Spring Cleaning (With Child Labor)

So, it's no secret that I'm pretty exhausted most of the time.  Between my two VERY active boys with an ever growing social calendar, my husband who also needs attention, my full time job as an elementary teacher, blogging, grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, and my need to have "me" time, I am pretty booked up.  

I have always been one of those people who subscribed to the belief of "if you want something done right, do it yourself," therefore I was always doing things on my own for fear of things not getting done right.  And by "right" I mean "my way."  

In the past few years I have learned to let go of this crazy notion.  I was tired of being tired.  I was tired of being the only one doing things.  So I started "letting" other people help me....especially around the house.  

My husband is really good about helping when he's home.  He will do the laundry; things may not get put away in the right place, but at least he does the cleaning.  He will also help with the grocery shopping.  He may not buy the brands that I want, but at least he goes there.  

Now I'm starting to let go of some of the cleaning chores.  I'm giving them to my kids.  They are 6 & 8 years old, I think it's time to start earning their keep around here!

Here are some ways I enlisted their help for our "spring cleaning" this year:

• Emptying the dryer
• Folding the laundry-This took a little time from me.  The socks were easy.  Folding shirts was more of an art.
• Putting away laundry-I like to lay out all of the clean and folded clothes on my bed and make piles for each family member.  Then everyone puts away their own piles.
• Putting away clean dishes-I have plastic tableware for the kids and it is kept at an easily accessible level for them.  
• Vacuuming-I made this one sound fun to "Little Ricky." (hee, hee!)
• Cleaning the shower-"The Nag" always wants to wear yellow gloves and spray a bottle.  I mixed vinegar and water in an empty spray bottle.  Then I sprinkled baking soda in each shower for him and set him to work with a scrubber.  
• Making beds-It never comes out perfect, but at least it's straight.
• Picking up toys

Again, the "cleaning" may not be how I want it, but at least it's taking some of the load off of my shoulders.  And it's teaching my kids the value of responsibility.  (and I didn't even have to pay them for it!)
  
How do you get your kids to help out around the house? 


Alexis

Operation Organization ~ The Playroom

The playroom is my nemesis!!  It is a never ending battle.  It's ALWAYS MESSY!!

I try and teach the kids to clean it up, telling them that they should clean things up after they play.  But somehow that place is always a mess!!

The toys used to be in our living room where we would spend most of our time, but when the boys became school aged, I moved it upstairs.   Out of sight, out of mind, right?  NOPE!  Somehow the mess trickles into the hallway...and even into my bed!!

So, I headed to our local IKEA store to outfit the playroom with neat bins and buckets to keep the mess at least contained. 

It's clean!! (For now!!)

Do we really need all these weapons? Boys....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still hunting for something to keep the swords and guns in.  Maybe an umbrella holder...

Check out our neat study area for when school starts.

The big playsets...what to do....

Love these cardboard boxes for projects in the works!

I would love to have one of those "catalog" playrooms where everything is neatly stored away with labels, but I have to realize, those playrooms are never PLAYED in... 

What are some more ideas for playroom organization?

Alexis

Find Your Perfect Scent & Win A Year Supply of Gain!

Laundry, we all have it.  I feel like I'm ALWAYS doing laundry.  It's my nemesis.  IT NEVER ENDS!!    But alas, I don't like to walk around with dirty clothes...not to mention I like to smell good.

Gain, the well-known laundry detergent, has launched an anything but ordinary, interactive YouTube experience that helps consumers celebrate what makes them unique and find their perfect scent match.

From the clothes we wear to our signature scent, we’re all unique. Did you know that 96% of U.S. Americans said that smelling good is an important part of feeling confident and 86% of U.S. Hispanic consumers feel it is important for their personal scent to match their personality.

To help consumers find their perfect scent match, Gain has launched an interactive YouTube video questionnaire in Spanish with Gain matchmaker, “Dr. Aroma” and in English with actress and comedian Wanda Sykes.  Gain created a one-of-a-kind, digital experience to help the consumer find their own unique scent match based on their personalities. “Dr. Aroma” & Wanda Sykes take people through a series of questions in order to help pinpoint their perfect scent match from Gain’s anything but ordinary line up of scents.  (You can toggle between the English and Spanish language version via a language selector button featured on the Gain YouTube Page.)  With scents like Hawaiian Aloha, Butterfly Kiss and Sunflower & Sunshine, people will be sure to find the one that is perfect for them.

Wanda Sykes matched me with Sweet Sizzle...I think those two words describe me well!  I'm sure the smell does too. 

Are you ready for the best part?

YOU can win a YEAR SUPPLY OF GAIN!  (That's 320 loads of laundry!)  Here's what you have to do:

Find your perfect scent match at www.youtube.com/Gain.   

Once "Dr. Aroma" or Wanda Sykes have told you your perfect scent match, come back here and answer the question that matches it.  The winner will win a YEAR SUPPLY OF GAIN! Swoon!!!

But hurry...contest ends July 19th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also share your new scent with friends on Twitter and Facebook so they can join in on the fun!

And don't forget to save the date!

@Gain will also be hosting a Twitter Party on July 17^th from 9-10PM EST with.  There will be 5 amazing prizes and not to mention a grand prize of a Year Supply of Gain! Save the date.  Hashtag: #GainTuAroma

Gain detergent is currently available at drug, grocery and mass stores. With detergents and fabric softeners, dryer sheets, dish washing liquids, scent boosters, dryer bars and more, Gain will fill every room in your home with anything but ordinary scents. To learn more about Gain, visit ilovegain.com. 


What's your perfect scent?  I can't wait to read about your scents and your answer to the quirky questions that match!

**Disclosure:  Although I was compensated to advertise this giveaway, all opinions are my own.

Alexis

Operation Organization ~ My Hall Closet/Pantry

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a "closet" disaster!!!  There are parts of my house that stay hidden from the outside world.  And for good reason; they are a MESS!  These are the places, that as time goes by, become the "catch all" places where we put things. 

That's why I have initiated Operation Organization in my house this summer!!

I know....I'm ashamed!

My hall closet is one such place.  There isn't enough closet space in my house.  Each room has one and we have the hall closet.  That's it.  It's very frustrating.  That's why the hall closet is our "hiding place" for things without a home.


I use this space for my extra pantry items (ex. "buy one get one" items, or pantry items we get at BJs, etc.), family games, my plastic plates for outdoor dining, candles, party supplies, and the kids' crafts.  Then as days go by, things just get placed there and they never leave.   

I started at the top and worked my way down.  I made piles of the items:

• Things to keep
• Things to donate
• Things to sell 
• Things to toss

I felt like I was in my own episode of a "redecorating" show.  

I made bins and clearly labeled them with the items inside.  For example, "Homework Bin," "Crafts," and "Cards & Card Games."  This will make finding those things easier. 

I thought of buying hooks to hang the backpacks and lunchboxes.  I was too lazy and cheap to go to the store, so instead I just hammered in a couple of long nails into the wall and hung up the bags on the inside of the closet.

Now check out our new and improved hall closet!! 
Let's just hope it stays this way!!

Next up on Operation Organization: the garage!

What are your organizing ideas? Do you ever let your life get this "messy?"  How do you stop the madness before it starts?



Alexis

Losing Control

My husband found a cleaning lady on Craig's List.  Craig's List.  

Not sure why it bothers me so much.  Maybe it has something to do with the Craig's List murderer.  Or maybe I'm just nervous leaving a complete stranger in my house with the few valuables and electronics that we have.  

Why did he take it upon himself to hire a cleaning lady?  Am I an awful housekeeper?  Should I be a better wife?

Not to mention that I feel self conscious about my house and our mess.  Does she judge me?  Has she seen worse?  I will admit, when we take things out, we don't necessarily put them away.  With that, we have a lot of clutter.  It really does make me uneasy, but I'm just too exhausted to follow everyone in the house around and put it all away. 

I know I am being spoiled and having a cleaning lady is a treat, but I can't help feeling like I'm losing control of my little world.

Does anyone else feel like this when someone else cleans or does anything for you?

Alexis

Staying Sane with Housework

I am a LOVER of lists!  I have lists for everything.  I get great satisfaction in crossing off items on my lists.  Then I have a mental problem...I re-write the list so it's neat again.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not obsessive when it comes to the neatness of my house (after all, I have 2 boys and a husband), but for certain things I feel I possess traits for OCD.


With a husband that travels for months at a time, a full time teaching job, and two young boys with MANY activities, cleaning my house is not my highest priority.  I would love to hire someone to do it, and I have in the past, but I find they don't do it my way...and that bothers me.  So in order to stay sane with my crazy weekday life and not have to devote one of my weekend days to just cleaning, I have created a list to keep me on track.


I have devoted certain chores to each day of the week in order to keep my house clean (completely different from orderly!). 


Click on this to see my chart:MY WEEKLY CHORES


Oh, by the way, I'm a little obsessed with cute fonts and color....maybe I am a little OCD!


I start my chores for the day when the kids are already in bed so they don't go behind me and make things dirty again.  When I'm done, I get my reward....dessert and a guilty pleasure TV show like Gossip Girl or Vampire Diaries (yes, I'm a teenager trapped in an adult body!).


Here are some other ideas from moms that I really like:

• Organizing Your Way: a [life...your way] blog shared ways to make your cleaning routine your own.
• Megan Francis of The Happiest Mom shares her ways that she keeps the house clean daily.

What are some of your cleaning routines?


Alexis