4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 3

FINALLY! I got this assignment done! I've been so busy these past few days. It's one of those seasons in life when you can't figure out where your day has gone. Today was particularly difficult and would have been near impossible to get through had it not been for a wonderful family friend, Melissa, and Dylan coming to my rescue.

Shawn woke up sick this morning. I had to get to the grocery store as it was Isabel's day to bring snack for her preschool class. I soon found out there was no way I would be able to get Shawn in the car and down the road without needing to clean up a huge mess. So I called Melissa and she came to take Isa to preschool, stopped by the grocery store and got Isabel's snack, and then came back to the house to help me juggle the boys. Dylan came home for the day and between the three of us we were able to take care of the kiddos. Thankfully around that time Shawn started feeling much better, so I was able to get a bunch done with Dylan home. Here's a run down of the day:

Day 3 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

I didn't do this today for good reason. I didn't know how many times I would be thrown up on, so I figured there's no reason to ruin my "good" clothes!

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

I realize this picture is from 4/26 but that's how long I've been trying to get to this assignment. Don't judge!

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

Got to the morning routine a little late today. Did a couple loads of laundry to make sure there was nothing gross lying around in the hampers. 

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bedroom: throw out any trash, put away items that are out of place, get rid of clutter, tidy up, vacuum, and make your bed.

I've gotten to this part of the assignment a couple times now. Here's the first 15 minute before and after.

 and then the second 15 minute session:

Yes, I realize there is still a MOUNTAIN of laundry there, but I am working on it!

::Clean out your freezer(s). If you need step-by-step help, read this guide on How to Clean Out Your Freezer.

FINALLY, it is done! I recruited Dyl to help me with this and together we were done with this project in about 45 minutes. First we got rid of all the things that needed to be thrown out and moved some things down to our deep freezer. We will be tackling that freezer a different day.

Horray for hubbies who clean! Isn't he awesome?!?!

 Yay for a clean freezer! We have more room for freezer cooking meals, so I've got some motivation to get some done.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

 Here's what I got rid of a few days ago. The pillow is going to be donated to the crisis pregnancy center we're adopting from, the shoes are being thrown out and the magazines are being recycled. I also have a few other maternity clothes that are going in the donation pile, so I'm counting those also.

I know I've got some work to do, but I also know that if I am too hard on myself right now, I stress about things more than I need to. The season my family is in right now is quite hectic with 3 children 5 and under. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance things around the house and getting my feet steady on a schedule to help through the day. It seems once I do I'm always thrown a curve ball from somewhere, whether it be the baby or just other circumstances in life. Progress and baby steps in the right direction are what I need to focus on and not stress about making significant leaps and bounds all in one day. Thank you so much for your patience with me!

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 2, Attempt 2, Part 3

HAHA! I've finally completed this assignment! Today went very well and was a lot easier than the past few. My mom was here for the morning to take Isa to preschool which freed me up to tackle the day a lot earlier than I usually get to it. Here's the results:

Day 2 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

So I didn't do this first thing in the morning, but I did get into some "real" clothes before we went out for dinner tonight. Does that count?? (Please say yes!)

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

I did do this but forgot to get a picture of it. It's basically the past day's picture only without the *Sort papers* task. 

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

The morning routine was done by about 11:30 or so! I felt like I was on a roll!

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your kitchen: wash the dishes/load the dishwasher, clear off the countertops, and, if you have time, wipe down the countertops and the outside of the cupboards with wet rag or cleaning cloth.

This was already done a couple days ago. I've been maintaining it pretty well, but may need to take a few extra minutes on it tomorrow. 

::Clean out your refrigerator. There’s a step-by-step guide for cleaning out your refrigerator here.

Here we go! All I accomplished yesterday was throwing out the bad food and paring down what we did have left. Today I was able to get the rest of the fridge cleaned!

 First, the shelves took a bath in the kid's bathtub. Funny story: Shawn sees the shelves upstairs, comes down and asks me about it, stating the bathtub looks like it has "exploded!" I guess you had to be there...anywho..

  While those were soaking, I wiped down the inside of the fridge with soapy water. I replaced everything. Next was the door.

I took off all the shelves and washed them. 

While they were drying I wiped down the door with soapy water, dried it and replaced everything.

YAY!! Everything is clean and I don't have to worry about science experiments escaping in the middle of the night! HUZZAH!

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Here's my 7 items for today. 

We'll be going out of town for a bit tomorrow to visit my brother in Manhattan, so I'm planning on doing a post about our fun trip! Can't wait!

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 2, Attempt 2, Part 2

Yesterday went well for the most part. I was able to start the first steps to cleaning out the fridge, so I'm pretty happy about that. Here's the results of the day.

Day 2 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

Once again, this didn't happen. I'm still working through a bunch of laundry as I can through the day!

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

 This got done, but was more or less exactly like yesterday. Here's the pic 

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

I got through the morning routine by about 1:30 or so and then tackled the *Sort Papers* task. I wanted to make sure if there were any important papers from the table I cleaned, they were handled quickly. After that I went on to the *Clean Fridge* task.

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your kitchen: wash the dishes/load the dishwasher, clear off the countertops, and, if you have time, wipe down the countertops and the outside of the cupboards with wet rag or cleaning cloth.

This was already done from the night before, so with a little upkeep throughout the day, I didn't have to do this task over again.

::Clean out your refrigerator. There’s a step-by-step guide for cleaning out your refrigerator here.

Here's the run down of the first part of this task.

First, I had to make sure this little guy was happy. Check!

 Next, I took everything out and got rid of any leftovers that hadn't been made within the last couple days. I did find a few science experiments growing, but nothing too scary.

This is the worst part of the fridge. Not too bad!

Here's the fridge empty! No major sticky spots in sight!

The shelves were done not too long ago, but they will be done again this time. I just didn't get them emptied and sorted through yet.

 That's as far as I got. No wiping down of anything, but at least I know there are no more gross things hiding in the back. Duncan decided he was done being in his bouncy.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Nights are starting to get difficult for some reason. Duncan has decided all he wants to do from about dinner time until 11pm or so is fuss and feed. I can't figure out why he's so irritable. I'm really praying this is not the first signs of colic. Hopefully this is just a phase he's going through. I hope it eases up soon. I'll be cleaning the fridge tomorrow, sanitizing and what not. 

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 2, Attempt 2, Part 1

This day did not start out how I was hoping :( While on the way to drop Isabel off at preschool, our car started making a very odd sound. The engine would rev up and then drop down to it's regular RPM's. It did this continuously all the way to preschool, and since we're supposed to go out of town this weekend, I thought it best to take it in to the shop. Unfortunately, they didn't find anything wrong with it, which I guess is better than finding something wrong. Well, that took me all morning to do, but we got home and I started tackling my list for the day. Here's the results of Day 2, Attempt 2

Day 2 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.

This is getting difficult for me for some reason. I'm hoping to change my wardrobe out this weekend. Hopefully I'll get to that after we get back home from our trip. It's just a daytrip so we will be back the same day. I'm tired of looking at winter/maternity clothes and am ready to have my spring/NON-maternity clothes back in the closet!

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

My morning routine was complete by 1:30.  Not as good as yesterday, but considering how our morning started, I'm not complaining!

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your kitchen: wash the dishes/load the dishwasher, clear off the countertops, and, if you have time, wipe down the countertops and the outside of the cupboards with wet rag or cleaning cloth.

First, I tackled the coffee table and got the last few things off.

It felt so great to be able to cross that off the list!

Next was the kitchen cleanup. Here's the before pictures:

Blech. I can't believe I'm showing you these! After pictures, PLEASE!

That last picture turned into this:

YAY!!!!  I'm glad I got at least part of the assignment done!

::Clean out your refrigerator. There’s a step-by-step guide for cleaning out your refrigerator here.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

I've decided I'm not going to be too legalistic about things, and try to stick spot on to the schedule. If I don't get to something one day, there's always tomorrow. As is such with this assignment. I'll be finishing up the clean out the fridge part tomorrow (April 19th.) I plan to just keep plugging away at these things and not get too caught up in what day they get done. How are things going at your house? Leave me a comment and let me know!

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment 2 Results

This blog is all about keepin' it real...and that means all the ups and downs of life. Yesterday was only a minor success, so since that's all I have to report, here are the details.

Day 2 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

To be truthfully honest, I didn't get out of my pajamas yesterday. Usually this means I won't have motivation to do anything else other than lying around the house (relativity speaking, of course) and taking things slow. However, that wasn't the case today. Even though I didn't get what I was assigned accomplished, believe me, with a nursing baby and 2 other rugrats, I had a very productive day.

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

I did complete this task! 

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

I did get through my morning routine at a much earlier time than 6 pm. I think I was done with it by 12:30 or so! Huzzah! At this point I tackled the *Clean off the coffee table* assignment, and got most of it done. Unfortunately, there it stopped. This is pretty good for me though, considering I'm nursing Duncan every 2-3 hours and each feeding takes anywhere from 45-60 minutes, not counting all the other baby care throughout the day. On top of that, I was keeping up with multiple loads of laundry (and it was a diaper day!), not to mention meal prep and clean up! This is why I don't feel too bad about not tackling the other jobs of the day

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your kitchen: wash the dishes/load the dishwasher, clear off the countertops, and, if you have time, wipe down the countertops and the outside of the cupboards with wet rag or cleaning cloth.
::Clean out your refrigerator. There’s a step-by-step guide for cleaning out your refrigerator here.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

I am going to attempt this day again and change my schedule around a little bit in order to (hopefully!) accomplish at least one of the assigned tasks on the list. We'll see how this goes the second time around!

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment 1 Results

So I made it through this day finally! Here's my results from Assignment 1 of the challenge.

Day 1 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

I had already gotten dressed by the time I read this as Monday-Wednesday-Friday are busy mornings trying to get out the door for preschool! I didn't get a picture of my outfit, but I'll try to tomorrow!

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and make a list of 5-10 goals for this week.

Here's my weekly goals for this week!

 

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

In all honesty, I didn't complete my MORNING routine until after 6 pm this evening. My morning routine consists of everything on this list written in blue including Dishes/Laundry. If I can get at least a load of laundry and dishes done, it keeps our house running much more smoothly. At least we'll always have clean clothes and dishes to use. In my favor, I had been trying to keep up with the laundry lately, but could never get it folded and put away in the same day. So I took all the laundry that needed folded and tackled as much as I could before something else called my attention away. I think the laundry itself took about 3-4 different sessions to fold. There were TONS of clothes!

 

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and quickly pick up the main living areas of your home.

Here's a couple of  before pictures of the living room :

And here's a couple of the living room after I picked up:

Not a major difference with the clutter and what not on the table, but I was able to vacuum, so at least I know the floor is somewhat clean!

::Clean out your purse and/or diaper bag.

Not much to do here since I had cleaned it out a couple weeks ago, just some small pieces of trash to throw out!

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

 Here's what I'm getting rid of:

I didn't get through as much of my daily list as I'd like to, but baby steps in the right direction is still making progress! I'm hoping this gets easier as the days go on!

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge

So after our sweet baby boy joined our family, all I've been wanting to do lately is be with him and  cuddle him all day long!

Big Sister and Brother agree!

This means I've (GLADLY!) taken time away from my housekeeping to do so! But I've been thinking it's time to get this house back into shape and do a little spring cleaning. All the clutter is starting to get to me and I don't need to be stressed out when I have these 3 little sweet kiddos to enjoy!

So I was delighted to see one of my favorite bloggers, Crystal Paine at Money Saving Mom, was going to be doing a spring cleaning series, 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home! She started at the beginning of the month, so I'm a couple weeks late getting started, but I figure better late than never! So over the next 4 weeks I'll be following along with the challenge, and hopefully blogging about my results. I'm so ready to have a house that feels calm and clean again! I'd love to have you join me so feel free to follow along! I'll update tomorrow evening on how things went with my first day!