I like things to be hidden also; but if I'm home a lot, little piles begin to resurface, I go around and put things away. Or weekends with DH, I'm a little more lax, when monday morning comes I clean up.

I don't have kids at home so it's easier to be orderly.

Dog poop picked up every so often; the way you describe yourself I thought you pick up after each trip out, lol........

My island seems to be a landing pad that I have to work very hard at keeping clear at all times.

I keep all our electrical wires hidden, too. I roll them to just the right length, then tie them up with twist ties. I also keep the power strips up high where I can see them. I label all the plugs.

I pick up dog doodies twice a day. I can't stand the thought of dog poo in the yard. I don't want Harry having to walk around it and I'm not going to walk around it. We've trained him to "go" in the far left corner of the back yard and he seldom strays. It's very easy to keep cleaned up.

We have a small metal trash can with a tight-fitting lid in the corner of the back yard. Everything goes in there and then the tied bags get put out with the trash on Wednesday.

I have stacks and piles of books everywhere, even though all the rooms have at least one bookcase. Books are like life to me.

I keep all my meds and vitamins in one kitchen drawer. I fill the weekly pill organizer on Sundays; it stays in the drawer, too.

I do have perfume, toothpaste, and toothbrushes out in the bathroom. I keep all the girly-stuff in a decorative box inside a cabinet...out-of-sight but easy to use.

Our shoes are always in the shoe closet. It's narrow, but has 2-ft.-wide wire shelves from floor to ceiling on both sides of the door. Except for wet shoes or boots on the dryer, or the shoes on our feet, they all stay there. Wes has a separate shelf in the basement for his hunting/fishing shoes and boots. There's just enough room between the two banks of shelves for the vacuum cleaner.

I empty all the trashcans in the house once a day. I don't like to see trash sitting in a can. I take the kitchen bag and run around emptying all the smaller trash cans into it. Tie it up and run out to the back side of the garage. Easy-Breezy.

I keep all my clothes put away, but my nightgown is usually thrown over the headboard, or shoved under my pillow.

After laying on the couch reading a book, I put it back where it belongs: under the couch.

LOL! It must make you nuts to walk into a house like mine, lol. I try, really I do, but life's too short to insist on everything in its place if the person sharing your life doesn't feel the same ... or does, but with his own limitations.

There's nothing more satisfying than an organized home, but it's a reality that only exists in fleeting moments for me. Then real life steps in. I'm not a slob, but have learned to pick my battles and constant organization is not one of them. I grew up in a house where magazines where fanned out on the coffee table. There was never a piece of mail in sight. No shoes by the back door, no jacket flung over a kitchen chair, etc., etc.

My kitchen counters serve their intended purpose. They're not cluttered, but I do keep certain things within easy reach ... knives, cutting boards, coffee maker, toaster oven, small food processor, a sugar and flour canister, and a few other necessities. The pantry holds the rest, but I sure don't feel like walking to it for the daily basics.

I'm with you on the vitamins/meds. In the old kitchen they sat on one of those curved shelves that flanked the kitchen sink. Wasn't room for 'em anywhere else, but I made sure the new kitchen had a special cabinet with stepped shelving. Easy to access and out of sight.

I am more comfortable when my house is in order. Had to laugh about the dog poops - I have 2 dogs and I do bag & stash in a can (like Caroline's) every time. Don't want to risk anyone stepping in it.

I hate seeing wires, too. Keep my vanity tops free of everything but handsoap and a plant or vase. Hate seeing trash in open trash cans. Jackets, shoes, etc. are always in the coat closet. Never leave any dirty dishes on/in the sink.

HOWEVER...I'm an empty nester. The days when I had teenagers and their friends in and out, when the calendar was crammed with school events, sports and other activities, keeping my house the way I do now wasn't possible.

ALSO... As disciplined as I am, I can't seem to keep my clothes closet organized, and I wouldn't want anyone to see my attic. Those 2 spots are the off-limit zones that I resolve to clean and organize every New Year. Maybe in '09!

Oh, goodness I wish!! It is one of those pick you battles.....I live with 2 slobby boys & 3 dogs, so I am just happy that the toliets are clean!! I do try to tidy up before bed but usually there are toys, shoes, magazines & books everywhere.

Now after many years I do have DH trained to pull out his shave kit with his tolietries in it - it doesn't always get put away but that is a simple fix to place back in the cabinet.

Cords, I don't like to see them either. But, after you have seen them for a few months they kinda disappear until you take a picture of the room!! My DH bought speakers for the back patio - yep, in true redneck style the wires are running out the french doors!! I am so adding that to my 'honey do' list for this week!

I do not go to bed with dishes in the sink - so after I entertain I'll stay up til whatever time it takes to get everything tidy - including the floors. I have a 'thing' about waking up and seeing dirty floors!

Smiles:)

I grew up in a household like natal's and must have rebelled. My mom would never allow anything to be out in the open, even a purse. DH's ex was really anal, also.

Now, I find it hard to keep everything tidy. It's like I have ADD or something. Just the process of deciding what to keep and what gets tossed can get me upset.

We always keep one room in the house as kind of a 'junk room' and have the door closed. I really had to scramble when we sold our last house and did a whole cleanout and redecorating job on it.

Most of our mess, that is visible, is because of newspapers, magazines and mail. Now I have all my dad's paperwork to do and am finding it hard to organize.

My MIL is one of those that has *everything* out on counters. In her bathroom, there are jars of q-tips, cotton balls, lotions, all of her products out, etc. In the kitchen there are jars of vitamins on the counter, mail, etc.

It drives me batty. There's something about clutter that steals my peace more than dirt. If the house is cleared of clutter, but needs to be vacuumed, I can deal with that. But if there is "stuff" everywhere, I just can't stand to be in the room.

I read somewhere that when people walk into a room, their eyes automatically start scanning the room. (Unless, of course, you are my husband, in which case you don't scan ANYTHING except the path on which you're walking....) and the people for whom clutter is a problem physically can't stand to have their eyes "scan" that room, as their eye has no place to rest.

I forget what they called it, but that is SO me. I have to have clear spaces in order to think.

The wire thing is so funny to me.. I amalso like that and will go to extremes to make sure that a cord does not show. I am so very lucky that my husband is very handy and is willing to put an outlet where I need one. I finally settled on a seating arrangemetn for our livingroom but it needed center lamps .. so hubby put in a brass floor outlet.. love that man!

Maddiemom

I also believe in having a well run organized home--everything has it's place. I have lots of organizer compartments in my drawers to stash all the pencils, keys, extraneous clutter, etc. I just bought a set of pretty baskets for my DH's closet because I was tired of looking at the clutter in his shelves when his closet was open. I'm thinking of getting some smaller sized wicker containers for some cubbies I have in my message center. Or I could get some cardboard boxes and cover with fabric... next year sometime. Yet, are things always put back? With three kids and my DH, most certainly not. I also don't like wires showing yet my DH is a tech nut and we have lots of tech goodies which are in various stages of completion--due to many demands on his time--so in theory once the area gets finished, I'm going to hide all those wires. I am fast becoming a fan of wireless stuff, though. I just got a new keyboard and mouse last week for my computer and they are wireless. Love, love, love it!!! That and well placed grommits and putting outlets in cabinets wherever possible. We have an outlet in the masterbath hutch for the sonicare so no toothbrushes setting out, outlet and phone jack in cab. below for message center, plus outlet in office cabinet for the charging station for all the phones, cameras, and DH's misc. tech goodies.

Electrical wires don't bother me. I don't like stuff on my counters in the kitchen, it's too small as it is to have extra stuff hanging around. Even with the bare minimums, it's crowded. (Obviously I don't mind stuff hanging out on top of the cabinets, LOL)

I HATE dishes in my sink, but it's a constant struggle to keep it empty. I went to bed last night with clean kitchen, after I went to bed daughter made a late night supper. Of course she couldn't put her dishes in the dishwasher because it had all clean dishes in it (apparently I'm the only one who can empty clean dishes, sigh).

Here's my current "problem zone". It's my front entry closet. This house only has 3 closets and they are all in the bedrooms, ugh!

~~Veronica

I have a 3 year old. I love neat and tidy, and hate bright plastic stuff...but life changes when you have a 3 year old :o)

I don't like wires...I'd say those are hidden for the most part. And both laundry areas are hidden as well (I don't like the look of laundry for some reason) but no matter how much I try, plastic crap creaps in to our life constantly. We remove it, but it comes back....I think lego's are like rabbits sometimes.

I like Christmas to be just so and the library is the room for the elegant tree, decorated just so.

This weekend I was at a charity auction and there was a tree, covered with hand made ornaments and stuffed with stuffed puppets, hundreds of them. A little boy's dream tree. It can be poked, shaked, touched and a train can drive through it (and has). I purchased the stupid thing and it's sitting where the gorgeous radko tree goes in the library....sigh....someday :) back to perfection, but today, seeing a little boy love his christmas tree...heck I don't even care if there are books under the couch (I'd shoot people for putting a book under the couch LOL)

Such interesting posts! Yes, I do have a cabinet just for my purse when I come in the door and I'm the only one allowed to put a book under the couch! And they get regularly rotated out.

Now dh, has no problem with dumping everything in piles and leaving them there (table, counter, desk, floor) permanently. Keys, wallets, checkbooks, newspapers, bills, shoes, gym bags, telephones, pagers, water bottles, hats,...

Your new tree sounds adorable igloo!

I LOVE the comment "steals my peace". I agree with that greatly, however I'm guilty of having a cluttered house and an unsettled heart. I need to keep that thought and do something about my cluttering tendency.

I fought for years to get my kids to stop leaving their stuff on the dining room table when they come home. It has finally paid off - now they just dump their crap on the floor.

ronniroo I can't tell you how many late night dinner messes I've woken up to - yes, you and I both are the only ones in our homes with the power to unload the dishwasher.

Two things that I've done fairly recently -

In my bedroom I try to keep any books in these bags hung hooks on the wall.

On my kitchen table I have a lazy susan where I've put a box to hide the vitamins and napkins -

My husband keeps the wire clutter under control - that's his pet peeve.