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Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Simple, Really.

My favorite magazine is Real Simple. I love it. The ideas are useful to me and the design is stunning. I always get great ideas from it every month. One of the questions for next month is "How do you make house cleaning easier?". Hmmm. Can it ever be easy? It's no secret that I'm not the best homemaker in the world. I prefer knitting and making messes to cleaning them up. Doesn't everybody? Anyway, I was thinking about my answer to that question. I invite people over. I guess it doesn't really make house cleaning any easier but it does give me motivation.

Book club is at my house tomorrow night. I haven't finished the book yet. I'm loving it, though. It's The Kite Runner. Being sick has really taken its toll on the whole family and the house. With neither parent feeling good, we haven't been accomplishing too much. The Christmas tree is still up (surrounded by the Christmas presents we haven't put away yet). There's about an inch of dust on everything (I can't really blame that on being sick for 4 days since it probably took a little longer than that for it to accumulate). The good news: I know exactly what I'm making for treats and it shouldn't take me too long at all.

Back to Real Simple. They have some cleaning to-do lists that look pretty good. They would look even better if I didn't have major cleaning to do before I could even get to their "every day" suggestions. I guess I'll give it a go. I'm keeping my expectations low, however. Two very mobile, and very messy kids follow me around wherever I go.

Happy cleaning!

9 comments:

  1. As I sit with stuff piled miles up around the computer, the "Real Simple" list looked very overwhelming to me (sorry!). Maybe I'm just too slow, but it takes me 15-20 minutes to mop my kitchen floor. And wiping out the sink is a great idea, if the sink were ever empty. We run 2 to 3 loads/day in the dishwasher and the sink is rarely empty. I wish you the best luck, I think I'm beyond hope :-). A little over a year ago when I was in the RS Presidency we had to make a chore list for a family in our ward that were looking at their house being condemned. The list that the RS President came up with made me weep. I never could keep up with her expectations and feel self-conscious everytime she comes over now!

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  2. lol i've got stuff piled on my desk too. though if you make a schedule for cleaning like monday wed friday mop every day sweep after dinner. do dishes after dinners and do it the same every week you get in a routine and it does go faster.
    also setting a timer to "race" against is supposed to help
    for me though putting on really loud upbeat music helps me. i rock out while i clean!

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  3. Christy, my house only gets clean when people are coming over (remember when you dropped by when you guys were out looking for houses? I was like, AAHHHH!! Now you REALLY know me!) Anyway, last year I made the girls help me really clean because we were going to be babysitting some kids (one was a toddler and we were so NOT ready to have a toddler around), and they ended up not coming because one of the kids was sick. Madison looked at me and said so mad "you mean we cleaned for NOTHING???" LOL! Wendy (I'm only on pg. 95 of the book, I gotta get a move on!)

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  4. I didn't even notice your house, Wendy! I was just embarrassed that I had to use your toilet. And then...your cat watched me. That was funny. :)

    I'm not much more ahead of you in the book. I wonder if anyone else read it.

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  5. that's so funny. Smokey does kind of run the bathroom (maybe I should teach her to hand out towels?) She's always up on the sink thinking she needs a drink. . .

    I know Shannon and Janelle are both done, they said it's the best one we've read so far. . .

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  6. Ok, I loved the "we cleaned for nothing?" remark. Frankly, that is how I feel too.

    I had my inlaws over for dinner on Sunday (12 people in all). We spent the whole day cleaning.... picking up toys and making sure the sink was clear of all dishes (mine never really is..) etc. After it was all done, and before the company came, Derek and I remarked on how nice it was to sit in a house that was clean and peaceful. I said that we should do it more often...then after a few seconds we decided that it was too much work and we would just end up being mad at each other all the time.

    I also think it would make me more frustrated with my kids. I used to pick up at nap time and again at dinner time. The problem was that I was so frustrated when they would get things out after naptime and make a mess. I knew I had to clean again. Now, I just pick up after bedtime...and even then sometimes I think "they are just going to make a mess tomorrow....."

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  7. I can't wait to hear about the house hunt as it unfolds. AND, I need to go get that book.

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  8. I've pretty much given up on the house. I dusted and picked up some clutter. But, every room besides the living room and bathroom is going to still be a disaster. Oh well. I like it like that! Besides, we'll be moving soon enough.

    The Kite Runner was awesome. I recommend it, Bek! I decided to finish that this morning instead of do laundry or some other "important" task.

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  9. You all make me laugh! The cat watching you... he he *grin* My house isn't any better, I also try to clean when people are comming over, especially my mom, otherwise she does the dishes or something. It makes me feel like a bad housekeeper. She just says she likes to help out, whatever. Every night before getting ready for bed we sing the "clean up" song... I don't want to be the only one picking up toys, but usually I am. Plus it's so cute to hear a two year old sing!

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