Today I finally cleaned house.
Mopped, vacuumed, laundry, windows, dusting, tidied playroom...
It's a good thing too because last night I was about to lose it.
The kids were a little out of control (not abnormal for a Sunday) and the house was a disaster (also typical for Sundays).
There was a moment when I think was going to go completely berserk.
Everywhere I turned something else was being spilled, another cupboard or garbage can was being emptied, another kid was crying or hitting or whining or screaming, and I just could not put out each fire fast enough.
I was pretty exhausted after a few weeks of parties, visitors, staying up late, the transition into summer schedule (or lack thereof) and the chaos just felt like too much.
I'm proud to say I didn't actually lose it - no yelling, screaming, crying, huffing or puffing or gnashing of teeth.
I stay pretty calm, though the smoke was building inside.
I kept it together.
It was a miracle.
Summer has been great so far, but it definitely was catching up with me.
And it for sure has caught up with the house.
I know I'm not the best housekeeper.
I let a lot of things go when it comes to cleaning house - mostly to keep my sanity and my family's.
I try to keep it pretty clean and tidy, but I don't want it (nor do I let it) control my days or my mood.
But it can get to a point when I can no longer stand it.
All I see (and feel) are the sticky spots on the floor, we're all running out of clean clothes in our drawers, I get tired of stepping over toys spilling out of the play room or stepping on them in the middle of the night while helping a kid back to bed, the bathrooms are starting to smell, and I no longer can ignore the crumbs all over the carpet. Oh, and there's that food (I hope it's food) that's smeared on the walls and the finger prints all over the windows and the grout we thought was dark but really isn't...
And I just can't keep up.
Even though I get overwhelmed and feel like I'm fighting a battle I can't win, I feel good about the balance that I've found between keeping house and raising children.
Some days that means that the house is messier than we'd all like because we're busy with the kids.
Actually, that's most days :)
I have not mastered the talent of keeping a clean house and interacting with my kids.
Kids just seem to come with a mess :)
And I know I will miss all those messes when the kids have grown.
We try our best and it's pretty awesome that the kids help me.
I like that they see me mopping the floors and scrubbing the toilets and folding the laundry, and then feel good about helping me out.
I like that they know that we all have responsibilities - dad does, mom does, and they all do too.
I like that they know that work needs to get done before we can play.
My expectations definitely aren't too high, but we work before play.
We try to most days.
And that feels great.
I try not to apologize when people come over and try to ignore the embarrassment I feel.
I tell myself "it's OK - you are pregnant, you have four little kids, it's a Sunday, don't worry about it, you're doing your best, it's not that bad, you have other talents, maybe they won't notice, you can always clean another day..." to make it feel a little better.
Usually it works. At least well enough.
And then after they leave I take a deep breath and remind myself it's still OK.
When it's all said and done, it's not about cleaning my house for the people that come over.
I feel better when our house is clean.
I think we all feel better when our house is clean.
It feels great being a good keeper of this house.
It feels great accomplishing things I've set out to do.
And so I keep trying to get a little better at this job I'm not really that good at.
We also try to do something every day that we don't want to do.
Because it feels pretty great to do something you didn't think you could or ever would.
Those are the opportunities in life for growth - doing things you don't want to do and then realizing it wasn't so bad and there's still time to do things you want to do.
It feels great knowing we can do hard things :)
I am not one that truly enjoys cleaning.
I enjoy a clean house, but I don't enjoy to clean.
But I try, and I plug away, and I do the best I can.
Ultimately, that is the lesson I want to teach my kids.
More than the importance of keeping a spotless house.
But tonight I'm going to enjoy this clean house of ours (and maybe some time in the hot tub).
Because tomorrow it will be a complete mess again :)
P.S. I completely admire those who are able to keep a spotless house! It is an incredible talent/ability that I recognize I don't have, but secretly wish I did :) I don't believe that having a clean house means that you are neglecting your kids. I know plenty of incredible parents that also are incredible housekeepers. In fact, I live amongst an abnormal amount of those kinds of people and I love and respect them deeply. I just am not one of those select few :)
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Thanks for stopping by!
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Bathroom
Bathroom
If you have more than one bathroom, you can decide if you want to work on multiple bathrooms simultaneously or if you want to schedule other weeks for your other bathrooms.
Day 1::clean up. you're probably catching on to the pattern by now. day one is your normal cleanup. put everything in its place. throw away all garbage and remove any items that do not belong in this room. clean the toilet. clean the tub/shower. clean the counter/sink. empty the trash. clean the mirror. sweep and mop. whatever you do for a normal bathroom cleaning, do that today.
for an extra sparkle, windex all surfaces after you clean them with your normal cleaner.
Day 2::wipe down. get your bleach water and rag. wipe all walls, baseboards, door frames, air vents, top edges of bath/shower, door knobs - basically anything you can wipe down that you don't normal get to on the normal bathroom cleaning days. get in all the nooks, crannies, and corners.
if there are any decorative items on your walls that you do not love, get rid of them.
Day 3::cupboards, drawers, shelves. this is the declutter day. take everything out of your cupboards, drawers, and shelves. sort through it all. throw away anything you can - empty toothpaste tubes, old toothbrushes, broken hair elastics, anything you can get rid of. consolidate anything you can - bandaids, Q-tips, cotton balls, tampons, whatever you have in your cupboards that you can consolidate, do it.
do you have hair product, lotions, nail polishes, makeup that you never ever use but you continue to store? get rid of it. i dare you. keep only the things you use, and the things you love.
if you are low on anything, make note on your shopping list of what you need to stock up on.
wipe out every drawer and wipe off every shelf/cupboard.
put everything back in a neat, organized way.
if you need any storage containers, make note of what you want to purchase and plan when you want to purchase it.
Day 4::wash towels, bath mats, & shower curtain. pretty self explanatory. wash and dry all towels and bath mats. fold them neatly and put them away. do it all today - don't leave them sitting in your laundry room for a week.
wash your shower curtain.
if it's nasty, make note to buy a new one.
Day 5::fix its. make a list of all the things that need to be fixed or replaced in your bathroom. light bulbs, towel racks, knobs and hinges, missing shower curtain rings, bath mats, anything you can think of. if you can fix it/replace it today, do it. if you can't do it today, make note of what you want to buy and when.
you won't regret getting some of these little projects done.
P.S. What is your favorite bathroom cleansers? How do you solve hard water problems? How in the world do you clean glass shower doors??? Especially ones that have had hard water stains on them for years and years? Please share any tips and/or secrets you have for getting your bathroom sparkling clean.
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Living Room
::So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kids Bedroom
Thanks for stopping by!
If you have more than one bathroom, you can decide if you want to work on multiple bathrooms simultaneously or if you want to schedule other weeks for your other bathrooms.
Day 1::clean up. you're probably catching on to the pattern by now. day one is your normal cleanup. put everything in its place. throw away all garbage and remove any items that do not belong in this room. clean the toilet. clean the tub/shower. clean the counter/sink. empty the trash. clean the mirror. sweep and mop. whatever you do for a normal bathroom cleaning, do that today.
for an extra sparkle, windex all surfaces after you clean them with your normal cleaner.
Day 2::wipe down. get your bleach water and rag. wipe all walls, baseboards, door frames, air vents, top edges of bath/shower, door knobs - basically anything you can wipe down that you don't normal get to on the normal bathroom cleaning days. get in all the nooks, crannies, and corners.
if there are any decorative items on your walls that you do not love, get rid of them.
Day 3::cupboards, drawers, shelves. this is the declutter day. take everything out of your cupboards, drawers, and shelves. sort through it all. throw away anything you can - empty toothpaste tubes, old toothbrushes, broken hair elastics, anything you can get rid of. consolidate anything you can - bandaids, Q-tips, cotton balls, tampons, whatever you have in your cupboards that you can consolidate, do it.
do you have hair product, lotions, nail polishes, makeup that you never ever use but you continue to store? get rid of it. i dare you. keep only the things you use, and the things you love.
if you are low on anything, make note on your shopping list of what you need to stock up on.
wipe out every drawer and wipe off every shelf/cupboard.
put everything back in a neat, organized way.
if you need any storage containers, make note of what you want to purchase and plan when you want to purchase it.
Day 4::wash towels, bath mats, & shower curtain. pretty self explanatory. wash and dry all towels and bath mats. fold them neatly and put them away. do it all today - don't leave them sitting in your laundry room for a week.
wash your shower curtain.
if it's nasty, make note to buy a new one.
Day 5::fix its. make a list of all the things that need to be fixed or replaced in your bathroom. light bulbs, towel racks, knobs and hinges, missing shower curtain rings, bath mats, anything you can think of. if you can fix it/replace it today, do it. if you can't do it today, make note of what you want to buy and when.
you won't regret getting some of these little projects done.
P.S. What is your favorite bathroom cleansers? How do you solve hard water problems? How in the world do you clean glass shower doors??? Especially ones that have had hard water stains on them for years and years? Please share any tips and/or secrets you have for getting your bathroom sparkling clean.
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Living Room
::So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kids Bedroom
Thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Living Room
Confession::I no longer have any motivation to do spring cleaning.
I'm just trying to keep my head above water with normal housework - and it's only gonna get harder once summer kicks in and all we want to do is play.
Oh...and this growing belly.
That makes it a little more difficult too. :)
But I know nesting will kick in again in a few weeks.
It always happens right before baby comes.
But whether or not I get to all of my deep spring cleaning before baby comes (or before fall comes back around), I'm going to document my plan of actual so I can refer to it whenever the urge to spring clean comes around. Even if it doesn't happen until next spring :)
Living Room
Day 1::clean up. put everything away. pick everything up off the floor. clean off every surface. remove anything from the room that does not belong there. remove any decorate item or picture from the wall that you do not love. throw away any trash (check under couch cushions!) vacuum.
Day 2::dust. dust every surface. dust every decorative item. dust under every decorative item. dust picture frames. dust light fixtures and lamps. dust the top of door frames and book shelves.
Day 3::windows & blinds. clean the windows. inside & out (if possible). clean window frames and window sills. clean window tracks. wipe blinds. wash curtains if you can. clean any other glass (mirrors, picture frames, etc.) in the room while you have the windex out.
Day 4::book shelves. remove everything from book shelves. only put back items and books that you love and want to keep. if you are unsure about items, try removing them for awhile and see if you miss them. put everything back in a neat, organized way. consider boxes or magazine organizers for a less cluttered look.
Day 5::wipe down. get a bucket of water + all purpose cleaner + rag. wipe down the walls, baseboards, door frames, door knobs, chair rails, air vents, anything that you can possibly wipe down in the entire room. you will be surprised how much of a difference this makes!
Enjoy your clean living room!
Maybe invite over some guests to enjoy it with you :)
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kids' Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
Thanks for stopping by!
I'm just trying to keep my head above water with normal housework - and it's only gonna get harder once summer kicks in and all we want to do is play.
Oh...and this growing belly.
That makes it a little more difficult too. :)
But I know nesting will kick in again in a few weeks.
It always happens right before baby comes.
But whether or not I get to all of my deep spring cleaning before baby comes (or before fall comes back around), I'm going to document my plan of actual so I can refer to it whenever the urge to spring clean comes around. Even if it doesn't happen until next spring :)
Living Room
Day 1::clean up. put everything away. pick everything up off the floor. clean off every surface. remove anything from the room that does not belong there. remove any decorate item or picture from the wall that you do not love. throw away any trash (check under couch cushions!) vacuum.
Day 2::dust. dust every surface. dust every decorative item. dust under every decorative item. dust picture frames. dust light fixtures and lamps. dust the top of door frames and book shelves.
Day 3::windows & blinds. clean the windows. inside & out (if possible). clean window frames and window sills. clean window tracks. wipe blinds. wash curtains if you can. clean any other glass (mirrors, picture frames, etc.) in the room while you have the windex out.
Day 4::book shelves. remove everything from book shelves. only put back items and books that you love and want to keep. if you are unsure about items, try removing them for awhile and see if you miss them. put everything back in a neat, organized way. consider boxes or magazine organizers for a less cluttered look.
Day 5::wipe down. get a bucket of water + all purpose cleaner + rag. wipe down the walls, baseboards, door frames, door knobs, chair rails, air vents, anything that you can possibly wipe down in the entire room. you will be surprised how much of a difference this makes!
Enjoy your clean living room!
Maybe invite over some guests to enjoy it with you :)
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kids' Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Kids Bedroom
Ahh - so nice to have a clean, fresh, clutter-free space to retreat to at the end of each day. Wouldn't you agree?
Let's give our kids the same gift this week as we move into the -
Kids' Bedroom
If you have multiple children in multiple rooms, you can choose if you want to give each room it's own week, combine the rooms in one week, or enlist your children to do the work with/for you.
Day 1::clean it up. you know the drill - before we get into the deep cleaning, clean up the room. pick up everything off the floor. put it away or throw it away. vacuum the floor (how long has it been since you've seen your child's floor?!) clean off all surfaces. throw away trash. remove anything from the room that does not belong there - cups, pens, shoes, books, toys, extra blankets, anything that does not have a place in that bedroom.
wash all bedding, including & especially favorite blankies and/or stuffed animals.
make the bed.
get your kid, and make them climb under the bed and pull everything out from under there. help them determine what needs to be put away and what needs to be thrown away.
take a deep breath. you're off to a great start.
Day 2::dresser and closet. take everything out of the dresser. everything. remove any seasonally inappropriate clothes. put them in storage or donate them. now go through what you have left. does your child have more clothes in their drawers than they wear? is there not enough of something - underwear, socks, shirts, etc.? if there is too much, keep only what they need/love and find a place for everything else. it is ok to get rid of clothes! if there is not enough of something, mark on your calendar a time when you will go shopping for those items.
do the same in the closet.
when you have sorted through all the clothes (and removed anything from the drawers/closets that doesn't belong there) put everything back in a neat, organized way.
if you're behind on your child's laundry, go do a load now.
Day 3::wipe down. get a bucket, soapy water with a little bleach in it, an old rag, and go to town. wipe everything down. kids are messy. wipe the walls, baseboards, doors, doorknobs, window sills, bed frames, dressers, everything.
Day 4::windows and blinds. clean the windows and any other glass in the room.
wipe down the blinds and window tracks.
if there are curtains that can be washed, wash them. if not, vacuum them.
Day 5::fix it's. is there anything in this room that is broken? anything that needs replacing? if you can fix it today, do it. replace light bulbs, batteries, put pictures on the walls, etc. remove anything that is broken. if it needs to be replaced, schedule a time to find something to replace it.
Involved your kids in cleaning up their room this week.
It may not be easy or pleasant, but it is good for them to see what it takes to clean a room top to bottom. It also is good for them to see where everything needs to be put away and how to properly clean their room.
Great job this week.
Yay for Spring Cleaning!
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 2
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
Thanks for stopping by!
Let's give our kids the same gift this week as we move into the -
Kids' Bedroom
If you have multiple children in multiple rooms, you can choose if you want to give each room it's own week, combine the rooms in one week, or enlist your children to do the work with/for you.
Day 1::clean it up. you know the drill - before we get into the deep cleaning, clean up the room. pick up everything off the floor. put it away or throw it away. vacuum the floor (how long has it been since you've seen your child's floor?!) clean off all surfaces. throw away trash. remove anything from the room that does not belong there - cups, pens, shoes, books, toys, extra blankets, anything that does not have a place in that bedroom.
wash all bedding, including & especially favorite blankies and/or stuffed animals.
make the bed.
get your kid, and make them climb under the bed and pull everything out from under there. help them determine what needs to be put away and what needs to be thrown away.
take a deep breath. you're off to a great start.
Day 2::dresser and closet. take everything out of the dresser. everything. remove any seasonally inappropriate clothes. put them in storage or donate them. now go through what you have left. does your child have more clothes in their drawers than they wear? is there not enough of something - underwear, socks, shirts, etc.? if there is too much, keep only what they need/love and find a place for everything else. it is ok to get rid of clothes! if there is not enough of something, mark on your calendar a time when you will go shopping for those items.
do the same in the closet.
when you have sorted through all the clothes (and removed anything from the drawers/closets that doesn't belong there) put everything back in a neat, organized way.
if you're behind on your child's laundry, go do a load now.
Day 3::wipe down. get a bucket, soapy water with a little bleach in it, an old rag, and go to town. wipe everything down. kids are messy. wipe the walls, baseboards, doors, doorknobs, window sills, bed frames, dressers, everything.
Day 4::windows and blinds. clean the windows and any other glass in the room.
wipe down the blinds and window tracks.
if there are curtains that can be washed, wash them. if not, vacuum them.
Day 5::fix it's. is there anything in this room that is broken? anything that needs replacing? if you can fix it today, do it. replace light bulbs, batteries, put pictures on the walls, etc. remove anything that is broken. if it needs to be replaced, schedule a time to find something to replace it.
Involved your kids in cleaning up their room this week.
It may not be easy or pleasant, but it is good for them to see what it takes to clean a room top to bottom. It also is good for them to see where everything needs to be put away and how to properly clean their room.
Great job this week.
Yay for Spring Cleaning!
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 2
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Master Bedroom
Spring cleaning got put on the back burner for a couple weeks while we entered project mode.
We've been getting our backyard completely redone, a window converted to a door, tile in a bathroom, shelves in the garage, painting done in a bathroom, laundry room, and Son's room, and other little projects on the side.
It has been a little nuts around here, but we've crossed some big things off the top of our home wish list and it has been awesome!
But I haven't forgotten about my goal to spring clean and to declutter this house.
At this rate, spring cleaning will turn more into summer cleaning, but it's all good.
It'll get done and that's all that matters.
For this week of Spring Cleaning, we are moving into the --
Master Bedroom
Day 1::clean up. put everything away. take everything out of your room that does not belong in there. throw away all trash. put all clothes away. straighten night stands. do you have a pile of out-of-season clothes that need to be put into storage? put them away in storage. vacuum. wash all bedding. flip your mattress. make your bed.
Day 2::dust & wipe. dust all surfaces. dust all picture frames and decorative items. if any of these items you are having second thoughts about, take them down and move them out. de-clutter. dust lamps, fans, bedposts, headboards, TVs - everything.
wipe all baseboards and/or chair rails. wipe the walls and doors. don't forget the doorknobs and light switches.
Day 3::windows, glass, & blinds. get out the windex and paper towels and go to town on all the glass. wipe the blinds. if you have curtain that can be washed, wash them. if not, then vacuum them.
Day 4::book shelves & night stands. take everything off the shelves. wipe the shelves. only put back the things that you love and want to keep. only hang on to books you will read again. anything you are unsure about, get rid of it. put it in the donate bag or save for later bag. anything that does not belong on your bedroom shelves, put it away where it belongs. put everything back in a neat, organized fashion.
repeat with your nightstands. clean out the drawers. clean off the surfaces. throw away trash.
Day 5::fix it's. is there anything in your bedroom that needs to be fixed that you've been putting off? burned out light bulb? broken light switch plate? unfinished paint job? broken anything??? do you have pictures you've been planning on putting on your walls and haven't had a chance to?
fix whatever you can right away. if you are missing supplies or lacking time, make a plan to get what you need and schedule a time to fix it. you'll be glad you did. :)
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 2
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
Thanks for stopping by!
We've been getting our backyard completely redone, a window converted to a door, tile in a bathroom, shelves in the garage, painting done in a bathroom, laundry room, and Son's room, and other little projects on the side.
It has been a little nuts around here, but we've crossed some big things off the top of our home wish list and it has been awesome!
But I haven't forgotten about my goal to spring clean and to declutter this house.
At this rate, spring cleaning will turn more into summer cleaning, but it's all good.
It'll get done and that's all that matters.
For this week of Spring Cleaning, we are moving into the --
Master Bedroom
Day 1::clean up. put everything away. take everything out of your room that does not belong in there. throw away all trash. put all clothes away. straighten night stands. do you have a pile of out-of-season clothes that need to be put into storage? put them away in storage. vacuum. wash all bedding. flip your mattress. make your bed.
Day 2::dust & wipe. dust all surfaces. dust all picture frames and decorative items. if any of these items you are having second thoughts about, take them down and move them out. de-clutter. dust lamps, fans, bedposts, headboards, TVs - everything.
wipe all baseboards and/or chair rails. wipe the walls and doors. don't forget the doorknobs and light switches.
Day 3::windows, glass, & blinds. get out the windex and paper towels and go to town on all the glass. wipe the blinds. if you have curtain that can be washed, wash them. if not, then vacuum them.
Day 4::book shelves & night stands. take everything off the shelves. wipe the shelves. only put back the things that you love and want to keep. only hang on to books you will read again. anything you are unsure about, get rid of it. put it in the donate bag or save for later bag. anything that does not belong on your bedroom shelves, put it away where it belongs. put everything back in a neat, organized fashion.
repeat with your nightstands. clean out the drawers. clean off the surfaces. throw away trash.
Day 5::fix it's. is there anything in your bedroom that needs to be fixed that you've been putting off? burned out light bulb? broken light switch plate? unfinished paint job? broken anything??? do you have pictures you've been planning on putting on your walls and haven't had a chance to?
fix whatever you can right away. if you are missing supplies or lacking time, make a plan to get what you need and schedule a time to fix it. you'll be glad you did. :)
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 2
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 2
Phew!
The kitchen is a doozie, eh?
This week we're back in there.
We can crank it out and it will be awesome.
I'm a little behind from having kids home this week for Spring Break and Grandma coming to visit, but I plan on catching up and finishing up this week in the ---
Kitchen
Day 1::cabinets. clean out the remaining cabinets and drawers in your kitchen from last week. take everything out. wipe the inside and outside. put back only the things that you need, use, and love. get rid of anything that does not belong in those cabinets/drawers, anything that is broken, anything you don't love or have thought about getting rid of for a while. just do it.
Day 2::pantry. this can be a big or small project, depending on the size of your pantry (obviously). do your best with the time that you have. pull everything out. wipe off shelves, sweep/vacuum floor, clean it all out. throw away anything that is expired or stale. put everything back as organized and neatly as you can.
are you in need of baskets or other storage containers to help your pantry organization? make a list of what you need. schedule a time on the calendar to purchase those items. just do it! it's your pantry and you can organize how you want to. :)
Day 3::windows, blinds, light fixtures. clean all the windows. open the windows and clean out the tracks. clean the window frames and sills. wipe blinds and wash curtains (if they are washable). wipe light fixtures. while you're at it, wipe the fire alarm and any air vents.
Day 4::table & chairs. i don't know about you, but this does not happen nearly as often as it needs to in this house. don't get me wrong, it happens, but it probably needs to at least three times a day and that just doesn't happen. it's crazy how messy kids are when they eat (and color, and play, and do anything...).
i like to wipe my chairs and tables down with warm bleach water. smells so nice and does a great job disinfecting and getting the nasty gunk off.
Day 5::junk drawers. another big project depending on how many junk spots you have and how much junk you keep. :) clean out the junk drawers. throw anything away that you can - expired coupons, broken pens, empty tape dispensers, anything that can be thrown away. how much of that junk do you really need? try to get rid of a little more than you are comfortable getting rid of. you'll be glad to be free of just a lit more junk and clutter.
Maintain the Clean::
One great things I learned from my years working at White Mt. Creamery in high school is the benefit of having a bleach rag on hand. We always had a bowl with bleach water and a rag in it. Whenever we had a chance in between customers, we would wipe everything down with the bleach water. It kept the place pretty darn clean.
I have tried to use that technique in my own kitchen and it works great. Having it right there on the counter (or in the sink) reminds me to wipe everything down when we're done eating or wipe the chairs off when I get a chance.
Depending on the furniture/counters you have in your kitchen, this may not work for you, but it has worked for me. You could also keep whatever surface cleaner you prefer on hand - perhaps under the sink or next to your dish soap - as an incentive to wipe everything down. A pack of Clorox wipes would work great too.
The kitchen is done.
Way to go! That is a great feeling.
Next time you're at the grocery store, buy yourself some fresh flowers to cheer up your clean fresh kitchen.
You won't regret it!
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug
Thanks for stopping by!
The kitchen is a doozie, eh?
This week we're back in there.
We can crank it out and it will be awesome.
I'm a little behind from having kids home this week for Spring Break and Grandma coming to visit, but I plan on catching up and finishing up this week in the ---
Kitchen
Day 1::cabinets. clean out the remaining cabinets and drawers in your kitchen from last week. take everything out. wipe the inside and outside. put back only the things that you need, use, and love. get rid of anything that does not belong in those cabinets/drawers, anything that is broken, anything you don't love or have thought about getting rid of for a while. just do it.
Day 2::pantry. this can be a big or small project, depending on the size of your pantry (obviously). do your best with the time that you have. pull everything out. wipe off shelves, sweep/vacuum floor, clean it all out. throw away anything that is expired or stale. put everything back as organized and neatly as you can.
are you in need of baskets or other storage containers to help your pantry organization? make a list of what you need. schedule a time on the calendar to purchase those items. just do it! it's your pantry and you can organize how you want to. :)
Day 3::windows, blinds, light fixtures. clean all the windows. open the windows and clean out the tracks. clean the window frames and sills. wipe blinds and wash curtains (if they are washable). wipe light fixtures. while you're at it, wipe the fire alarm and any air vents.
Day 4::table & chairs. i don't know about you, but this does not happen nearly as often as it needs to in this house. don't get me wrong, it happens, but it probably needs to at least three times a day and that just doesn't happen. it's crazy how messy kids are when they eat (and color, and play, and do anything...).
i like to wipe my chairs and tables down with warm bleach water. smells so nice and does a great job disinfecting and getting the nasty gunk off.
Day 5::junk drawers. another big project depending on how many junk spots you have and how much junk you keep. :) clean out the junk drawers. throw anything away that you can - expired coupons, broken pens, empty tape dispensers, anything that can be thrown away. how much of that junk do you really need? try to get rid of a little more than you are comfortable getting rid of. you'll be glad to be free of just a lit more junk and clutter.
Maintain the Clean::
One great things I learned from my years working at White Mt. Creamery in high school is the benefit of having a bleach rag on hand. We always had a bowl with bleach water and a rag in it. Whenever we had a chance in between customers, we would wipe everything down with the bleach water. It kept the place pretty darn clean.
I have tried to use that technique in my own kitchen and it works great. Having it right there on the counter (or in the sink) reminds me to wipe everything down when we're done eating or wipe the chairs off when I get a chance.
Depending on the furniture/counters you have in your kitchen, this may not work for you, but it has worked for me. You could also keep whatever surface cleaner you prefer on hand - perhaps under the sink or next to your dish soap - as an incentive to wipe everything down. A pack of Clorox wipes would work great too.
The kitchen is done.
Way to go! That is a great feeling.
Next time you're at the grocery store, buy yourself some fresh flowers to cheer up your clean fresh kitchen.
You won't regret it!
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Kitchen 1
How did week one go?
Anybody on board with me??
Are you enjoying your clean family room???
I know I am.
Even though the craziness of the kiddos makes it hard to keep things tidy, I love knowing that the room is clean, even when it gets messy quickly.
My goal for sping cleaning is to start in the rooms I spend the most time in.
That is why I started in the family room and am moving along this week to the most used room in the house (and the biggest job), the -
Kitchen
Declutter Goal::this week, while you're putting clean dishes away each day, get rid of anything that may be broken, worn out, or taking up too much space - any water bottles with missing lids? do you have that one cereal bowl that doesn't really match and you don't need anyway because you have ten others? quickly pull anything out you don't want/need. don't go through all your cupboards now - that comes later.
Day 1::clean up. clean off counters. clean out sink. empty the dishwasher. straighten small appliances, fruit bowls - anything that is on the counters. throw away trash.
sweep the floor. mop the floor.
get the week started off right. this is the basic cleaning that your kitchen needs regularly.
Day 2::wipe down. plug the drain of your sink and fill the sink with hot water about an inch from the top. pour about 1 cup of bleach into it. set a timer for 1 hour. this is going to be the water you use to wipe down the counters, cabinet doors, and outside of appliances. you will also be sanitizing your sink in the process. yay for multitasking!
with a rag you don't care about, use the bleach water to wipe down everything - including under small appliances, outside of large appliances, counters, doorknobs, fridge handle, any surface that you can wipe down.
when the timer goes off after an hour, drain the sink and scrub with cleanser (i like soft scrub), especially around the faucet and drain. rinse and dry with a dry towel. to get an extra shine, wipe with windex. if you have a double sink, repeat the sink sanitation for the other side tomorrow while you clean out the fridge.
Day 3::clean out fridge/freezer. pull everything out of the fridge. everything. throw away anything that has expired. dump any leftovers that you do not plan to eat today or tomorrow. consolidate any doubles you have of condiments/dressings. get rid of anything that doesn't need to be in there.
wipe down inside of fridge with bleach rag before you put food back. while you're there with a rag, wipe off the top of the fridge as well. honestly, how often do you do that?
repeat with the freezer.
Day 4::clean appliances. today is the day to clean all the large appliances - oven, stove, dish washer, microwave, trash compactor (if you have one), and anything else (what else is there?). i would start with the oven. most oven cleaners require time for the cleaner to set. follow the directions of the can, set the timer, and move on to the dishwasher. this tutorial on how to clean your dishwasher works pretty well and requires that you run a couple cycles, so get the first one going.
while your oven is setting and your dishwasher is running, scrub your stove and microwave. if you have removable burners, take them off and clean under them. replace foil if you can. if the knobs are removable, take them off and clean behind them. scrub the inside of your microwave really well. remove the plate and wash thoroughly.
return to your oven and complete the instructions on the oven cleaner.
while you're running the second cycle of cleaning your dishwasher, tackle a junk drawer. don't be afraid to throw things out. file things that need to be filed. organize it as best you can. do not spend more time than it takes to wait for your dishwasher.
return to your dishwasher. scrub any spots that were missed in the cycles.
Day 5::clean out cabinets. this is a big job. we will not tackle all cabinets today, but only some. we will finish the rest next week. today we will focus on the cabinets/drawers you use the most.
for me, it would be dishes, kids ware, glasses, silverware, pots & pans, spices.
now you.
pick six or so and go to work.
pull everything out. wipe down inside and outside of those cabinets. put back only the things that you need/love. put things you don't need in the donate bag. put things you are not sure about, or seasonal items in the save for later bag. anything that is broken or cracked, or old worn out plastic dishes/cups that may not be healthy to use, throw them away.
put everything back in a neat, organized way.
take the next two days off.
tackling the kitchen is a huge job. we got the big & hard stuff done this week, but there will be more next week, so rest up.
Yay for spring cleaning!!!
Keep it up - you are doing great!
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Getting Started
Thanks for stopping by!
Anybody on board with me??
Are you enjoying your clean family room???
I know I am.
Even though the craziness of the kiddos makes it hard to keep things tidy, I love knowing that the room is clean, even when it gets messy quickly.
My goal for sping cleaning is to start in the rooms I spend the most time in.
That is why I started in the family room and am moving along this week to the most used room in the house (and the biggest job), the -
Kitchen
Declutter Goal::this week, while you're putting clean dishes away each day, get rid of anything that may be broken, worn out, or taking up too much space - any water bottles with missing lids? do you have that one cereal bowl that doesn't really match and you don't need anyway because you have ten others? quickly pull anything out you don't want/need. don't go through all your cupboards now - that comes later.
Day 1::clean up. clean off counters. clean out sink. empty the dishwasher. straighten small appliances, fruit bowls - anything that is on the counters. throw away trash.
sweep the floor. mop the floor.
get the week started off right. this is the basic cleaning that your kitchen needs regularly.
Day 2::wipe down. plug the drain of your sink and fill the sink with hot water about an inch from the top. pour about 1 cup of bleach into it. set a timer for 1 hour. this is going to be the water you use to wipe down the counters, cabinet doors, and outside of appliances. you will also be sanitizing your sink in the process. yay for multitasking!
with a rag you don't care about, use the bleach water to wipe down everything - including under small appliances, outside of large appliances, counters, doorknobs, fridge handle, any surface that you can wipe down.
when the timer goes off after an hour, drain the sink and scrub with cleanser (i like soft scrub), especially around the faucet and drain. rinse and dry with a dry towel. to get an extra shine, wipe with windex. if you have a double sink, repeat the sink sanitation for the other side tomorrow while you clean out the fridge.
Day 3::clean out fridge/freezer. pull everything out of the fridge. everything. throw away anything that has expired. dump any leftovers that you do not plan to eat today or tomorrow. consolidate any doubles you have of condiments/dressings. get rid of anything that doesn't need to be in there.
wipe down inside of fridge with bleach rag before you put food back. while you're there with a rag, wipe off the top of the fridge as well. honestly, how often do you do that?
repeat with the freezer.
Day 4::clean appliances. today is the day to clean all the large appliances - oven, stove, dish washer, microwave, trash compactor (if you have one), and anything else (what else is there?). i would start with the oven. most oven cleaners require time for the cleaner to set. follow the directions of the can, set the timer, and move on to the dishwasher. this tutorial on how to clean your dishwasher works pretty well and requires that you run a couple cycles, so get the first one going.
while your oven is setting and your dishwasher is running, scrub your stove and microwave. if you have removable burners, take them off and clean under them. replace foil if you can. if the knobs are removable, take them off and clean behind them. scrub the inside of your microwave really well. remove the plate and wash thoroughly.
return to your oven and complete the instructions on the oven cleaner.
while you're running the second cycle of cleaning your dishwasher, tackle a junk drawer. don't be afraid to throw things out. file things that need to be filed. organize it as best you can. do not spend more time than it takes to wait for your dishwasher.
return to your dishwasher. scrub any spots that were missed in the cycles.
Day 5::clean out cabinets. this is a big job. we will not tackle all cabinets today, but only some. we will finish the rest next week. today we will focus on the cabinets/drawers you use the most.
for me, it would be dishes, kids ware, glasses, silverware, pots & pans, spices.
now you.
pick six or so and go to work.
pull everything out. wipe down inside and outside of those cabinets. put back only the things that you need/love. put things you don't need in the donate bag. put things you are not sure about, or seasonal items in the save for later bag. anything that is broken or cracked, or old worn out plastic dishes/cups that may not be healthy to use, throw them away.
put everything back in a neat, organized way.
take the next two days off.
tackling the kitchen is a huge job. we got the big & hard stuff done this week, but there will be more next week, so rest up.
Yay for spring cleaning!!!
Keep it up - you are doing great!
So...you may also like::
::So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Getting Started
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
So...Spring Cleaning::Family Room
Yay for spring cleaning!
I'm really looking forward to this and hope some of your are joining along with me.
Ihave created this spring cleaning schedule for myself to help stay on track and to stay motivated.
This week I am starting in the -
Family Room
Day 1::clean it up. put things away, pick up the floor and surfaces, throw away garbage, put everything in its place. remove everything from the room that doesn't belong there. if an item belongs in another room, put it away. if you don't love it or don't use it, decide if it belongs in your donate bag, save for later bag, or the garbage.
vacuum the floor. get the hose out and vacuum all the corners and edges of the carpet. doesn't it feel better already?
Day 2::dust. dust all surfaces. take decorative items down to dust them and under them. are there any of these items you don't love? something not fit right or feel too cluttered? don't be afraid to remove it. put it in your save for later bag and see if you miss it in a week. or a month.
dust all pictures and decorative items on the walls. are there any of these you don't love? be brave. are there family pictures that need to be updated? if you already have updated pictures, switch them out. if you don't, don't rush off to a photo shoot right now. make a note on your calendar to schedule a photo shoot or to order prints next time you are out shopping.
Day 3::bookshelves & storage. straighten all books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, anything you have on your shelves. while you're at it, pull out anything you don't love, don't need, or don't want there any more.
do you have any other storage in this room? baskets, bins, cupboards, closets? do the same. go through and organize. pull out anything that doesn't belong, doesn't get used, is broken or has missing pieces, or is garbage. it's amazing what gets stashed away where the eye can't see. and it's amazing how wonderful if feels to empty, or nearly empty, a storage container. if you end up emptying one, decide whether or not you need to keep that container. you can get rid of that too!
Day 4::clean the unseen. clean those places that don't often get cleaned. do you have a ceiling fan or chandelier? time to dust it. do you have any decorative items up high? time to wipe away the cobwebs. while you're at it, check all the corners of your ceiling and air vents for cobwebs and dust too.
get a damp rag and wipe all the floorboards. its amazing how much cleaner this makes a room feel.
vacuum under couch cushions. again, it's amazing what gets stashed underneath those cushions. you might even find yourself a tip!
Day 5::windows. wash the windows. open them. wipe around the window frame, in the window track, and on the window sill. wipe (or vacuum) any cobwebs off the screens. do your screens need to be replaced? don't replace them now - make a note on your calendar to schedule that.
if you have curtains (and they are washable) wash them. if you have blinds, wipe them.
let the sunlight and fresh air in. sit down and enjoy your clean room!
So...you may also like::
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug i've caught it.
::So...Operation::Declutter My Life trying to clean up shop.
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Getting Started you gotta start somewhere.
Thanks for stopping by!
I'm really looking forward to this and hope some of your are joining along with me.
Ihave created this spring cleaning schedule for myself to help stay on track and to stay motivated.
This week I am starting in the -
Family Room
Day 1::clean it up. put things away, pick up the floor and surfaces, throw away garbage, put everything in its place. remove everything from the room that doesn't belong there. if an item belongs in another room, put it away. if you don't love it or don't use it, decide if it belongs in your donate bag, save for later bag, or the garbage.
vacuum the floor. get the hose out and vacuum all the corners and edges of the carpet. doesn't it feel better already?
Day 2::dust. dust all surfaces. take decorative items down to dust them and under them. are there any of these items you don't love? something not fit right or feel too cluttered? don't be afraid to remove it. put it in your save for later bag and see if you miss it in a week. or a month.
dust all pictures and decorative items on the walls. are there any of these you don't love? be brave. are there family pictures that need to be updated? if you already have updated pictures, switch them out. if you don't, don't rush off to a photo shoot right now. make a note on your calendar to schedule a photo shoot or to order prints next time you are out shopping.
Day 3::bookshelves & storage. straighten all books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, anything you have on your shelves. while you're at it, pull out anything you don't love, don't need, or don't want there any more.
do you have any other storage in this room? baskets, bins, cupboards, closets? do the same. go through and organize. pull out anything that doesn't belong, doesn't get used, is broken or has missing pieces, or is garbage. it's amazing what gets stashed away where the eye can't see. and it's amazing how wonderful if feels to empty, or nearly empty, a storage container. if you end up emptying one, decide whether or not you need to keep that container. you can get rid of that too!
Day 4::clean the unseen. clean those places that don't often get cleaned. do you have a ceiling fan or chandelier? time to dust it. do you have any decorative items up high? time to wipe away the cobwebs. while you're at it, check all the corners of your ceiling and air vents for cobwebs and dust too.
get a damp rag and wipe all the floorboards. its amazing how much cleaner this makes a room feel.
vacuum under couch cushions. again, it's amazing what gets stashed underneath those cushions. you might even find yourself a tip!
Day 5::windows. wash the windows. open them. wipe around the window frame, in the window track, and on the window sill. wipe (or vacuum) any cobwebs off the screens. do your screens need to be replaced? don't replace them now - make a note on your calendar to schedule that.
if you have curtains (and they are washable) wash them. if you have blinds, wipe them.
let the sunlight and fresh air in. sit down and enjoy your clean room!
So...you may also like::
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug i've caught it.
::So...Operation::Declutter My Life trying to clean up shop.
::So...Operation Declutter My Life::Getting Started you gotta start somewhere.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
So...Operation Declutter My Life::Cleaning Bug
I've caught it - the Spring cleaning bug.
Have you?
All this sunshine, warm weather, and decluttering makes me want to clean up and brighten up this house we've been couped up in all winter.
And after a first trimester and a half full of feeling sick, tired, and unmotivated, I am anxious to get things shaped up around here.
I have finally gotten the kick in the pants I needed to get things going.
Anybody care to join me???
I am no cleaning expert.
Anyone who knows me knows that I try really hard, but it's just not my strength.
I have plenty of other strengths, but cleaning - not so much.
Well, I should saying keeping my house clean. I do plenty of cleaning. Trust me.
I like to blame the messiness on the 4 1/2 kids, whether that's the reason or not :)
So I have made a plan for myself - and you, if you want to join me - to follow weekly until I've got this house cleaned top to bottom. And you know I'll be continuing to declutter through the process. Perfect opportunity to keep up with my goal to declutter my life. Yay for multitasking (or is it multigoaling...?).
So keep an eye out for my Spring Cleaning game plan.
It'll probably start Saturday-ish and will go for as many weeks as necessary.
I'm really excited and really anxious to get this started!
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Thanks for stopping by!
Have you?
All this sunshine, warm weather, and decluttering makes me want to clean up and brighten up this house we've been couped up in all winter.
And after a first trimester and a half full of feeling sick, tired, and unmotivated, I am anxious to get things shaped up around here.
I have finally gotten the kick in the pants I needed to get things going.
Anybody care to join me???
I am no cleaning expert.
Anyone who knows me knows that I try really hard, but it's just not my strength.
I have plenty of other strengths, but cleaning - not so much.
Well, I should saying keeping my house clean. I do plenty of cleaning. Trust me.
I like to blame the messiness on the 4 1/2 kids, whether that's the reason or not :)
So I have made a plan for myself - and you, if you want to join me - to follow weekly until I've got this house cleaned top to bottom. And you know I'll be continuing to declutter through the process. Perfect opportunity to keep up with my goal to declutter my life. Yay for multitasking (or is it multigoaling...?).
So keep an eye out for my Spring Cleaning game plan.
It'll probably start Saturday-ish and will go for as many weeks as necessary.
I'm really excited and really anxious to get this started!
So...you may also like::
::So... random.
::So...My Day Job i'm trying!
::So...The Move it's taken awhile but we're starting to get things settled around here.
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
So...Operation Declutter My Life::Getting Started
Oh it feels so good to clean out junk!
I'm making pretty good progress decluttering my house.
Slow, but steady. And it feels great.
I have a total of 9 bags to go to the D.I. and about 3 bags of garbage.
Crazy that there's that much extra stuff around here and probably more.
I've cleaned out our kitchen junk drawers (ahh), organized a couple closets and storage shelves, toys in the playroom, and a few other odds and ends around the house.
With four little kiddos around and the busy-ness of life, I am trying to find a little time here and a little time there to declutter. It's amazing how much can get done in between our daily activities.
A few things that have helped me get started -
1::Donate Bag. Have a place, box, or bag dedicated to things to donate. Any time I come across something I don't need or want, but it isn't trash, I put it in the bag. It helps to have a place for things I want to get rid of. It keeps me from moving unwanted items around my house from pile to pile. I keep a bag in my closet upstairs, and a bag in a closet downstairs. When a bag gets full, I move it to my trunk and haul it off to D.I.
2::Save for later Bag. Have a place, bag, or box dedicated to items I'm unsure about. Sometimes, as I'm cleaning up or decluttering I'll come across an item that I'm not sure has a place, doesn't get a lot of use, or I'm just not sure serves a purpose in my house. But I'm not sure I'm ready to get rid of it. Or perhaps I really like the item or it has sentimental value (I am super sentimental) and want to hang on to it for a while to see if I have a purpose for it later. This happens often with decorative items. It helps me to remove the item from the room and take some time to think about whether or not I really want to keep it in my house. I put these items out of sight - under my bed, or in the garage - to see if I really miss it. I can come back to these items later and make a decision on whether or not to keep them. A good rule of thumb is, if it hasn't been used in a year, I probably don't need it.
3::Touch it Once. Recently I heard about the "touch it once" rule. The idea is to put things away after they touch your hand. Don't pick something up and put it down somewhere it doesn't belong. You'll just have to pick it up again to put it away. Totally makes sense. Not so easy for me to put into practice. I am the queen of creating piles that need to go upstairs, piles that need to go downstairs, papers that need to be looked through, etc. etc. I'm trying to be better about putting things in their place, not in piles to be put away later. Following this practice really helps to decrease clutter.
This has been a good start for me.
When I get a few minutes to declutter, or even when I'm just doing daily picking up around the house, it really helps to have a system already in place for getting out the junk.
I've gotten into the habit, as I'm picking up around the house, of deciding which things need to be put away and which need to go away. Sometimes it's straight to the garbage or D.I. bag it goes.
It's working great :)
Decluttering feels so good.
For now I'm gonna keep plugging along at the house.
This week I'll be focusing on our bedrooms.
With three girls in one room, the junk really accumulates quickly :)
So...you may also like::
::So...Operations::Declutter My Life it starts.
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::So...Thankful thanksgiving 2009.
Thanks for stopping by!
I'm making pretty good progress decluttering my house.
Slow, but steady. And it feels great.
I have a total of 9 bags to go to the D.I. and about 3 bags of garbage.
Crazy that there's that much extra stuff around here and probably more.
I've cleaned out our kitchen junk drawers (ahh), organized a couple closets and storage shelves, toys in the playroom, and a few other odds and ends around the house.
With four little kiddos around and the busy-ness of life, I am trying to find a little time here and a little time there to declutter. It's amazing how much can get done in between our daily activities.
A few things that have helped me get started -
1::Donate Bag. Have a place, box, or bag dedicated to things to donate. Any time I come across something I don't need or want, but it isn't trash, I put it in the bag. It helps to have a place for things I want to get rid of. It keeps me from moving unwanted items around my house from pile to pile. I keep a bag in my closet upstairs, and a bag in a closet downstairs. When a bag gets full, I move it to my trunk and haul it off to D.I.
2::Save for later Bag. Have a place, bag, or box dedicated to items I'm unsure about. Sometimes, as I'm cleaning up or decluttering I'll come across an item that I'm not sure has a place, doesn't get a lot of use, or I'm just not sure serves a purpose in my house. But I'm not sure I'm ready to get rid of it. Or perhaps I really like the item or it has sentimental value (I am super sentimental) and want to hang on to it for a while to see if I have a purpose for it later. This happens often with decorative items. It helps me to remove the item from the room and take some time to think about whether or not I really want to keep it in my house. I put these items out of sight - under my bed, or in the garage - to see if I really miss it. I can come back to these items later and make a decision on whether or not to keep them. A good rule of thumb is, if it hasn't been used in a year, I probably don't need it.
3::Touch it Once. Recently I heard about the "touch it once" rule. The idea is to put things away after they touch your hand. Don't pick something up and put it down somewhere it doesn't belong. You'll just have to pick it up again to put it away. Totally makes sense. Not so easy for me to put into practice. I am the queen of creating piles that need to go upstairs, piles that need to go downstairs, papers that need to be looked through, etc. etc. I'm trying to be better about putting things in their place, not in piles to be put away later. Following this practice really helps to decrease clutter.
This has been a good start for me.
When I get a few minutes to declutter, or even when I'm just doing daily picking up around the house, it really helps to have a system already in place for getting out the junk.
I've gotten into the habit, as I'm picking up around the house, of deciding which things need to be put away and which need to go away. Sometimes it's straight to the garbage or D.I. bag it goes.
It's working great :)
Decluttering feels so good.
For now I'm gonna keep plugging along at the house.
This week I'll be focusing on our bedrooms.
With three girls in one room, the junk really accumulates quickly :)
So...you may also like::
::So...Operations::Declutter My Life it starts.
::So...Pinworthy::Cleaning the Dishwasher never really think to do this.
::So...Thankful thanksgiving 2009.
Thanks for stopping by!
Friday, February 22, 2013
So...Operation::Declutter My Life
I am on a mission.
A mission to declutter my life.
I have been talking to the kiddos a lot lately about simplifying things - not making things more difficult than they need to be. I want to do this too!
I want to eliminate things from my life that make life more difficult than it needs to be.
I want to spend more time on things that really matter and less time with all the clutter.
I am starting with decluttering my house.
Purging it of all unnecessary things.
I spend too much time picking up, organizing, and putting away things that I don't even care about.
It's taking too much of my time and energy that I would rather spend on other things, including just enjoying being home and enjoying being with my kids.
We've been in this house almost two years.
It is time to finish getting it in order.
I am so ready.
I have started going through our house, room by room, closet by closet, and filling garbage bags to bring to D.I. or to throw away. It is such a great feeling.
My goal for the rest of the month is to fill a bag a day.
But I'd be happy with one bag at all.
If we haven't used it in the two years we've lived here, it doesn't need a place in our home.
If we have more than one (and we don't need more than one) then it doesn't need to stay.
If I can think of someone else who would have more use of something than we would, off to their house (or D.I) it goes.
If I don't love it, I probably don't need it.
If there's not a place for it, and I can't find a place for it, then there's not a place for it here.
This week I'm tackling our CD collection and the junk drawers/piles in the kitchen.
I know it won't be easy because I'm super sentimental, especially when it comes to music.
But I know I can do it!
The decluttering begins tomorrow - for tonight, is date night.
Operation::Declutter My Life, I'm so ready for you!
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Thanks for stopping by!
A mission to declutter my life.
I have been talking to the kiddos a lot lately about simplifying things - not making things more difficult than they need to be. I want to do this too!
I want to eliminate things from my life that make life more difficult than it needs to be.
I want to spend more time on things that really matter and less time with all the clutter.
I am starting with decluttering my house.
Purging it of all unnecessary things.
I spend too much time picking up, organizing, and putting away things that I don't even care about.
It's taking too much of my time and energy that I would rather spend on other things, including just enjoying being home and enjoying being with my kids.
We've been in this house almost two years.
It is time to finish getting it in order.
I am so ready.
I have started going through our house, room by room, closet by closet, and filling garbage bags to bring to D.I. or to throw away. It is such a great feeling.
My goal for the rest of the month is to fill a bag a day.
But I'd be happy with one bag at all.
If we haven't used it in the two years we've lived here, it doesn't need a place in our home.
If we have more than one (and we don't need more than one) then it doesn't need to stay.
If I can think of someone else who would have more use of something than we would, off to their house (or D.I) it goes.
If I don't love it, I probably don't need it.
If there's not a place for it, and I can't find a place for it, then there's not a place for it here.
This week I'm tackling our CD collection and the junk drawers/piles in the kitchen.
I know it won't be easy because I'm super sentimental, especially when it comes to music.
But I know I can do it!
The decluttering begins tomorrow - for tonight, is date night.
Operation::Declutter My Life, I'm so ready for you!
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
So...Some New Looks & Change
We got some new looks around here:
After over a year of contemplating the bangs, I finally took the plunge.
I know you totally care.
And Son has officially had his first hair cut.
He still looks so different to me, but it sure is fun to rub that fuzzy head.
But hair cuts are not the only changes occurring in this household.
Changes have been popping up in all aspects of our life - some small, some big.
We're experiencing change at home, at work, and at church. But for this girl who doesn't necessarily love change, we're doing pretty great. All these changes are good changes. All present opportunity for growth and experience. I'm excited about that. I'm looking forward to something different, something to get excited about, some progression. I'm excited about a change of pace and some motivation to tackle new projects.
One of those projects is painting.
I'm actually starting to paint rooms in our house again. Yay!
After almost two years, we are almost done painting the walls.
Obviously I haven't quite gotten to Son's neon green room...but I do have the can of paint, so that's a start.
His room is next. Definitely.
I may or may not share pictures.
It just matters if I remember to take them or not - we shall see :)
Happy Short Week everyone!
Anyone else having a hard time remembering today is Tuesday?
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Friday, January 11, 2013
So...Our Job "Chart"
Teaching our kids to work and to have responsibilities around the house is important to Husband and I (like most parents) and with young kids has definitely been a work in progress. We've been trying to find a way to be consistent and to teach the kids to be motivated, take initiative, and to be held accountable for their jobs.
Every parent knows that teaching your kid to work is work for the parents as well. We have been trying to find a good system that will eventually allow the kids to become as self-sufficient and self-motivated as possible (I mean really...what kid does chores without being asked/reminded?).
After asking lots of friends what works for them and some trial and error, we have come up with a system that works pretty well. Or at least it does for us now. It's a combination of a few of our friends' systems with some tweaks of our own.
Household chores is also an opportunity to teach kids to be responsible with money as they earn wages for the work done. I know every one has a different opinion on this. Some give allowance for chores, some don't. We decided to. We pay very little, but enough to get them excited and motivated. And enough so they can save for a rainy day and opportunity to save even more if they have something specific in mind.
This is what our "chart" looks like.
It's in our kitchen under our family calendar in plain sight so they can be constantly reminded about.
It has 6 parts.
1.) Morning Things. These are the things that we want them to do every morning before school. Make bed, brush teeth, pick up clothes of their floor, put away books from the night before. If they do it, they get 5 cents. Simple enough for them to be successful everyday and hopefully develop good habits.
2.) Afternoon Things. These are to be done as soon as they come home from school. Put shoes in their drawer, hang up jacket, hang up backpack, wash hands. If they do this, 5 more cents. Again, simple and trying to teach good habits.
3.) Daily Jobs + Dishes. Each of them are assigned a daily chore that will take them 10-15 minutes to do. These are simple jobs around the house such as vacuuming the family room, emptying the recycle bin, folding towels, or wiping down a bathroom. I have a spread sheet on our computer that has the assignments distributed for the month. This kind of takes me out of the equation in the moment. I am not telling them what chore they need to do and I don't get a "But Mooooom...." It is already determined and they take turns doing various chores. So far it is working well. They earn 10 cents for their daily chore.
They also rotate a dishes responsibility everyday. They either empty the dishes, set the table for dinner, clear the table, or load the dishes. Again, this is working well. 5 cents for the dish job.
4.) The Bank. When they complete a job, they move the card that lists that job into the bank. The cards for Morning Things, Afternoon Things, Daily Jobs, and Dishes already have their names on them (7 of each, so they can do it every day) so all they do is move in into the bank. On Saturdays, our Payday, we add up their cards in the bank and they are paid their wages.
5.) The Dues. This is where it gets interesting. If they do not complete any of the jobs they are responsible for, and I do it instead, their card gets put into the dues. I only put it in the dues if I complete the job for them, not only if they don't do it. The intent of this is to teach them that they are responsible to get the job done. If they don't do it, someone else does! If someone else does it then they get the wages. All money comes from working for it. An important lesson to teach! These are also counted on payday and deducted from their earnings in the bank. It took one week of First Daughter cancelling out her earning with dues for everyone to realize the importance of not leaving their jobs for someone else to do.
6.) Other Jobs. Since their daily jobs and responsibilities don't allow them to earn very much money to save very much very fast, we have provided a way for them to earn more if they choose. We put a bunch of other jobs - some bigger than others - for them to do in addition to their daily jobs whenever they choose. Some examples are cleaning out the car, cleaning the playroom, matching socks, help to make dinner, help mom with her chores. If they do one of these jobs without being asked to, they can write their name on the card and put it in the bank. They will be paid the amount written on the card on payday. This is a great way to teach initiative and how to work to earn to save.
We have been doing this system for a few months now and it has been great. The girls are earning money, they are learning to work, they are developing good habits, and I am feeling some relief with household chores.
We have learned that when teaching young children to do chores around the house it works best when they are set up for easy success. It works best if the jobs aren't too hard, don't take too long, but make a big difference. They get so excited when they can see how nice the family room looks when it's vacuumed, or how sparkling the bathroom is after a wipe down. It gives them a sense of pride in their work and accomplishment when their cards pile up on payday.
It feels great to have a system that's working. At least for now.
It really is a win all around.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
So...Pinworthy::Cleaning the Dishwasher
I have a board on pinterest called "to do" filled with all sorts of things that I actually want to try, not just collect for safe keeping like most of the other things I pin.
Today I decided to try one of them::
How to Clean Your Dishwasher
My dishwasher is old and kind of nasty.
When I saw this pin floating around, I was excited to snag it and try it out myself.
If anything, it was the motivation I needed to tackled that nasty job of scrubbing my yucky dishwasher - which, by the way, one would want to keep clean since it's supposed to be cleaning one's dishes once or twice a day...
Did I mention it was nasty?
So today was the day.
Immediately after I emptied the dishes (and before it was piled full again, like it usually is) I pulled up my pin and followed the instructions.
First, the white vinegar.
This was supposed to clean off all the grease and build up on the inside of the dishwasher.
I don't know if mine was just too old and too dirty, but I was not really impressed with the results.
I ended up scrubbing the inside with soft scrub and a coarse sponge, which seemed to do the job nicely.
I scrubbed the inside of the door and the bottom, underneath the rack.
I poured clean water onto it to clean off the excess soft scrub.
Like I said, if anything the pin got me motivated to actually get in there and clean.
I then followed the next step. The baking soda.
This definitely freshened up the inside of the washer and finished the job.
Now, mine doesn't look as sparkling clean and new like the one on the pin, but for how old, nasty, and dingy mine was before, it looks pretty good. If I had put a little thought into this impromptu project I would have had some before pictures to show you, but I don't.
Trust me, it's probably better for everyone that I don't...
The original post also had some great tips for making your dishwasher run more effectively and for keeping it clean. Definitely some things I want to try.
It feels so nice to have a clean dishwasher.
Let's just be honest...it feels so nice to have a clean anything.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Today I decided to try one of them::
How to Clean Your Dishwasher
My dishwasher is old and kind of nasty.
When I saw this pin floating around, I was excited to snag it and try it out myself.
If anything, it was the motivation I needed to tackled that nasty job of scrubbing my yucky dishwasher - which, by the way, one would want to keep clean since it's supposed to be cleaning one's dishes once or twice a day...
Did I mention it was nasty?
So today was the day.
Immediately after I emptied the dishes (and before it was piled full again, like it usually is) I pulled up my pin and followed the instructions.
First, the white vinegar.
This was supposed to clean off all the grease and build up on the inside of the dishwasher.
I don't know if mine was just too old and too dirty, but I was not really impressed with the results.
I ended up scrubbing the inside with soft scrub and a coarse sponge, which seemed to do the job nicely.
I scrubbed the inside of the door and the bottom, underneath the rack.
I poured clean water onto it to clean off the excess soft scrub.
Like I said, if anything the pin got me motivated to actually get in there and clean.
I then followed the next step. The baking soda.
This definitely freshened up the inside of the washer and finished the job.
Now, mine doesn't look as sparkling clean and new like the one on the pin, but for how old, nasty, and dingy mine was before, it looks pretty good. If I had put a little thought into this impromptu project I would have had some before pictures to show you, but I don't.
Trust me, it's probably better for everyone that I don't...
The original post also had some great tips for making your dishwasher run more effectively and for keeping it clean. Definitely some things I want to try.
It feels so nice to have a clean dishwasher.
Let's just be honest...it feels so nice to have a clean anything.
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Sunday, December 9, 2012
So...On The Chalkboard
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.
Every where we go.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
So...Keeping Myself Busy
I have recommitted myself to home projects.
It is amazing how much a little paint, some purging, reorganizing, and decluttering can do.
It feels so good!
I finally have had it with the red walls and ceilings left in my house.
Red does something not good to my mood.
And red on the ceilings was making these small cluttered spaces feel even more small and cluttered.
Fresh white ceilings and some grey walls feels so nice.
Like a deep breath.
I'm working on completely cleaning out the craft room.
I purchased some storage solutions at IKEA (my favorite place) this weekend and have plans for a fresh coat of white paint on those cabinets.
I'm also thinking about chalkboard paint on the doors.
Oh - and a light fixture.
Expect "after" pictures sometime in the future.
I can't tell you when, but sometime.
I am beyond thrilled to have this red gone.
Just a few more small walls and I'm done!
I just have to decide what color those walls will be...
I don't know what it is, but painting a wall gives me a great sense of accomplishment.
Maybe it makes me feel productive - progress I can actually see.
Maybe it's because my kids can't undo it...right after I've done it...
Maybe it has some symbolic meaning - a fresh start or a sense of control or something.
Who knows.
But it feels great!
I love stepping back and saying "I did that!"
And I'm excited to keep going.
We still have a few more rooms (and most of the ceilings and trim) that need painting - including Son's bedroom.
There still are pink and purple butterflies on his walls.
I think we may have another grey room in order!
Can you tell I love grey????
Sooooo soothing.I can feel myself relaxing just thinking about it.
Ahhhhh.....
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
So...Hallway Chalkboard
A dear friend of mine made this chalkboard for our family many Christmases ago.
I have loved it since she gave it to us and have waited for the perfect place to put it.
It's an up-cycled cupboard door.
I love it!
I thought about putting in the playroom, or the craft room, but I didn't really want the kids to have full access to it (although I think that may have been her intent).
It is just too pretty and I just don't quite trust the kiddos to take care of our things...
I finally found the place.
This beauty is hung at the top of our staircase.
The perfect place to write little messages to those I love the most.
It's fun being sneaky and changing the picture/saying when they're not looking.
It's fun when they discover it and practice their reading skills or in this case solve the "puzzle."
It's a fun little thing that creates unity in our home, and I am a big fan of that.
I like happy things. :)
Saturday, March 10, 2012
So...Status Update
my house is clean.
it truly is a miracle.
p.s. the playroom doesn't count.
i close the door and it no longer exists.
it truly is a miracle.
p.s. the playroom doesn't count.
i close the door and it no longer exists.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
So...Our Home
Today I am thankful for our home.
Last March we moved literally around the corner into a new (to us) home. This house provides us with more space, more room to grow, and thus more time living in this neighborhood that we love oh so very much.
The circumstances (on our end of the deal) around us ending up in this house was nothing short of miraculous. Even in the middle of a recession and a horrible housing market, everything fell perfectly into place for us to sell our previous house and purchase our new one without any glitches. The fact that we never had a month with a double mortgage payment was a miracle in of itself, among many.
Some many blessings fell into our laps surrounding this move. It was a risk, moving during such economic uncertainty and being upside-down in our previous mortgage, but we approached the decision prayerfully, trusting that things would work out the way they were meant to. And as we watched every roadblock we encountered (and there were lots - along with all the hoops we had to jump through with the banks) pass us by, our prayers for guidance were turned to prayers of thanksgiving as it becamse clear that this move was in fact the right thing for us to do, and that the Lord had provided a way.
Our home is perfect for us.
After six months of settling in, it feels very much like home.
And as heartbreaking as it was for me to leave our other home - the home full of so many of our memories; the home we brought two babies home to; the home we lived in during such precious years of our family's life - I see a whole future of family memories here before us. I can picture my babies as teenagers sitting at this new counter doing their homework or chatting with me while I cook. And that makes me happy.
I know we have many wonderful years ahead of us here in this home, and I am so thankful.
I am thankful to have a beautiful home in which we can raise our beautiful family.
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
So...Girls' Room
Been working in the Daughters' bedroom...
And I think I finally have a vision for what it will become.
I have painted the green walls to light pink and the blue trim to white. Ahhh.
I am so in love with this tree I saw on Just A Girl about a year ago.
I've been dreaming about it ever since and think I'm about ready to attempt my own for the Daughters' new room. I just need to figure out how to do it...
{picture via Just A Girl}
And brainstorming ideas for a reading nook in their closet.
Stayed tuned for how it all turns out.
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And I think I finally have a vision for what it will become.
I have painted the green walls to light pink and the blue trim to white. Ahhh.
I am so in love with this tree I saw on Just A Girl about a year ago.
I've been dreaming about it ever since and think I'm about ready to attempt my own for the Daughters' new room. I just need to figure out how to do it...
{picture via Just A Girl}
I have painted their room a light pink similar to that bed spread, and am debating between an all-white tree or brown trunk/branches with white leaves/blossoms.
We still have the same bunkbeds and the pink/white/brown comforters I made two years ago that you can kind of see in this picture.
I still have these butterflies I plan on putting back up flying out of the tree:
And I hope to paint our dresser like this, only with light green stripes:
{picture via House of Smith's}
I would like these lamps from IKEA to put by the girls' beds for nighttime reading:
And possibly this chandelier:
And brainstorming ideas for a reading nook in their closet.
Stayed tuned for how it all turns out.
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Thanks for stopping by!
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