LOVE Your House Feb 22

I know, I know...I wasn't around yesterday. I was out of house most of the day and, when I got home, it was dinnertime.


Today I don't know what to have you do! I'm trying to get on top of things again (after yesterday it looked like a bomb went off in here) Right now I'm washing a load of diapers and running a load of dishes. I picked up a bit but Franklin pulled it all back out again!

I did a load of laundry and a bit of vacuuming yesterday...that was IT!! I feel so lazy!


You know what? Just enjoy today! If you want to clean please go for it. If you want to spend the day vegging out then have at it. Spending the day playing with your little one? That's great! I'm having great weather so we'll probably go for a walk this afternoon.

LOVE Your House Feb 20

Okay, we're still kind of sick here. Ugh. I haven't been sleeping because of my sinus congestion. (You needed to know that I'm sure)

I, however, did buy coffee...God help us all! (Hey, I gave up soda for Lent. I have to get my boost from somewhere and B Vitamins only take you so far)


Okay, today I want you to Get On Top Of Something.


Anything that you've gotten behind. Laundry piled up? (guilty) Get to it! When was the last time you vacuumed? Scrubbed your floors? Dusted? Is there a Leaning Tower of Pisa of dishes in your sink?


I'm spending the day doing laundry! And...


- Wiped windows (in half of the house at least)

- Scrubbed the guest bathroom floor

- Wiped my cabinet faces

- Dishes

- Did some shopping

- Chased a baby

What have you done today?

LOVE Your House Feb 19th

So, I'm sick. This makes several days in a row. Ugh, this winter has been a season of one cold right after another for me. I got a stomach bug right before Christmas and it's like I can't just get WELL. I even started taking vitamins!

*sighs* Anyway!


Today I want you to Clean Something That Rarely Gets Cleaned!

You know the floor behind the toilet? Out of sight, out of mind? Not today! Turn off your ceiling fan. Are you growing a carpet up there? Do you usually scrub the outside of your toilet? (Trust me, it needs it!)



Additional Challenges:

- Spend 30mins cleaning anything

- Walk through your house with a small trash bag (grocery bags work the best) and throw away at least 5 things (bonus points if you throw away more)

- Walk through the house with a damp cloth and wipe down as many surfaces as possible

LOVE Your House ~ Guest Post ~

Hi everyone!  I'm Natalie, and I'm thrilled to be guest posting today... this is just a little post about a fun project I tackled recently! :)

The Nester is a really great home decorating blogger!  Go check her out here. Also, here is a little definition of tablescaping.
_________________________________________________________________________

 

Natalie is a Christian, wife, mama to two under two, 

homeschool graduate, and homemaker.

She spends her days kissing chubby cheeks, washing dishes, 

taking paper out of the baby's mouth and butter out of the toddler's hands,

nursing, processing laundry, and squeezing in taking pictures, decorating, and blogging when she has time (or doesn't!) 

She blogs at Naddy's Blog and at Babywearing it Up! :)

LOVE Your House Feb 11th

This will be the last installment for the weekend. I'm headed out of town so I'm taking a brain break from EVERYTHING (I'm even turning off my phone!) So it's kind of a weekend task.

Get a Second Opinion.


Basically, have a friend (or total stranger if you're bold) change something in your house. Nothing major! Don't knock out a wall or paint something black just because So-And-So told you to! Use common sense. Let them suggest moving a piece of furniture or get rid of an old knicknack that doesn't quite fit. Trade something with them. Give something to them. Let them give something to you. Or have them come help you clean!

Don't have any friends in the area you can invite over? Take a picture of the area in question and post it online to get opinions. Email the photo to someone and get their thoughts on the space.

Sometimes all you need is another set of eyes looking at the problem!

 

Have a safe and happy weekend!

LOVE Your House Feb 10th

Feel better about walking into your house now?  I do!!

I said in a previous post that my two "it" rooms are the kitchen and the bathroom. Well, because of an ant problem (I'm fairly certain there's a fire ant nest underneath my building) the kitchen stays pretty clean. (Not spotless by any means, but clean enough I don't lose my stuff when I walk in!) Can you see where I'm going?

Task of the day: Beautify Your Bathroom

These are the Housekeeping Channel's Bathroom Basics to get you started. Basically, clean until it shines!

Be sure and reward yourself with a hot soak this evening!

LOVE Your House Feb 9th

I got the idea because it's something I just did! (I'll do photos eventually. My camera is giving me trouble)

Today your task is Enhance Your Entryway!

Think about it: What is the first area of your house that guests see? The front door and the area just inside the front door. This can color their perception of your entire home! If they walk in and see a cluttered and/or dirty entryway they may end up seeing even the smallest bits of clutter throughout the rest of the house. AND some people (delivery people or people picking you up) only see the entryway! The added bonus is you'll actually know where things are when you're leaving the house. How many times have you been unable to find your second glove or your umbrella because of the clutter and mess?

LOVE Your House Feb 8th

Okay, I only have a quick second because I really have to clean my house. (one of these days I'm going to post pictures so you know I'm not kidding)

Today your goal is to Freshen Your Fridge

I actually love doing this. It's quite liberating.

When was the last time your fridge had a thorough cleaning? Go through and look inside each and every container. I can hear you now, "But I know what's in X container!" Look anyway! Just to be on the safe side and to remind yourself of what's in there. Label things if you feel the need. Throw out anything that is remotely icky. Reorganize things. Scrub down the surfaces. Give the outside a good wipe. Reassess all of the items on the outside. Throw away things that are trash. Store the important stuff. Frame a child's drawing or two.

Now, don't you feel better about using the food out of there?

If you're just tuning in go to the LOVE Your House Label and catch up!

LOVE Your House Feb 7th

Today I want you to rest! Yep, I'm serious. Take some time and do something for YOU. Eat a favorite food (or dessert!), take a hot bath, do a face mask, or watch a TV show without worrying about chores!

If I had you working all the time you'd get frustrated with me!

LOVE Your House Feb 6th

Because it's Saturday, and most people have more time/help on Saturday, we're doing something a big bigger!

I want you to Get Rid of Clutter in an Hour or Less today. Set aside one hour (break it up if you want) and go for it!

It's a bunch of really simple, quick things. Basically, you're going to go through your house and get rid of trash and JUNK! This is a great task to have kids help. Play "What doesn't belong?" and get them to help find things the proper home!

 

(Again, not my house)

LOVE Your House Feb 5th

We've almost made it an entire week! Wow, right? Let's trudge on, shall we?

Today I want you to clean something until it shines. FlyLady recommends shining your sink every single night so you wake up to a clean sink. Personally, that doesn't always work for me. Sometimes I have the dishwasher loaded to the max and there's still a pot or two left. Besides, waking up to a shining sink while the rest of the kitchen is wrecked doesn't really do it for me. Now, if I clean the ENTIRE kitchen and wake up to a shining KITCHEN I feel great. Maybe your thing is the bathroom (that runs a close second for me). Maybe you love it when your dining table is gleaming and decorated. Is it a clean mirror? Or watching the sun shine through clean windows?

Take the day to think about it. Walk around your house and see what FEELS like it needs a good shining.

 

No, that's not my house! I wish it were, that's a gorgeous window!

LOVE Your House Feb 4th

Wow, I'm impressed that I've kept this up this long. 4 days is a good run! Still going strong out there? Let's get to it!

Today we're Dealing With THAT Stuff 

You know the stuff I'm talking about. Whatever flashed in your mind when I said "That Stuff" is exactly what I want you to use as your focus. Maybe it's that area of the house that gets stuff tossed in it (closet anyone?), maybe it's that drawer in your kitchen you don't know what's there (we all have one), maybe it's that gift (or gifts) that you've held on to just because it's a gift. I could go on and on.

Well, you have officially been given permission to deal with THAT stuff! I encourage you to get it out of your house! Sure, you might feel a bit guilty at first, but in the end you'll feel better! Clean out a drawer. Don't give me that "No one sees inside a drawer" stuff. Some people will tell you it's the negative energy you have to worry about. I'm not sure I buy that...but I know that the way things in your house make you feel affects your day.

Go for it!


By the way, I'm looking for any and all suggestions to add to LOVING your house!

LOVE Your House Day 3

We're on Day 3 of Letting Ourselves Value Everything! (It's growing on me)

Feeling better yet? It's only Day 3 so if you feel the same don't worry about it!

Today's task: Add some color! Pick a room, any room, and add some color to it. This may involve moving something from another room, purchasing/finding a cheap item, trading with a friend, or having one of your children color you a great picture!

Get creative! Frame a brightly colored picture (extra points if your child made it!). Paint that plain pot your plant lives in. Make a quilt of baby clothes and display it. Buy some brightly colored flowers and display them.


Where are you adding color?

LOVE your house Day Two

So, here we are on day two of learning to love our homes! Did you apply step one yesterday? I'll be the first to admit that I did not! However, we're sick so I'll probably catch up this weekend.

What's in store for Day Two? Another easy one: Give something away. This needs to be a big ticket item. A lamp, a chair, an end table, etc... Just last week I gave away this horrid corner TV stand. I held on to it because it was free and sort of useful. However, when the baby became mobile I cleaned it out and it just SAT in the corner like that lonely kid at recess. So, I gave it a new home. The woman that took it was VERY grateful and I felt good that I didn't just throw it away.

What are you giving away this week?

LOVE your house this February!

Okay, here's my idea. One step at a time, one day at a time, I'll use this blog to help myself, and my readers, to LOVE our homes. Together, we can Let Ourselves Value Everything. (I'm working on my acronym...ideas are welcome)

Don't balk at the idea of having a "task" each day! It will be something easy. (Psh, like I could do something complicated with MY son? HA)


Let's get started!

Feb 1st and Step One: Move Something (see, I told you it was easy) 


Seriously, right now, get up and go move SOMETHING. That candle that just sits on that table in your living room? Wouldn't it look great on the dining room table during dinner? (If you're feeling especially productive maybe move several candles) That poster/photo that never looked quite right on that wall? Try another spot. Move the couch to a different spot in the room. Take those bolster pillows out of the bedroom (do you really use those?) and put them on the couch.

Try it!

Love your place this Feb!

I'm thinking about doing a month long series for February. It would upgrade your home each day. Just little things you can do (between 1-5 steps) to make your home a place you can love even more than you already do!

What do you think?