40 Chores in 40 Days (Day # 7)

Day number seven...the toy purge! Okay my friends, today I tackled the room of my younger two boys with the help of my sweet Mom. We weren't as successful as I would have liked to have been, but we did manage to fill two large trash bags for donation, 1 of trash, and 1 tub to take to Granny's house. My children have way too many little knick-knacky toys, but at the moment it's all my youngest plays with. He is a total superhero type of kid(which I totally love about him), while my middle son is a Toy Story Fanatic!!! Seriously, he hasn't grown out of this stage since he first laid eyes on the first movie when he was about 2 years old. He is now 6 and still going as strong as is his huge collection. I think he even has a few more on his Christmas list....OH JOY! So, I couldn't make any of that secretly disappear while he was at school. I think he takes inventory. Am I the only one out there that has a hard time getting rid of toys? Also in today's cleaning I decided that I need to purchase a couple more toy chests or buckets for their room. I also need to simplify the cleaning method so they are able to do it themselves in a way that is. at least, visibly pleasing to Mommy dearest! Because right now, I have everything sorted into different boxes, tubs and shelves and that will only happen in my dreams. So, I myself need to lower some expectations of how I want their room cleaned and figure out a plan that works for all of us, not just me. Because honestly Mommy can't do it all on her own and quite frankly, I shouldn't have to! =)

Questions for you My Readers?

1. How do you get your little ones to clean up after themselves?

2. How do you store toys?

4. Any ideas out there about a clothes hamper for a kids room?

3. How do you purge toys. (I was kinda thinking every new toy that comes in, one has to leave?)

Before...UGH

After...Much Better

The Toy Story Collection!

TV Corner Before

After...I know we still live in the early 90's with our VHS collection. What can I say we like vintage!

40 Chores in 40 Days (Day # 6)

Almost two hours and one major allergy attack later, the ex-playroom is finally clean! Now that chore made me work up a sweat. I discovered when looking over this room, pre-cleaning, that I am apparently the stuff hoarders are made of. Not that I wanted to keep anything, just the sad fact that I let it get to this point. We rarely use the downstairs part of our home. I pretty much only go down there to do laundry. So, I suppose out of sight, out of mind played a large role in the pure destruction of this room. That and I somehow manage to have monkeys instead of children. Having a playroom downstairs was a bad idea in the first place. They would never go downstairs and play. I think they believed something inhuman lived in the downstairs quarters that would eat small children who didn't obey their parents. Okay so I totally made that up! I have no idea why they never used the room that was full of way too many toys, but when they did use it they became tornadoes. Several months ago (okay maybe a year ago) I donated all the toys in the playroom so all that remained was pretty much trash and things that had no real home assigned to them. Removing and reassigning homes to lost things was the task at hand. Sounds fairly simple in theory. Some of you are probably laughing that I find organizing and de-cluttering to be such a difficult task, others of you are probably gasping in horror/shock that I am indeed a slob. It is even more shocking to those of you who know my Mother. She has one of the nicest, well kept houses I know. I did not get that gene from her. I only wish for it and truthfully, envy it. I think she somehow finds cleaning and decorating to be fun. Strange and unusual concept to me.

Anyway.... Here are a few things that I learned during this task.

1. Saving boxes from old electronic devices is never a good idea

2. Vacuuming with a shop vac takes a lot of time

3. I am not fond of small, dark spaces (I.E. the closet under the steps) Not afraid of it, just not fond!

4. However, I am terrified of spiders and I think they know it

5. It feels really refreshing to be accomplishing these chores and it really hasn't been too overwhelming

HUGE MESS! I can't believe I am posting this publicly

After

Before Closet

After Closet...No more boxes!

I am very grateful that this project is over and I am super excited about the plans I have for this room now. Here are a few photos that I am drawing inspiration from for our new home office/library! I know it's a while down the road, but just thinking about it makes me smile....I heart books, and a room where they surround me gives me a happy heart! Thank you pinterest!

I love everything about this space found on The Life of Polarn Per

BOOKS!!!!

Piano...I would imagine there will be some guitars as well!

More BOOKS...and love the curtain as well!

40 Chores in 40 Days (Day #5)

Today was an easy day. So easy, I almost feel guilty until I remember that tomorrow I tackle the old downstairs playroom that will some day be my library/family office. I envision lots of bookshelves, but that's another project for another day. Right now, the playroom is full of everything we don't use and really don't need. It's a job I am not looking forward to, never-the-less it must be done.

In the meantime, today's project was cleaning out my makeup bag, ditching all the unused stuff and storing the occasionally used items in a box on my vanity. I keep my makeup in a travel bag because we are on the go a lot, Also, we are a one bathroom household and quite frankly it just doesn't make sense to store it in the bathroom. However, I do have a plan for makeup storage in the future, but for today just a good cleaning out. I couldn't believe how thin the bag seemed when I folded it. Anyways... Yay, for another chore marked off the list! Only 35 more to go!

Before

All Boxed up...Mostly Nail Polish

What Made The Cut

After

40 Chores in 40 Days (Day # 4)

Day # 4

Today I tackled the TV cabinet/entertainment center. It was quite an undertaking to do by myself, mostly because I moved it out from the walls to do a good vacuuming and dust bunny removal. I was attacked by the massive amount of chords, which actually inspired to me to write up my husband a little list since I was scared I would unplug something in fear of never being able to figure out where exactly it came from. I figured organizing the chord system was a task better left up to him, so I just stuck with the cleaning, purging, and decluttering part of the job. It took me a good hour to accomplish the job, but it feels good to have cleared out so much storage space. Tomorrow's task is much simpler, but as for the rest of the week it's filled with some real doozies.

Before and After

What a MESS!!

Another Before

And After...Much Better

Day #4 Complete!