I've been working on really and truly cleaning my house. The crafter in me is screaming to be let loose again, but I keep telling myself that I'll enjoy crafting more if I have a tidy space to do it in. I've gotten a lot done, but I've had to catch myself on numerous occasions from getting sidetracked, or in my case derailed.
Here's how it starts. I'm cleaning the kitchen, and I need to put away the waffle iron. I notice the shelf it goes on is a little dirty, so I think "this'll only take a minute..." Before I know it, I've got stuff strewn all over the kitchen that was almost clean a short while ago, scrubbing parts of my kitchen that nobody ever sees and certainly wasn't hurting anyone for it to be a little dirty. Then, the littles need something and I have to stop what I'm doing. Next thing I know its time to cook dinner and there's stuff all over the kitchen that will have to be put away before I can cook. Not too long after that, the girls are standing at the baby gate screaming at me because they're hungry. All because the shelf was a little dirty.
This is only one little scenario, of course. It's like that for my whole house. Yesterday I was putting away the girls clean laundry and launched into an all-day affair of cleaning out their closets and dressers. It needed to be done anyway, and I'm not mad at myself for doing it. The weather is getting nice and there is no need for winter coats. I would much rather hang clothes in the closet than fold them and put them in the dresser. Dressers at my house end up a trashed mess full of wrinkled clothes within a week. But I only have so many kid's clothes hangers, so stuff had to come out of the closet in order to hang... blah blah blah. (See? It's happening here too. Sidetrack city!)
This also only happens when I'm in full-blown cleaning mode. Most of the time, I would have just tossed the waffle iron up there and gone about my business. But lately, I really want my house clean. And organized. I think that if I just can manage to get it cleaned up and organized things will be easier to keep clean. The living room is a million times easier to tidy since we rearranged it and cut down on the number of toys that "live" in the living room.
The funny thing is, I tease my mother about doing the same thing. I tell her, "Just clean the public spaces, mama!" Here I am, doing the same thing... *sigh*
So, here's a few things that I think will help with my cleaning ADD.
1.) Set up lists, complete with priority.
2.) If I'm working in one room and find something that needs to go to another room, start piles or baskets sorted by destination and take them after I'm done with the room I'm working on.
3.) A place for everything, and everything in it's place. I'm working on this part. I have more things than I have space at the moment, so I'm trying to find a good permanent home for everything, and get rid of as much as I can. If I don't think I need it right away but can't bear to part with it, I'm putting it in storage. That's the plan, anyway.
4.) Do a little at a time. Maybe clean out two kitchen cabinets at a time, instead of all of them at one time.
5.) Teach the girls to clean up their toys. Wish me luck.
I'm not saying that I'll be completely faithful to these, but I'm at least going to try. Of course, when it comes time to do my craft room, all the rules are out the window. But I'm at least saving that for a day or weekend when I have someone around to help with the littles.
So, does any of this happen to you?
I can't wait to get crafting again. I'm taking a break from my overhaul today to rest, maybe I'll get to make at least a little something.
Happy Crafting!
Here's how it starts. I'm cleaning the kitchen, and I need to put away the waffle iron. I notice the shelf it goes on is a little dirty, so I think "this'll only take a minute..." Before I know it, I've got stuff strewn all over the kitchen that was almost clean a short while ago, scrubbing parts of my kitchen that nobody ever sees and certainly wasn't hurting anyone for it to be a little dirty. Then, the littles need something and I have to stop what I'm doing. Next thing I know its time to cook dinner and there's stuff all over the kitchen that will have to be put away before I can cook. Not too long after that, the girls are standing at the baby gate screaming at me because they're hungry. All because the shelf was a little dirty.
This is only one little scenario, of course. It's like that for my whole house. Yesterday I was putting away the girls clean laundry and launched into an all-day affair of cleaning out their closets and dressers. It needed to be done anyway, and I'm not mad at myself for doing it. The weather is getting nice and there is no need for winter coats. I would much rather hang clothes in the closet than fold them and put them in the dresser. Dressers at my house end up a trashed mess full of wrinkled clothes within a week. But I only have so many kid's clothes hangers, so stuff had to come out of the closet in order to hang... blah blah blah. (See? It's happening here too. Sidetrack city!)
This also only happens when I'm in full-blown cleaning mode. Most of the time, I would have just tossed the waffle iron up there and gone about my business. But lately, I really want my house clean. And organized. I think that if I just can manage to get it cleaned up and organized things will be easier to keep clean. The living room is a million times easier to tidy since we rearranged it and cut down on the number of toys that "live" in the living room.
The funny thing is, I tease my mother about doing the same thing. I tell her, "Just clean the public spaces, mama!" Here I am, doing the same thing... *sigh*
So, here's a few things that I think will help with my cleaning ADD.
1.) Set up lists, complete with priority.
2.) If I'm working in one room and find something that needs to go to another room, start piles or baskets sorted by destination and take them after I'm done with the room I'm working on.
3.) A place for everything, and everything in it's place. I'm working on this part. I have more things than I have space at the moment, so I'm trying to find a good permanent home for everything, and get rid of as much as I can. If I don't think I need it right away but can't bear to part with it, I'm putting it in storage. That's the plan, anyway.
4.) Do a little at a time. Maybe clean out two kitchen cabinets at a time, instead of all of them at one time.
5.) Teach the girls to clean up their toys. Wish me luck.
I'm not saying that I'll be completely faithful to these, but I'm at least going to try. Of course, when it comes time to do my craft room, all the rules are out the window. But I'm at least saving that for a day or weekend when I have someone around to help with the littles.
So, does any of this happen to you?
I can't wait to get crafting again. I'm taking a break from my overhaul today to rest, maybe I'll get to make at least a little something.
Happy Crafting!
I do that ALL the time. That is why everything always gets halfway clean but nothing gets completely clean LOL. It is really hard with a young one who needs most of the attention. She forbids baby gates in my house LOL
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