Last month I wrote about how my “pigeons of discontent”, clutter and procrastination, followed me around pecking at me while I tried to ignore them. I wanted both to devise some strategies for staying on top of clutter, while also developing a little more self-discipline to tackle and organize the existing clutter. Whew. I am not someone who is naturally organized, though a clean and organized space does make me breathe a little easier. I remember every inch of surface of my high school desk (which was not small) being covered in papers, books, CD cases, knick-knacks, and God knows what else — with a small surface in the middle for me to be able to squeeze my history book open. Maybe I would have been a better student in high school if I had been a little more organized …

Maybe not. Man, I loved having maroon hair …

Anyway. I digress. Those days are long behind me and I can only hope to harangue my future children in the same way my mother did me, and hope they will heed my advice.

ANYWAY. Since I wrote that last month, I honestly have made an effort to curtail my cluttery tendencies — and it’s working! Slowly! I have put most of my efforts into the kitchen and have really been focused on making sure the dishes don’t sit clean in the dishwasher too long, and to just do the thing my mom always said to do and just put the dishes in the dishwasher right away OMG it’s not that hard. Already it’s nice to see a neater, more organized kitchen when I stumble downstairs in the morning. Now that our Christmas tree is out of the house and our decorations sadly packed away, I’m going to turn more attention to the living room. I was about to give up my subscription to Real Simple, but I think I really can learn a lot from their many, many, many organizational tips and tricks. I’m also going to take a look at my beloved Martha Stewart Homemaking Handbook to further my education.

One of the things people have been asking me a lot lately is So, is your nursery all set up? I sheepishly answer no. Well do you have a crib picked out and everything? Uh, no. [Now in a slightly worried tone] Do you know what … colors you’re going to use? Now that we know! Yes! One of the very, very, very few things Steve and I have done to prepare for our boy’s arrival is pick up paint chips for the nursery. We are planning mint green walls with navy and white accents (including bedding made by Auntie Leah!). We have a dresser we’ll repurpose into a changing table (here it is hiding behind the dining room table, before we put a hutch there):

It was Steve’s dresser when he was a kid!

In addition to a crib, we also want a glider and probably some shelves. But what I need most is some help! Unlike most moms to be, I have resisted even thinking about a nursery up until this point, and now we are down to the wire. I don’t want a particularly overdecorated or “themed” space. So far, I like the nurseries over at Young House Love and Daily Garnish, but I feel totally out of my league and unmoored when it comes to 1. setting up a whole new room from scratch, and 2. setting it up for a baby. Despite having a bunch of nieces and nephews, I know very little about them. I am at a loss when it comes to useful and practical ways to organize a nursery (including all the stuff babies come with) for both efficiency and good looks. Help!!!

So if you have any advice for me (resources, your own insights, where to start, what not to do), I would LOVE to hear it! And I really, really, really, really REALLY hate to say this (because facebook is pretty much enough social media for me), but … should I join Pinterest?

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