If something tends to fall out when you open your kitchen cabinet or closet or if you choose your outfit for the day based on what is clean on top of the laundry basket in your bedroom, you are not alone. Many of us with busy lives struggle with clutter and organization.

And, while we will never alphabetize our spices or color code our closets, our homes are not like those you see on an episode of "Hoarders." We do clean our bathrooms, wash our dishes, vacuum our carpets, mop our kitchen floors and dust. (Well, occasionally we dust.) Rather, there are parts of our homes that suffer because of lack of attention.

The main problem areas are the closets, the garage and the basement. These places often become catchalls for anything that is not needed immediately. This may include craft projects, such as that bench you bought at a yard sale with hopes to refinish it, the pair of pants that need to be hemmed or that Christmas present you bought way in advance.

At our house, our basement is home to a full warehouse of sports equipment that covers all seasons, such as extra golf clubs; a hockey bag complete with skates; both softball and baseball bats along with cleats; and the assortment of soccer balls, basketballs and volleyballs.

Then, there is the junk drawer. Here is where you will find buttons, receipts, the instruction book for an old blender, spools of thread, zip ties, coins and other assorted "treasures."

While it is easy to wash and dry clothing, the laundry that makes it to the bedroom somehow never gets put away. That is when the bedroom chair comes into play. This is where clothes that are not quite dirty enough to be put in the laundry live alongside clothes that are not clean enough to be hung in the closet. Some call it the clothes pile or the "chairdrobe" (chair plus wardrobe). Benches can also qualify for this designation.

One professional organizer suggests going into the problem areas each day, such as the basement or garage, to sort and throw away unneeded items. She advises people to set the timer on their phones for 10 minutes. Apparently, 10 minutes is the perfect time to get some work done without becoming frustrated.

I have nothing against cleaning or organizing and often donate unused items to the local thrift stores, which are desperately in need of donations. Proceeds from these stores benefit people in need.

The problem, as usual, seems to be time. We are all so busy with work and family obligations. Plus, there are TV shows to binge, Phillies games to watch, books to be read, flowers to be picked and trails to be explored - along with the dogs. Parents have ballgames to attend, birthday parties to plan and children to chauffeur to all of their many activities.

Although our homes may not be Martha Stewart perfect, they are places where family and friends feel comfortable, safe and loved. We don't mind a few dog or cat hairs that the vacuum misses; the occasional jacket, pair of shoes or backpack left by the doorway; or the throw rug that covers the grape juice stain in the carpet.

And if that rare day finally comes when there are no errands to run or sports games to watch or if rain precludes an extended dog walk, we may spend some time tackling that junk drawer, closet, garage or basement. Someday, we may even alphabetize our spices and color code our closet.