I have always enjoyed going through decor magazines wishing for my house to look anything like those beautiful pictures. I would look at a page, look at my room over the magazine, envisioning what it could look like: bright colors, clean, organized. Org-porn.
I grew up in a super tidy house. My mom kept it pretty clean. She delegated. Whenever she was going to have someone over she’d ask us all to help. I have 3 siblings so the cleaning got done fast. Someone was in charge of anything with glass: windows, porch doors, dining table. Someone else had to clean everything with wood, which was pretty much everything! Someone else had to clean the kitchen. No dishwasher. By hand! Rinse, soap, rinse. Dry with a dishtowel. Not fun, but we could choose what to watch while cleaning the kitchen! My mom would usually do the laundry or water all her plants (my parents house has always looked like a jungle, which I truly miss). And we all had to clean our own rooms.
But if we were the ones to have someone over we had to clean ourselves. So we always tried to take care of our mess.
I live in a house full of testosterone. I sometimes think I am the only one who really cares of having a tidy house. I always try to go to bed with a clean kitchen and if I did not clean it the night before I can not eat or do anything else without the kitchen being clean. And to all my chores lets add cleaning up 3 more messes on top of mine! I try to be tidy and organized myself so I can take care of those messes as well.
You can call our house an organized mess. The kitchen is the mail dumpster. If you are looking for a bill, it’s in my kitchen. The garage is full of cardboard boxes. But we need those for our move to Colorado. The laundry, another dumpster. Our bedroom, laundry hell. All the drawers in the kitchen full of stuff that should go somewhere else. I have tried to clean them a couple of times but not even 5 minutes later all that stuff made it back!
I have been reading “Pretty Neat”, by Alicia Rockmore & Sarah Welch, which I got the chance to review, and I have been learning so much! To do -lists are a good way to keep our minds straight. Delegating is a plus. Extra brownie points if you get some “Be You” time.
I am going to start writing a to-do list and assign chores to every single person in this house. Tyler used to only “take care” of the garbage, which he occasionally forgets (he takes the kitchen garbage out forgetting about all the other trash cans in the house and rarely puts a bag back on).
A. and J. are in charge now of their own mess. If they play with a toy they have to put it back. A clean room ensures coins for their piggy banks. Incentives work for us.
I have tried to do it all myself but I often get so overwhelmed that I refuse to get to it. I have now decided that Sundays will be cleaning day for me and boys day for the, well, boys. Sundays will be my BU day. I’m still looking forward to getting a full day just for me, a cup of coffee (or more) and The Sims 3.
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Pretty Neat was written by Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch, who also happen to be the brilliant minds behind Buttoned Up! – a line of great products designed to help the organizationally challenged, like me! Their book is not only full with tips on how to organize your home but it goes well beyond by explaining how to organize your life!
- GET IT -
Buy Pretty Neat on Amazon.
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One (1) lucky reader of From PDX with Love will win their own copy of “Pretty Neat”!
Rules
Open US only !
Contest ends March 20, 2011 @ midnight PST.
You must be 18 years or older.
Comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.
Please, only one email per person.
The mandatory entry must be done for any other entries to count.
MANDATORY ENTRY
Follow From PDX with Love publicly through GFC (bar @ the bottom of the page)
Confess! Tell me about an area in your house that has become out of control and how you cover it up!
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- Tweet: #win a copy of PRETTY NEAT and get your life more organized @frompdxwithlove http://bit.ly/gOt2D3 #giveaway #contest #home #books ENDS 03/20 +1 each (twice a day) leave link to your status
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Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be contacted via email. The winner will have 48hrs to respond or another winner will be chosen.
Disclosure: This was not a paid post. By participating in this campaign I am elegible to win a gift card plus a selection of Buttoned Up products (ARV: $50). The opinions stated are my own and were in no way influenced by the Hosting Company who graciously provided the product for me to review.
my whole house
follower. i have to tell you the bar was a little hard to see.
follower. i have to tell you the bar was a little hard to see.
sorry, delete my other comment. I have to say my closet is out of control!
GFC Follower – my closet is a mess, so I just close the door!
Twitter follower
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Email subscriber 2
Voted for your blog
GFC follower – and I don’t have any horribly messy areas in the house. I guess the desk is the biggest mess – and I have little decorative boxes I can throw stuff in to hide the junk!
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Under my bed – you can’t see it because the comforter is in the way lol!
I follow via GFC
susanmcneill6 (at) comcast (dot) net
I confess… My den/office/woman cave is always a mess. Filled with bills, papers, magazines, projects and more. When people are coming over, it all gets dumped in bins and stashed in the garage till they go home!
I’m a public GFC follower (Beth).
The place in my house that’s out of control is my computer room/office! Since I try to keep the rest of the house relatively clean, it’s where miscellaneous and misplaced clutter ends up. It’s better now than it was, since I’ve gotten down to simply getting rid of things rather than letting them pile up. I’ve also realized it’s not a crime to recycle a cardboard box rather than keeping it around with dozens of its kin “just in case” I need it for something!
I’m following you on Twitter (beth_swanson).
And voted for you on Picket Fence Blogs….
And entered your Vaultz giveaway! #1
Vaultz giveaway entry #2.
Follower – Nickolay
The area of my house that is out of control is the garage. I haven’t been able to park in it in over a year
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
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Parker Ozgood
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Parker OZgood
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Subscriber
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Tweeted
http://twitter.com/parkerozgood/status/48478046591791104
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
Voted
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
My office. I stick things in the cabinets. I follow your blog.dramaqueensmum@gmail.com
Tweeted. Sorry about my e mail above. http://twitter.com/dramaqueensmum/status/48827699531223040. dramaqueensmum@gmail.com
Voted on Picket Fence Blogs today!
Tweeted today: http://twitter.com/Giantsis/status/48846180523851776
I follow this blog via Google Friend Connect {Lesli}
My craft room is out of control. I have so much fun crafting I don’t want to clean it up!
I follow you on Twitter.
My Twitter ID is @alittleumbrella
I follow Buttoned Up on Twitter.
My Twitter ID is @alittleumbrella
I like you on Facebook.
{facebook.com/a.little.umbrella}
I like Buttoned Up on Facebook.
{facebook.com/a.little.umbrella}
I am a subscriber via RSS
I am a subscriber via email 1
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Tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/alittleumbrella/status/49299038465560577
I voted for you at “Picket Fence Blogs”
I entered the Necklace Necessities giveaway 1
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I follow on GFC and have a storage room out of control so I just keep the door shut!
I follow PDX on Twitter
I follow Buttoned Up on FB
I follow Buttoned up on Twitter
I like From PDX with Love on FB
I follow and My closets are aways shut for a reason…
I follow via GFC: allibrary.
My desk is messier than I want it to be and I cover it up by closing the door to our home office room.
#1
E-mail subscriber
#2
Email subscriber
Voted at Picket Fence
gfc follower
my walk in closet is a nightmare
willdebbie97 at yahoo dot com
I am a follower; the spare bedroom and we shut its door!
gfc follower and my room has gotten out of control. I cover it up by closing the door!
following you on twitter – @tidbitsfromamom
following you on facebook – Kimberly K
following ButtonedUp! on twitter – @tidbitsfromamom
subscribe through google reader
email subscriber under Kkrasowski2010 at gmail dot com #1
email subscriber under Kkrasowski2010 at gmail dot com #2
following you through google reader
voted for you on Picket Fence Blogs
entered the Yogi Bear giveaway #1
entered the Yogi Bear giveaway #2
I follow as /\Heather/\ and confess two areas irk me: garage and dining room
I follow From PDX with Love on Twitter – choochoo428
Tweeted – http://twitter.com/choochoo428/status/49693361212366848
voted on picket fence blogs!