When decluttering takes all day.

Sometimes decluttering is a multi-step process.  Case in point, the bathroom 'catch all'.

Step one: you see the mess.

Step two: you throw away everything that is obviously garbage, plus your purple eyeshadow and any random cologne samples that smell like surface cleaner.

This is as far as you can go in the few minutes in between making food for the minions and the other aspects of life that are encroaching on your 'organize my bobby pin' time.  Or whatever you collect.  So you take a break.

Several hours later you have a five minute lull in the colicky baby crying, and for a brief moment you are the sole person awake in the apartment.  Quickly now, don't waste time.

Step three: you go through the pile again.  This time you remove everything that doesn't belong there; medication (which prob. shouldn't be right where the 2 year old can eat it.  Although, how much damage could he really do with saline drops and old tums?  Still, bad mothering all 'round.) book covers, dirty laundry (why, Lord?  Why?) jewellery, etc.

This is as far as you can go, because the magically vibrating basinette isn't shaking, er, gently caressing your child fast enough and she's awake from her 4 minute beauty rest ready to vomit in your hair again.

Some indeterminate amount of time later, this time one handed as you hold the baby in your other arm, you forge ahead.

Step four:  You gather together like items.  All the bits of shaving whatever they ares that fit together in some fashion to remove male facial hair go into a Ziploc bag.  All the makeup you never wear and more than likely bought for your wedding goes into another bag.  Etc.  Finally, to prevent the area from reverting to a catch-all you take away the tempting flat surface and replace it with a more compact holder.

And there you have it.  Sometimes it takes all day.