Lots of kudos to give out today...
We got a lot accomplished the past couple days. First of all, our "formal" living room (Is there such a thing as a formal living room when living in squalor??) has been cleaned up...vacuumed, dusted, the whole nine yards. My son did this, and while he didn't do a perfect job, he didn't do too bad at all. This shouldn't be too hard to defend (maintain) as we don't spend a lot of time there. It's nice because that's where the front door opens into, so at least the first impression will be good. Now, my dining room which is the second place most people see is still a wreck, but I'm here to talk about progress...
We bought a desk for our family room to take the place of a computer armoir that we recently sold. The desk is bigger than I thought it would be, but I still really like it. It motivated us to move some furniture around, and in doing so, we pulled out the vacuum. I was delighted with my family's attitude. When my daughter and I started the process, I thought we would do the bare minimum and work on the rest this week, but she pulled out the vacuum, I started moving furniture, and we were off and running! While we had the vacuum out, I suggested getting some nasty cobwebs out of the one corner. We couldn't reach, so we hollered for my hubby to come help. He got those cobwebs and then started around the room. Ugh...there were a lot more than I realized! But I think we got them all. And it was actually kind of fun going around and sucking up those dirty old webs. Hmmm...I'm thinking now maybe I should have left them there for Halloween...? ...Nah. :P
We also vacuumed off the ceiling fan. Could someone tell me what it is about ceiling fans that they collect so much gunk?! (Yes, that is the scientific name for it..."gunk." A cross-species of gross, junk, goo, and grodies. Ick!) Anyway, we got the family room floor cleaned up, and we dusted the furniture and pictures. I swear, some of the stuff could have been accessories to a haunted house...dust and cobwebs galore! The coffee table still needs to be cleaned off. That's an area like my kitchen island that draws clutter, papers, and even dirty dishes like nowhere else. It will take a while to get that maintained on a regular basis. But to keep my sanity, I'm going to focus on defending the floor for now. Between the living room and the family room floor, those are enough new areas to maintain this week. We have another crazy week ahead, especially the beginning half.
What made me smile through most of the progress we made is my family's attitude. So much better than a couple weeks ago! Maybe I caught them on a good day; maybe they're enjoying the other clean areas, so they're willing to pitch in a little better. I don't know. But I do know I was incredibly grateful for it today. A productive weekend...even with attending a wedding yesterday!
Now...the work week grind begins in a just a few hours. G'nite, all!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Trash Maneuvers
I found this on my favorite web site (SOS), and I was practically in tears at the end from laughing so hard. I could have written this...this is exactly how I've thought, and actually can still find myself falling back into these old habits way too easily. Read and enjoy!
The trash maneuvers: What are the trash maneuvers? They are a complicated set of thoughts and actions, related to circling around a trash bin instead of taking it out. You see, it is just too hard to take the trash out when the bin is full, so a set of complicated maneuvers is required to avoid this TEDIOUS, tedious task. It goes like this:
Step 1. Observe the trash bin. Make a mental note: "Hey, the bin is full. Crap." Solution: simply use some force to fit your trash in the bin. You will be surprised at the huge amount of trash you can actually fit into a small bin when you really work for it!
Step 2. When no amount of force helps, and the bin is just too full, locate a suitable spot somewhere, and simply leave your trash there. Remember, it takes too much effort to just take the trash bag out of the bin and take it outside!
Step 3. Every time you go to the kitchen, take some time to be bothered about the trash. Thoughts like these help: "Uh-oh, it's full. Ugh, it smells in here." When you need to throw something away, think, "What should I do about this piece of trash? Yeah, I'll just leave it on the counter - No wait, there's already too much trash on it - Well, I'll just throw it in the sink, the sink smells already anyway. It's too much trouble to take the trash out."
Step 4. When you are finally just too fed up with all the trash surrounding you, or if the smell makes it hard to breathe in the kitchen, or if the in-laws are threatening to visit you, it is time to finally take the trash out. Take the bag out of the bin and put it somewhere you remember to take it out: the front door, for example.
Step 5. Every time you go out, make a mental note about the trash bag blocking your way to the front door. Make another mental note, reminding yourself you're too busy to take it out. Step or jump over the bag. Repeat this step for as long as you wish or endure. Some have been doing this for days, weeks, months, maybe even years! Remember to be very bothered about the trash bag sitting at your front door or hallway (or kitchen or living room if your'e really hardcore), but remind yourself it's too tedious to take it out with you. You are too busy for that. And remember, Busy People are Important People.
Step 6. This step is performed in the kitchen, in parallel with Step 5. Multitasking, you see! You could spend a few seconds taking another trash bag (you probably have collected a 100 years' worth of these already) and putting it in the bin. STOP! Don't do that! Those few seconds take too much of your Precious Time!
Step 7. Maintain Step 6. Every time you need to throw some trash in the bin, make a mental note: "Uh-oh, there's no bag in there, I can't put this thing in the bin," and just leave it on a vacant spot in the kitchen. Repeat this step until you feel ready to actually put the bag in the bin.
Step 8. Cleaning frenzy! You're fed up with the situation and finally have put the bag in the bin! Now it's time to take advantage of a usable trash bin, so collect all the trash in the kitchen (in the sink, on the counters, table, floor, wherever it is) and throw it in the bin!
Step 9. Observe the bin. It is now full.
Step 10. Go to step 1 and repeat.
YES. I've actually been behaving like this, many times. I won't bother taking the trash out because spending those two minutes to take it out would be too much trouble. BUT, apparently, it is not too much trouble to spend several minutes, maybe hours in total, watching the counters and sink get covered in trash, worrying about it, moving it around when I cook, and taking the time to wonder, with each piece of new trash, where to put it. To my delight, however, I've been getting out of this habit. I have realized how utterly stupid it is to take all the time worrying about trash, when you could really just "waste" a couple of minutes of your precious time to take the trash out when the bin is full and put another bag in the bin. Yes, I've definitely made progress here and it really makes a difference!
The trash maneuvers: What are the trash maneuvers? They are a complicated set of thoughts and actions, related to circling around a trash bin instead of taking it out. You see, it is just too hard to take the trash out when the bin is full, so a set of complicated maneuvers is required to avoid this TEDIOUS, tedious task. It goes like this:
Step 1. Observe the trash bin. Make a mental note: "Hey, the bin is full. Crap." Solution: simply use some force to fit your trash in the bin. You will be surprised at the huge amount of trash you can actually fit into a small bin when you really work for it!
Step 2. When no amount of force helps, and the bin is just too full, locate a suitable spot somewhere, and simply leave your trash there. Remember, it takes too much effort to just take the trash bag out of the bin and take it outside!
Step 3. Every time you go to the kitchen, take some time to be bothered about the trash. Thoughts like these help: "Uh-oh, it's full. Ugh, it smells in here." When you need to throw something away, think, "What should I do about this piece of trash? Yeah, I'll just leave it on the counter - No wait, there's already too much trash on it - Well, I'll just throw it in the sink, the sink smells already anyway. It's too much trouble to take the trash out."
Step 4. When you are finally just too fed up with all the trash surrounding you, or if the smell makes it hard to breathe in the kitchen, or if the in-laws are threatening to visit you, it is time to finally take the trash out. Take the bag out of the bin and put it somewhere you remember to take it out: the front door, for example.
Step 5. Every time you go out, make a mental note about the trash bag blocking your way to the front door. Make another mental note, reminding yourself you're too busy to take it out. Step or jump over the bag. Repeat this step for as long as you wish or endure. Some have been doing this for days, weeks, months, maybe even years! Remember to be very bothered about the trash bag sitting at your front door or hallway (or kitchen or living room if your'e really hardcore), but remind yourself it's too tedious to take it out with you. You are too busy for that. And remember, Busy People are Important People.
Step 6. This step is performed in the kitchen, in parallel with Step 5. Multitasking, you see! You could spend a few seconds taking another trash bag (you probably have collected a 100 years' worth of these already) and putting it in the bin. STOP! Don't do that! Those few seconds take too much of your Precious Time!
Step 7. Maintain Step 6. Every time you need to throw some trash in the bin, make a mental note: "Uh-oh, there's no bag in there, I can't put this thing in the bin," and just leave it on a vacant spot in the kitchen. Repeat this step until you feel ready to actually put the bag in the bin.
Step 8. Cleaning frenzy! You're fed up with the situation and finally have put the bag in the bin! Now it's time to take advantage of a usable trash bin, so collect all the trash in the kitchen (in the sink, on the counters, table, floor, wherever it is) and throw it in the bin!
Step 9. Observe the bin. It is now full.
Step 10. Go to step 1 and repeat.
YES. I've actually been behaving like this, many times. I won't bother taking the trash out because spending those two minutes to take it out would be too much trouble. BUT, apparently, it is not too much trouble to spend several minutes, maybe hours in total, watching the counters and sink get covered in trash, worrying about it, moving it around when I cook, and taking the time to wonder, with each piece of new trash, where to put it. To my delight, however, I've been getting out of this habit. I have realized how utterly stupid it is to take all the time worrying about trash, when you could really just "waste" a couple of minutes of your precious time to take the trash out when the bin is full and put another bag in the bin. Yes, I've definitely made progress here and it really makes a difference!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Walls
I hit a wall. A brick wall. Not a literal wall, but a wall of exhaustion that felt like a brick wall. Our schedules are incredibly busy, every single day. Wednesdays are usually the least busy, so I always try to add at least one more area of clean on Wednesdays, even if it's a small area. But, I had a bit of a rough day at work yesterday, and then had some running around to do afterward. I was pretty whipped when I got home, but I did manage to make some supper. I was so hungry, and it tasted so good...so that was a wonderful reprieve in the day. Shortly after that, though is when I hit that wall. What is frustrating is that I kept dozing off and on in our recliner, but talk about strange dreams! Weird. And not at all restful. I was probably snoring, too (I usually do).
I had plans to progress further forward in my cleaning projects. As I said, Wednesdays are usually pretty quiet...the kids don't have practices or games, and we had an evening at home, but that wall was just totally insurmountable. I had assigned my kids their projects, and much to their credit, they did accomplish them. On top of that, my hubby made sure they got the maintenance areas in the kitchen done, so by the time we went to bed, the counters were clean and the dishes were done. They weren't done perfectly, but they were done, and I can live with that. The fact that they were done at all tells me that we are getting the hang of this maintenance thing. In the past, we would have let it go, telling ourselves (lying to ourselves, really), that since it wasn't too bad, we'd get to it the next day. This time, my kids and hubby, "sucked it up" and just did it (while I snored ever so gently in the recliner. And I am so proud of them! (I HEARD that choking--or was it guffawing?--about my gentle snoring...)
On an even more positive note, on Tuesday evening, both kids commented out loud about how nice it was that we were maintaining the kitchen. I think, like me, they are seeing that this is do-able, and if we keep adding things at a reasonable pace, we will eventually have a house where people can drop in without the fear of God running through our veins when we hear a knock at the door. You know how it is, when your friend calls wanting to drop something off, and you panic...it's raining out, so you can't meet them outside, so...you race through the house picking up whatever you possibly can, throw it in the bedroom, slam the door. Then, you race through the house spraying air freshener, hoping that gives an illusion of clean (we all know it doesn't work, but we try anyway). And my house is laid out in such a way that I keep them trapped at the front door, practically spinning them on their heels, saying "Thanx so much, and I'd invite you in, but I can't right now," and shoo them back out into the rain. Yeah, that would be me...the hostess with the mostest. :p
Good to know that changes are in process...
I had plans to progress further forward in my cleaning projects. As I said, Wednesdays are usually pretty quiet...the kids don't have practices or games, and we had an evening at home, but that wall was just totally insurmountable. I had assigned my kids their projects, and much to their credit, they did accomplish them. On top of that, my hubby made sure they got the maintenance areas in the kitchen done, so by the time we went to bed, the counters were clean and the dishes were done. They weren't done perfectly, but they were done, and I can live with that. The fact that they were done at all tells me that we are getting the hang of this maintenance thing. In the past, we would have let it go, telling ourselves (lying to ourselves, really), that since it wasn't too bad, we'd get to it the next day. This time, my kids and hubby, "sucked it up" and just did it (while I snored ever so gently in the recliner. And I am so proud of them! (I HEARD that choking--or was it guffawing?--about my gentle snoring...)
On an even more positive note, on Tuesday evening, both kids commented out loud about how nice it was that we were maintaining the kitchen. I think, like me, they are seeing that this is do-able, and if we keep adding things at a reasonable pace, we will eventually have a house where people can drop in without the fear of God running through our veins when we hear a knock at the door. You know how it is, when your friend calls wanting to drop something off, and you panic...it's raining out, so you can't meet them outside, so...you race through the house picking up whatever you possibly can, throw it in the bedroom, slam the door. Then, you race through the house spraying air freshener, hoping that gives an illusion of clean (we all know it doesn't work, but we try anyway). And my house is laid out in such a way that I keep them trapped at the front door, practically spinning them on their heels, saying "Thanx so much, and I'd invite you in, but I can't right now," and shoo them back out into the rain. Yeah, that would be me...the hostess with the mostest. :p
Good to know that changes are in process...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I Made My Bed Today!
This makes me laugh. I have been planning and thinking about this blog for days...I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it (in my head until now).
It's been months and possibly even years since I've made my bed. Now, believe it or not, we have always been able to sleep in our bed...it has not been covered with junk/stuff/clothes/whatever for more than a day. (Now, the floor is a different story, but we won't go there today.) For most people -- from average housekeepers to OCD cleanies -- making the bed is a pretty basic thing taught from the time one is a toddler. But for me, it's just never been a priority. And to some extent, it still isn't at the top of my list. I mean, come on, you're just gonna get back in it in about 16 hours, it's easy to close a bedroom door to the outside, and it doesn't hinder anything else by letting it go. It is strictly an aesthetically pleasing chore. Even if you use the bed, like I do, to fold and sort laundry before putting it away, it's not hard to toss aside the covers and carry on. Making the bed doesn't make that any easier to do. Think about it...the kitchen counters look nice when they're clean, but mainly they become much more functional. The floors...much easier to walk through and work on. Even dusting, which helps things look nice also serves a purpose in that it keeps the dirt and dust that we breathe in to a minimum. But making the bed...? Well....you get the idea.
Even my daughter and husband think of making the bed as part of the basics. My daughter, ON HER OWN, has been making her bed every morning for at least a couple of years. And at the very beginning of this journey, when we were discussing things we would shoot for to do on a daily basis, my husband mentioned making the bed. He even volunteered to fold his covers and set them aside, since we have separate covers (I am a notorious cover hog, plus I toss and turn, practically doing gymnastics in bed, so we have separate covers). My cover is a nice comforter that can serve as a bed spread, too. I told hubby it would have to be pretty simple at first (and maybe always): spread out the comforter, throw on some nice pillow shams, and toss the pillows at the head of the bed. Anything more than that, and I'll fade out of that habit pretty quickly.
I fell into that perfectionism mode a little bit in that I wanted to change the linens before I started making the bed. I did that a while ago, but kept forgetting to make the bed. It's not part of my routine, and since I'm not a morning person, I kept walking by it in a daze every morning. Today, for the first time in a while, I had the opportunity to sleep in (only had to go to work for half a day...the second half), and when I woke up, I noticed hubby's covers all folded up. I wondered how long he had been doing that hoping I would get around to making the bed...? Anyway...I actually made the bed today!
Something else I had forgotten was how much fun our one cat is when I make the bed. She thinks my shaking and spreading out the comforter is an invitation to play. She goes a little nuts chasing the edges and corners and this morning ended up playing with her own tail long after I finished. In the past, she would sometimes start off under the cover, so I would just let it fall on top of her. I would then place bets in my head as to how long it would take her to get out. And I love how, in situations like that, cats try to leave and carry on with some dignity. So hopefully, I'll remember to make the bed from here on out, and I'll get some entertainment in the morning...when I most need it! But since you know it's not at the top of my list...if I miss it here and there...well...have some patience...! :)
It's been months and possibly even years since I've made my bed. Now, believe it or not, we have always been able to sleep in our bed...it has not been covered with junk/stuff/clothes/whatever for more than a day. (Now, the floor is a different story, but we won't go there today.) For most people -- from average housekeepers to OCD cleanies -- making the bed is a pretty basic thing taught from the time one is a toddler. But for me, it's just never been a priority. And to some extent, it still isn't at the top of my list. I mean, come on, you're just gonna get back in it in about 16 hours, it's easy to close a bedroom door to the outside, and it doesn't hinder anything else by letting it go. It is strictly an aesthetically pleasing chore. Even if you use the bed, like I do, to fold and sort laundry before putting it away, it's not hard to toss aside the covers and carry on. Making the bed doesn't make that any easier to do. Think about it...the kitchen counters look nice when they're clean, but mainly they become much more functional. The floors...much easier to walk through and work on. Even dusting, which helps things look nice also serves a purpose in that it keeps the dirt and dust that we breathe in to a minimum. But making the bed...? Well....you get the idea.
Even my daughter and husband think of making the bed as part of the basics. My daughter, ON HER OWN, has been making her bed every morning for at least a couple of years. And at the very beginning of this journey, when we were discussing things we would shoot for to do on a daily basis, my husband mentioned making the bed. He even volunteered to fold his covers and set them aside, since we have separate covers (I am a notorious cover hog, plus I toss and turn, practically doing gymnastics in bed, so we have separate covers). My cover is a nice comforter that can serve as a bed spread, too. I told hubby it would have to be pretty simple at first (and maybe always): spread out the comforter, throw on some nice pillow shams, and toss the pillows at the head of the bed. Anything more than that, and I'll fade out of that habit pretty quickly.
I fell into that perfectionism mode a little bit in that I wanted to change the linens before I started making the bed. I did that a while ago, but kept forgetting to make the bed. It's not part of my routine, and since I'm not a morning person, I kept walking by it in a daze every morning. Today, for the first time in a while, I had the opportunity to sleep in (only had to go to work for half a day...the second half), and when I woke up, I noticed hubby's covers all folded up. I wondered how long he had been doing that hoping I would get around to making the bed...? Anyway...I actually made the bed today!
Something else I had forgotten was how much fun our one cat is when I make the bed. She thinks my shaking and spreading out the comforter is an invitation to play. She goes a little nuts chasing the edges and corners and this morning ended up playing with her own tail long after I finished. In the past, she would sometimes start off under the cover, so I would just let it fall on top of her. I would then place bets in my head as to how long it would take her to get out. And I love how, in situations like that, cats try to leave and carry on with some dignity. So hopefully, I'll remember to make the bed from here on out, and I'll get some entertainment in the morning...when I most need it! But since you know it's not at the top of my list...if I miss it here and there...well...have some patience...! :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Applause for a supportive hubby...
The back of our basement was an absolute disgusting mess. The dog had been using it as her litterbox (yeah, I know dogs don't use litterboxes, but you get the idea) over and over...and over again. There were boxes, a desk, a table, and other misc. stuff around, so we never seemed to get it cleaned up well. It was hard to stay back there long enough to even get the worst of it cleaned up as the stench was positively nauseating. It permeated the entire basement, but going to the back was hard to do without literally heaving and wretching.
I give our whole family kudos a couple weeks ago for tolerating it enough to start throwing out a lot of "stuff." (A dump truck's worth, if you remember.) Some of my extended family was there, and we tried to make light of the situation and the odor, but I think we all could have benefited from gas masks! But getting that load of stuff gone was key to my husband's next move that he made yesterday.
He cleared the entire area, cleaned up the floor as best he could, then painted the floor with Kilz. That stuff is fantastic! And it worked. Our basement smells normal. After he finished, I was able to go back and sort through most of the boxes that were back there and put the keeper stuff in plastic totes. We are in the process of putting most everything into plastic totes. Basements tend to be damp anyway, but our one corner has some serious water issues that we need to work on, but in the meantime, those plastic totes will keep things safe. I can also see through most of them, so I know what's inside.
I'm rattling...I really am going somewhere with this...
My daughter had to go downstairs to get something out of our extra freezer, and she was practically writing cheers all the way down and back up again about how wonderful it was that the basement smelled normal...she could walk back to the back without worrying about dog pooh...and she could breathe deeply the whole way. It was almost comical how big a deal she was making of it! But I was so glad because my hubby is one who needs almost constant affirmation. I hope he was listening and absorbing the whole thing. He really does deserve some props for taking on that project. Honestly in all the de-squaloring we do, this may be the one single thing that makes the biggest difference. It may be a toss-up between that and the vinyl bathroom floor. That bathroom floor got rid of the worst of the smell upstairs, got rid of that gross carpet, and helped motivate me to keep that bathroom clean and let the clean grow from there. The basement floor got rid of the smell downstairs (which was actually much worse than upstairs) and feels like it will be a motivation to organize and grow the clean downstairs. And I can use my craft corner now!! (Well, that area needs some serious work with organization, but it's do-able, and I love making gifts, so with the holiday season fast approaching, I've got some great motivation.) So, if you see my hubby in the near future, please give him a big hug and tell him his wife thinks he's pretty terrific.
Thoughts for my next areas to work on: the kitchen is the most used room in the house, so the more I work on it, the more functional it becomes, so I'm going to keep working at that. The microwave area isn't too bad, but it does need a good scrubbing and then it will be easier to maintain. Much like the microwave, the stove is not bad, but it's not great either. My problem is that I'm dreading tearing apart the door so I can get to the nasty stuff under the handle. Oh yeah, it's nasty, and I've tried everything under the sun to get to it. It's just going to have to be torn apart. I've looked at it, and I think it's do-able, but it's not gonna be fun. And the last thing (I think) in the kitchen is the cupboards. Most aren't too bad, but they could all use a good spring cleaning and sorting, and a couple of them are kind of icky. I think that covers the kitchen.
I think the next big area I will try to get done in the next couple days is the living room. It's a fairly easy one to clean and maintain as we don't spend a lot of time in there. It's also where the front door enters into, so it's nice to have it cleaned up for a decent first impression.
I could continue...but I won't. I'll overwhelm myself. But it's exciting to be able to grow something! I have such a black thumb...but now I can tell myself I can't grow plants, but I can grow clean...!!! Hahahahaha...
Now, to find some extra energy...anyone have any to spare? :)
I give our whole family kudos a couple weeks ago for tolerating it enough to start throwing out a lot of "stuff." (A dump truck's worth, if you remember.) Some of my extended family was there, and we tried to make light of the situation and the odor, but I think we all could have benefited from gas masks! But getting that load of stuff gone was key to my husband's next move that he made yesterday.
He cleared the entire area, cleaned up the floor as best he could, then painted the floor with Kilz. That stuff is fantastic! And it worked. Our basement smells normal. After he finished, I was able to go back and sort through most of the boxes that were back there and put the keeper stuff in plastic totes. We are in the process of putting most everything into plastic totes. Basements tend to be damp anyway, but our one corner has some serious water issues that we need to work on, but in the meantime, those plastic totes will keep things safe. I can also see through most of them, so I know what's inside.
I'm rattling...I really am going somewhere with this...
My daughter had to go downstairs to get something out of our extra freezer, and she was practically writing cheers all the way down and back up again about how wonderful it was that the basement smelled normal...she could walk back to the back without worrying about dog pooh...and she could breathe deeply the whole way. It was almost comical how big a deal she was making of it! But I was so glad because my hubby is one who needs almost constant affirmation. I hope he was listening and absorbing the whole thing. He really does deserve some props for taking on that project. Honestly in all the de-squaloring we do, this may be the one single thing that makes the biggest difference. It may be a toss-up between that and the vinyl bathroom floor. That bathroom floor got rid of the worst of the smell upstairs, got rid of that gross carpet, and helped motivate me to keep that bathroom clean and let the clean grow from there. The basement floor got rid of the smell downstairs (which was actually much worse than upstairs) and feels like it will be a motivation to organize and grow the clean downstairs. And I can use my craft corner now!! (Well, that area needs some serious work with organization, but it's do-able, and I love making gifts, so with the holiday season fast approaching, I've got some great motivation.) So, if you see my hubby in the near future, please give him a big hug and tell him his wife thinks he's pretty terrific.
Thoughts for my next areas to work on: the kitchen is the most used room in the house, so the more I work on it, the more functional it becomes, so I'm going to keep working at that. The microwave area isn't too bad, but it does need a good scrubbing and then it will be easier to maintain. Much like the microwave, the stove is not bad, but it's not great either. My problem is that I'm dreading tearing apart the door so I can get to the nasty stuff under the handle. Oh yeah, it's nasty, and I've tried everything under the sun to get to it. It's just going to have to be torn apart. I've looked at it, and I think it's do-able, but it's not gonna be fun. And the last thing (I think) in the kitchen is the cupboards. Most aren't too bad, but they could all use a good spring cleaning and sorting, and a couple of them are kind of icky. I think that covers the kitchen.
I think the next big area I will try to get done in the next couple days is the living room. It's a fairly easy one to clean and maintain as we don't spend a lot of time in there. It's also where the front door enters into, so it's nice to have it cleaned up for a decent first impression.
I could continue...but I won't. I'll overwhelm myself. But it's exciting to be able to grow something! I have such a black thumb...but now I can tell myself I can't grow plants, but I can grow clean...!!! Hahahahaha...
Now, to find some extra energy...anyone have any to spare? :)
Footloose and Fancy Free in the Kitchen
Once again, I was on one of my favorite web sites (Stepping Out of Squalor...SOS) when I read something that really resonated with me. Believe it or not, there is a streak of perfectionism in us "squalorees." That probably surprises you. See, we feel like when we do something (esp. house cleaning), we need to do it ALL and do it WELL...even perfectly. If we can't do it--no time, too overwhelmed, whatever--then we don't do ANYthing. Even doing something like picking up the obvious trash is too small a task if we can't get it all done. I mean doing that will lead to the next glaring layer of grime, and if I can't get to it, then why should I even start? I know this is ridiculous to the "cleanies" out there, but it is our warped way of thinking. Crazy, huh? Yeah, I know. But it is exactly how I tend to think.
I found myself falling into that trap even recently. As you know, I've been working on small areas to clean and then maintain. That means that other areas still show no signs of improvement. I'm fine with that because the clean is growing...someday, not too far in the future, clean WILL win. But those other areas can still be pretty bad. I'll find myself wanting to deal with part of it...but my old way of thinking rears its ugly head. I'm thinking, oh, I will be getting to that, and I'll be cleaning it up and maintaining it, too (cause I've seen recently that I AM capable of that), so instead of picking up those few things that are bothering me, or really getting in the way of our day-to-day living, I just let them go, or keep walking by it.
The other day, I was talking to myself (not out loud, thankfully...I've got enough issues that this could be the one to bring the guys with straight jackets to my house to carry me away! :p), and I found myself giving myself a good lecture. I was in the family room -- the room that gets the most use in our house. And I was saying to myself, "DUH! Just because I can't clean it ALL up right now and keep up with it, doesn't mean I have to let EVERYthing go. Umm...how stupid is that?" So I picked up a few obvious things, asked the kids to do the same, and in just a few minutes, we got to the point where we could actually walk on the floor and sit on the couch without stepping or sitting on clothes, papers, etc. Still have a LONG way to go, and none of us currently has the motivation or time to get it where it needs to be...but (and this is important) THAT's OKAY! There IS progress...it does NOT HAVE TO BE perfect progress.
Before, I go, I have one more thing to share. Last night when I came upstairs from the computer to our kitchen, I took my shoes off and walked across the kitchen to the frig to get something to drink. Now, first of all, the fact that I COULD walk across in my bare feet is a minor miracle itself. The fact that I did it and didn't step on any crumbs, stickies, or ickies is a major miracle in this house. I was thinking, "Hey, we did this! We mopped three days ago (or was it four?), and we've managed to maintain it enough so that I can walk across and not have to immediately go wash my feet or socks." ***Happy dance!***
Well, now I've got some laundry to do and a few things to put away to maintain the maintaining. :D
TTFN
I found myself falling into that trap even recently. As you know, I've been working on small areas to clean and then maintain. That means that other areas still show no signs of improvement. I'm fine with that because the clean is growing...someday, not too far in the future, clean WILL win. But those other areas can still be pretty bad. I'll find myself wanting to deal with part of it...but my old way of thinking rears its ugly head. I'm thinking, oh, I will be getting to that, and I'll be cleaning it up and maintaining it, too (cause I've seen recently that I AM capable of that), so instead of picking up those few things that are bothering me, or really getting in the way of our day-to-day living, I just let them go, or keep walking by it.
The other day, I was talking to myself (not out loud, thankfully...I've got enough issues that this could be the one to bring the guys with straight jackets to my house to carry me away! :p), and I found myself giving myself a good lecture. I was in the family room -- the room that gets the most use in our house. And I was saying to myself, "DUH! Just because I can't clean it ALL up right now and keep up with it, doesn't mean I have to let EVERYthing go. Umm...how stupid is that?" So I picked up a few obvious things, asked the kids to do the same, and in just a few minutes, we got to the point where we could actually walk on the floor and sit on the couch without stepping or sitting on clothes, papers, etc. Still have a LONG way to go, and none of us currently has the motivation or time to get it where it needs to be...but (and this is important) THAT's OKAY! There IS progress...it does NOT HAVE TO BE perfect progress.
Before, I go, I have one more thing to share. Last night when I came upstairs from the computer to our kitchen, I took my shoes off and walked across the kitchen to the frig to get something to drink. Now, first of all, the fact that I COULD walk across in my bare feet is a minor miracle itself. The fact that I did it and didn't step on any crumbs, stickies, or ickies is a major miracle in this house. I was thinking, "Hey, we did this! We mopped three days ago (or was it four?), and we've managed to maintain it enough so that I can walk across and not have to immediately go wash my feet or socks." ***Happy dance!***
Well, now I've got some laundry to do and a few things to put away to maintain the maintaining. :D
TTFN
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Popping zits and tempers
I haven't posted for a little while. I've wanted to, but I've been crazy busy, mostly with work. I don't have access to a computer most days at work, which is a real pain, but I'm not here to talk about that, so before I get off on that tagent...
You know the zit that you love to pop...the one with a head as white as your teeth...the one that you barely squeeze and it spurts onto the mirror...? Gotta love those. Well, unfortunately, that's how I was with my temper the other day. I think the majority of it was dealing with the kids' attitudes recently. I had HAD it! I was tired of the arguing, the eye rolls, the sighs, the stomping, and even some passive aggressive behavior from both of them. So, I was a crab, and I felt absolutely ready to POP! My spirit was stretched to the limit. Even my husband was trying to calm me down (until he heard about what I had been dealing with, and then he sat the kids down and had a "talk" with them). I hate being like that, and once hubby called me on the carpet for it, I diffused pretty quickly. We survived the evening, but I can't say that it will be added to our list of Hallmark memories.
I apologized to the kids the next day, and I have noticed a difference, especially in my daughter. I saw a quote from someone that made me laugh out loud and lighten my mood considerably... "Ah, family...can't live with them. Not enough space to bury the dead bodies...!"
I got a few groceries today, and how nice it was to have counters cleaned off to put them on when unloading the car. We got them put away right away and still have those clean counters! :) I also was able to fold laundry on my clean kitchen table. Got that put away quickly too.
Hubby painted the other side of the basement with Kilz. That's where the dog (and cats) have been the WORST with relieving themselves. Can't tell you how much better it smells down here. *Doing the major happy dance!!!* Now, we have to remember to keep that door closed so they don't start reusing it. UGH!
I am in the process of putting Christmas stuff into plastic totes rather than boxes. It really does feel good to get some of this stuff done. Yay!!!!
Inch by inch...
You know the zit that you love to pop...the one with a head as white as your teeth...the one that you barely squeeze and it spurts onto the mirror...? Gotta love those. Well, unfortunately, that's how I was with my temper the other day. I think the majority of it was dealing with the kids' attitudes recently. I had HAD it! I was tired of the arguing, the eye rolls, the sighs, the stomping, and even some passive aggressive behavior from both of them. So, I was a crab, and I felt absolutely ready to POP! My spirit was stretched to the limit. Even my husband was trying to calm me down (until he heard about what I had been dealing with, and then he sat the kids down and had a "talk" with them). I hate being like that, and once hubby called me on the carpet for it, I diffused pretty quickly. We survived the evening, but I can't say that it will be added to our list of Hallmark memories.
I apologized to the kids the next day, and I have noticed a difference, especially in my daughter. I saw a quote from someone that made me laugh out loud and lighten my mood considerably... "Ah, family...can't live with them. Not enough space to bury the dead bodies...!"
I got a few groceries today, and how nice it was to have counters cleaned off to put them on when unloading the car. We got them put away right away and still have those clean counters! :) I also was able to fold laundry on my clean kitchen table. Got that put away quickly too.
Hubby painted the other side of the basement with Kilz. That's where the dog (and cats) have been the WORST with relieving themselves. Can't tell you how much better it smells down here. *Doing the major happy dance!!!* Now, we have to remember to keep that door closed so they don't start reusing it. UGH!
I am in the process of putting Christmas stuff into plastic totes rather than boxes. It really does feel good to get some of this stuff done. Yay!!!!
Inch by inch...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)