Sunday Brunch (a day late)

1) Are you an organized person?
Well, depends. Overall, yes. But I have to reach a certain level of "disasterness" before the organizational gene kicks in. Mostly I'm lazy, and busy, which translates into "drop it somewhere and deal with it later" and that is NOT organizational!

2) What is one thing about your home that has to be just so or it drives you crazy when it comes to organization?
I'm reading this question as "What do I find myself doing every day, regardless of what else gets done, to feel like I've made some control in the tidiness department?"

Dishes in the dishwasher
Kitchen island cleared off
Kitchen table cleared off
Couch blankets folded
Bathroom counter cleared off

The Beast has--finally, after 19 years!--trained me to close all the drawers and cupboard doors when I'm done. That helps, too.

3) Do you have one little nuance about your organization that most people consider to be a little over the top? What is it?
The only thing I can think of is that before we go out of town, I like to get the house CLEAN. As in, "what if we die while we're gone" clean. Of course, what this does is add a whole layer of neurosis to the whole run-up to a departure when usually that's pretty stressed anyway. I actually had a mini-nervous breakdown about 5 years ago the night before we left on a trip as I was vacuuming, cleaning the spare room (a 3-full-day project in itself), dusting the entire house, and packing all at the same time. The Beast had to physically stop me--hands on shoulders, a little shake--because I was crying and screaming and out of control: "WHY does the house have to be clean???" When I told him, he just looked at me as if I'd grown an extra head and it had spoken Martian.

I'm less freaky now about trips. Slightly.

4) What is your favorite organizational tool? (bins, closet organizers, etcetera)
I love bins. I love them. I have too many, and I don't actually use them, but I love them. Those little plastic stackable drawers, about 8 inches tall? LOVE. THEM.

I'm actually afraid to go to The Container Store because I know I'd spend entirely too much money on stuff. It's good there isn't one anywhere nearby here.

5) Where is your favorite place to buy organizational needs?
See above, but I also like Ikea. And I'll do the Target/KMart thing too. But I literally drool over The Container Store catalog, like a man over the Victoria's Secret catalog!