ahem.}

Has life gotten crazier for you, too? Do you long to get some of your ducks back in a row? I'm giving away a signed copy of "I Used to Be So Organized" to the person who convinces me they need it most. So go ahead, tell me why you need Glynnis' book. **To qualify, you must either: (1) Have a blog with your email information on it, OR (2) Leave your email address along with your comment, so I can notify you if you win.**



9 comments:

Tammy said...

Julie, I wrote on my blog last week about having "12 in 12" resolutions/goals for Twenty Twelve. Number two on the list is to re-create order and organization within my home. I, too, am a 50+ who used to have "everything in it's place", but now I'm starting to look at the piles and wonder..."now, where in the world did this go?"

I could use Glynnis' book to get me back to the starting line and help me with my goal of an orderly, peaceful and welcoming home.

Now, where is that send button on here. Oh yeah, under my post-it note to remind me to comment on this post today!

I'm just so "Tickled Pink"!! Tammy

Mining for Diamonds said...

Ha! I need this book, you know why? Cuz I was NEVER organized! And how's this for even more disorganization? I have a storage unit full of an entire household to get organized and purged and cleaned. I've lived with my mother in her small 2 bedroom apartment with my husband and daughter for 2.5 years, during which time we've accumulated even more stuff on top of her stuff...and we're about to move in a month into a 3 bedroom apartment. So somehow, I have to 1. Get the storage unit cleaned and organized and decluttered in order to 2. Make room for the stuff in my mother's apt. that needs to go in there so I can get HER place cleaned, organized, and decluttered. On top of that, my life is displace, disorganized and discombobulated, not just my stuff! Organized? What's that?! LOL!

Thank God for the peace of Jesus in the midst of the chaos!

If that book can also help the "never before organized", then I'm in! :)

Blessings to you!

Ginny said...

I need this book! I never make goals for the New Year, because I never keep them. My age has got the best of me....I am tired, not motivated, frustrated, and most days, I walk in circles trying to decide what project needs to be done for that day. I am the only woman in my house and get zero help from the men. I used to clean houses for a living...10 years or more. Now, it takes me three days to get my home somewhat neat (but not organized). It is a losing battle with me. My mind says "GO!!" but my body says "NO!!"

Susan said...

I need this book because
1. I will turn 50 this year and it'll be a great birthday gift.
And YOU, sweet Julie, will get a special shout-out on my blog and twitter for being the first person to give me a bday gift. Just thought I'd toss that in there as an added incentive to PICK ME... ;)
2. Both my kids are now in college and I THOUGHT my formerly organized self would come out of hiding, but sadly she HAS NOT.

I know she's somewhere lurking beneath the surface, and I need that book to coax her out into the light before my life gets crazier with 2 sets of aging parents. Help meeeeee

Karen said...

Ummm, sorry Julie, I was never an organizer. But that's what I long to be. Does that count? I'll have to check out her place. :)

katt said...

It's wonderful to know I'm not the
only 50 somthing woman thats lost her way......
around the house,I've got a feelin
that the book would only get lost too,cause like you my glasses vanish daily,keys,purse....

Leslie Basil Payne said...

My ducks flew the coop long before my 50th birthday! When chronic pain entered my life so did "pain brain" the condition of struggling with order cause your brain is so busy dealing with pain and medication. Thankfully I live in a small home so its easier to clean, but way harder to keep organized. I'd love te receive the book. On second thought, better give it to someone else. I might misplace it after the first or second chapter. :0) LOL.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

It is nice when that organizational bit pops it's head back out to tackle a few spots in my house. I am pretty organized on the outside ... but not cupboards and drawers.

Your post was made me laugh.

Fondly,
Glenda

Caroline said...

Oh, man... I LOVE to be organized, but it's the staying there that's so hard! I love the tips I've read from Glynnis too, and was excited when I first heard about this book! Thanks so much for this kind opportunity.

I hope you are well, Julie!

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