Unique Parenting Advice

You read all of the books. You visit the websites. You make friends and soak up every bit of advice you can...

And then you have kids and it all blows out of the water!!

I do want you to take this little piece of advice, though. Whether you co-sleep or not, it's useful to know. It's especially useful in toddlerhood.

Ready?

HAVE A MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BED-CHANGE PLAN!

We've been battling a stomach bug around here. It seems to hit my youngest at night more than anything. When we were on vacation it was fine if he puked in the bed because someone ELSE would change the sheets. Now that we're home? It's up to the adults in the house! And we aren't dealing with puke anymore....think diaper blow-outs. They're gross when you're talking breastfed baby...they're trauma inducing when it's a toddler!! *shudder*

My husband and I have gotten pretty good at doing the change quickly at night. It came to us naturally. If that's you then that's great! If not, keep reading! There is hope!

1) Have extras of everything where everyone knows how to find them.
You want a change of clothes for EVERYONE (even if you don't co-sleep. Sometimes the mess will get on your PJs by transfer) If it's especially bad I'd recommend TWO of everything. Have an extra set of sheets at the ready. Know where that extra comforter is stored. Trust me, you might need it all.
(Last night's incident involved poop up to his shoulders. I wish I were exaggerating)

2) Assign the parents.
There's the "Child Parent" and the "Bed Parent" in my house. The CP takes the kid and focuses on cleaning him up. The BP focuses on getting the linens changed/washing and makes the bed. Whichever parent finishes FIRST helps the other if they need it.

3) Have clean-up supplies. 
Those old towels you want to throw out? Perfect for this job!! Who cares if they're stained beyond recognition afterwards? You were going to toss them anyway. If you use disposables (we have been at night) keep those plastic grocery bags handy. Keep your wipes handy as well.

It sounds simple because it really is...but in the middle of the night things can get jumbled and confused if you don't have a good plan in place. The first few times we had to do this I tried to do everything (because that's how I am) when I should have let my husband help!

Do you have a plan? When was the last time you had to change sheets in the middle of the night?

House Cleaning Schedule!

Recently I developed my own house cleaning schedule. I got tired of living in disarray...It was driving me crazy.

Step one was I got on top of laundry! I seriously spent a day doing nothing but laundry. I didn't do anything else. I washed, dried, folded, and put away...all day long. It was a terrible day BUT it all got done.



The actual Schedule is as follows:

DAILY
- Laundry (1-2 loads....I'm serious)
- Dishes
- General Tidy (normally the kitchen with this one)
- Inventory food and add to shopping list
- Vacuum Living Room (it's high traffic here)

MONDAY: BATHROOMS
- Wipe tub (if you wipe it often enough you don't have to scour it!)
- Spray and wipe shower
- Clear counters
- Wipe counters and sink
- Wipe toilet (we have some of those Kaboom cleaners so the bowl stays pretty clean!)
- Pick up floor

TUESDAY: BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM
- Every 2 weeks wash sheets (some people do this more often but every 2 weeks works for me)
- Every 2 weeks wash comforters (do this on the week you're not washing sheets)
- Pick up floor
- Dust
- Gather trash
- Gather laundry
- Make beds

WEDNESDAY: KITCHEN/TRASH/DINING ROOM
- Gather trash throughout house
- Clean out fridge
- Scrub sink
- Clear/scrub counters
- Wipe cabinets
- Sweep
- Clear/wipe table
- Wipe chairs
- Wipe handles on appliances
- Trash out to can

THURSDAY: FLOORS
- Scrub (or at least spot scrub) kitchen/dining floor
- Vacuum all rooms
- Spot clean carpet if possible

FRIDAY: PROJECT DAY!
A project is anything you can work on in small bites throughout the day. Things like
- Cleaning out a closet
- Organizing cabinets
- Organizing boxes
- Going through clothing
Etc...

SATURDAY: ERRAND/FAMILY DAY
This is the day we do all of our shopping and do something fun if possible (like the zoo or park)

SUNDAY: CHURCH/REST/ERRANDS
If you've kept up with your schedule you should be able to do the basics and then RELAX!!


What do you think? Do you have a cleaning schedule?


Linking up

It's pretty clean...right?

If you walk in my kitchen right you'd think it was clean. It's not spotless by any stretch of the imagination...but it's mostly clean. Cluttered...but clean. (Did I drive that home yet?)

Yeah...so not my kitchen.

I was in the middle of patting myself on the back for being able to wake up to a clean kitchen...and then I got into the freezer.

The freezer handle (it's the drawer kind) is sticky. It's probably jelly (the boys love jelly). If you look under the stove there's a small toy/dirt collection. I don't want to talk about under the fridge!

So I got to thinking...isn't life like that sometimes?

We think things are fine as long as we don't dig deeper and don't really evaluate ourselves. If we stay on the surface and just "get by" we're convinced that everything is just fine. It isn't until we take a good, hard look at ourselves that we realize we still have dirt in the corners and messy areas that need to be cleaned.

Today I'll be cleaning hidden areas...both literally and figuratively. What areas will you be cleaning?

Chores On Their Own!

I've written before on chores and listed the chores my son did at the time.

A lot of that went out the window when the new baby was born. (Honestly, a lot of housework did!)

The boys surprised me the other day!


I heard Franklin (3yo) messing around in the dishwasher and I asked what he was doing. His response was "I just cleaning." I came around the corner to find him unloading the dishwasher! I helped him with the high/sharp things but that was it.

The next day he did it again. This time he enlisted the help of his younger brother. He handed Jonathan plastic things to put in the cabinet and showed him how to put the silverware in the drawer. I was BLOWN AWAY.

But he wasn't done!

I'd told him earlier in the day that we needed to clean up the living room if he wanted his dog to come inside to play.

After unloading the dishes he walked into the living room and started putting big things (toys, blankets, etc) on the couch. He called to me, "Help me clean a little bit, Mommy!" So I brought a small trashcan in to help him pick up trash and then I vacuumed. Of course the dog got to come inside to play!


Ack. When did my baby get so big?? Sigh.


And now for cute pictures!

3 years old

16 months

I'm linking up with the MOB Society

Cleaning the Living Room (vlog)

Please ignore how chubby I look. I layered a shirt over my tank top and it fell funky...

TGIF....AND CLEAN

I've had SCREAMING children most of the day. I have no idea what's going on with them...I'm blaming the weather.

However, I still managed to finish:
- 1 round of dishes
- Counters (sort of)
- Sweep kitchen and dining
- Clear Dining Table (only to put more crap on it)
- Make Bread (and then eat half of it)
- Put all the clean laundry in bins instead of the floor
- Pick up the Guest Room
- Wash diapers
- Start another load of laundry
- Clean the downstairs bathroom
- Vacuum living room (including under furniture)

I still need to clean upstairs some more...mostly the guest bathroom and vacuum the hallway...and I need to rotate dishes (the sink is still full)

Was your day productive?

Source: google.com via Kasondra on Pinterest

Monday Cleaning...Where did I get this energy?

I have NO idea what happened...but I woke up with energy. Not a ton of energy...but enough to clean house!

This morning I tackled the kitchen. I didn't have time to take pictures (I had the kids entertained and didn't want to waste a moment of that) but I can tell you it looks awesome.

-Clean counters
- Dishes ran (other dishes are patiently waiting)
- Clean stove
- Everything put away
- CLEAN FLOORS (I got down and scrubbed them by hand. Blame my mother..."You can't see dirt from 4 feet up!")


I also cleaned the dining room. That was easier.

- Cleared the table
- Wiped said table
- Swept
- Spot cleaned the floor


And THEN I started a load of laundry (which, now that I think about it, needs to be rotated)


After all that I did a couple of business calls. It was about 4-5 hours of work...but it was well worth it.


What awesome thing did you accomplish today? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!

Confession Time: I'm a SLOB

 

For those that follow me regularly I know you've seen my before and after cleaning posts so this won't be a huge surprise. I also know that my parents subscribe to this so they won't be surprised either!!

I'm a slob. Really. When I get down and CLEAN I do a great job and it looks awesome. I can also give great cleaning advice. 

However...

I don't live it. I don't do dishes until the sink is screaming for mercy. I put dirty clothes on the floor mere feet from the hamper. I leave the lid off of the peanut butter and a knife sitting beside it. (That last one was for my husband. It's a HUGE pet peeve of his! LOL)

I'm working on The House That Cleans Itself right now. The main premise is that you change the house to fit the behavior. So, if you set your keys on the same spot in the middle of the counter each day DON'T buy a hook because you'll never hang them up! Buy a basket instead. (We got a pretty plate and a basket for mail) 

However...

You can only change a house so much. The groceries won't put themselves away. Dishwashers can't load on their own. So, after you change the house you have to change yourself.

I'm going to keep you posted on my progress and the changes we implement. Keep us in your prayers! It's going to be a bumpy few months.

Kitchen Cleaning Link Up!

Recently I did a post on Steps for a Clean Living Room. Today I'm doing the KITCHEN! Ready?

Ugh, right? You can tell it's been a few days...

Step One: Gather ALL Dishes and put them in/around the sink.

Step Two: Gather all trash and throw it away!

That puts us here:

Yeah, I know, very little difference! This next step will be a good one.

Step Three: Put Away Items!

Everything has a home (or at least, it SHOULD!) Let these items go home.

By now you should be breathing a bit easier.

Step Four: Do Those Dishes!

Step Five: Surfaces, Appliances, Floors

The photos of the empty sink didn't come out...like, the file corrupted in the camera. No idea about that one...you can sort of see it in the second photo, though.


Did you clean the kitchen today? Come LINK UP!

A Clean Living Room

I get a lot of requests for "how did you do that???" when I post before/after photos. I always say, "I'll show you sometime" and then life happens and "sometime" never comes.

Well, it finally did! After packing this past week my living room looked like a bomb went off. I decided that this time I'll not only give you step-by-step instructions...but PHOTOS as well. (You'll have to excuse the quality. The actual camera is in the car and I had to use my phone!)

Okay, this is where we're starting:

Crazy, right? I have no idea how we even walked in the door last night.

Step One: Pick up all trash and move dishes to the kitchen. (I'd already done this when I took the photos)
Step Two: Pick up all clothing. Put dirty clothes in the laundry room and consolidate clean ones. You don't have to fold anything...just get it all in one place.

That puts us here:

Step Three: Pick up toys/random items. Again, they don't have to have a "home" at the very moment. Just get it all in one place. I take a bin and collect toys and drop the whole thing in Franklin's room. Then I put all the random stuff in another bin to deal with later. It's easier to find things a home when it's clean (something about a clean room makes you more motivated).

Now we're here:

Step Four: Surfaces. Clear and wipe 'em!
Step Five: Floor. Vacuum/sweep/mop.
Step Six: Fine Tune. Make those little pretty changes.

Ahhh, Finished.

It's FAR from "perfect" but so much better.


Show me how you clean!

Totally Tuesday

So, I had trouble falling asleep last night. I was so jazzed up after my day of cleaning that my brain would not shut off. Then, I woke up about 3am with back pain and allergies...a kicking baby joined me at 4am...and then a roach fell on my pillow an inch from my face at 5:30am. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!? WE'RE NOT DIRTY PEOPLE!!! Ugh. So yeah, not much sleep for me.

I got my list going:

 

But I had to wait until Franklin woke up to really get started (psh, like I was going to risk waking up His Highness!)

It's 1pm as I type this and I've done everything but:

- Scrub Floors

- Finish Laundry (it's not even folded)

- Exercise

- List Frequent Meals

- Ask Cheyenne For Ideas (because I'm not done with the list)

The weather has been super cloudy and totally killed my motivation. Okay, that and lack of sleep...and back pain because I totally overdid it yesterday.

Nesting Madness

This morning I woke up super motivated. Franklin and I walked down to Walgreens and bought some batteries for the dying mouse and some coffee for Mama. (Before 9:30am) Little did I know just HOW motivated I was...

I'm nesting. BIG TIME.

Today I:

-Cleaned the kitchen (surfaces, put things away, dishes running)
- Gathered laundry (I think it's having babies or something)
- Started a load of laundry
- Cleaned the living room (pick up stuff, surfaces, vacuum)
- Cleaned dining table (it was filthy)
- Cleaned the bar a bit
- Cleaned up a small poop accident
- Master bath (except the toilet...I had a kid in there and I didn't want him to get a handful of Comet when I wasn't looking)
- Light fridge cleaning (threw some stuff away)
- Folded some laundry
- Wipe dining chair seats
- Wiped doorknobs
- Ate lunch
- Folded Laundry
- Rotated Laundry
- Put Away Laundry
- Cleaned Master Bedroom surfaces
- Sorted through the kid's toys and gathered 3 to donate
- Wiped the washer and dryer
- Wiped the inside of the windows
- Dusted the mantle

I'm waiting for my dear husband to get home so I can:
- Do dinner and clean up
- Unload and load the dishwasher
- Sweep
- Vacuum the Dining area
- Scrub the toilet
- Wipe the outside of the glass doors


It's 3pm here as I type this and I've been cleaning literally all day long... The super crazy part? It doesn't feel like enough! Nesting is a crazy crazy thing.

Chores and Allowance

The topic has come up a lot in my life lately: Chores and Allowance. Should children be expected to do chores? Should they be paid for it? What happens if they refuse to do chores until they get paid?

I decided to ask real moms what they thought. I received some great responses. The opinions are fairly diverse and come from moms with kids of varying ages. I'll go ahead and let you know what these moms are saying before giving my own thoughts. I removed the names of their children for the sake of privacy.

First of all, what kinds of chores are kids doing these days?

Cheyenne, mother of a 10 year old and 11 year old, had this to say:

[11 year old]: Unloading the dishwasher, wiping down the entire kitchen. He vacuums, starts and rotates laundry, careful NEVER to touch my clothes which are air-dried only, he wipes down the dining room table, which is really a craft and home schooling paperwork disaster, wipes down all media, both computers/desks, empties waste baskets throughout the house, and empties and re-lines the kitchen garbage can. (The wiping and garbages can be done by either kid.) He gets an extra few bucks for giving the toilets a cursory wipe down in between my manic cleanings, and he sweeps the back porch, where we enter the house.
[10 year old]: puts the silverware away because she has total OCD about exactly how it's stacked and insists no one else can do it correctly, she makes sure all the shoes we kick off upon entry are stacked perfectly on the shoe sorter, lest I trip and fall and break my neck. She also dusts, wipes, and has to lint roll all upholstered furniture and my prized suede ottomans, mostly because I need it to be that way but I blame it on her dog. She uses the hand held Dirt Devil to vacuum all four bath mats because they are expensive and have to air dry for 13 years, so I keep them vacuumed. She re-stocks paper towels, t.p., napkins, etc., and sweeps and Swiffers the kitchen floor.

Both kids have to straighten their beds, keep clothes off the floor (not a problem, they've been doing it since birth), and put all their stuff in their own rooms, and bring in the recycling and garbage every week. I write chore lists every night or morning, and they are free to sleep in and start in when they're awake, but they can't wait until 4pm.

Karen is a mother of a 3.5 year old and a 6.5 year old:

At 3, getting dressed morning and evening, brushing his own teeth, feeding the dog breakfast, and putting his shoes in/near his cubby are all that I ask.
At 6, all of the above (except he does dinner for the dog), makes his bed every morning, takes the dog out once a day, and cleans up toys when asked (even if it’s not his own mess).

Heather has four children aged 14, 12, 5, and 2:

Older two help me with whatever I ask. They do dishes, help with laundry, mow the lawn, keep their areas clean, take out the trash, etc. The younger one cleans his room, clears his dishes off the table, and picks up his toys. The youngest one picks up her toys with assistance.

Emma shared what chores her 5 year old completes:

He clears his own plate from the table, puts his dirty clothes in the hamper, and is expected to help tidy when asked. He fixes his own snack and can get things for his sister. He helps to do laundry, and helps to put away laundry. He used to hang all the wet socks and underwear until our little line broke. He makes his own bed. He helps in the garden. Simple stuff like that. When he wants to, he mops the kitchen or bathroom. At 5 there aren't that many "chores" he can do totally unsupervised other than clean up his toys or make his bed, so I take the approach that he works with me when I am doing things.

Erin is the mother of 2 teens that are active with jobs and sports:

[Daughter] unloads the dishwasher every time it's clean. And [Son] takes out the garbage. They are expected to clean up after themselves, and put away their own laundry, I usually fold it, but sometimes I have [Daughter] do that. [Son] gets wood for our woodstove (we heat with it and heat water all year long.) I don't expect a lot, but I expect them to do it when I ask because I don't expect a lot. I don't have a lot of expectations for lots of reasons, but mostly because I want the focus to be on schoolwork during the week, not the 5 chores I have to do tonight. And [Daughter] works, plays softball and does a play at school and [Son] plays every sport known to man. I give them extra stuff to do on the weekends they are home, but I really want homework and extracurriculars to come first.

So, it looks like there are a lot of kids out there that have a list of things to do around the house. You can mention that to your child the next time they believe it's unfair that you ask the dishes be clean! However, are all of these children getting paid for their efforts? The answers were divided. Some parents believe that children should always receive an allowance; while others believe that “chores” should not receive compensation and only the “above and beyond” should be paid out.

Cheyenne: I do support allowance because it introduces helpfulness, an awareness of what it takes to run a household, a work ethic, and the satisfaction of earning their clink. Also, even kids need a few bucks, so it's a win-win all around. I don't believe kids should just get spending money every week for nothing.
The allowance we give is for chores. If we fall behind as a family, they are not punished. If they slack, they will bust their asses to make it up by Friday. Do the work, doing your best, 'cause I will have [Daughter] re-sweep if she misses corners, and you'll get your ca$h. Period.

Karen: When children become older and are responsible for much of what their parents hired out when they were younger, yet see no monetary gain, they become very resentful. In my opinion, if a child is responsible for laundry, cleaning the house, yardwork, or younger sibling care, they should be paid 50% of what you’d pay a professional to do the same job.

Denise is the mother of a 23 month old: I feel they should EARN an allowance, not just have it given to them. I think if they earn it then they can understand the value of money and learn to value hard work and be prepared for the real world.

Heather: We reward for going above and beyond, IE I will pay you $2 to clean out my car. But to me, pay is all commission.

Erin: I don't do allowances. I have always given them the money they need it to go out with friends or to a movie, and tell them the things they do are because they are a part of our household. If they do something I consider out of the norm, ([Son] gets $10 to mow our grass, and [Daughter] gets $5 for cleaning out the whole fridge, etc.) I pay them a nominal amount. That way they have the option to do more than expected to earn money, but we don't fight about the expectations. I want them to know that money does not grow on trees, but not have their world revolve around it, you know?

Focus on the Family reminds parents: First, recognize the difference between a chore (an ongoing task that benefits the household) and a life skill (an activity that children should know how to do before living on their own, such as managing a checking account).

The number of chores for each child varied by family. The consensus, however, was to refrain from overloading a child. The moms I spoke to believe in quality over quantity. Cheyenne sums it up by saying: I'd rather have a child do three things that really do help than 10 chores that are half-done. Burning them out serves no one. Just gotta gauge your own kids.

What about those kids that just REFUSE chores? Well, most of the moms use the natural consequences approach. Usually the consequences for not completing a chore are natural consequences: You lose the time for doing whatever you wanted to do next. Or maybe, a toy gets cleaned up and put away in the storage closet. But usually its more like, we'll go to the park when this is done, or something. -Emma

Well, what do I think?

I'm still figuring this one out. However, I'm leaning toward the belief that children shouldn't get paid for doing something that helps the household run. So, things like laundry or dishes don't get an allowance. If you do something above the daily chores like mow the lawn or wash the car you should be compensated accordingly. Also, if you do an especially good job of a regular chore (like, I ask you to clean the kitchen and you clean out the fridge in the process or I find you scrubbing the floor instead of just wiping) I'll give you a little something more.

Yes, my son is only 16 months old. So, what do I know, right? Well, children WANT to help us. Notice I said “children” and not “teenagers” there? My son doesn't view “helping Mama and Daddy” as chores. He views it as fun!

Right now he does several “chores” with help:

• 
  
  
  
  Puts his clothes in the drawer (I have to take them in there, but he puts them in the drawer)
• 
  
  
  
  Picks up toys and other messes
• 
  
  
  
  Puts up folded towels
• 
  
  
  
  Unloads the bottom rack in the dishwasher
• 
  
  
  
  Wipes low surfaces (well, sort of. He wipes a small area, but I believe it's the effort that counts)
• 
  
  
  
  Empties out his potty chair

No, I'm not some crazy slave driver that forces her small child into a life of labor! All of these things were done on his own. He started taking silverware out of the dishwasher while we unloaded it so we started saying “Thank you, Franklin!” and taking it out of his hand. He quickly learned that we wanted him to give it to us. Recently he started taking it out and lifting it into the drawer. He can't get it in the silverware divider, but he knows that the drawer is where it goes. He picked up a folded towel out of the blue one day and started walking to the bathroom with it. If I say, “Help Mommy pick up” when he's poured his snack all over the floor he'll come over and help me pick up the pieces. He's also much more thorough than I might be. He'll pick up the teeny tiny pieces that I plan to leave for the vacuum.

I really liked the information on the Focus on the Family website: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting_challenges/motivating_kids_to_clean_up.aspx

What do you do if you have teenagers that didn't develop the “chore” habit? First of all, you need to develop a line of communication. Sit down in a family meeting and find out exactly why they hate chores, if they feel they should be paid (and how much!), what chores do they find fair, etc... If you come in and start forcing chores on them they'll just dig their heels in even more. Everyone needs to know what's expected of them and why.

I do believe that teenagers be expected to help out around the house. If for no other reason than developing good habits and skills. Trust me, I went to college with 18-20 year olds that had no idea how to do simple tasks like laundry. This kids (for lack of a better word) were at a severe disadvantage. They don't need a lot of chores, but they do need basic skills.

I want to thank all of the moms that helped me with this project! I hope that this blog has helped you gain some perspective. If you have any additional thoughts or questions please post a comment!

It's . . . Clean

Thank you to my mother-in-law! She came and helped me get on top of my house again. That meant hours of laundry, numerous trips to the garbage, and enough vacuuming to seriously flatten some carpet.

Now it's up to me to keep it that way.

So, a few things that we came up with to help.

1) The bins with diapers are in the hall closet. Franklin can't pull them out if he can't see them!

2) The laundry is under control and I'm back to doing a load or so a day.

3) I made a list for Stefan and I with "Things to do before bed"
     - Dishes (unloaded if they're clean. Sink empty)
     - Floor picked up (toys up and laundry picked up)
     - Dryer empty (folded and put away)
     - Pick up trash (brief sweep of the room to throw away unnecessary crap)
     - Kitchen clean (wiped down and leftovers away)

4) We need to buy a little handheld vac thingy for small messes. Part of the reason things got let go was due to having to lug out the big vacuum each time.

5) We've started doing disposable plates more often. No, not good for the environment or anything...but it's good for my sanity.


So, my biggest piece of advice? Enlist some help and get on top of things! Get your family involved!

Are My Standards Really THAT High?

This is not what I strive for...honest.

I've been told recently, by family and friends...in a variety of terms, that I need to lower my standards. My house can't be THAT bad. I have a child to take care of and I'm pregnant. A few dishes is no big deal. Laundry can wait to get folded. I need to put my feet up and paint my toenails. I need new expectations. I need to stop stressing over the "little things." Hopefully, some of you that have said these things (or even thought them) are reading this post. 

There's also the other side of the coin. I put up a "To Do" list on Facebook and, on a really really good day, knock some of it out...and I inspire people. Can I just tell you how much of an inspiration I'm NOT? We all have good days, but mine are very few and far between as of late. 

So, I decided to take a few photos of what my house looks like on a typical day. I hate doing this. However, maybe, just maybe, it will help everyone see things through MY eyes. 

*Deep Breath*

This is one view of my kitchen.  Yes, I wake up each and every morning to a sink with dishes and crap all over the counters. 

The cutting board is filthy. That pan? It still has soy paste residue in it from dinner TWO nights ago. The smell, however, is sickening to me so I have avoided touching it.

Another view of the sink. (Ignore the brown package. That's thawing for later)

Why not just clean up before bed? Well, after running around after a toddler all day, spending time in the kitchen during the day making breakfast and lunch, and then spending MORE time making dinner the last thing I feel like doing is spending even more time in the kitchen in the evening. Stefan gets home after his 11 hour day (I hate you, Flight Chief) and he doesn't want to do anything either. *Rolls Eyes* we make quite the pair.

The kitchen is one of THOSE places for me, too. I'm picky about kitchens and bathrooms. If I clean nothing else in a house it's those places. A bad kitchen or bathroom will cause me to turn down an apartment. So, when my kitchen looks like this (or worse) I will actually avoid entering it because my anxiety gets going. I've been known to sit on the floor of a kitchen and cry because the mess was overwhelming.  

 That is a FULL SIZED Pack-N-Play full of clean laundry. This is what happens when the laundry "can wait" or whatever. My husband hates to fold laundry to the point that he won't do it. I can't fold during the day because my son wrecks folded piles. The only time I have to fold laundry is late at night...and after a long day who wants to do more chores, really?

Normally, I'd fold some laundry and put it on the dining table...the same table you see above. The stuff on the floor? Probably 80% dirty laundry that has yet to find its way to the laundry room.

More open space with random crap on the floor. If I could show you the state of the carpet I totally would. However, in order to vacuum there needs to be room to do so...and obviously that's not possible.

My entryway. Yeah, so even coming home is a disaster area.

An overall shot of the whole sha-bang. Diapers, laundry, toys, chairs, etc...

This is the entrance to the bedroom on a mild day. Sometimes there's several days worth of clothing on the floor. I recently picked up the rest of the room so it's not as bad as it was. (Think: Living room in the bedroom)

The Master Bathroom. Towels, clothes, baby toys...this is on a good day.

The first person to say, "A place for everything and everything in its place" will get a virtual smack in the face. We don't have that kind of storage. Yes, we have draws and cabinets...however, they're all at child level and he's in the "pull everything on the floor" stage of his development. "Well, just babyproof" right? Yeah, we have 3 drawers that will not work with drawer catches and cabinet catches are expensive. Roughly $15 for 2 locks (because we can't install them so they have to be the strong sticky kind) We would be locking at least 8 cabinets/drawers. That's $120 on cabinet/drawer locks and 1 very unhappy baby. He likes to climb in and sit with me while I cook sometimes. It's like a little chair for him. He's also putting items in and out of different drawers which, apparently, is a great way to learn spatial reasoning. (What size items fit best in which drawer kind of thing)

I don't strive for Show Home status. I used to, and then he got mobile. Right now, I'll take livable...and this isn't it.

Something to write home about.

Today was a VERY productive day. Yesterday wasn't half bad, either. My big deal with cleaning today is we (still) have ANTS and they're supposed to come spray. My biggest fear is that they'll walk in and say something snarky like, "You have ants because you're a slob" or something like that. We really are clean people. Yes, there are crumbs on the floor on occasion, but not for long. The problem is that there is an ant village (nest?) right under our building. So, they come in through every available crack. I've been able to hold them off for the most part, but I can only do so much without resorting to really nasty chemicals or cement or something. (Trust me, I've considered the cement) How can I be sure they live under my feet? Other than the constant infestation I've seen them moving the nursery (a line of ants carrying larvae) after a big rain...to a hole on the side of my building. Yeah...

So, yesterday I tackled storage. I've been wanting to do that as I can never find anything when I go out there. What used to be 6 bins is now 4 bins. We threw away several paper bags worth of trash and have a large black trash bag to donate. I find myself wondering: Why did we keep all that junk? It's been moved at least 3 times. Whatever, new leaf!

Today I (Well, WE):

- Bleached all the sinks

- Bleached the Guest tub (the bottom was really gross)

- Cleaned both toilets

- Cleaned the Master Bedroom

- Gathered all the laundry (and there was plenty)

- Ran a load of diapers (complete with a strip)

- Took out the trash

- Light grocery shopping to get through until Wed.

- Did a couple of scrapbook pages

- Cleaned Frankie's highchair

- Did 1 load of laundry (it still needs to hit the dryer)

- Cleaned the kitchen (including the floors)


What's left? Of course there are things left to do!

- LAUNDRY (fold and put away...this includes diapers)

- Clean the entryway

- Figure out what I'm going to put in these two empty bins.


We're going out of town Thursday morning so I wanted to get everything done NOW. I know we won't feel like doing anything after a 4 hour drive on Sunday to come home.

WINS!!!

A few FAILS first:

The counter...or largest junk drawer in the house.

 Front closet

Hall closet

Now...for a few WINS!

  This is where my herb "garden" is going to go. It's out of kid reach and has a good light source.

 That front closet again. It now has the vacuum in it as well because it ACTUALLY FITS!

 The clean bar/counter. See the basket on the left? That is now a collection basket that will be sorted weekly.

 And...the cutest kid EVER!