Day 2

30 Days of Cleaning: Day 2

Today I have slightly bigger tasks, but I'm hopeful I can get it all done!
-Kitchen
-Pick up nursery
-Laundry: blankets, nursery bedding, and a few more towels.

My downfall will be the kitchen. I don't expect to do as thorough of a job as I did with the bathroom, but I hope to make a noticeable dent in it. I need to take out the trash, clean off the counter tops, and wash down the table. Currently my table is covered in papers, dishes, groceries that have yet to be put away, and my sewing supplies. Ideally, I would like to get my sewing supplies and Lee's crap out of the kitchen and upstairs. Then take out the trash, clean off the tables, and wash some more dishes. I don't expect to get to the details, like washing the stove and fridge, or sweeping and mopping the floors. But no matter what I do, I will be making progress. And unfinished tasks will stay on the list and be moved to a later day. If I can tackle most of the kitchen early in the month, I can do the detailed projects later and not be overwhelmed. I'm determined to stick to my plan!


Update: Day 2 done!
Got a few more loads of laundry done today, cleaned up the kitchen and did a little in the nursery. Both kitchen and nursery still need some work, but I'm happy with my progress! Got the floor swept, pantry cleaned up, table cleaned off, and boxes moved out. Still needs some detail work, but I got a lot done. Now to rest up for tomorrow!

Day 1

My tasks for today are:
-Clean the bathroom
-Wash dishes
-Laundry: diapers, kids clothes, and towels.

So far I have washed the diapers, got the bathroom half cleaned-before I was interrupted by two cranky toddlers-and I'm starting a load of towels.


Update:
DAY 1 DONE!
I scrubbed the bathroom, top to bottom. Got down on my hands and knees and really scrubbed the floor. Washed out the diaper pail, trash can, training potty, and cabinets. I washed a load of diapers, a load of towels, and two loads of kids clothes, with a few of Lee's shirts thrown in. :) I washed dishes, then they got used immediately, so I need to rewash them just to stay caught up. All in all, I'm happy with my progress. I managed to get all my tasks done, despite the hectic morning and two cranky toddlers all afternoon. Now to plan out Day 2 and get some rest!

My List

Here is my list of things to do for the next 30 days. Again, tailor your list to fit your needs.

30 Days of Cleaning List:

Kitchen:
-take out trash
-separate and wash dishes
-sweep floor
-clean stove (top and front)
-clean refrigerator
-scrub counter tops
-scrub table, put on new table cloth and place mats
-scrub walls (fingerprints and pen marks by homework station)

Laundry:
-wash diapers first
-table cloth, towels, high chair cover, dish rags
-blankets, kid clothes
-bedding, extra blankets
-Lee's clothes
-Mommy's clothes
-pillows, bath mat
-fold and put away as each load is done

Bathroom:
-pick up clothes, towels, toys, etc
-clean out and fill soap bins
-clean sink and drain
-scrub tub, faucet, shower head
-clean toilet
-clean off shelves, medicine cabinet

Nursery:
-empty and wash toy box
-put all toys away, toss broken toys
-scrub dressers, doors, baseboards, beds
-wash stuffed animals, bed rail cover, curtains
-hang diaper organizer
-clean under beds
-scrub and vacuum carpet
-clean (sanitize) mattresses and put on clean bedding
-store extra bedding in closet drawers
-wash foam mattress pad

Master Bedroom:
-pick up and bag all clothes
-put all shoes in basket (in closet)
-take out all trash
-dust walls, ceiling, fan, dressers
-hang all clean laundry
-vacuum
-store purses, suitcases, and other bags in plastic tub (in closet)
-store all unused items (spare alarm clock, back massager, etc) in plastic tub (in closet)
-clean out large dresser; store socks, underwear, and out of season clothing
-clean air unit
-wash blinds

Living Room:
-take out all trash
-pick up and bag all clothes and other laundry
-put all toys in nursery
-move storage tubs to upstairs room
-fix and fill shoe rack, extras go in bedroom closet
-put all tools, paint, xbox and computer parts in storage tub upstairs
-dust all surfaces
-clean air unit
-scrub and vacuum floors
-clean off and organize bookshelf
-move tacklebox, fishing poles, extra tool box upstairs
-hang purse, backpacks, and diaper bags on coat rack
-scrub walls and doors
-move file boxes and all paperwork to new filing cabinet

Hall Closet:
-sort and re-organize medicine bins
-wash and fold extra blankets and bedding in storage tub 9bottom of closet)
-put all school supplies, arts & crafts, games on top shelf
-move all cleaners to laundry shelf in kitchen
-scrub closet door

Upstairs:
-take out all trash
-vacuum
-sort, wash and put away all Austin's clothes that still fit, suitable for school
-clean (sanitize) mattress and put on new bedding
-clean and store ferret cage and accessories
-clean out closet
-move drawers, bookshelf and chair to corner
-scrub walls, baseboards and doors
-straighten up storage closet

Miscellaneous:
-clean off and scrub washer and dryer
-vacuum hallway
-scrub walls and baseboards in hallway
-set up laundry system in hallway
-scrub back door area
-clean off front porch and surrounding area
-store extra laundry baskets upstairs
-clean out and scrub inside fridge and freezers

30 Days of Cleaning

As I look around my house, I see disorganized piles, dishes in the sink, laundry to fold, and general disarray. I am determined to fix this, once and for all. Not just clean up the mess of toys, or put away the laundry, but to make a real change. To ensure that my house not only GETS clean and organized, but stays that way. So I have made a plan, and would love for you to join me! In 30 days my house will be a spotless, well organized, machine!
The Plan: make a list. Anything that needs scrubbing, sorting, donating, repairing, or just throwing away goes on the list. Just deciding to clean has never worked for me. I lack the time and motivation to tackle such a large task. Once I have my list, it goes on the schedule. Every task is assigned a time to get done. For my schedule, I chose 2 big tasks a day, and one ongoing task. For example, in the morning while the kids have a snack and quiet play time, I will surface clean the bathroom. In the afternoon while they nap, I will tackle the bookshelf-sorting through the papers, trading old magazines, etc. My ongoing task will be laundry. Mondays are kids laundry: this includes each child's clothes, bedding, blankets, stuffed animals, and diapers.
Tuesdays tasks will be: morning-surface clean the kitchen (wipe down countertops, sweep the floor, take out trash, etc). Afternoon: vacuum the floors. Ongoing task (laundry): Household laundry (towels, table cloth, dish rags, bath mat, etc). Most people probably don't do as much laundry as we do, but it takes us forever. With the babies issues, everything must be rinsed twice to ensure no detergent residue is left on their clothing. From start to finish, each load takes about 3 hours. So laundry is an ongoing task, and source of frustration for us. Perhaps your ongoing task will be dusting if you have allergies, vacuuming up pet hair, or watering the plants. Make your list and schedule to fit your needs. I will be posting my detailed list and schedule later. My goal is to have the big tasks done, so each week I only need to do maintenance, which takes far less time.
Tips for making your own list and schedule: know your routine. If your child has soccer practice on Wednesdays and you don't have much time, opt for a simple task, like vacuum the living room or take out all the trash. Don't schedule all the chores you hate in one day. Knowing when you get up that you have to do something you hate will kill your motivation. Spread them out. Schedule scrubbing the toilets with an easy chore, like putting away the folded laundry. Choose one big chore and one easy chore a day. Reduce weekend chores. Nobody likes cleaning all weekend, so pick one chore those days. Perhaps washing and changing all the bedding, or enlist the whole family in a quick dusting. If, like me, you have small children who aren't able to do much, let them help on their level. I give Chloe a basket to gather all the toys, and Will gets a small spray bottle of vinegar and a rag to clean the finger prints off the fridge. They learn to help, but don't get in the way. Giving them separate tasks, often in separate rooms, keeps them from getting distracted and playing.

So get started on your list, make a schedule, and join me in a 30 day cleaning spree! Feel free to comment with any tips or just share your accomplishments! We can encourage and motivate each other. :)

More craziness

Life in this house is never dull, that's for sure! Fighting with the family, financial stress, and Lee's school driving me nuts. I'm so frustrated all day and feeling so helpless, then right now, at 2am, I get to crawl in bed and cuddle with my middle angel. He played so hard today, then came home to a tickle match with Daddy. He was worn out! Now if I could get the school to answer the phone and help me tomorrow, it will be a good day. Tuition has been paid and there is still $6k I km grants and scholarships that hasn't been touched. We need that money! But nobody can tell me if and how we can access it. Pretty annoying. I'm so ready for a stay income! Still no job leads, no interviews, and no hope. I can't wait to get to a place where we can support our own family. But for now, we are depending on help from every angle. At least my kids are taken care of. I know, no matter what, they always have what they need.

Wanting a baby....

I'm sitting here on the couch, watching 19 Kids and Counting. And every time they show a baby or delivery, my baby fever goes wild. I miss my angels being little babies. It makes me want another baby. I miss all those precious times with a sleeping baby in my arms, the constant cuddling and the easy feedings. Those don't require a bath after every meal and sweeping crumbs of the floor. I want another one. As I say this, it is 10:30pm and both babies are still wide awake and quite loud. Yet I want another one. Another little mama's boy. Beautiful is getting too big. I need another mama's boy for me to spoil. But for now, I need to tend to the ones I have.

Life is Insane!

It's been so long since I've updated, life has just run over me lately. I'm not even sure where to start.

Austin. We shall start with him. We decided it was best that he spend some time with his family in Hawaii. He left June 1st, and will not return until mid October. He has a new baby brother down there, as well as another younger brother, an older sister and a new baby cousin he's never met. We want him to be connected to his family, and to know he is loved by so many people, and I think going down there is the best thing for him right now. He'd been having more behavior issues and was just getting out of control. He'd been seeing a child psychologist, but wasn't making any progress. He'll be seeing a new psychologist while in Hawaii, hopefully a better trained one, and we're praying for great improvements! He's called crying several times, and has asked when we'll be picking him up, and it just rips my heart in two. His good days there outweigh the bad days, but it's hard to hear your child upset and asking for Mommy when he's over 4,000 miles away. I've cried over it everyday. I just hope he knows how much we love him, this is not a punishment, and it's what's best for him right now.

Then of course, there are my babies here at home. For once, I am happy to report they are both healthy! This is an amazing accomplishment! Beautiful is talking more everyday and never fails to make me laugh. While playing at my parents' house, he ran over my dad's foot with his truck. My dad, unharmed, exclaims "Ow!!" expecting an apology, or at the very least a kiss. Beautiful stands up and yells out "Oh, get over it, Papa John!" My dad was not amused, the rest of the room burst into laughter. Chloe Beth is still not talking, at least not in English. She says "dad-dy" all day long, and babbles away, but doesn't say much you can understand. Occasionally she will tell her brother "NO!" And she's starting to say "Chlo-Chlo", usually meaning 'that's Chloe's, don't touch'. Beyond that is purely guesswork. She squeals and giggles and screams to get her way. She is already so spoiled. She knows she's the baby, and the only girl, and will pretty much get everything her little heart desires. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.
I am also happy to report they are both currently rash free! Since it is summer time, and so very hot, they do get heat rash and red blotches on their legs, but certainly nothing like before. :)

And of course, there's Lee and I. With financial struggles, sick kids, and school stress, our marriage has been rocky. We are trying to work through it together, but we still have our bad days. Austin leaving certainly didn't help, but since we both understand the other's pain, it's a little bit easier to cope. We're both struggling with depression, and I've started talking to a therapist to help. Right now, we're all each other has and we are clinging on to this marriage for dear life. He seems to be handling everything much better than I am. Every day is a struggle for me. I feel physically worn down. My weight is all over the place, I have no motivation to get up or do anything, and I'm spending more and more time in bed. Luckily, the babies are perfectly content to pile in my bed every morning and read books or play a game. Now that we aren't rushing to get to school on time, we can have lazy summer days. We lay in bed and read while we all wake up, then enjoy a big breakfast, play for a while, then lunch and nap time. They are doing very well on this schedule. They happily sleep until 7 each day, instead of being woken up to get dressed and out the door. They eat a better breakfast, play more and cry less. This makes us ALL much happier! Nap time is much easier, too. After lunch we read some more then all go lay down. Chloe goes right to sleep, Beautiful insists on a few more stories. I'm happy to oblige. :) They are my little rainbows at the end of a daily storm. They can always make me smile again. And they just love to give kisses! I get kissed every five minutes, and they are the most perfect kisses. Beautiful with his gentle peck, and Chloe Beth with her slobber-filled whole-face kisses. I couldn't get through the day without my angels.