High Ambitions: Speed Cleaning the Whole House

Normally I would want to tackle a big project starting on a Monday, but yesterday was pretty much a wash between MOPS in the morning, rushing through lunch and then 2 doctor appointments for the girls, followed by a trip to the shoe store for Susannah. It turned out that trip was only 2 shoe sizes looong over-due!! She now has sparkling new dress shoes and tennis shoes that aren't threatening to burst at the toes! 

Add in that due to not sleeping great for a few nights, I was completely exhausted by halfway through the day so I mustered through supper and an early bedtime for everyone (everyone was tired!), and fell into bed myself about 2 hours before I usually do. I slept great allll night long and have renewed spirit today. 

Thus my high ambitions to get the whole house surface cleaned between today and Thursday (we have a full weekend). While I ate breakfast, oversaw the start of school, drank a massive mug of coffee, changed a dirty diaper, kept Silas from playing in the office or pulling the plugs out of outlets {why that is one of his favorite bad things to do, I'll never know}, I made a list. Then I re-wrote it neatly on a clean page in a nearly-used note-book, because moms use notebooks until they die and a neatly written list on a clean sheet of paper is just more... tackle-able?

Here is what I want to accomplish this week. The reality will be how much I can actually do between school, mama-ing everyone, piano and swimming lessons, feeding my family, diapers, instructing, quality time, dicipline, encouraging, redirecting, laundry... and I could go on. If you have kids you know. 😉

The kitchen is my Big Deal space. If the kitchen is clean, I can deal with just about anything else. So it always comes first when it comes to cleaning. Honestly it has been a while (read: a week?) since I gave it a good, thorough surface cleaning and somehow it clutters back up before I can change a diaper or give a bath.

But here it is in it's current non-glorious state: dishes (mostly big stuff that piles up like elephants in a bathroom stall)...

...and then the counter that collects stuff. Stuff like bunny rabbits multiply. Stuff that gets dropped mid-whatever when I have to stop, drop, and roll... with whatever incident needs dealt with right. now.

My poor fridge. 😂 I don't think there are too many fossils in here, but it definitely needs some cleaning out and reorganizing. It is always like playing fridge-jenga after a Costco trip (which was last week). 

{See Silas? He is saying his famous line, "Eh! Eh! Eh!", telling me that he wants one of everything.}

So... this is my starting place! I will post back tonight with a progress report! If I aim high, hopefully I won't land too low!

Spring Cleaning: Kitchen Edition - After

Ahh... Friday afternoon I started Spring Cleaning the Kitchen. I had a long list (and a few "before" pictures) and my goal was to get it all accomplished in 2 days. I came very, very close. Susannah has not been feeling well this weekend, running low grade fevers now and again, so she and I stayed home from church this morning. While she napped I listened to last Sunday's message and finished cleaning.

And now, without further ado, here are my "After" pictures:

What is really on the counter between the stove and frige:

This is the first time I have completely gone through almost every inch of this kitchen since we moved into it. 3 bags of trash and 1 bag of stuff for Goodwill later, my cupboards are much more orderly. They weren't BAD, but they certainly needed a good going through. I threw away a bunch of "high sugar dog food" cereal I had gotten either free or very, very cheap that was outdated ... because we didn't like it enough to eat it. With each thing I handled, I thought "do I like it? do I want to eat/use it?" and if the answer was "no" it went into the trash.

This is my in-kitchen "pantry" cupboard
where alot of spare groceries (like... chocolate chips?) are kept.

This cabinet needed some serious reorganization.
I'm in it pretty much every day.

Now my cookie sprinkles are contained (top left),
granola is at an easier-to-reach level (mid-left),
and the bottom shelf isn't crammed with whatever.

And underneath the sink. Oh, how I wish I had a "Before" picture to show you! It was almost to the point of "throw the item in and slam the door quickly before it falls out."

There is no longer an out of control plastic bag collection,
my smaller cleaning supplies are all corralled in a nice basket,
and it's just way nicer all the way around.

Obviously I didn't take a picture of each cupboard, I didn't want to bore you to death. But believe me that each one is much cleaner and better now!

A few things I learned or realized through this:

• Very, very soon I am just going to go buy a new dish drainer and drainboard. My current set was retired from my MIL, I've repaired cracks, it's saggy and grows scum and mold where water doesn't drain from it completely, it drives me batty... and well, I'd say since I've had a new set on my Christmas list ever since we got married and I haven't gotten one yet, I'll just have to take the plunge and buy it myself.

• 2 full days is about all the willpower I have for sticking with one room before I start to burn out.

• I need to make more jello salads :P We have lots of jello that I bought (for next to nothing) for the purpose of making jello salads... I just need to remember to make them!
  

I hope to continue my Spring Cleaning this coming week. I'm not sure what room will be next, probably either the pantry or the bathroom & hall closet. Both places need a serious overhaul.

Spring Cleaning: Kitchen Edition

I am giving in to my deep desire to give the house a thorough Spring Cleaning, and am starting today, with the kitchen. I'm not sure how long or how far I'm going to get, but I'm starting out with great intentions and high expectations!

I took these pictures yesterday before I did any general, daily clean-up, so it doesn't look the same today (actually a little better!). Missing is also the wall where I was standing to take these pictures - which is what we call "The Island" that really isn't an island - it is the hot spot for collecting "stuff". If I make it far enough to take "after" pictures I'll be sure to include it :)




My list of what I want to get done between today and tomorrow:

Saturday noon-time update: Still going strong! I think I can finish up today :)

• Dishes: Wash, dry & put away
• Counters: Move and wipe off/under everything
• Wipe & dust trim and ceiling fan
• Wipe & dust cupboards (outsides)
• Clean off and wipe down refrigerator (outside)
• Clean out and wipe down inside of cupboards (upper)
• Clean out and wipe down inside of cupboards (lower)
• Clean microwave inside and out
• Clean oven/stove inside & out (including polishing the glass-top)
• Wash and disinfect trashcan
• Clean out, wipe out and organize under sink
• Wash and disinfect dish drainer/drainboard and sinks
• Clean out from under stove
• Pull out refrigerator and clean under/behind, sweep off coils (??)

Saturday night update: I only have the floor and windows to do, but for now I'm going to bed.

• Pick up, vacuum, wash floor and apply grout sealer
• Wash Windows (I can't believe I forgot this one...)
• Wash light fixtures
  

I'll be stopping back by occasionally to cross things off as I get them done. I have the list pretty much in execution order. It's a long list so I'd best get crackin'! Maybe I should put on some peppy music to clean by...

Do you spring clean? I have never officially done it - at least as the chief homemaker. Please share any tips, tricks or experiences you might have!

While the Cat's Away...

The mice play. Or not.

Every year Daniel's dad and several of his dad's brothers and a nephew or two go on a "man-vacation" to a lake house owned by one of their buddies. This year Daniel really wanted to go and it suited for him to, so he took 2 days of vacation and went :)

While he was gone I decided to zoom in and focus on doing some much needed cleaning. I didn't get the whole house done like I would've liked to, but I knew that wasn't realistic thinking. Susannah had her 4 month checkup one morning, and after that we did our grocery run. That took a big chunk out of the day. Between that afternoon and the next morning I did give the kitchen a thorough cleaning - wiping down the cabinet fronts, the ceiling fan, and decluttering the major catch-all area of counterspace that had been too-long just shoved to the side. That evening I unearthed the dining room table. And instead of "piling it" I actually "filed it."

That was last weekend. This weekend he is at a men's retreat hosted by good friends of ours. He left late yesterday afternoon and I didn't get gobs done... kinda took a mini vacation myself (an excuse to be, uh, lazy :) ). The kitchen and dining room table need a quick clean-up, then we'll resume the deep cleaning, moving on to the china hutch (dude, you can pile a bunch of stuff on that flat surface!), the floor (don't look), and then the living room. And the bed is a growing Mt. Washmore of clean laundry that needs FAPA'd (folded and put away).

I hope to get the main gist of the house back to a state of orderliness so I can do maintenance cleaning instead of tripping over piles of baby stuff (not toy-stuff, other stuff that just needs a place to be stored).

Goals for 2010

I am good at making lists and following lists, but I think this is perhaps the first year that I have actually thought about and written out a list of goals that I would like to accomplish throughout the year. I have been thinking about these things for the past several weeks, and reading other people's goals has given me ideas, and reminded me of things that I've thought about or wanted to do, but just never do them. Hopefully by having a written list, I'll do better at actually doing instead of just thinking. These are all subject to change. I have no idea what God has in store for us this year, but I can still at least make a plan and strive to do my best with whatever situation I'm in.

Personal
(Many of these Daniel and I have talked about, since several of them include not just myself, but the both of us.)
*Go to bed, at bedtime, together.
*Spend time together as a couple each day.
*Spend time together as a family each day.
*Regular date nights for just the two of us (monthly or bi-monthly)
*Daily personal quiet time with the Lord.
*Read at least 1 book a month - I love to read, but push it to the back burner so often.
*Exercise 3x a week or more.
*Lose baby weight and then some (after the baby's born, of course!)
*Choose and develop 1 or 2 new habits each month - I really enjoyed FishMama's "Get a Good Habit Going" challenge last year, I want to keep it up.
*Eat breakfast together more often - usually Daniel eats breakfast on the way to his work.
*Don't overschedule our calendar. Keep time free for "us" and know that it's ok to say "no."

Financial
*Cash only for groceries, entertainment/recreation. It is so easy to overspend in these areas, I want us to try the cash only system to keep us on-track.
*Stick to budget! Less impulse buying!
*Put SOME money into savings each week, plus any extra that is possible.

In the kitchen
*Menu plan each week 1 week ahead.
*Serve salads with meals 2x a week - we both like salads, but I don't often plan them into the menu.
*Find or create the happy medium for eating healthier without going overbudget.
*Update the freezer inventory quarterly (basically print off new sheets to correspond with my chicken scratches and changes on the existing one).
*Try new recipes more often.
*Use crockpot 1x a week.
*Reduce food waste - stay on top of leftovers and freezer inventory.

Household
*Donate or throw away more. DO NOT KEEP CLUTTER
*Complete To-Do lists daily.
*Stay on top of filing paperwork (aka - keep the desk clean!).
*Print off, write on and put photos in albums monthly.
*Maintain clean and welcoming bedrooms.
*Put curtains in kitchen windows.
*Continue with weekly or monthly "Monster Projects"

Miscellaneous
*Blog more regularly.
*Clean out coupon file quarterly.

Above all else
*Do all things in a manner that glorifies God and brings honor to my husband.
*Strive to be the best wife and mama I can be.
*Maintain a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere in our home.

Monster Project - Freezers

This was a cool project. Literally. I'm a week behind in posting my success in this department, but I didn't really get the project TOTALLY finished until just tonight - and that was only because I was in bed for 2 hrs, couldn't sleep a wink and decided to get up and finish it.

On Thanksgiving Day my goal was to clean out, sort and organize our 2 chest freezers. They are not the great big kind, but neither are they the tiny-winy little cube kind, either. The freezers themselves have been a blessing to us - they were both given to us within a year after we moved here. They are getting pretty old and we need to start thinking about replacing them with newer, more efficient models, and ones that aren't starting to rust and won't risk konking out from old age :)

Anyway, I was quite successful with this project, with the help of my amazing, stud-muffin husband who eagerly helped me with the hard parts. He lifted the coolers of food around so I didn't have to, he pulled the bottom layer of food out of the freezers so I wasn't standing on my head or squishing Baby George trying to do it myself, and he even volunteered to wipe them out once they were defrosted. The final surprise of all surprises! We had planned to move the meat freezer from the shed to the cellar, but after we (mostly "he") moved it, he said "we can move the vegetable freezer, too." I think I fell in love with him all over again! I knew moving one of them was going to be a big enough deal, I didn't expect him to move BOTH of them! I am SO in love with the fact that I no longer have to traipse over the river and through the woods, barefoot in knee-deep snow, up-hill both ways (ok, not really...) to get to the freezers. Instead, I can go out the back door, down the steps, make a U-turn, go down 3 more steps into the cellar and VOILA! there are my freezers!!

This evening I went through the refrigerator freezer and inventoried it. I found several things to move to the chest freezers, and then when I was typing up my inventory list, realized I could've put a few more things down there, but I didn't feel like making a trip in the middle of the night just to suit my organizational side. My menu planning is going to be so much easier now that I have these lists, and I really hope that I will keep them current, as well as use up some of the odds and ends that get put in the freezer and forgotten about.

One thing we found we have an abundance of would be Green Beans - we have 26 quarts (all from this year's garden)! If only my peas and corn would do so well! We also discovered enough cherries to feed an army, it was 31 quarts in all, both sweet and sour. I rediscovered our large stash of jellies - Strawberry, Grape and Peach. I forget it's in there and don't eat it. Guess what I've been eating on toast and biscuits this week :)

I'm glad this project is done. It was one I knew I wanted to do, and wanted to get done before I got much more pregnant, and definitely wanted to get done before the baby comes or who knows when it would happen after that? I am enjoying (do I sound crazy?) getting these monster projects accomplished. Not so much the doing part, but knowing that I have a week (that's my goal, anyway) to get X done, and just working on it and really enjoying the results.

I have started whittling away at this week's project. I really hope to have it completely finished by the end of this week, when I will blog about it for sure :P Hint: it involves our bedroom and the "exploded mountain of clothes," as Daniel called it the other day.

Attacking the Money Monster

I'm sure many of you know how it goes.
Please tell me I'm not the only one!

You get the checkbook, budget, whatever money-related stuff you have, all caught up. And then you get all distracted for a week, or a month, or several... and you realize the last time you balanced the checkbook or anything of that sort was APRIL!!!! Yikes!

We have two areas that I balance - our checkbook with the bank statements, and then our budget spreadsheet with the checkbook.

I spent several hours yesterday in the checkbook, and after another hour or so this morning I am finally caught up with that. To the penny! Yay! I was a little "grr'd" at myself when I kept finding little things here and there that I hadn't entered into the checkbook - and of course they were all debits and not credits. Of course. Now I'm working on the spreadsheet. It's going ok, I'm still finding things that I missed entering, but since I know the checkbook is correct, I can just follow it and make sure I have everything entered into the budget correctly. And hopefully it all balances together at the end.

This is one of those projects where I finally decided "enough was enough" and put EVERYTHING on hold while I get this done. Yesterday my domestic duties consisted of doing a load of laundry and putting a roast in the crockpot. Today will be similar, at least until I get this thing done.

Next week I hope to attack the Freezer Monster. At least I don't have to try and balance that.