Not Quite Spring Cleaning

Standing in the middle of IKEA watching me check the dimensions of every tub, bin, and collapsible box in site, my son asked, "What exactly are we looking for?"
"I need some bins to organize the linen closet," I responded, eyeing another row of possibilities.
Without a moment's hesitation, he said, "Oh no! It's January and you're starting spring cleaning!"

Indeed, my spring cleaning often begins around MLK weekend and culminates in a full-scale window scrub at the end of the quarter in March. Generally, it takes me that long to clean and organize every area of the house, and it always starts with some inciting incident during which my frustration with an on-going mess reaches its breaking point. This year, I was attacked by the linen closet. (Attacked, I say!) I innocently opened the door to put away cleaning rags when a blanket at the top jumped on me for no apparent reason. As I took evasive maneuvers, the newly-folded towels popped out of my hands attempting to block my vision while the rest of the stack vaulted from the shelves to join the fray. Upon extricating myself from the mass of terry cloth and cotton, I decided to win the war once and for all through my secret weapon - organization. Enter the boxes from IKEA, which allow me to easily imprison my combatants, label their cages, and provide a window through which I may taunt them each time I open the closet door. Victory is mine as evidenced by the "after" photo below. (I know, it didn't occur to me to take a "before" photo in the midst of the war.)

Truly, there is something deeply satisfying about spring cleaning. I actually enjoy the process of sorting, organizing, trashing, and donating the contents of every closet, drawer, and cupboard. By the time I'm finished, spring break begins and I feel lighter, happier after conquering the clutter of three-quarters of the school year and a plethora of holidays. Thus, each weekend for the next couple of months, you may find me parked in the middle of the floor, surrounded by mounds of fabric or scrapbooking supplies, or cookbooks, or pots and pans. Whatever it is, whichever room is involved, rest assured I will prevail!

Once organized, the closet has
room to spare!