Pre Spring Cleaning Declutter

It looks like a bomb has gone off in my home after the weekend.  It is that time of year to start my pre-spring cleaning.  Time to go through each room and get rid of items I know longer want or need.  Time to get everything in tip-top shape and ready for a good spring scrubbing. 

I started in the back room.  The 'someone is coming over, hurry throw everything in there and shut the door' room.  It also serves as a guest room and my office.  Up until just recently, I had two babies in my daycare which also put two playpens along with various other baby items in this small room.  Have you ever seen the show Hoarders?  Yep, that would be this room.

I started the declutter process by first removing all baby items.  These are now in the living room needing to be put in totes and taken to storage.  Let's see, two playpens, a potty chair, a bumbo, two high chairs, baby toys and a walker.  I next put all Boy Scout and pre-school items in two piles on the bed.  I know, I know, I am just going to have to put them away at a later date, this at least helped me to get a bit more organized though in my decluttering and organizing.  Anything else left sitting around was either put in its proper place, thrown out or put in the pile to give away/yard sale.    Once the floor was cleaned (REALLY cleaned), I set up a play area for the children.  They have all they need to play house and they are so enjoying it this morning.

Once this room is complete, I will declutter each room, one at a time.  My goal is to have this entire process complete by Easter.  Once Holy Week and Easter are over, the Spring Cleaning will begin! If all goes according to plan, my house will be a lovey clean, decluttered, organized home just in time for nice weather and yard work to begin. 

Legacy of Home

From time to time I think we all find ourselves needing a bit of inspiration to keep going in certain areas of our lives. We may actively seek a source of inspiration or if we are lucky, one will fall right into our laps. I have had the wonderful luck of just such a source of inspiration coming into my life.

As you know, I am a wanna-be domestic goddess. I want to be Suzie Homemaker, Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart all rolled into one person. Sadly, I am a closet hoarder, mediocre cook and have to force myself to be organized.

*Sigh*

I just happened to follow a link from somewhere to a blog that has richly become my daily source of inspiration. Mrs. White, the woman who blogs, takes being a stay at home mom/wife very seriously. Her satisfaction comes from taking care of her home and family. Her writing is just lovely and I often feel as if she is talking just to me. I used to turn my computer on and go directly to Facebook, now the first thing I click on is her blog. I'm inspired to be a better wife and homemaker.

If you are looking for a source of inspiration, click on over to Legacy of Home and let Mrs. White work her magic on you too!

April Declutter

I had mentioned earlier about a declutter calendar I have been following. I just can't hardly believe how much I've gotten done just by following it daily.

In case you are interested in starting along, you can click here for April's calendar. Honestly, doing one chore each day will soon have your home almost decluttering itself!

On another note, I must once again hang my head in shame as I admit to homemaker failure. Papa Bear was gone for two weeks and in his absence, my kitchen was spotless! Dishes done after every meal...AND put away. Table kept cleaned off. Floors mopped every day.

And then Papa came home...and the day he came home my counter and table looked like they belonged in a hoarder house! What's up with that? I so wish I was one of those women who keep a spotless home at all times. I would love to not cringe when someone stops by for a visit un-announced. I'd also love to be rich and never have to work again, but I don't see that happening either.

Fridge Addiction

I think I may have an addiction to cleaning out my fridge. I have it scheduled for Monday morning, and it seems I'm just itching to get in there and do it. Even throughout the week I *have* to keep it organized. Each shelf is designated to certain items. Heaven help the poor soul who puts a condiment on the left over shelf!

What I'm wondering is how I can get this clean/organized fridge addiction to spill over into the rest of my house?

Start of Spring Cleaning!

It's time! It's time!

With Spring right around the corner, I find myself in the Spring Cleaning mood. I have been doing a bit here and a bit there and this morning I am pleased to announce my kitchen has been purged, decluttered, organized and spring cleaned!

So, two rooms down (bathroom was the first I did), five areas left. I think the next will be the laundryroom. Once it is done, Papa Bear is going to build two more sets of cabinets for me. After that, the whole room is getting a fresh coat of paint and some new curtains.

I love this time of the year when it is barely warm enough to crack a window just a bit to let in some fresh air, yet not warm enough to really get out and do anything. Once it's warm enough to be out, I find I have to literally force myself to get anything done inside.

OdoBan

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I am completely in love with this multi-purpose cleaner. With all its uses, it is very cost effective (frugal). Take a look at the list:

•Odor eliminator
•Air freshener
•Multi-purpose cleaner
•Laundry refresher
•Kills 99.99% of germs
•Original eucalyptus scent
•128 oz. jug of concentrate make up to 32 gallons
•24 oz. ready-to-use spray bottle
•Fabric refresher

I use it with my laundry, to clean my bathroom, kitchen, laundry room. I spray it on my laminate floors and wipe. The couch and chair along with the children's table and chairs are cleaned with it. When I had carpet, I would use it on those troublesome dog accident areas. The possibilities are endless...all for about $14 a jug!

I have a friend pick it up for me at Sam's Club, however, you can get it online...but you have to pay more for shipping then what you pay for the jug.

Menu and Alice

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If you have been reading Bear Necessities for awhile, you know my struggles with making a weekly menu and staying on a cleaning schedule. Oh, I have the desire to keep up on these things, sadly, I don't have the follow through. {hangs head in shame} I am a weak weak person.

*sigh*

I am happy to share my menu for this week! Yippee Skippee!

Monday
Wild hog and scalloped potatoes
green beans
applesauce

Tuesday
Goose
mashed taters and gravy
carrots

Wednesday
wait for it......

wait for it......

Venison heart! MmMmMmMmMmMmmmmmm
steamed cabbage
peaches

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Leftovers

I also picked Alice (my homemakers binder) up off the shelf, dusted her off and spent some quality time with her this weekend. It was a lovely time re-kindling an old friendship. I apologized for my absence and she forgave me. This morning she and I will once again be spending time together. Alice has already warned me there will be tough consequences if she is left on the shelf again (she looked pretty mean too, I don't think I'm going to test it).

Would love to spend a bit more time blogging with you, Alice is giving me 'the eye' and clearing her throat, I do believe it would be in my best interest to get going.

Frugal Laundry

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To dry or not to dry, that is the question. Wait, what about hot or cold, name brand or generic, or even does it need to be washed? Gosh, it seems there are several questions when it comes to saving money in the laundry room. Hopefully I'll be able to answer of few of these for you today.

Dryer sheets
I have used the name brand, the off brand and the generic brands. I use them for static control, not to smell spring fresh. I have been equally happy with the cheap stuff as I am with the more expensive. When using a dryer sheet, tear it in half, as half a sheet does the job and gives you twice as much for the money. Used dryer sheets can then be re-purposed for dusting and then thrown in the bucket for fire starters.

Laundry detergent
Less is more! Use less, get more for your money. The detergent companies tell you to use the 'fill line' on each load, but that isn't necessary. Heavy dirty loads will require more detergent then your gently worn clothing. I also use two different detergents. For my jeans, dirty work clothes, towels and cleaning rags I use Xtra. For whites and better clothes I use Tide. Of course, the Tide is only purchased when I can get it on sale and use a coupon. The Xtra is also purchased in bulk when it goes on sale.

Temperature
Obviously, using hot water costs more than cold water. It also can cut the life of your garments. I wash dirty work clothes, whites, towels and cleaning rags in hot, everything else is done up in cold. Check the care tag in your clothing to see what the manufacturer recommends.

To hang or not
I absolutely love to use my clothesline! If weather permits, my clothesline is full on laundry days. Not running the dryer is definitely a good way to save money. I also have several wooden drying racks I am able to use in the house when I am unable to hang outside. Not drying also helps extend the life of your garment. Maybe I should clarify here that I do use my dryer even when I'm not using it. Clear as mud? I put the items in the dryer for about 4 minutes to take the wrinkles out before I hang them. Make sure to give them a good shake before hanging. Items that will be going on a hanger anyway are dried that way. If you want a bit more softness to your clothes/towels, simply pop them in the dryer for a couple of minutes after they are dried to fluff them up. For the items you do need to dry, remove them promptly when they are finished to reduce ironing (saving you both time and money).

Multi-use towels
Do you dry off with your bath towel and discard it? Tsk tsk tsk if you do. Around here, I do laundry twice a week, bath towels get refreshed twice a week. Papa Bear and I have nice hooks in the bathroom to hang our towels to dry after we shower. I mean really, I get out of the shower nice and clean. Now, our washcloths are definitely a one time use thing....{shudder} that's just gross to me to think of using it again.

Wash it?
Do you even need to wash that garment? The slacks I put on to wear for two hours on Sunday are definitely not dirty. They get hung right back up. The sweater I wear with another shirt under it when I don't do anything to get dirty or sweat is not dirty, it gets put back away to wear again. The jeans I didn't even leave my house in all day are not dirty. They get folded and put back on the shelf. You are able to save gobs of money by not even running the washer and dryer.

Garment care
Always read the care instructions for your clothing. Taking care of your items insures they will have a longer life, meaning you will spend less money needing to replace them.

By implementing even a few of these tips, you will be able to save some of your hard earned money. Now, scoot scoot scoot off to your laundry room and enjoy your savings!

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De-clutter Calandar

A wonderful website was brought to may attention and it is way too good not to share with all you.

http://www.mysimplerlife.com/2012.htm

Each day has one simple chore. It may be to get rid of expired medications, or clean under the bed, or declutter your candles. Yesterday had a chore I found to be great fun: Dance in your living room!

I shared this site with my dear friend Alicia as we are both on the organizational wagon right now. She asked me yesterday how I was doing with it...I laughed and told her I wasn't doing it, I only sent it to her! This resulted in me getting the evil stink eye and a copy of the calendar handed to me with instructions that I would be doing it.

Today's chore is to get rid of hair doo dads you never wear. This should be easy since I went from middle of the back hair to a short bob, leaving me with all sorts of hair doo dads I no longer have the hair for.

Give this site a look and see what you think.

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The Three Aways

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Put away, throw away, give away.

Any successful purging of 'things' begins with the three aways. It's best to set up boxes, bags, totes, baskets...etc that you can put items into easily. When purging an area, set your holders close by so as you pick up an item, it can either be put directly away or put into one of your holders. Once your area is purged, it is then time to deal with your holders.

Obviously the throw away is the easiest, so go ahead and get it out of the way.

The give away then needs to be determined if it is to be given away to a specific person or is it being donated to a thrift store, church, needed organization. Organize into where it is going, and then make arrangements to get it there. Set a limit on how long your stuff will sit before it is delivered. It doesn't do much good to purge an area only to have piles of 'things' sitting around.

The put away is where you need to be very careful. It's easy to put this stuff somewhere just to be done with it, only to have to purge the same items more than once. Take the extra time and put things in their proper places.

Once all your aways have been taken care of, stand back and admire your work. Even if the whole rest of the house seems to be falling down around your ears, take pride in what you have accomplished!

Remember, your areas needing purging didn't get the way they are overnight. Don't put the unrealistic expectation on yourself of getting it all done at once. Take your time, enjoy the purge. That's right, take satisfaction in the job you are doing, know when it is done, you will be a less cluttered self.

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Shoes in the shower

My daycare children think I'm so silly. They just can't figure out why I was standing in the shower, completely dressed and with my shoes on!

How was I going to get my feet clean?
Am I going to wash my clothes too?
Is Papa Bear going to be mad at me for having my shoes in the tub?

Actually, I was trying to get the water deposits off the shower walls. I have beautiful huge tiles that show every little spot. I've tried commercial cleaners. I've tried the Magic Eraser. We use a squeegy after every shower. Still have spots. This morning, I remembered about the millions of uses for white vinegar. Out comes the vinegar and sponge, I stepped into the shower (completely dressed and with my shoes on!), and the cleaning commenced.

I am proud to say it worked like a charm! I just poured some vinegar onto the sponge, put a bit of elbow grease into it, dried the tile and it looks absolutely beautiful again. The real test will be after showering (for real, you know...not with clothes and shoes on) and using the squeegy. Hope it holds up and I don't have to do it all the time.

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Challenge Yourself

A member on Prairie Homemaker, a Christian homemaking site I've been part of for years, posted a challenge to us all. Her challenge was to change/do one thing each week. This sounds like an easy enough thing to do, I mean really, how hard can it be to do something for one week, right?

I failed miserably the first week. I challenged myself to keep the kitchen table cleared off. Seriously, how in the world did I flunk this?? I started out so well getting it cleaned off, put a new tablecloth and Christmas decoration on it. That was the extent of it though, it has remained a catch-all. Despite my Epic fail, I am not giving up! My goal today is to get that blasted table cleaned off again. By cleaned off I mean putting each item where it goes, not just moved it to another spot so I can claim victory over the cluttered table.

My challenge this week is to have the dishes and counter clean before going to bed. This one is going well so far. I do love getting up in the morning to a nice clean kitchen...well, minus the cluttered table that is. Now, if only there was a way to wake up to breakfast already cooked, I would be a happy little girl!

Garage cleaning blues

The crispness in the air, the leaves off the trees, the frost on the window reminds me of....

the huge mess in the garage needing to be cleaned.

We have a very small one car garage. In fact, it's so small, when I pull in, I have to pull in close to the wall on the passenger side which still only leaves me able to open the drivers side door part way. I have to get in and out sideways.

Having such a small garage means all the 'stuff' I store in there throughout the year has to find another home for the winter. And there is alot of 'stuff'. Each year when it comes time to clean the garage, I vow to not let it get so bad again....I can't even remember how many times I've made that vow, but I haven't lived up to it yet.

Now, the frost is here, and I need to attack it again. I'll spend a couple of days going through all the 'stuff', getting rid of much of it so I don't have to try and find somewhere else to stash it. I'll run across items and say to myself, "Oh yeah, I forgot all about this".

As much as I dread this annual task, I dread even more having to scrape my car windows, or worse yet, having the car doors froze shut. Being a volunteer for our local ambulance, it's important for me to be able to respond to a call immediately.

Alright, after this winter, I vow to not let my garage get so bad....yeah right, who am I kidding?

Bunny herd

Every so often I get the urge to move around my furniture. Being in a small house, there isn't a whole lot of room for moving, but sometimes just changing a few things scratches the rearranging itch for me. Yesterday I decided the couch was going to go on an angle instead of flat against the wall, no big deal, right?

WRONG!!

Upon moving said couch, I was greeted by an angry herd of dust bunnies! Let me tell you, they were none too happy about being rounded up either, they fought me every inch of the way. I think they were even trying to bite my ankles.

Have you ever tried to round up a herd of dust bunnies? It's no easy task. They skitter around this way and that. Oh sure, they look all innocent and quiet, I assure you, they are most definitely not. Just when you think you have them right where you want them, they take off in all different directions.

I am proud to say, I finally won the battle with these little critters. They are safe and sound in their new home (Sshhhhh...they don't know it's a garbage can, I told them in was a high rise apartment). The couch is at an angle and my need to rearrange has been taken care of (for today).

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Bedroom checklist

A woman on Prairie Homemaker (a wonderful frugal Christian site) was asking about cleaning/organizing her bedroom. This led me to find something that I could also use as the bedroom is a constant trial in my domestic life. This week, I will be working on following this list.

bedroom checklist

{declutter}
clothes
 if you don't like something in your closet, you probably won't ever like it, so pass it on
 turn all of your hangars around backward and then when you wear something, hang it up the right way
 make a list of any essentials you need for the holiday
 pack away your seasonal wardrobe so that you have more space in your dresser and closet

flat surfaces
 scale back the number of knick knacks and mementos you keep
 clean off flat surfaces and find homes for the things you tend to just set down.
 sort through books & magazines and give away any that you won't read again

storage
 sort through the piles in your room and find homes for the items
 empty the closet shelves and sort through any long-term storage
 in the guest room, organize and sort through your storage to create an inviting space

{clean}
 wash mattress covers & replace any old or worn out pillows.
 wash sheets and hang comforters outside to air out.
 dust ceiling fans & reverse fan direction
 dust high shelves, window & door frames
 dust dressers/tvs
 dust shelves/knickknacks
 clean blinds and shades
 clean windows/mirrors/screens
 spot clean upholstery & carpet
 clean under/behind the couch
 wipe baseboards
 vacuum and/or mop

{maintain}
 don't let flat surfaces accumulate stuff, find a home for the stuff
 don't use your master bedroom as a catch all
 dust & clean glass/mirrors weekly
 pass on any clothes that you haven't worn after 6-8 weeks unless they're special occasion items

Cleaning Bug

This so applies to me!

Well dear friend, there is a bug in my house and I fully intend to take advantage of her visit....I'm talking about the ever elusive cleaning bug! She doesn't make a stop at my house all that often, however, I am embracing her visit with open arms. We sat down together this morning with pen and notebook and pretty much filled the front and back of a sheet of paper with the items we would like to accomplish while she is here.

Tomorrow, my day is completely empty ( I know, what's up with that??!) except for lunch with a dear friend. My bug friend and I are going to get an early start on our list and work straight through the day on it. Our goal is to have at least half of it done by the time we turn in for the night.

Due to previous plans, we may not get gobs of time on Sunday, but we're going to give it our best shot on getting the entire list done this weekend!

Hmmm...if my bug friend and I achieve this goal, I must reward us in some way. I'll have to put my thinking cap on about that. Maybe I'll let Papa Bear treat me to dinner out .

Well, off I go, I'll report back to you all on Monday how it went 'cause I'm sure you'll all be sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear.

My kitchen is clean!

A good Proverbs 31 woman takes care of her family and home. I want to be a good Proverbs 31 woman! Sadly though, I am a mediocre wanna-be Proverbs 31 woman. *sigh*

I am often overwhelmed at all I need to accomplish around here. Of course, all that needs to be done is of my own making. I come home and drop items only to do a 'hurry and make the house presentable' sweep of the house, moving all the dropped items around. Yep, welcome to my world.

Today though I am having myself a little The Kitchen is Clean party in my mind. There are balloons, cake and punch. The best part of this party in my mind is no mess to clean up! My clean kitchen gets to stay clean!

I got up this morning and decided it was time to tackle this area of my home. Notes I had written to myself months ago were removed from the front of the fridge. Mason jars were taken off the counter and put away. I found the table!!! I even came across something I had lost a long time ago...the top of the fridge!

Papa Bear came home and said he must be in the wrong house. I told him I kind of liked having the kitchen clean and maybe we should try and keep it that way...this, of course, got me an eye-roll.

If you will excuse me, I'm going to go sit in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and enjoy the view.

Thinking-Changing story

Hillbilly Housewife is a site I have enjoyed for many years. I was just over there doing some looking around when I ran across a story that has made a huge impact on me. I won't go so far as to say it is life changing, but I will most definately go so far as to say it is thinking changing for me.

I do hope you will grab a cup of your favorite reading beverage and take the time to read this story. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/queens.pdf

Tidy Tuesday

Cleaning the washing machine

The following is an article I found and thought it would fit in nicely with the Tidy Tuesday theme.

First, run a cycle of hot water along with two cups of vinegar or lemon juice to loosen up soap and grime. Remove the fabric softener receptacle and soak it in hot water and detergent. Clean the bleach dispenser with a spray cleaner and paper towels and Q-tips. Don't forget to clean the top rim of the wash bucket as it is up and under where it can't usually be seen easily and becomes dirty. Run the washer empty on a hot cycle one more time.

While this is going on you check all your hoses for leaks. Over time, the water hoses that came with your washing machine may leak or burst. It's a good preventive maintenance practice to check these hoses from time to time for any sign of wear or weakness. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every 5 years. Make sure your hoses are not a disaster waiting to occur!

Once you've soaked the fabric softener receptacle, replace it and polish up the outside of your washing machine with vinegar and a cloth towel. Your washing machine now looks better and will run better as well!

Tidy Tuesday

This weeks Tidy Tuesday is the bed. Not the whole bedroom, just the bed area. It's fall and time to make some changes.

Completely strip bedding and wash ALL of it. This would be a good time to get out your winter bedding ready to go.

Pull bed out and sweep under...yep, time to say goodbye to all those dust bunnie herds that have been living under there. What else is under there? A lost sock, some change, the cat you thought ran off 2 months ago? If you're like me, you use this area for storage. I have under-bed totes that I keep my out of season shoes in. Time to go through those and get rid of any that I don't think I will be wearing.

If your bed goes against a wall, this is a great opportunity to wash down that wall.

Do you have a headboard with shelves...declutter and clean.

Do you have a standing headboard...dust and polish if needed.

Bring in some muscle with you and flip your mattress. Remember to flip both front to back and head to foot.

Once the bed is moved back into place, now you can make it with your winter bedding.

This is one of those jobs that really shouldn't be worked on over the week...you kind of need your bed each night. Plan this tidy for a time when you have a few hours to devote to it.

Now, once your bed area is completed, stand back and admire your work. Happy sleeping!