Motivitional Tip #3

Here is an article for you, written by SliverOfData.

How to Keep your House Looking Clean

There are a number of tips for quickly making your home look decent, especially if you are expecting company shortly.  For me, the best tip was:

"Once you've finished your quick cleaning, and your guests arrive, don't apologize for the state of your home. Guests come to see the host/hostess, not the house. Unexpected company, especially, will understand if everything isn't perfect."

Weekly Challenge: July 19-23, 2010

Deal with 3-10 things that would improve the way your home functions and how you live.

Just do what you know.  Deal with the emotions as they come.

We all know things that would make a difference in the way we feel about our home.  Some of those things are big, like insulating the attic.  Some are small, like getting rid of that appliance your aunt gave you, that you never use, but it takes up gobs of space.

This week, I have several big projects to complete, such as grouting the tile and redesigning my kitchen.  I know, I have had the grouting on my list for three weeks, but baring a catastrophe, it will be done today!  I also want to take care of several other things.  As I look around my house, I see several things that are not too hard to do, but are going to take a bit of emotional stamina.

The projects I am am facing are ones of dealing with things that were once very needed, but whose purpose in my home is no more.  Things like emptying the diaper bag and taking down the crib.  Last week a friend told me to embrace change and view it as a good thing.  I'm taking his advice to heart, knowing that it comes from some of the hardest changes he has ever faced in his life. 

My challenge to you, is to find at least three things you can deal with this week, and why dealing with them is a positive change.  Feel free to leave your list in the comment section, and I will list mine here, as they are complete.

1.  Emptied the Diaper Bag and cleaned it up, so that it can be given away. 

• My youngest is full potty trained, and we no longer have to be prepared for accidents. 
• Some new momma will get to use my bag for her little one, as she travels with him/her.

2.  The laundry room is grouted!

• In three days, it will be ready for things to be put back in place.  That means we get our bathroom back, unless my husband decides we are going to get the drywall taken care of first. 

3.  Designed how I want the kitchen laid out, and began researching surfaces and counters.

• This may be my only chance to redesign my kitchen.  If the plumber can easily move the sink where I want it, then then there is no reason not to cease this opportunity.

Motivational Tip #2

Do the worst job first!

There is something that you know needs to be done, but are dreading doing.  You try to do other things, but just want to go back to bed -- to hide under the covers.  Let me tell you what:  There is nothing like just getting it done and over with. 

The other day, it was time to pay the bills  I hate that job!  And yet it comes twice a month...  I had managed to put it off for several days, but the due dates just kept getting closer, and I hate late fees even more than paying the bills, so decided it had to be done.  Done today.  But, I would clean my bathroom first, and help the little boys pick up there room, and weed the garden and then tend to some of my daily chores.  There would be plenty of time to get the bills paid!  Yah.  Right.  I cleaned my bathroom, sort of.  It did look a little better than when I had begun.  Then I mosied outside, determined to do better at weeding, but after wandering around the garden for half an hour, I decided it was time for a break.  It was only after I had a glass of water in my hand that I realized I had not pulled a single weed the entire time I was out there.  I attempted to do some other things, I even tried to write several articles, but nothing good came about.  Finally, I realized, I just didn't want to pay the bills and that nothing was going to change until they were out of the way. 

Time to bit the bullet.  Sit down.  Getter done!  It was 5 pm.  I had wasted the whole day, not paying the bills.  By 5:30, the bills were all paid, recorded, stamped and ready to go.  And I finally had energy!  Energy and ideas!  I cooked a good supper and cleaned up several other things that had been bothering me all day.  Today, I started with the most unpleasant chore:  Admitting to my husband that I had lost a tool he had loaned me, and had no ideas left as to where to look for it.  *embarrassing*

He found the tool a few hours later.  It was on his work bench, probably where I had set it moments after he had entrusted me with it.  *relief*  And I got quite a bit done today. 

Doing the worst job first is a trick I learned from reading the Little House books as a child.  When Laura was a teen she had a job at the local General Store, sewing shirts.  She hated making button holes, so always did them as soon as she could, and as quickly as possible.  She did such a good job at them, that her boss complimented her, thinking it was her favorite part of shirt making.  She did it so that she could enjoy the rest of the prosses.

Motivational Tip # 1

Pick up and deal with five things, or groups of things, from each room in your house. 

Five seems to be an ideal number for me.  I have tried ten, and often get distracted before I am done.  I have tried three, and that works too, but does not make the impact on the room that I wish to make.  Five gets me moving and makes a small difference through out my home.

When I run out of obvious things to deal with, I begin cleaning.  When there is nothing that needs to be cleaned, I begin removing clutter, one surface, drawer or shelf at a time.

This last week I have been busy with family visiting and have not had time for my regular routines.  By taking a few minutes to pick up and put away or throw away five things from each room, each morning, I have kept on top of things and even improved some areas that I had been neglecting.

In the afternoon, after laying the kids down for thier naps, I have been going throughout the house again, taking care of three things this time around and doing a load of laundry. 

I find that working in all parts of the home helps to keep a balance.  When I work to improve just one room, the house feels unbalanced and my family will compensate by creating messes in the other parts of the home.  This can be very frustrating, but it is a natural reaction.  This is why making real change is much more affective than going on a cleaning spree.  This tip helps to make real change.

Get Me Moving! Motivate Me to Clean!

The motivation to clean comes and goes, like the tide.  The need to clean, however, does not, especially when you have a family!  Cleaning can seem like a non-stop chore, but it does not have to be.   There are ways of getting your home clean and enjoying the day, without hiring a maid. 

As I find things that motivate me or articles that inspire, I will post them as 'Motivational Tip # __ '.  I will also be tagging them by type, so that you can easily brows the ones most likely to motivate you.

If you need something, right now, go pick up all of the trash you can find laying around your home.  It will give you a sense of accomplishment and make a difference in the way your home appears and feels.

When the trash is gone, pick up the dirty laundry and deposit it in a hamper.  If you have a washing machine in your home, start a load!  Set a timer for one hour, so that you don't forget to move it over to the dryer or hang it out when it is done.

Now, plan what you are having for supper and get anything frozen thawing.  Decide when you need to begin cooking and clear the table, so that you have a place to eat.

Make the Necessary Changes

One of the most useful things you can learn to do is to put away what ever it is you are using, when you are done with it.  Learn to do this yourself and teach your children.  It will cut down on the amount of clutter and misplaced items around your home.  It is simple enough, that even a toddler can learn...

But what if your things don't have a place? 

Organized people love to say, "A place for everything and everything in it's place."  And they are right.  As much as I hate to admit it, they are right.  I wish there was an easier way, but there is not!  If you want order, then the things you own need a place.  A place that is accessible and orderly.  As I told my children the other day, "Your closet may be where that belongs, but if you just throw it on the floor, you will not be able to find it when you need it!"  They knew I was right, because the closet floor was three feet deep with stuff, and they were in tears trying to find their things.   After my little lecture, we hauled everything out of the closet, threw all of the trash away, sorted through what was left, putting away the things that readily had a place, and then made decisions on the few things that were left.  The things that they did not value enough to find a place for were given away.

In my opinion, getting rid of clutter is the hardest part of cleaning.  What do you hold onto and what do you get rid of?  The best advice I have found came from the book, Throw Out Fifty Things, by Gail Blanke.  She said to keep things that are loved, beautiful and useful.  She said to get rid of things that weigh you down or are not loved, beautiful or useful.  She also said to get rid of anything that you hesitate on.  Those hesitations were the part that had always kept me from feeling like I had succeeded.  Now I know that if I look at something and hem and ha over what to do with it, it needs to be given away.  Plain and simple!

Don't let the cleaning and organizing overwhelm you.  Do what you can, do what you know.  I realize the mess is fustrating, but you will burn out quickly without regular breaks.

Tackling my Craft Room

This week I have been spending a bit of time each day in my craft room, as it is the most cluttered room in my house, cleaning out the stuff I am done with and throwing away trash.  I have to say, the room looks much better, even though I have not regained nearly as much space as I had hoped to at this time.  There was not very much trash in the  room, just scrap paper from the fax machine, but I did manage to fill two large black garbage bags with stuff to give away.  Most of it was clothing that I had been give -- second hand.  Some of it was acrylic yarn that I have had, since I was a kid, that I am just not going to use.  Then, there was the garlands of artificial flowers that I use to use for decorating.  Part of me wanted to keep them -- sentimental value, but then I realized, they have been moved from place to place for more than five years now, only occasionally in use.  Why not pass them on to someone who will enjoy them? 

Observation on Uncluttering:

This last week I have noticed that it is not possible to clean an overly cluttered room all at once.  After taking out a certain amount of stuff, the room needs a rest.  The energy of the room needs to regroup and calm down.  I think this is why uncluttering an area is difficult.  It is more than the decision making, it is the stirred up energy of the room that creates tension.  Opening the windows wide and playing peaceful music does help, but the room still needs a break. 

Dust and dirt seem to stagnate the energy in a room.  Cleaning out the dust and dirt that is easy to access, before beginning to sort can relive the stuffy feeling.  Continuing to clean as a space is cleared helps the place to feel fresh.

Anything that causes a feeling of guilt is best let go of.  Why hang on to something negative?  One of the things I let go was a little picture frame I was given as a baby shower gift, before our first was born.  It was cute, and I had used it, but I never really liked it.  But it was a gift, so I had kept it, until this week.  I know that it will never be missed, as it has been on the floor of the craft room for months now, and I know the guilty feeling I felt each time I saw it better off gone.  Trying to talk myself into liking something is not worth the hassle.  If something is not going to be enjoyed, it is not worth keeping.

Today is my last day of looking for junk and give away stuff.  Next week I will begin sorting through the things left in there, storing what I decide to keep in an accessible manner.  My hope is to have a working craft room by the end of next week.

Trials

Early in the morning, on July 1st, a water line in my kitchen broke. It dumped gallons and gallons of water all over the kitchen, and down into the basement.  The laundry room was the worst, and I can't imagine how far the water may have gone if the toilet had been in place.  Finishing tiling is currently on hold.  The boys room got more than it's fair share of water in it.  My pantry was damp, so had to be cleared and aired out.  There are holes in several walls, where insulation had to be removed.  The kitchen flooring is missing.

Wednesday, the insurance adjuster will be here to look things over.  I am scared.  I have never dealt with insurance before and rebuilding is going to take some $. I just pray that all goes well and that they treat us fairly.  No matter what happens, I know that God has a plan in all of this and that His plans are for the best.  I feel like we are being tested... my own miniature Job type trials. 

This last week our dog, who never chewed on anything, except a mitten that was greasy, has chewed up several toys and containers.  Today the tent broke.  A pole bent.  I don't know that it is repairable.    I am not complaining.  I know that it could be much worse, but I am grieving.  This is hard to deal with.  I know that it is only stuff... and over it I cry not, but over what it will take to get everything back in order.  Over the loss of what we had already accomplished.