We have so much stuff! I’m bad about clutter but compared to Vince, I’m so neat! He just doesn’t notice clutter. He keeps buying more stuff because he can’t find his other stuff!
There are a couple of things where I really stand my ground. One is that I don’t want junk left on the table. If I’m going to cook, I’m not going to clean the table off before we eat. I finally got a big Rubbermaid bucket and anything left on the table goes in there. When it’s full (and yes, it gets full often), I’ll get another one and put the junk in there. Then Vince will come in and say “Have you seen this . . or that?” And I say “If you left it on the table, it’s in one of those Rubbermaid buckets in the garage.” You’d think he’d learn but so far, he hasn’t.
The other area where I won’t budge, and I know a lot of you know how I feel . . is that the garage is for cars! The metal barn out back or one of the storage units we have rented for the past few years . . that’s for worthless junk but my car is going in the garage. I don’t mind if it’s tight in there and we have lots of stuff in there but the cars are going in the garage.
Except, when Vince started building the chicken coop over two months ago, he started it in the garage on the side where Chad parks his car. Chad was away at school still so I figured that wouldn’t be a problem. The chicken coop construction project got moved to the barn out back but stuff stayed in the garage so that Chad’s car couldn’t get in the garage. Seems like every day for the past month, since Chad got home, I say “Vince, do you think you can get the garage cleaned out soon?” The answer is always the same . . “Yes, maybe this weekend!” It never happend.
This weekend, I put my foot down. The big hangup seemed to be two pieces of plywood that Vince hadn’t needed and wanted to return to the lumberyard. Sunday morning, I said “Vince! This has been going on for a month. Take the wood back today! PLEASE!”
He did! That was so simple. Why didn’t I say that a month ago? He cleaned (according to his definition of clean) Chad’s side of the garage. Vince and Chad have been watching all these “man cave” shows on TV and they can tell you what kind of man cave all the famous people have. Vince turned Chad’s side of the garage into his “man cave” . . just for Chad to see when he drove up from work.
Problem was, Vince thought it was 4:00 when it was really 3:00 and Chad didn’t get off work til 4:00 so he had to sit there and drink a few beers while waiting for Chad. And, other people passed and saw this sight! 🙂 Vince still had so much stuff sitting around that I wasn’t sure Chad could get his car in so I was re-arranging and whole time Vince was complaining . . women can’t be in a man cave . . that’s why it’s called a MAN CAVE! Only problem dear .. this is a garage and there’s still too much junk for Chad to get his car in. This side of the garage is deep. You can actually pull one car all the way up and put another car behind it and we couldn’t manage to get one car in there! It’s clean now and Chad can park his car inside again. All is well at our house! 🙂
Judy in Michigan says
Ah yes, stuff on the kitchen table! That is my big bugaboo too! I like the idea of the tubs – I’ll have to try that. Trouble is, when he can’t find something, he asks me to find it !! But the best part of the post was the picture of Vince. That needs to be framed. I love it!!
Linda says
Ah yes, the “man cave.” I suppose our sewing rooms would qualify as a “woman cave” don’t you? My husband has tons of gun stuff, fishing stuff, old car stuff, etc. It got to the point that, even though we had an oversized two car garage, that he built another two car garage…..and they are both stuffed. How many old lawn mowers does one man need? He can clean in the garages all weekend and come Monday morning [trash day] there might be one trash bag out by the street. Men!!
Cari in Calif says
We have an over sized garage too. And we just finished building a 24X24 Man Cave in the backyard. This is part of our ‘kitchen of my dreams remodel’ that was promised to me back in 2002 to convince me to live in a downsized house. My car guy is in car guy heaven. My kitchen is the most unpleasant place to prepare a meal. I love to cook. The contractor, a cabinet maker and person who is drawing the kitchen plans are coming tonight. I hope this works out. My husband is a Bud Light guy like Vince.
Nancy says
Hubby and I are “having words” about a garage sale. I want to put all the stuff out that we haven’t used in the past 3 years since we lived here. He thinks we will need it someday. I hate to break it to him, but I am NOT going camping…in a tent…ever again, we don’t need the “nice wood desk that I will take up wall space” in our SMALLER RETIREMENT HOME… I am a “get it out” kind of person (even in the sewing room!) and he is a “someday we might need it” kind of person.
And I am also stewing because my trash man hasn’t come yet. He is always here by 5:30am and it’s 11am and my trash is still sitting at the curb, I hate that…
It looks, well like trashy….
Alison says
There was a lady once who filled boxes with stuff left around the house by her husband & kids, then once a week sold the boxes on ebay – all lucky dip, you could end up with a box with smelly trainers and socks, but some people got really nice stuff, like computer games – I shouldn’t think it took long to train her family LOL!!
Evelyn says
Too funny! My Mom and Dad were like that – and Mom’s solution was 2 houses – near each other. Dad wasn’t allowed to bring any “stuff” into Mom’s house. Growing up – I thought it was normal. You have to understand Mom’s point of view though -my Dad saves everything , every can, jar, container, etc. – even going so far as to carefully unwrap Hershey Kisses and he saves those little squares of foil. When you go to Dad’s you have to clear off a chair to sit and then “find” a spot on the floor to put the stuff from the chair. A disease really. Cheers!
Kathy Wagner says
Oh my goodness Judy…you had me laughing today! Love the Man Cave story!
Theresa says
Have you ever heard the saying that “Only in America, do we drive $40,000 vehicles, and leave them parked outside because the garage is full of junk!”
That’s not true at my house. We have the cars, hot tub, shelf, trash can and the dogs bed. That’s it. Plenty of room for the cars! Now the bar in my kitchen………..that’s a different story!!! LOL!!
Diane H in Alaska says
Well, it’s just the opposite at my house. My husband is all about getting rid of “stuff”. I have been cleaning out my sewing area and extra bedroom for company to come soon. Alot of totes of fabric are in the garage and he doesn’t want them back in the house this winter but where else can I put them. I am not willing to get rid of the fabric. So we are at a standstill. I am up for suggestions.
Peggy says
Too funny!!!! I understand completely. Never do anything today that can be put off until tomorrow or a later date. Never get rid of something that might be used again some other day. (I am bad at this one myself.) Never put anything away! You are just too funny Judy, putting into print your frustrations that others also suffer.
Marilyn says
Oh, how I can relate with you and Nancy. We do get one card in the garage, but barely. Then, there is the top of his bureau, the chair infront of my closet, the computer area, and his art aea. At least I got my Millie in here, but his stuff is creeping into my movement path. I could go on and on!
Marilyn (IQuiltToo)
Linda says
I can totally relate. We have a 2 1/2 car garage and are lucky when we can get one vehicle in it. We have a small counter beside our stove as you come into the kitchen. My husband is always putting his stuff on this counter. It just kept piling up. When I would mention the mess, he would say that it was good stuff and he’d take care of it. I finally got tired of waiting for him to clean it up so about a year ago I bought a large plastic basket and put this stuff in it and put it on a shelf in the laundry room. Now if something sits on that counter for longer than 2 days, it goes into the basket. Some of these ” oh so important” items have lived in that basket for the entire year!
Linda (Petey) says
Judy,
I feel your pain. At our house we have blinders…I see DH’s stuff and he sees mine!!
Problems! I’ve promised to take care of, give away, dump some of my ‘stuff’ until I can find what I need. Hopefully DH will follow suit (?).
I want to live that simple, clutter free life; but we have been gifted so many nice things they are hard to part with. Someone said, ‘take a picture, keep the love, and get rid of the thing’. Good advice…I’m going to try.
Marla says
I have given up hope at my house. We have everything BUT cars in our garage. Sigh.
Sandy says
I can totally relate to this. We can only park one car (mine!) in our 2 car garage because my husband flies/collects/builds remote controlled airplanes. Talk about an expensive hobby! At $200.00- $500.00 a plane, it sure buys me much leverage in fabric! Where does he build them? Oh, on the “workbench” which is my freezer chest. It is an old one but works great and filled with food. Sooo, when I can’t get in there because stuff is piled on top of it, he takes me out to eat. ( Boy, am I getting fat!)
Building another 2 car garage in back houses the boat (nice 19 foot Triton bass boat…hasn’t been out of the garage in 4 years but maybe next year.) Also, the bikes, riding lawn mower, ,etc. I think alot of us have the same problem, lol.
AnnieO says
My DH insists that both of our cars get parked in the garage. We do have the sides lined and some overhead racks hanging down that are full, but never do I want to pay to store extra stuff. I really stop and think when I buy something if there will be a place for it to live, especially large decorative items like fall scarecrows or Christmas yard decor. Right now I am bothered by all the closets and cupboards and drawers in my house being so full that I can’t put anything new away. Time for a big cleanout, but boy, that’s not fun! A couple of summers ago DH and I spent about a week cleaning out our office of old files. I joked that the house is no longer drifting to the northwest because all that paper weight is gone! But we are back to loads of unfiled papers and junk. Sigh. It’s like dishes and laundry, neverending!
Eileen Keane says
I’m the culprit with horizontal surfaces. Mike says if and when we get a new kitchen, all the counters will slope so I can’t leave anything on them.
But……downstairs in the garage/basement is another story. He’s got everything from an old BBQ grill to an old weight bench to a Gammill box lined up where a car should go. It’s deep enough for 2 cars one behind the other but we haven’t put a car in there in at least 3-4 years.
I’m not even going to discuss his office. 🙁
Deb says
Maybe this is a coincidence, maybe not. You know how one thing leads to another…One of the photos on a blog that I was reading/checking-out yesterday was of the blogger’s sewing room. In the photo was a little wooden sign, maybe 6″x12″, that said “It is what it is”. Well, I LOVE that saying and use it often. I proceeded to “comment” to the blogger as to where she obtained the sign from….turns out it was from SawdustNstitches, an etsy seller. In checking out the etsy site I came across two signs that made me think back to your post,
“DAD CAVE”, and “MAN CAVE”…Does Vince decorate his Man Cave? Maybe a sign, or two would be a welcome addition to his space~~just had to share this with you~~~
Alycia says
Love the rubbermaid bucket ideas!! Will you come yell at my men??