Well, after my little admission about my lack of housekeeping skills, and waking to a lovely sunny (but chilly windy) day, I felt inspired to get stuck into some deep cleaning since the garden is in good shape and didn't require me. I tried flylady about 3-4 years ago and love the idea, but the reality is that I don't much like schedules (I actually like the idea of schedules but for some reason I find it hard to stick with hehe) and after a few weeks it all goes out the window. So this is the way it goes - I let it all go, but just as quickly it can be back in shape. It certainly makes it a much easier and less daunting task due to the fact that my house is pretty much clutter free. So to begin the cleaning I don't need to wade past any crap to get to the surfaces.
So, starting about 9.30am I approached the kitchen and began haphazardly attacking things as I noticed them. First up was the plastics cupboard - as I was putting away a few dishes that Simon hadn't been able to fit in the cupboard when unloading the dishwasher because things were spilling out all over the place, I rearranged that first. Walls had fly poop cleaned off, the formica part of the bench was cleared of stuff (kettle and tea making things etc) and a thick paste of baking soda was liberally spread all over and scrubbed around using my hands, this was left to sit for a while and remaining baking soda was used to polish the stainless steel kettle and sink. I wandered to the fridge to get something out and was met with crumbs and butter smears so I got distracted from what I was getting and cleaned that. Then I remembered I hadn't brushed my teeth and wanted to tie my hair up, so off to the bathroom and got distracted while there and ended up cleaning the bathroom and toilet. Then Nathan was wandering around with a little brush thing which after he'd had a go at swishing cobwebs I continued on with and did the whole house (that was just plain embarassing how many "low down" cobwebs there were in some places). Can I blame that on only being 5ft tall? What about the 6ft hubby in the house though lol? I then walked outside to toss some crumbs out the door and got distracted (see the theme here...) with the state of the porch - so I removed a build up of junk in the corner, rearranged my seed/planting supplies, tucked the kids bikes in neatly, removed a few things to go to hubby's garage (he loves that hehe) and swept it all down. Back inside I finished off a few incomplete jobs and gave the house a good vacuum (this is one job I do do a couple of times a week) and then while it looked good and the kids had taken off to the garden I decided (shock horror) to mop the floors. While vacumming I decided the fireguard can now be removed and the wood baskets and surrounding area tidied up.
All amongst this I made the kids a snack (our vege box arrived late morning so we made a fresh fruit salad and had it with yoghurt), helped Nathan construct something he's working on, dressed baby dolls with Danielle, made a batch of muffins, sat down with a few cups of tea and checked in with emails, hung up a load of washing and folded and put away a few other loads.
A conversation with a 5yr old "mum, why are you cleaning" (lol), me "um, because things are looking a bit dirty. I clean (said indignantly), what do we do regularly?". Him "we vacuum, clean the windows (yes I do!), you do the washing (laundry), we tidy the crap (oh yes, I'm good at modelling some things) up...".
An all round productive and satisfactory day.
7 comments:
My sister had taken her 5yr old with her on a visit one afternoon to a friend's house. As they walked in the house, my niece asked her mother..."What is that?"...It seems the friend had been ironing in the living room and had left the ironing board standing in front of the TV...My sister was a bit speechless, that her 5yr old had never seen an ironing board.(That was a big hehe.)
Hee Hee..Nikki you sound just like me! If I get the urge it has to be done, or it may not get done for another 5 years! I have to thank you Nikki, because it was you who started me on this journey and I've never looked back.
I do believe baking soda is magic! Why you would need anything else is beyond me... I'm even trying to convert my mum, that itself is a mammoth task. I've even ordered her a sample of soapnuts to try in her laundry...
Nancy, I bought an iron and an ironing board cover when we moved in, I used it once to iron a tiny little party dress (the one in my ethical dressing post) needless to say I left it behind for the next tenant!!!
LOL
Your day sounds like mine - I too get side tracked all the time. But I think it is they key to how I get soo much done each day. I have friends who are organised & list tickers & they never get as much as I can do in a day.
Multi tasking we call it here.
Love Leanne
Leanne...I love your little car! My first and favorite car was a VW...When they started making them again a few years back I will NEVER forget the first commercial with all the different colors spinning around. It was to me like sugar plums dancing through my head. ...unfortunately when I got my next car it was not a VW still love them though.
Nancy, haha, an iron! My 5yr old knows what one is - possibly remembers that days that his dad used to iron a work shirt. But poor 3yr old dd has no idea and one day at playcentre it went like this - "Danielle, look, here's an ironing board (kids version), do you want to try it out?". She picks up a doll, lays her on the board and irons her lol!!!!
Emma, yes, I do love my baking soda. I'm enjoying follwoing your journey and hope to continue once you move.
Leanna, yes, I'm a great multi tasker! I agree, I think a lot can be done this way. I love the challenge of filling up my arms to move things back to their homes as I move from one room to the next. So it's a lot of walkign back and fowards - but hey in the name of multi tasking, that is also my only exercise!
I can identify with being side-tracked, happens to me all the time. I make lists, must, should and could. Generally only the must list gets completed. At the end of the day some things have been done and everyone is happy.
take care
Pip
There is so much to do in my home that side-tracking is the only way to accomplish it! Good for you for tackling it all and get so much done.
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