Hurray for my hard working minions!
It's Monday evening and we have...
1. Removed a pile of old (and I mean ooooold!) magazines...
... making my office feel tidier.
Though that feeling didn't last, as this is kind of the "staging area"
for collecting stuff that's going OUT.
I have bags for consignment, for donation, and for garbage.
If it sounds like "cheating"
(as if any of you care that deeply about my crazy project!)
to count garbage...
I'm only counting garbage generated by cleaning out.
Not "regular" garbage.
Anyway.
It started like this...
... and looked like this by the end of Day 1.
We started upstairs with their bedroom, where the boys...
2. Cleaned out their desk drawers
3. Sorted out their "save" boxes (treasures)
4. Cleaned off the tops of their dressers.
One of my boys struggles a bit with organization.
His area went from this
... to this. (It'll look better with the clean sheets on the bed.)
Much, much tidier,
though I still tease him about the layer of "permacrud" on his dresser.
though I still tease him about the layer of "permacrud" on his dresser.
Gunnar's is a bit cluttery too, but better.
But Tate wins the tidy dresser award.
They also...
5. Sorted through their dressers for outgrown clothes (or just plain
I've-got-more-of-this-item-than-I-can-ever-possibly-wear).
6. Checked through the tub of things they may be growing into
(mostly "handy-downs" from Uncle Dave - thanks!)
7. Stripped their beds
8. Pulled everything out from under the beds (storage tubs) and in the closet
9. Dusted everything
10. Dust-mopped and "swiffered" the whole floor
and moved on to their bathroom (no pics)
11. Cleaned the shower
12. Cleaned the toilet
13. Cleaned the counter and sink
14. Emptied all the cabinets/drawers but one
(Tate and I still need to organize his HA/CI stuff)
and wiped everything out, organized, and re-loaded
15. Wiped down all the trim
16. Swept and mopped
17. Cleaned the light fixture (dusty)
In the hall, we
18. Emptied
19. Sorted
20. Wiped down all surfaces, and
21. Re-packed (but neatly!) two large closets
In the hall, we
18. Emptied
19. Sorted
20. Wiped down all surfaces, and
21. Re-packed (but neatly!) two large closets
Which generated a LOT of laundry.
And you know what makes me happy?
Laundry on the line :D
Also in the hall, they
22. Cleaned light fixtures
23. Sorted through the bin of snow gear
24. Wiped down the walls - no more brown "strip"
(would someone please tell me while boys as old as these
still run their hand along the wall???)
25. Wiped (dust) off every picture frame
26. Dust-mopped and
27. Vacuumed the hall and stairs
WHEW!
Then, I sent the boys outside to...
28. Pick up winter windfall - they'd already cleared away large branches,
but there were lots of sticks and twigs.
29. Clean out the van - garbage and vacuum, and
30. Scrub all the old spider webs and debris from the front porch.
Wyatt scrubbed the window-sill
(which will probably need to be repainted - EW)
And you know what makes me happy?
Laundry on the line :D
Also in the hall, they
22. Cleaned light fixtures
23. Sorted through the bin of snow gear
24. Wiped down the walls - no more brown "strip"
(would someone please tell me while boys as old as these
still run their hand along the wall???)
25. Wiped (dust) off every picture frame
26. Dust-mopped and
27. Vacuumed the hall and stairs
WHEW!
Then, I sent the boys outside to...
28. Pick up winter windfall - they'd already cleared away large branches,
but there were lots of sticks and twigs.
29. Clean out the van - garbage and vacuum, and
30. Scrub all the old spider webs and debris from the front porch.
Wyatt scrubbed the window-sill
(which will probably need to be repainted - EW)
and Tate helped rinse the soap away.
While they were outside...
I decided it was time to really, really clean the master bathroom.
We remodeled in 2005-6 and I don't think I've ever really cleaned since then.
Wait. That's not what I mean.
I've cleaned the bathroom tons of times.
See, what I wish I could do
with the whole house really,
is empty it as completely as if
I could turn it upside down and shake it out
and only put back inside
what I want and
where I want it.
But that's too much work.
Tempting, though.
But sometimes I need to take everything out.
Empty every drawer, every cupboard, every cabinet.
Everything.
And start fresh.
Gunnar came in and about had a heart attack at this point.
But it all got better. I...
31. Emptied out all my drawers and cupboards
32. Cleaned them out (wipe down)
33. Eliminated all the random and outdated stuff
(Glitter cream from Y2K... what ADULT wears glitter???)
34. Packed away all the hair accessories I don't need now
35. Put everything away, all neat and tidy and...
organized
*Happy Sigh*
Meanwhile, three things happened that I failed to photograph.
(Insert Homer Simpson's "Doh!")
1. I met a bloggy friend and her husband for lunch. Nina and her family live on a nearby island, but came over to the mainland for a visit. So glad to meet her (and her husband) in person. She is just as friendly as she is online :D
2. I had a great visit with friends - Bruce and Peggy - I haven't seen in ages. Silly, since they just live a mile or two away. Bruce had a nasty fall a year or so ago, (he's a window-washer) but has made a miraculous come-back.
So good to see them!
3. I'm really kicking myself for not getting photos of this... I told the boys that they are each responsible for dinner one night during spring break. They all had to come up with their own idea (not frozen pizza, or soup from a can) so I can make sure they have what they need.
I will help (and advise) but they have to do the work.
Today, Tate made French Dip sandwiches. We used this recipe, and I helped him get it all going in the crock-pot right after breakfast. He chose apple sauce and a green salad as his side dishes - maybe a little unconventional, but nutritious and good!
And made his favorite - Poo Poo Balls (aka Brown Sugar Muffins) - for dessert.
And he made everybody happy :D
(Insert Homer Simpson's "Doh!")
1. I met a bloggy friend and her husband for lunch. Nina and her family live on a nearby island, but came over to the mainland for a visit. So glad to meet her (and her husband) in person. She is just as friendly as she is online :D
2. I had a great visit with friends - Bruce and Peggy - I haven't seen in ages. Silly, since they just live a mile or two away. Bruce had a nasty fall a year or so ago, (he's a window-washer) but has made a miraculous come-back.
So good to see them!
3. I'm really kicking myself for not getting photos of this... I told the boys that they are each responsible for dinner one night during spring break. They all had to come up with their own idea (not frozen pizza, or soup from a can) so I can make sure they have what they need.
I will help (and advise) but they have to do the work.
Today, Tate made French Dip sandwiches. We used this recipe, and I helped him get it all going in the crock-pot right after breakfast. He chose apple sauce and a green salad as his side dishes - maybe a little unconventional, but nutritious and good!
And made his favorite - Poo Poo Balls (aka Brown Sugar Muffins) - for dessert.
And he made everybody happy :D
9 comments:
"Herding Grasshoppers" has been included in Tuesday's Sites To See for this week. Be assured that I hope this helps to point many new visitors in your direction.
http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2014/04/tuesdays-sites-to-see.html
Y'all are just Amazing.
Wow! What a very productive day! I wish I were at Spring cleaning! I worked through my kids spring break (which they were very happy about) and they didn't have to do very much.
Laundry on the line also makes me very happy! I have only gotten a few loads out so far this year. but it will get to be more real soon.
Enjoyed reading Blitz day one with the minions! :)
Wow!! I can't believe the accomplishments of one day!!! I really look forward to the days when my helpers are a little more... helpful! ;)
It was the highlight of our mainland trip to see you!! Thanks for taking the time to meet up!! So much fun... I can't wait to do it again! :)
<3 <3 <3
Ps. I love your approach to organizing and deep cleaning. Whenever I clean like that it starts out as a bigger mess and I think that makes Handsome a *little* nervous. heehee.
Can't believe the stuff you've all finished! LOVE Tate's system for rinsing, it's brilliant.
I am so impressed!! Your boys didn't have to go away for a week to get their room clean like mine did. I had to laugh at your bathroom photos because I do the very same thing. I too would love to take my house, turn it over, shake it out and start all over again. I keep thinking about washing down walls. There are several dirty handed children who love to run their fingers along walls and door frames. One likes to stretch from the top of the door frame. Wonder who that would be? :o)
Blessings!
Deborah
That may be the most productive day I have EVER had - especially including all the fun social stuff! And Nina (and anyone else with younger kids) your day will come. I used to have to send them to grandpa and grandma's if I needed to get a lot done. Now it's the opposite!
And the rinsing cracked me up too. I had assumed they'd use the hose. But FINE :D
My "cleaning frenzy" days happen a lot less frequently than they should. If we ever build another house, I want the floors to all slope inward toward a big drain, like a barn, so I can just hose everything down.
Oh Cathy, that sounds perfect! I actually looked into that for the boys' bathroom when we remodeled - having the floor and walls either tiled or that rubbery floor surface you see at ice rinks and some gyms, with a drain in the floor. But... it costs a LOT to slope the floor, and the floor drain is complicated (needs a trap to keep out sewer gas, etc.)
But oh it sounds appealing!
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