Monday, May 28, 2007

Decluttering and other household issues

I am tempted to try a modified Flylady approach. I have been trying to declutter these last couple of days and it is dreary work. Her idea of just doing a bit a day really makes sense, except that you have to keep at it and it takes much longer to see any satisfying results.



Yesterday, due to the meal moth invasion I cleaned through one side of the pantry and threw out all my grains. I have been putting cereal in plastic bins so they were okay. But I filled a big trashbag that was too heavy for me to lift by myself! And that was just half the pantry! I still need to do the second half of it. I think this afternoon I'd like to go shopping for me (I desperately need a couple pairs of jeans sans holes in the knees! I look like a bag lady!) and for lots of plastic containers. I need them to keep the moths away.



I also went in to the laundry room in the evening when they seem to like to come out in full forced and killed about 30 of them with my fly swatter. Shudder, shudder, shudder. I never thought moths could creep me out so.



Today because the cleaners were coming (they are here now) I finished decluttering the corner of the master bedroom that I started on a few days ago and never got back to. I will admit some of the stuff got shoved in the closet. I cleaned that closet out over my spring cleaning binge and now it is already getting junked up again.



I also picked through lots of little things that were on the floor in our room and the halls, mostly old shoe boxes or bags of stuff that had never been put away. So I tidied that up a bit. Looks better now!



I also attacked the crib in Will and Becky's room. It was full of junk! I told Martha that Rachel could have the crib if she wanted. I attach an inordinate amount of sentimental value to that crib as all 5 children slept in it. But if Rachel needs a crib, she may have it. I was on a roll in their room, so I also picked through all the stuff that had gotten thrown into Becky's dollhouse and the play castle. And then I tidied the top of William's dresser.



I do need to do lots and lots of laundry. I noticed that everybody's hampers are full to brimming. I really want to establish certain times for tidying rooms and doing laundry. I keep trying to make it room tidying time in the morning just when we get up, but I am too preoccupied with other things to supervise and everybody just seems too bleary eyed and in need of waking up to do their chores. So the kids don't take me seriously about it because I never follow through on it.



I am thinking that maybe we should have tidy up time after morning studies and before anyone can escape outside or do their own thing.



We need to have set laundry days too. I did this once before and it worked for a while and then as with all things, we fell out of the habit.



William mowed the lawn. He found a baby box turtle. We all examined it and then I released out in our woods.



Josh and Sean need to weed like crazy but I am letting them rest up from yesterday. And it looks like it may storm now anyway.



Right now Rick is out getting lunch. I am going to put on a load of laundry.

1 comment:

Willa said...

I always love reading your journals, Faith -- I have trouble balancing out the housework stuff too. Either I'm obsessive and everything else lapses, or I get behind.