Beginning Again

I got close to my goal before school started, I kept it up for a while before it all went downhill. My husband was home this weekend and helped me find "managable." I think I can take it from here! My goals for before Christmas are simple, floors swept, laundry washed and folded, dishes done and put away. If I can maintain these three areas, just doing a little bit daily, I might have hope for keeping an ordered house! So with a big sigh I pick myself up and try again. Here's to this week!

School Cabinet

Managed to clean out the school cabinet! It's a difficult place because we use it daily and it's so easy to just throw stuff back in it. One of the first things I had to do was to replace the door on the right side. I also cleared out nearly a whole box full of papers and other waste. I made sure to organize it so that the games could be moved off the top of it and into the cabinet itself. This created a space for the Casio on top of the cabinet. The library books now fit nicely in the bottom, including the storytime packet. Overall I think it is a very nice fit.

Girl's Room

So I managed to unclutter the girl's room without compromising the closet. I finished clearing out the 3T clothes and reordered a box of 3-6 month clothing. There are a few miscellaneous toys in a bag for the thrift store a few torn/broken items for the garbage. The beds are made, the boxes are in order and life is much better there. I will continue to keep an eye on the toys and see what else needs to be swept out. The stuffed animals are okay for now, but there is a possibility they might increase in population and overwhelm the closet! I will have to keep close tabs on them to see how they are all getting along and which ones are played with, but for now, we're okay. I'll update with picture when I get the camera.

Girl's Closet

Still a little crowded, but very much better than it was. First thing I did was remove the bags of extra clothes. Aaliyah is very comfortable in her 9 month clothing and should be that way for a little while yet. I took two bags of 12 month and 18 month clothing to put in a Rubbermaid tote to store in the shed. Next I took all the clothes out and rearranged them according to type. I decided she didn't have enough room for the sleepers and decided to hang them with the dresses. This freed up room for the socks, hats, and tights in the bottom drawer. I also removed a few shirts out the three-year-old's drawer that she never wears. I decided to put the stuffed animals and one of the baby's toys back in. The box of dress up clothes will be set up at the bottom of the toddler bed. All miscellaneous will be sorted and put back in the plastic shoe boxes to be stored under the crib. I'm not sure what's left in those, but that's my goal.

Goals left for girl's room:

1. Weed out broken and unused toys.

2. Vacuum

Little Minutes During Cookie Making

I tidied my whole kitchen today using "little minutes." That is, those minutes in between things allotted only to waiting. Most notably, however, was the judicial use of these minutes during cookie making! I dusted the shelf of flour before I put the canisters back. I stuck all the spices back on lazy susan after I replaced the vanilla and the baking soda. I wiped the counters while I was mixing. I did all the dishes before the cookies finished baking. Seems simple enough, but it's a constant motion. I figure, the little things contribute to the big mess, so why not clean it before it gets too bad? In the words of my mother-in-law, "I hate to clean so I do it as I go."

Kitchen Commandments

Thou Shalt:

1. Do dishes and wipe the table after dinner and consider it a part of eating.

2. Wipe spills when they occur whether it be the counter, the stovetop or the floor.

3. Make sure dishes end up in the sink and do them when the sink gets full.

4. Sweep daily. Mop regularly.

That in doing so it might go well with my kitchen and that long life and sanity might occur!

Kitchen Part I

So, in keeping with my goals, I began with the kitchen. I first did the dishes and wiped the counters. Next, I scrubbed the cupboard fronts and the trim behind at the back of the counters. After that, I cleared out everything that didn't belong in the kitchen (papers, trinkets, etc.) and kept only that which I need for cooking (useful) or a few things, like pictures, I like to look at (beautiful). I scrubbed the oven, especially the glass so one can see to the inside and wiped down the fan above the stove and finished with my floor. The thought in my head was, "If I were trying to sell this place, what would I want it to look like?" This pushed me to get grime I never think of getting, like the grime just under the front of the stove and the smudge prints on the front of the fridge. Now it shines completely and wonderfully and I am very pleased with it!

Two goals left for kitchen:

1. To clean out the fridge.

2. Reogranize cabinets.

Goals

Within 30 days I hope to:

1. To have nothing in my house that is not either beautiful or useful.

2. To be able to maintain order so that no clutter/grime can be found hiding either in closets or in corners.

I plan to maintain this blog as a journal to document and encourage me toward this. It might be difficult, but I'm up to the challenge! Let's roll!