The trusty MIL has the greatest phrase.? It is all purpose for that time when someone calls and says, “Oh I’m in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop in for a cup of coffee.? How’s 5 minutes sound?”? You look around and think, I can’t have someone see my house like this.? I live in squalor.? Mother, just use your imagination would you.? Then you thing, WTF?? Coffee?? I’ve been drinking crappy ass Lipton’s for 2 weeks because I can’t get my sorry butt to mega coffee chain to buy more.? Don’t you see the dark circles under my eyes?? Sure, tea has more caffeine.?? I’m not into specifics here.? Either way her term is “shove and stuff.”? Pile the laundry into baskets and stuff them into closets.? Throw all the dirty dishes under the sink (cause I’ve never done that).
Anyway, my desk was about to collapse under the weight of all the stuff on it.? The paper was beginning to form a collective and I am certain it was plotting to take over.? So I cleaned it.? Take that stupid desk.
Ok, so it wasn’t so much clean as a big ol’ shove and stuff.? I crammed stuff into the closet, I threw things into drawers, I made one pile on the corner of my desk so big that I think it might be regrouping.? But for the moment I can breathe a sigh of relief.? The evil paper overlords are at bay.
LOL! That’s one thing I love about diaper boxes! They’re my “catch-all” since the laundry baskets are usually full of laundry or toys.
The best place to hide stuff (especially if you never do laundry) is the dryer. i have done this many times – once we had a Christmas party and I had all the tops to the catering trays which of course I didn’t want to throw out so I could use them again so they all went into the dryer.
I am a proud “shove and stuff”er but i’ve never know what that particular cleaning method is called. Glad to know it now.
It is also, apparently, the method I used when I packed up my house and moved to this one. I am still finding the WEIRDEST things in every box I open. (yes i’m still opening boxes. yes it has been 10 months since i moved)
There’s no better therapy than shoving and stuffing! 🙂
Off topic: Who is it that’s obsessed with the pistachio! I better not be NEAL. And I must be missing something, and I think I’ve had a horrible run-in with pistachio. I had pistachio ice cream once, and it was horrible. Please tell me others have better run-ins, you must. You really, really must because it keeps creeping into the top 4, and if I’m going to have to eat said pistachio and dark chocolate in my mixed chocolates, I’d really like someone to tell me how yummy it is.
And Elle, I’d like to say I’m beyond the shove and stuff … but I lie. NEAL laughs at me when I run around the house sweeping and wiping and throwing stuff in the closet. For more “controlled chaos.” There are a growing few who I’ll relax around, mostly doing a couple quick things out of politeness and so there is room to sit if it’s been a particularly long week. But I think more of us are shove and stuffers or last minute cleaners than will admit. I admit. Shove it! Stuff it!
Oh … did that come out wrong? 😉
It looks better when you put post-its on the piles that say “file” and “to do”. It’s makes it more “official.”
Oooh … I must buy post-its.
And I really do want to know if pistachio flavored stuff can really be good. I think I had some crap ice cream. Someone? Eloquent pistachio poetry? Prepare me for my mixed box …
I love my piles. They are everywhere. All sorts of them.
And since I’m somewhat spoiled with square-footage I shove everything into the office and close the door when people come over. Same with my bedroom. And then I blame the remaining mess on the fact that I have two toddlers, ’nuff said.
Chickadee – I keep voting for milk chocolate, raspberry and vanilla just so you know. 🙂
Harlequin … you had me at “piles.”
I work in the midst of opened mail, books, dust, nail files, photos and a cat. You need to sign up for a coffee delivery service. No woman should be without coffee…my heart dropped to the floor for you.
I’m in recovery (i haven’t started the declutter part but i’m planning on it!!) and this book
http://www.amazon.com/Outwitting-Clutter-Ingenious-Space-Saving-Apartment/dp/1585742716/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-6595470-2427104?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194453706&sr=1-1
is humorous and reasonable and if i ever finsh it i will be “clean”. i have now decided (this minute) that i am not going to accept my mess as “just a part of who i am”. i am putting this on my goals to accomplish next year (then i won’t have to do anything until january, yay!) 🙂 i am going to start visualizing my office tidy starting now….
I used to be a shove and stuffer. The second child has me on guerrilla training for keeping things put away – anything she can reach will get put in her mouth, dragged across the carpet, and put somewhere I’ll find it six months after I desperately took the house apart looking for it.
Of course, three inches beyond her reasonable grasp? Clutter.
Wow! If this doesn’t capture my life than nothing does, Squalor Friend. I do my darndest to avoid random drop-ins for the same reason. In addition to the shoving and stuffing, I have to contend with my crazy, licking, barking little dog who intimidates/annoys/drives crazy any visitors. It’s a joy to walk into my loud, cluttered little home, I’m sure. Thanks for posting about chocolate and insanity.