I really appreciate the links and all the ideas! The only reason I want to start with the kitchen is I love to cook and the clutter frustrates me, when I can't get to a shelf to get an ingredient or grab a seasoning because there's bags from Walmart or the Goodwill or the Dollar store or 12 packs of Diet Coke in the way, I find myself getting so frustrated that I wanna act like a two-year old having a tantrum. The reason it frustrates me is because I know I, too am part of the problem.
But I would also like to try the master bedroom too. My husband and I try to get our "sides" controlled but the room is tiny enough as it is without all the stuff that's on the floor. We have to keep putting up air conditioning units during the summer and my husband takes them down during fall and winter. Nowadays we just have them lying in a corner, the one in our bedroom is sitting by our door, the one from the office is by the already tight hallway. I was hoping we could just store them close by maybe the linen closet just so they're not too far to carry (they're heavy!) when we need them.
Also the idea of giving my MIL her own space to clutter, I guess sounds good. But in the old apartment, the reason why she was sleeping in the living room was because her own bedroom was full of stuff. When we were moving, she packed her own stuff and my husband strongly believes that she hardly threw anything away. We have boxes upon boxes of cookbooks and Taste of Home editions all in the basement because she can't put them in shelves (she keeps saying she will but her hands are bad).
We are all guilty of the "I know I have a/an *insert random item here* but I cannot find it in this mess so let me buy a new one".
But this year I will definitely discipline myself. I've been picking up more, giving myself at least fifteen minutes a day to do something. I know i can do this slowly and I have tried in the past (do the kitchen one day, then the living room next, etc) but after a week whatever I've cleared is back to being cluttered again. This shouldn't disappoint me or dishearten my efforts but they did and they do. I have to be stronger.
Example. One of my days off I organized the pantry, cleared the floor around it, threw away empty boxes, etc. There was actually NOTHING sitting on the kitchen floor, not a bag, nothing. My MIL came home from work. "Oh wow! Look at this! You cleaned! OMG it looks so good! Thank you thank you!" Promptly drops her purse, her plastic bags of lunch, and big ass cup and leaves her shoes by the door. *sigh*