So I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to write my first Xombyte.I'm having a bit of writers block since as I look around,there is clutter.Clutter on my desk,in a basket,on the piano,etc.I think about this,and I think this is what may be causing my block.So,I get up and start going through the piles of paper,clothes, nick-knacks,it's just too overwhelming.I want to stop, but I've put myself in this position by ignoring it for weeks,months,years.I was doing pretty good for awhile, found this website about a year ago called flylady.com,and it was helping.Her philosophy was that "Everything can be done in 15 minutes or less." I read through her website and everything she said made sense,granted it was common sense,but it was the sense I needed in the chaos I created.Trust me, go to this website and have a look,it does help as long as you have the discipline to create and keep a new routine.

The first day, I set my timer for 15 minutes and started on my kitchen(I really hate having to clean the kitchen so I started there)I cleaned off the counters of the kids' morning mess(breakfast and school lunch),wiped them down,put dishes in the sink to be washed,cleaned off the table, and "DING!" my timer went off.I stood back and looked at the results and couldn't believe my eyes.My kitchen looked better, much better.I was amazed to say the least,so I shared it with some of my girlfriends.Don't get me wrong, I still had that pile of papers sitting on the microwave near my phone,the floor still had to be swept and mopped.This didn't matter tho,because I had actually achieved making a noticeable dent. So,I took my timer in the next room and did the same thing, before I knew it,my house was looking much better(with four children ages 4-12 I didn't think that was possible).

We've moved in the past year and somehow I've forgotten how to do this.I think that I figured bigger house, more places to put things and it looked less cluttered.Yeah, I need to get back into my "15 minutes", swishing and swiping, and then my clutter may go away again.The key to this working, is getting everyone involved, husband, children, roommates.If you don't use it often,toss it, or donate it.If you have space and time,save it for a garage sale,if you don't, donate it to your local charity or thrift store.Make lists of things to do and do what you can 15 minutes at a time.My children are now ages 6-13, and I'll bet that my teenager's room is much cleaner than most(tho we still have to work on the closet).
Well, I'd better wrap this up,I just remembered, my room is the catch-all and I should really get started on that.Now where did I put that timer?