Laundry help… September 3, 2008

Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer (which is probably one of my favorite blogs I read) is having a backwards sponsored week. We get to ask y’all questions – which is something I’m pretty good.

And I need some help y’all! You see, I live with a bunch of messies!

And my main delimma is laundry. If they weren’t all still sleeping, I’d go take pictures of their drawers. I fold the laundry and then it is their responsibility to put it away. And for 3 of the 5, it’s their responsibility to get themselves dressed. (Yes, I’m including my dear sweet Chip in this one. But I do *not* count him as one of my children. Bothers me to know end when people do that to their husbands).

I fold their clothes, nice and neat and then send them on their way. Chip always gets his in the dresser. The older kids (11 and almost 9) get their clothes in the dresser 9 times out of 10.

But y’all – if by chance I forget to give them an item of clothing and go up to put it away for him, what I find is usually something like this…

A bunch of pulled out drawers. Clothes are not placed neatly in said drawer, but shoved in. Smashed in.

And by the middle of the week, the clothes are all unfolded in the drawer. Because of all the inherited traits my kids have picked up, this is the one that they get from their father. They see the tshirt that they want – which is in the middle of the pile. They just grab the edge of it and yank it out. Which unfolds both the shirt on top of it and underneath it. And by mid-week, what they have is a drawer full of clothes that look like they were never folded in the first place.

And I soooo hate folding laundry! Y’all, I really hate it and this just makes me think I shouldn’t even bother to fold the laundry and just leave it in the baskets.

Which is why, if you were to pop over for a visit, you would likely find at least one load of laundry that needs to be folded in my dining room (where the basement steps are) sitting on my table.

So, how would you handle it. I’ve tried making them fold their own clothes, just not looking (which I could do if they were to actually SHUT THE DRAWERS), leaving the clothes in baskets (they just end up on the floor), etc…

What would y’all do?

I should have taken pictures… August 26, 2008

I’m cleaning and rearranging. The first day of school WORE ME OUT!!!  Kait’s computer was set up in the dining room. Elijah’s computer in the office. Noah’s “desk” of choice is the floor in the living room. I spent the entire first day of school running from one room to the next. I seriously ranked up 5000 steps on my pedometer JUST DURING SCHOOL!!! I’m pretty sure that’s like 2.5 miles or something.

Today wasn’t quite as bad as Elijah doesn’t have an official curriculum yet so he was doing “life skills” types of things like dishes and cleaning his room. But Noah was doing some work on the computer in the office and Kait was still in the dining room and it was all just too chaotic for me.

Especially the bellowing that coursed through the house. At one point I’m pretty sure I threw my hands up in the air and screamed, “I’M JUST ONE PERSON!!!”

If you think *parenting* 4 kids is busy, try homeschooling 4 all at different age and grade levels. Oh. my. weary. word.

So, today after school, I set to work. My plan is to move Kait’s computer into the office. Which means getting the extra desk out of her bedroom and into the office. But in order to do that, I had to make a space for said desk. Amongst the myriad of other pieces of really big furniture – computer desk, two huge bookcases, treadmill (which I fixed in the process), and a HUGE wood futon (this is *not* one of those cheap, dorm room futons).

And I realized, there was no possible way it was all going to fit.

So rearranging one room became rearranging two. Which is my Seth’s most favorite thing in the world.

“OH! We’re decorating!” he exclaimed while clapping his hands with his eyes sparkling. His plans were much grander than my own, but he was happy to settle for my way when he realized he’s not big enough or strong enough to move furniture by himself.

We moved the futon in front of  the big picture window. We moved the treadmill over where the futon was. And the bookcase that was in the way of where I wanted to put the desk, moved to the dining room.

So, the bookcase moved into the dining room to where the cedar chest was. The cedar chest moved across the room. And the rocking horse (I should post a picture of our rocking horse – it’s wonderful. Chip’s dad had it built for Elijah. But that’s another story for another time) over in front of the double windows in the dining room.

The desk is still upstairs in Kait’s room at this point. I do ok moving furniture up the stairs. Not so much coming down. So the computer is sitting on the Little Tykes table in the middle of my doorway between the living room and dining room. I see no point in moving it any farther until I can move it onto the desk.

Now I’ve got to get myself off of the computer and go pick up the little piles of stuff that managed to get underneath all of the stuff that I moved. How does that all migrate underneath there anyway? And I assume there must be some great stuff because I keep hearing choruses of “I’ve been looking for that!” ring from the office.

Oh! And we are *so* going out for dinner tonight!

Works For Me Wednesday – Couch covers… July 16, 2008

Have y’all gone out anytime recently to price a slip cover for a couch? Sofa? Davenport? Whatever you want to call it? Even the “cheap” ones (imagine the air quotes there) are $35 for a LOVESEAT! And when you get into the specialized ones like we need for our sofa – because it has two bottom cushions and three across the back – well, you’re looking upwards of the $200 range.

Did I mention that I need couch covers because my couch is a disaster because we have FOUR kids? So, selling me $300 worth of slip covers for a set that we only paid $600 (because oh the deal we got on that one!) just isn’t going to happen.

But I was so absolutely sick of looking at the furniture in my living room. It was such a mess. And we are holding out to be past the whole toddler spills/peeing-in-his-sleep thing to be done before we even consider getting new living room furniture.

So, I set out on a mission. A mission to find something that I could cover my couch/love seat with. Something that would coordinate with the rest of the fabric in my living room. Something durable that would hold up against 4 kids, 2 dogs, a cat and whatever other chaos gets added into our home on a daily basis.

And it all has to be machine washable! Which those slipcovers I mentioned before are not!

So, I started to look at material. Do y’all have any idea how much fabric costs these days? Because oh my word! I apparently saw one too many episodes of Trading Spaces where they fail to mention that a thrifty family of 6 cannot afford the beautiful fabrics that hold up so well when the kids are jumping from one couch to the other. Oh! And I don’t sew. At all. At least not on a sewing machine. My sewing machine is currently a step stool in my room that Seth uses to reach the light switch.

I had almost given up home of ever having a slip-covered couch.

Until one day, while walking through Target, I had an idea. As I stood there pleading with my t-shirt clad clan to please not honk every bike horn in the store and to please put that movie back, I had a wonderful, glorious idea. An idea, that if it worked, was going to solve my problem.

Jersey sheets! Because isn’t half of putting on a slip cover just pushing the fabric into the cracks anyway. And even if a set of sheets cost me $50, I’d have enough for not just one couch, but the loveseat too.

So, I took a quick left with a crazed look in my eye. My husband was pretty dazed as I explained my genius plan. He wasn’t convinced that it would work. He tried to talk me out of it.

Until we found a set of sage green jersey sheets on clearance for $15! Because there isn’t a crazy scheme he won’t let me try if it costs less than $20.

Not only did it work, but it worked WONDERFULLY! Flawlessly! The corners from the fitted sheet stretched perfectly around the corners. And all the way up and over the back cushions – with plenty of fabric left over to tuck into the cushions! And the one for the loveseat has a bit too much fabric, but who cares.

And those pillow cases? Oh the joy they’ve brought my kids! They are the big king size pillow cases – way too big for any of our pillows. But perfect for a sleeping bag for an indoor fort on a rainy day. Great for packing away an unruly sleeping bag for an overnight to Grandma’s. Great for packing a bag to run away (oh wait – that was me, not the kids! ROFL).

What’s your favorite household tip? What works for you?

Tackle It Tuesday – The Home Office edition… July 15, 2008

So, we’ve got a couple weeks off for the summer and we’ve decided we’re going to do more of a stay-cation and do some work around the house. Not my idea of vacation, but it needs to be done.

Today, I’m tackling the home office. Our office is a mess. The closet is full to the brim with empty boxes, out-dated homeschooling books and Little People. The futon is PILED with needing to be folded laundry. Clothes my kids obviously don’t need because those same clothes haven’t been touched in two weeks. And my desk? The one with the broken computer? Well, the piles are winning since we haven’t used the desk in almost 2 months. Which means I haven’t had to look at the mess, so it hasn’t bothered me enough to put it all away. Did I mention that unless the kids are actually playing in there, the door stays closed?

Because we all know that if you can’t see a mess, there really must not be a mess, right?

RIGHT?!?

Yeah, I’m past the point of self-denial. And my list keeps growing everytime I look into the room.

• Fold the laundry
• Clean out the closet
  • Decide which empty boxes really must be kept.
  • Get rid of the rest of them
  • List all of the unused/out-dated homeschooling stuff online
  • List all the tchokes (pronounced choch-keys) on either freecycle or craigslist. Ever realize those tchokes include the word choke? My closet it simply choked with them!
• Go through my paperback books. List them on paperbackswap.com and request some new ones.
• Clean off the desk
  • Sort papers
  • File papers that need to be kept
  • Sort computer games. List unwanted ones on craigslist or freecycle
• Sand the patched hole in the wall.
• Fill other small holes that have appeared. You’ve got to love 80 year old plaster walls!
• Box up borrowed homeschooling resources and give them back to Tammy.
• Box up last years school work. Yes, I *know* school ended 2 months ago.

And I’m really hoping that I can convince Chip to help me work on all of it later this afternoon. Which will probably be the hardest thing on the list to tackle!

So, what are you tackling today?

Tackle It Tuesday – July 8, 2008… July 8, 2008

So I’ve decided that Tuesday is the PERFECT day for going through things. Because Wednesday is garbage day. So that means, I don’t get a chance to rethink thing. Items get tossed in the trash and taken to the dump before I can miss them. Which is a great thing. I’m not a big collector. I’m definitely not a hoarder. But I am a stasher. And it’s easier for me to stick stuff into the closet and hope the closet monster gobbles it up instead of figuring out if I really need it or not.

So, today, I’m tackling the closet in the office. I’ll try and get some pictures to add to this post to show the before and after. Because the task is daunting. I’ve got a problem with boxes. I don’t like to throw them away. When we have to pack thing ups, or if I think there might be even the slightest possibility that something might need to be returned, I’m going to need that box, right?

Someone tell me I’m not alone in this!? Please?

So basically, my closet has oodles of boxes of absolutely nothing in it. I’ve got the boxes from gameboy games. I’ve got boxes for my Willow Tree figurines (those I’ll keep – but I’ll pack away). I’ve got the box for our toaster and the coffee grinder. It’s a sickness, y’all. A sickness. And today, I’m going to find a cure!

So, what’s hiding in your closets?

Why we choose organic… June 27, 2008

For the last year or so, I’ve made the switch to organic cleaners for our house. The smells bother most of us because of asthma related issues.

However, with warmer temperatures FINALLY here, my kids have been in and out of the house more often. And a lot of times they are dripping wet as they run into the kitchen for a snack, or a drink of water (because they are forever banned from having cups in the yard), or just passing through to ask a question. And it’s wreaking havoc on my light colored kitchen floor. It’s not too bad on the hardwood, but the floor in the kitchen has been absolutely disgusting the past week. And since the car accident, I just can’t down on my hands and knees and clean it much anymore.

But, since we have company coming this weekend, I knew that cleaning the floor in the kitchen was a must. Because these are out of town company after all. And while I know they are coming to see us and not the floors, it’s been bred deep into me that when company comes, you clean the house.

And because it was so gross and my normal organic cleaners don’t clean quite as easily as the chemical based cleaners, I decided that for just this one time, I’d pick up some Mop ‘n Glo while we were at Target.

I was oh so very wrong, y’all! So very, very misguided in my thinking.

The smell didn’t bother me at first. I had just cut Chip’s hair in the kitchen and since I was already sweeping and because we may have the first wave of company tomorrow already, I figured I’d bite the bullet and just get it done. I did a quick squirt and went over the kitchen and then went back and did it all again. And it SHINES so nicely right now.

Unfortunately, it also sent Elijah and I running for our inhalers! Because the smell was so bad. So strong. So very full of chemicals.

And I’ll take breathing over a clean floor any day!

Or maybe I’ll have the best of both worlds and just switch to a different organic cleaner (mine has been discontinued by the company). Anyone have any suggestion?

Tackle it Tuesday – Laundry, again… June 24, 2008

I’ve officially decided. I hate doing laundry. I mean, unless I make everyone strip naked and run around that way, ALL of the laundry is never going to be clean. And don’t think that I haven’t thought about that whole naked thing. But I’m pretty sure that it’s probably illegal? At the least, it would be considered child abuse. So, my kids stay dressed for the most part. And I try not to hold a grudge against Adam & Eve for even making laundry necessary!

 

Does that picture look familiar? It should. It’s the same one that was there last week. Because I have had absolutely NO time. My older kids were at camp last week and I actually had to watch the little kids. Because they are sneaky at the ages of 6, 3, and 1. Do you have any idea how sneaky those little kids can be? Because I certainly do! And it all added up to me cleaning up mess after mess and leaving no time for laundry.

However – THIS week, we have family coming over on Sunday afternoon for lunch. Out of town family. And I’m guessing that they will want somewhere to sit while they are here. So, the laundry MUST be done. And it must be done TODAY because I’ve got a personal “tackle it” list for every day this week. And laundry is on there TWICE! Because if I do it all today, I’m still going to have to do it all again on Saturday.

So, when my brain snaps and I finally start speaking jibberish and drooling on my shirt, y’all make sure to remind my dear, sweet Chip (who will take care of me because we have a deal, oh yes we do) that it was LAUNDRY that finally pushed me over the edge!

I should probably go find myself some more coffee and get to it.

So, what are you tackling today?

Tackle It Tuesday – May 13, 2008… May 13, 2008

It’s Tuesday and I’m grabbing it by the broom handle! Spring hasn’t really completely sprung here yet. I’m ready to be able to pack up the winter clothes and pull out the summer clothes, but the weather just is *not* cooperating! It’s only 56 degrees here today and breezy – which makes it a bit sweatshirt-y out there! Something I’d like to pack away, but when you want a sweatshirt EVERY day and are still wearing jeans it’s a bit hard to put those things into storage. Let’s talk about this global warming thing again, eh? I think maybe I’m going to start leaving my lights on all the time and maybe running empty appliances for a while. Maybe that will warm things up around here?

Anyway, I’ve decided that I’m going to tackle Tuesday anyway. And I’m going to use “Life Skills” as a reason to make the kids help and incorporate it all into schoolwork for the day (they are done with their curriculum, just trying to fill these last few days with “legitimate” activities). So, we’re packing away things like winter jackets and snow boots (because if we end up needing snowboots again, I *will* most certainly need some serious Starbucks therapy). We’re going to clean the living room, dining room, office, kitchen and bathroom today. That will take care of the entire downstairs.

And I’m going to make those kids of mine WORK! And work hard. My theory – and mind you it’s only a theory – is that if they WORK hard to get things clean, then maybe they’ll actually want to *keep* it clean for more than 20 seconds? They’ll be singing that “Cinderelly” song by the time I’m done with them and wishing for a far off prince to wisk them away (or a princess for the boys).

So, what are your plans for the day?

GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…. March 7, 2008

Ok, I’m not much of a soccer fan. Enough to know that it’s not a goalie, it’s a keeper. But the extent of my soccer knowledge is that you’re not supposed to let the ball past the keeper into the goal.

Those aren’t the types of goals I’m talking about anyway. I’m talking about the goals that I set for the year. For the month of February even. I’m going to try and keep updates going monthly. Guess I could add that to the list of goals, eh? Right now I’m three for three so we’ll see how I do on that one.

1. I’m doing fairly well at not feeding my husband and kids a bunch of processed foods, but I could do much better. I’m working on it. It’s a goal for *next* month though. My goal for this month is to have a plan in place and to work out the kinks before April starts.

2. We still don’t have a budget, but we do have a better idea of where our money is going. Which is a step in the right direction.

3. I’m opening a savings account on Monday. I didn’t get it done in February, but it will be done on Monday. Chip and I are going to have to discuss how much to put into it though. And whether it should be a real savings account or an interest bearing checking account that would give us easier access to it.

4. Not only do I have the start to one book, but I’ve started 2. I started working on it when inspiration hit me and I couldn’t get past it. So, I started the other one. The thing is, I think I like the idea for the second one better than the first. They say that the book you end up with isn’t the book you start with. I’m barely started and that is already ringing true!

5. I’m doing MUCH better at keeping the house clean. It helps that my body is starting to recover and it doesn’t hurt to do everything anymore. I am reading more “organizational” blogs though, does that count? I read somewhere that there is a blogger roundup to clean out our offices next Tuesday. Maybe I’ll join in? If I can find where I read that at! ROFL

 So, all in all, baby steps are seeing me on the road that I want to be on. I’m on track to meet all of these goals by the end of the year.

Christmas decor… December 13, 2007

We’ve been busy decorating the house for Christmas. I’ve still got a bit left to do and some to do at the church as well. I’ve realized that I’m not much of a decorator. I enjoy the decorations, but not so much the actual putting up of the decorations and definitely not the taking down and putting away.

This year, my big decision has been whether or not to move my Willow Tree figures off the mantle and replace them with my snowmen. I’ve collected several metal snowmen lanterns over the past few years. And while I like them, I really do like my Willow Tree figures more.

So, I’m trying to make a decision. Do I put my snowmen on top of the china cabinet or on the mantle where they’ve sat in years past? Either way, I think I’m going to get an LED rope light to intertwine with whatever sits on the mantle. From what I’ve read, they are a bit “greener” than regular Christmas lights and they shouldn’t get hot like regular Christmas lights do.

So, now that I’ve made the decision on what  kinds of LIGHTS to put on the mantle, I guess I just need to decide what decor I’m going to put on there. Any suggestions?