Cleaning

Each week come rain or shine, I find myself realizing our home needs a major cleaning overhaul.  Dust seems to collect at unreasonable rates, and clutter seems to collect even faster.  I'd like to blame this all on the three kids left at home and/or a husband, but I am as guilty as the rest and truly probably no blame can go to the husband.  I hate to admit, that guest coming or parties at our home is my main motivator for cleaning, but it is the truth.  I seem to be able to stay better focused until the guests arrive.  So this week as I set my timer (I am a flylady believer -- it's a website that has great advise for SHE's -- Sidetracked Home Executives) and went to work.  I truly was a little amazed at all the dust that had gathered since last week.  This picture doesn't do it justice, I should have written my name in it to prove there was a nice pile of "dirt" on top.

 Yet I decided to start in my laundry room.  I have an amazing husband who in his spare time helps with the wash.  The laundy pile up has gotten less know that there are only three at home, yet it still comes daily or in huge piles when children bring it or mothers bring it to the laundry room.  This is what I started with today.  Not too out of control, but definetly not what it looks like when my (BO -- born organized) husband does the laundry.

 I started a load then divided up the clean laundry into piles and delivered it to the perspective owners bedrooms,  As I delivered I discovered piles of towels and clothing hat needed cleaning and a few sheets that needed cleaning, which made my towel bin more than full.  Once that was done I headed to the bathroom (a fairly easy task) and onto the kitchen, not only to finish the breakfast dishes but also declutter.  This is where my creative cleaning tactics started -- I decided to pull out the barstools and use each one for a pile of things needed to be put away.  There are five of us at home so I thought it should work well.  But I also started my talent of getting three projects started a one time with not enough time to finish any one of them.  Kimber showed up to drop off some food for the Surprise Party we were having for her son tonight, and to help me clean for a little bit, but I had an appointment at 12:00 (to get a pedicure - another story for another day but I was initally going at 2:00 with Loryn) and it was now past 11:30.  Needless to say I had the vaccuum in the middle of the family room.  Five nice piles on the barstools, two loads of laundry that needed folding on the ottomon, but the kitchen counters were clean and the laundry room was clean (because the clothes were on the ottoman -- but I had made progress.  I  just wish I had a picture of how it looked when I ran out the door and when I returned.  But here is the laundry room when I left

When I returned Sheldon had gotten home. He was folding a load of laundry, but the family room was clean, the floors were vacuum and swept and all that need to be done was dusting. He has BO talent (per flylady Born Organized). It is such a blessing to me that his mind can keep things so organized and he can put things away so well. I decided after I dusted to check the air filters. They were way past need of changing, for some reason I don't know that it'll stop the dust from coming, but it may.