Hurricane Naomi. That’s what my Dad called me when I lived at home.

Forever leaving a trail of discarded CDs, art supplies and dirty clothes behind me in each room I frequented. Moving out of home at 19 and into a student house raised the bar of my tidiness ever so slightly. I became irked by dishes left undone and liked to be able to see my bedroom floor. But I began to surround myself with little piles of things that were never really put in place, just shuffled. Organised chaos I believe the term is.

Then I met Gavin. Seven years older than me, he was the kind of guy who always had clean sheets, neatly trimmed nails and an ensuite that never had any man-grime about it. All of a sudden, I became aware of my own tidying habits (or lack thereof). I began making sure the bedroom in my shared house was always presentable, washing actually went into my washing basket and I started to feel a bit more adult and a bit less… Hurricane.

As the years have slipped by and as my living spaces have increased in size, I’ve become a bit better at naturally cleaning up after myself. I like a beautifully clean kitchen every night before I go to bed. I like to wash my sheets once a week (or fortnight, should time and life escape me). Thanks to the spin mop I bought from unclutterer, when I leave the kitchen at night, it doesn’t have so much as a speck of dirt on its while tiles. And although my side of the bedroom always has a little more… “Character” than Gavin’s side, I make a conscious effort to prevent my clothes from getting 10 items deep on the bedroom chair.

(Am I the only one that can’t have seating in my bedroom without it inevitably becoming a chairdrobe?)

I often wonder if this will always be our dynamic, Gavin naturally tidy and me naturally, not. Or will I one day turn into some kind of Kon Mari minimalist Goddess who folds socks and catches dust as it falls? Perhaps it’s something that just comes with age and stage? I’ve noticed that becoming a Mum has definitely made me a little more house proud and organised than my pre-mum days. Probably out of the necessity of nail polishes being put out of reach (I won’t make that mistake again) and the ever growing pile of children’s dirty clothes to wash.

I’m curious, who’s the tidy vs messy one in your relationship?
Are any of you a little… eh, loose with your object placement… like me?
And lastly, anyone successfully turned themselves into a neat and tidy person when they weren’t before?
Tips and tricks towards your transformation gratefully received.