Just a Few Favorite Spots of Home...

Well, as much as I've been wanting to move for years now, I find myself feeling rather nostalgic about this dwelling we've called home for the last decade. It's the first home my husband ever owned. It's where I came to live after marrying him. We welcomed our children into this home after they were born. This carpet has cushioned the first tentative steps of our babies, and then the pounding and stomping of those babies-turned-toddlers. This house has seen gatherings formal and not, of family and friends, for holidays, birthdays, and game nights. We've dreamed here, cried here, laughed (a lot!) here. This home has sheltered us and been good to us. We will miss it and remember it always. But, it's time to move forward and set roots down in an entirely new place. Exciting, yes. But daunting too. Change is always hard for me, even when that change is necessary and for the better. I snapped just a few shots while packing things up this week:

I painted those plates and hung them up there to help fill that blank wall space. But, looking at the photo, the plates just seem to attract attention to that awful "popcorn" ceiling! Definitely won't be missing that.

I love the fabric hoops because it's so easy to change them out according to season or just because I've got some new fabric I want to look at more often!

This piece (fabric covered canvas) is called "In Full Bloom." It represents our family, the four of us, growing together. I made it just after our youngest was born.

The rose in that glass dome is from the first bouquet my husband ever sent me (12 years ago). The sweetest part about it is that he secretly swiped that rose from my bouquet after visiting me at my apartment. I didn't even notice that he did it. The next day he went to the hobby store and bought all the necessary items to preserve it and present it so beautifully! I've had it prominently displayed ever since.

I'm going to miss my daughter's bed being just a hop, skip, and jump away from our bed. She's been within arm's reach of me every night since she was born. I'm going to miss being able to just lift my head to check on her. And listen to her breathing. And...well, I'm going to miss us all sleeping in the same room. It always felt so comforting, a little like Little House, being in close quarters like that.

I'm going to miss the great tree out back that has been home for so many birds and squirrels (and once, an owl!).

The squirrels have provided much entertainment to my little ones looking out the glass door every morning: burying treats under the leaves and carefully covering them up!

Doing acrobatics while eating from the corn cob feeder:

And trying to outwit the squirrel-proof bird feeders:

This great tree of ours is like a sensory, 3-D calendar of the seasonal changes: from rustling golden autumn, to bare stick-like figures of winter, to the fragrant white blooms of spring, and then the lush, green canopy of summer.

I will be away from this space for a while, as tomorrow is Moving Day. Internet availability is sketchy at best where we are headed. It will take a bit of time to work out the kinks and settle back into blogging. Of course, there's all that moving in and settling in to do, as well! That probably should take precedence :) But please continue to check back now and then, as I plan on returning to posting here as soon as I am able. Until then, wishing you happy days and peaceful nights!

A New Place to Call Home:

After much searching, both geographically and in our hearts, I am excited to share that we have found our new home. A place for our family to grow, learn, thrive. My dream is to make this house a home. Where happiness dwells and laughter lingers. Where roots grow deeply & love flows freely.

My husband and I jokingly call this our "Paparazzi" shot because, although she is waving, it looks as though she's trying to block her face from the prying eye of the camera! We just love that we finally have lots of open space for the children to play outside.

Coming from a busy suburb, we can't get over how oddly deafening the quiet stillness of the forest is that surrounds us.

I love this photo. I'll tell you why: At nearly every house we looked at over the last 8 months, there were deer to be seen. Well, the first time we came up to see this future home of ours, I didn't see a single one. I love the sight of deer scampering by, so I was disappointed that we seemed to be in a deer-free zone. I even asked my husband, "Did you see any deer tracks outside the house? I didn't see any. Maybe I missed them? Did you see any??"

My husband and I fell in love with the land and the house, but felt torn as to what we should do. You see, we currently had an offer on another house that we loved and wanted, but it was taking ages to move along (those dreaded short sales!). Prior to that, we had our hearts set on two other houses that we felt sure were "it." However those eventually fell through -- one for a failed inspection and the other one we got outbid in the third round. Heartbreaking as it was at the time, I can see now that those events were just leading us to this place.

Anyway, just before we left the deerless house, I was sitting in the car nursing my son. I said out loud, "Lord, please send me a sign. Show us down the right path." Almost instantly (seriously, it was like 0.3 seconds later), the deer appeared. Several of them. Leaping over rocks and ducking in and out of the trees. It was like that scene in the movie "Funny Farm" when Chevy Chase's character says, "Cue the deer," and they release a beautiful fawn from a cage. The fawn proceeds to scamper right in front of the prospective buyers' eyes. {Does anyone know the scene I'm talking about??} Anyway, I happily took that as my "sign." And the fact that passing inspections, loan stuff, and signing the closing papers literally at the eleventh hour have all come quickly on the heels of that powerful deer sighting, I am taking them all as signs that we are where we are supposed to be. And that brings us such a feeling of peace. I can't think of a better way to start a new year than being filled with a sense of peace!

Trying to Keep the Heart at Home

I'm not sure why, but my home has been looking anything but haven-like lately. I know what it is I should be doing, but I find myself doing just the opposite. Laundry needs folding? I think I'll sit and read this magazine. Dry dishes in the dish drainer, awaiting their journey back into the cupboards? Hmm...I think I'll read some of my favorite blogs. Aaack! Why can't I get myself in domestic gear?

I have spent many hours devising a house cleaning schedule. After trial and error, I developed a morning and evening routine that works. I have it posted in my Home Management Notebook. I am well aware what tasks are supposed to be done on what days. Everything looks good on paper. But follow-through? That seems to be sorely lacking.

I am one of those people who feels weighed down by clutter and disorder. I would even go so far as to say that a messy house depresses me. This blog has been neglected lately because this space is supposed to be about how I attempt to make all aspects of my family's life comforting and secure and peaceful. How can I write a post for a blog called "Our Haven on Earth" when my husband keeps asking me when I'm going to clear the clutter off our kitchen counter? Or the miscellaneous spills that were never wiped off the stove burner drip pans set off the smoke detector? {In my defense on that last one, our smoke detector is too close to the stove and seems to be super-duper sensitive to boot} Those occurrences hardly seem like they would take place in a "haven." To ignore that fact and wax poetic about homekeeping would make me feel like the world's biggest hypocrite. A fake.

So, I've been doing some thinking. Something must change. But, before we can change something deep-rooted in ourselves or our thinking, it helps to understand the "whys" behind the issue.

Why am I suddenly having trouble taking care of my home and myself? Okay, not taking care of myself is not really a new issue, but I have been more neglectful than usual of my needs and desires as of late. That's a post for another day. But why the domesticity nosedive?

I have noticed, since we began house-hunting in May, that I seem to have "checked out" of the home we currently inhabit, and have set my sights on the future home instead. Mind you, we haven't actually found the future home yet! But just the idea that we will soon (hopefully) be leaving this house in favor of greener pastures, has led me to abandon any energy or focus that I would normally be putting into here.

But then I realized that God has already blessed us with a comfortable and cozy space to call home. We are living in it right now. Today. Maybe He is waiting for me to show my appreciation and gratitude for our current living situation before He blesses us with the housing situation we desire. Sure, our current home has limitations and drawbacks, but it is also where we hang our hats. At least for the time being. Whether we move out next month or next year, I need to stake claim on the house we inhabit now. Victoria Moran, the author of one of my favorite homemaking books, "Shelter for the Spirit," puts it best:

"This is your home, whether you own it, rent it, or were born into it. Home is where you go to refuel--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You no more need to own the house for this personal refueling than you need to own the service station to get gas. When your soul claims an address as its own, it doesn't matter if you stay there six months or the rest of your life. While you occupy the space, it is undeniably yours."

I've written in the past about trying to be more present and "live in the moment." I have been successful doing this with regard to my children. It has taken practice and diligence, but I've managed to be more connected during our crazy days. Many times I have had to remind myself to take a deep breath, slow down, savor, and throw myself right into their lives and whatever activity they're doing at that moment. Kids are so great at living in the moment. It's the only way they know how to live.

So, now that I'm comfortably and more naturally being present where my children are concerned, it's time I add a new challenge: being present in my home. My belief has always been, and still is, that "house" and "home" are two different things. To me, a house is a structure. An inanimate object. But a home shelters us physically and emotionally. It is literally pulsating with life. A home is where love gathers. A place where we "shore up" in order to cope with the world outside our familiar front door. That is why I always refer to myself as a homemaker rather than a housewife.

I need to get back to the me that loves "making home." She's in there, I know she is. Heck, I hear she's even got a blog devoted to it! :) Got a little sidetracked lately, that's all. I blame it on the summer heat.

Well, I'm off to tidy up the mayhem around me (really, I'm going to shut this computer off right after I post this). Typing my thoughts out in this fashion seems to have lit a little fire under me. Sorry for the rambling and jumbled-up parts (which pretty much pertains to the entire post). My thoughts were everywhere tonight. Thank you to any faithful readers who followed along this discombobulated path of a post!

Oh Where, oh where...

has my clean laundry gone? Oh where, oh where could it be? I washed a very full load of cloth wipes, diapers, and the bright yellow diaper pail liner a few days ago. I remember taking it out of the dryer and folding it. I remember putting it aside because Rascal was sleeping and I couldn't put it away yet (for fear of waking him up). It has disappeared. Gone. Nowhere to be found. I've looked. My husband has looked (well, if you can count his scanning the room from one stationary spot, "looking"), and I've even had my guests keep their eyes open (you think I'm kidding--but, I'm not). I am obsessed with finding this clean pile of laundry.

I've taken a pair of scissors to my prefolds (that I normally use as cloth diaper stuffing) to make emergency wipes. I can't stand the thinness of commercial, disposable wipes. It takes me 3 of those to do what 1 cloth wipe can do. Basically, I am lost without my cloth wipes and diapers and that brand new waterproof diaper pail liner (did I mention that it's bright yellow? How does one lose something of that color??) Why couldn't I have lost a load of something as insignificant as clothes or bath towels? After all, we live in pajamas around here and, goodness knows, I never have enough free time to shower anyway.

I guess this MIA laundry load is so aggravating because it truly hammers home the point that a certain level of disorganization has descended upon this household. I pride myself on being a homemaker. How can I lose laundry in our not-so-big house? What does that say about my skills around here? Me, with my lists and to-do's and homemaking journals. I can't even get a load of laundry safely from the dryer to the dresser one floor up. *Sigh*

My husband says it is probably long gone. Given away with the donation bags last week or thrown away by mistake. I can live with the fact that maybe they were accidentally donated. Perhaps some other cloth-diapering mama will stumble across them. I cannot stand the thought that the diapers and wipes, I so carefully chose fabric for and sewed up during my last pregnancy, are in a dumpster somewhere. Heartbreaking. Heartbroken over some cloth diapers and wipes, you ask? Yes, I'm that weird. Now you know.

So, I've tried to forget about the missing laundry. Don't they always say that something turns up as soon as you stop looking? Well, I'm giving it a try. In the meantime, the children had fun using my empty laundry basket today:

That's the Princess pulling the King in his chariot.

You've got to admire their positive attitudes and the ability to make the best of a situation, even in the wake of things like the economic recession, political unrest, and...missing piles of clean laundry.

Setting the tone for tomorrow

I've posted in the past about my daily/weekly schedule of homemaking tasks. Since I love taking a peek at the way others organize and schedule their days, I thought I'd share a bit more about the rhythms I try to establish in my home. Today I'm going to talk a bit about my evening schedule of "haven-ing" my home. There are some things that, if done during the quiet hours of the evening, make for a smoother and more peaceful morning. Obviously, these things have to wait until after the messes of the day have culminated into a huge heap to be tackled. Thus, after the children go to bed! Phyllis Diller hit the nail on the head when she said, "Cleaning the house while the children are still growing is like shoveling the walk while it's snowing." But, as senseless as it seems sometimes to clean something that will be undone as soon as I blink, it must be done.

Imagine if you will, coming downstairs at the break of dawn (or even before that), after a mere 3.5 hours of sleep (not in one consecutive block, mind you ---but broken down into 7 tiny chunks of time), and seeing a smattering of this and that on the countertops and a few stray dirty dishes in the sink, toys littering the floor, and, well, you get the idea. That is not a scene that says, "Good Morning!" Unfortunately, I don't have to imagine that scene, because it is my reality more often than I'd like.

So, through experimentation, I found that doing a few things at night during my "me time," really helped start the next day off on the right foot. Sure, I'd rather be sewing or watching a movie or reading during my quiet evening hours. And, unfortunately, I tend to just collapse after the kids are asleep. I really have to force myself to do these simple tasks, knowing I will be glad I did, come the morning. And, if I just do them and get them out of the way, I can enjoy the rest of my evening, with nothing hanging over my head.

Let's just jump right into my list, shall we? It goes something like this:

*Wipe down counters

*Clear off the dining room table, wash placemats and hang to dry

*Sweep kitchen and front hall.

*Saturate dish wand sponge top (I use Scotch Brite soap dispensing dish wand) with water and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Yes, these sponge toppers are replaceable, and I do replace them regularly. But, I still sanitize them between replacements, because I am germophobic and can't stand the idea of washing my dishes with a bacteria-laden sponge. So, once the last dishes are done for the night, I sanitize the sponges and let them dry overnight.

*Load all dirty dishes and run dishwasher, if necessary.

*Spray the sink with sanitizing spray (did you know that the average kitchen sink harbors more germs than a port-a-potty? I'm not trying to pass along my germ paranoia to anyone, just throwing a little trivia out in the ring).

*Put all toys in their respective cubbies, all books in the book box (we really do try to have our daughter clean up before bed, but we often run out of time. You know how it takes three times as long as it should when the littles clean up? I guess that's why we often skip this step in the before-bed routine).

*Pre-load the washing machine. This is crucial in order to stay on top of the laundry pile. When we get up in the morning, I'm carrying my son and my water jug that I sip all night long. I've got one hand in front of my daughter as she climbs down the stairs holding her water cup and whatever else she wants to bring with her. I simply don't have enough hands to also carry a basket full of the day's first laundry load. Sometimes, I don't make it back upstairs (and thus, to the dirty clothes hamper) for hours after we get up in the morning. This puts me woefully behind schedule when it comes to laundry. I usually do 2 loads per day, including cloth diapers and cloth wipes.

But, if I gather the next day's first load and empty it into the washing machine the night before, it's ready to just start up when we come down in the a.m. I leave the lid to the washer up, as a little visual reminder to start the laundry before I make breakfast. Such a simple thing to do, but it's helped me immensely.

*Check the calendar for any appointments, bills to mail or pay online, calls to make, etc. for tomorrow.

*Make sure my husband's lunch, wallet, keys, etc. are ready to go for him in the morning.

*Lay out clothes for me, the kids, and my husband. Yes, I know he's an adult and this sounds either really old-fashioned or really controlling. But the truth is, my husband has a horrible short-term memory and would wear the same shirt to work two or three times per week (cleaned between wearings, of course) if I didn't pick out his shirts for him. I used to delay washing his clothes so he would be forced to pick something different from his closet each day. But I couldn't stand letting his laundry sit for a week at a time. The better solution seemed to be for me to pick his clothes for him. That way I could wash his clothes as often as I wanted, but not worry about him wearing what he just wore 2 days earlier!

So, in a nutshell, this is what I aim to do each night before I go to bed. It seems long and drawn-out, but it really goes quite quickly (at least that's what I tell myself when I don't feel like getting off the couch and doing it). If anyone has any lists or schedules they'd like to share, I'd be very interested in hearing about it. As I've stated in the past, I love lists!

Seasonal Switcheroo

Now that I believe we have safely passed the point of getting a major snowstorm, I thought it was time to pack away my favorite winter print until next autumn. I was immediately drawn to this piece of work the first time I saw it: in the hands of a woman in front of me in line at Michael's. Of course, when I went back for one for myself, they were sold out. So I ordered it online. The title of it is "Solitude," by David Winston. It evokes that feeling of absolute stillness, when you go for a winter walk and the air is eerily quiet and peaceful, especially during or right after a snowfall. I love it paired with my favorite old wood barn frame, with the black hinges. I've enjoyed my little dose of serenity all winter and early spring, but now it's time to freshen things up.

I've put away the pinecones and other heavier, winter decorations. I've brought out of hiding, some light and airy pieces. Including this framed print by Ruth Silverman called "A Round Bed"

To me, nothing symbolizes Spring and new life better than a bird's nest. Truly, nests are works of art. I marvel at what those little feathered friends of ours can craft (and without hands, no less!). Amazing. I was going to share a link to a blog I recently viewed that showed some up-close photos of some nests they discovered (the intricate details of these nests were unbelievable...they looked like they were made by humans--almost too perfect to be real! Sadly, I cannot find the blog at the moment).

Along with the artwork changes, I'm exchanging our fleece throws for cotton and sewing some new covers for our throw pillows as well. I feel so ready to say goodbye to winter for a while. Although, admittedly, summer is my least favorite season. I'm usually craving "sweater weather" by early August! For now, however, I say bring on the warmth, sandals, fresh berries, the smell of freshly cut grass, window boxes overflowing with cheery flowers, and all the other many pearls of Spring and Summer!

Weekly Rhythm and the 10-Minute Tasks

There is something about the combination of Lent and Spring that gives me a surge of gusto when it comes to caring for our home. I try to spend Lent banishing excess worry, guilt, self-centeredness, impatience, and other negatives that hold me back from fully embracing God and finding inner peace. I think it's this spiritual cleansing during the Lenten season that inspires me to cleanse our dwelling of excess clutter, disorder, and other obstacles that infringe upon the harmony I seek for our home.

*Warning* This post is a bit long-winded. It involves two things I love: lists and organizing!

I have scheduled days on which I try to accomplish certain home cleaning tasks. I am constantly tweaking my weekly schedule, or rhythm, as I call it. The season, out-of-town guests, holidays, the constantly changing nap schedule of my youngest, etc. There is a revolving door of reasons that my daily to-do list changes. Currently, I am following this daily cleaning rhythm:

Sunday:
-Church (if we didn't go on Saturday afternoon--we often have family gatherings on Saturdays, so we attend church on Sunday morning instead)
-Family activity or outing

Monday:
-Strip beds and launder bedding
-Open windows and air out rooms
-Dust/neaten surfaces in bedroom
-Vacuum upstairs
-Remake beds with fresh linens
-Do laundry: linens first, then diapers and wipes

Tuesday:
-Clean guest bathroom
-Clean living room:
-wipe down coffee table
-neaten/declutter surfaces
-straighten books/toy cubbies
-wipe down phone/light switches/door knobs
-vacuum floor and stairs
-Febreeze couch cushions and throw pillows
-Do laundry: Mark's and my clothes

Wednesday:
-Clean upstairs bathroom while Roo takes a bath:
-empty trash
-launder towels/mats
-wash counters, walls, medicine cabinet door and shelves
-clean toilet
-clean sinks
-clean tub (before popping Roo in it, of course!)
-sweep/mop floor
-Check linen closet for supplies
-Hang fresh towels/lay out fresh mats
-Do laundry: towels first, then diapers and wipes
-Look over grocery store flyers, begin shopping list

Thursday:
-Clean kitchen:
-neaten/wash down countertops
-wash sink, flush with boiling water and then bleach
-wipe down stovetop and vent hood
-wipe down appliances
-clean inside of microwave
-wipe down refrigerator shelves, toss old food
-Do laundry: Children's clothes, Mark and my clothes
-Finish grocery list

Friday:
-Do laundry: tablecloth/napkins/dish towels first, then diapers and wipes
-Bathe children
-Go grocery shopping

Saturday:
-Family fun/outing in the morning
-Misc. home, garden, auto
-Trip to the bread store (2x per month)
-Church in the late afternoon

While the weekly rhythm includes the major cleaning, there are little tasks that don't have to be done weekly. But if they are not scheduled in at some point, they will be overlooked. And while these little to-do's aren't glaringly obvious to anyone but me, they nevertheless need to be done as part of keeping a clean and organized home.

The challenge I face is not finding time to do these little cleaning jobs, as the bigger and more obvious jobs call my name. Plus, some of them are so tedious that I find myself avoiding doing them at all. I came up with a plan to address both of these problems.

My 10-Minute Tasks are just that: tasks that are broken down so that I can complete each one in only 10 minutes. Additionally, I've set it up so that I can't conveniently skip over the tasks I don't feel like doing. Here's why:

I wrote each task (I chose to write 30 of them, so they run on a monthly basis) on a slip of paper (pretty scrapbook paper, by the way! I thought it might add a little cheer to the drudgery), folded it up and put it in a bowl. Each day I pick a piece of paper from the bowl and see what task I've drawn for the day.

I have to tell you, there is something...exciting (?) about picking from the bowl. You know, the whole, "Gee, I wonder which one I'm going to get today?" I know, I'm easily thrilled. ;) But, it takes the whole decision-making process out of the equation. For me, that's often what holds me back from doing things that need doing. I waste so much time debating what I should clean, that I lose all motivation and time (two things that are in seriously short supply to begin with) to do it once I decide on something. This way, I pick it and I do it. Luck of the draw. Eventually, everything in the bowl will be picked and therefore, done.

The second thing that makes it work is the 10-minute limit. I know it's only for 10 minutes--who can't stick with something for 10 measly minutes? But, even more important, I wrote the tasks in such a way that I know the job is one that can be completed in 10 minutes. I hate the feeling of working on something and feeling like I'm not making any headway. The jobs that look the same 10 minutes later as they did when I first started. I like instant gratification. I want to feel accomplished and I want to be able to say, "That's finished for another month."

Now, regarding the 10-minute limit, I tell you this: use a timer! I've done these tasks with a timer and I've done them without. The timer is the way to go. That "tick tick tick" really gets me focused and moving. It's like having your Mom stand over you while doing a chore. Being "watched" makes you do a better job. You can't mess around or dilly-dally because you are on the clock. When I don't set a timer, I sometimes get sidetracked, pause to get a drink, or whatever. I tell myself, "Well, I can always start my 10 minutes over again," if I feel like I haven't used my time wisely. But the thing is, I don't have the time to start over again, nor do I want to -- so I don't and the task doesn't get completed.

So, in summary:

1. Keep the tasks manageable (baby steps). Even small tasks, done consistently, will make a huge difference in the cleanliness and order of your home.

2. Do that task and only that task, for 10 minutes.

3. Set a timer!

Let's say you're having an off day and don't finish the task in the 10-minute allotment. That's okay. You are that much closer to having it done. And 10 minutes toward its completion is better than no minutes at all, right? Take comfort in knowing that the task will show up again in the bowl next month. ;)


Thought you might like a peek at a partial list of my 10-minute tasks:

*Clean silverware drawer (I'm always finding specks of this and that in the wooden divider we have in there. For some reason, this drawer is a crumb receptacle)

*Clean out purse (it's where my receipts go to die. I have had receipts in my purse dating back months! I also have a knack for carrying around pens that don't work and old lip gloss)

*Use tool to vacuum room edges (I vacuum every other day, but I rarely get the narrow attachment out to do the crevice where the carpet meets the wall)

*Clean/organize top of bedroom dresser (a spot where random things gather)

*Wipe down the tiled kitchen back splash

*Clean stove burners

*Organize spices, toss old ones or ones I haven't used in ages (even if I did pay almost $9 for that organic candied ginger -- I used it once and didn't care for it at all. So, rather than rummaging around it, out it goes!)

*Wipe down the inside of the freezer

*Vacuum couch

*Declutter/organize kitchen junk drawer (Sure, there are organizing gurus that will tell you there is no reason to have a junk drawer since everything in your home should have its designated place. For the most part, I would agree. But, I do keep a junk drawer of misc. stuff we use regularly: batteries, tape, paper clips, rubber bands, pens/pencils, etc. However, I do keep little boxes and baskets in that drawer to group like items. So, in essence, it is a tidy junk drawer)

*Clean exterior and interior of washing machine and dryer (I run a hot water/bleach cycle in the washer and use my special brushes to clean the vents for the dryer)

*Declutter/organize linen closet (I have seriously pared down the number of bath towels and bed sheets we own, which makes this task much easier. No matter how many times I clean out the linen closet, I always find newly expired medicines, sunscreens, and other items I couldn't bring myself to toss the previous month, but now I am ready to say goodbye to)

*Wipe down banisters (ours our white, so they show the dirt/grease from the sometimes grubby little hands of our little ones)

*Shred old documents

*Put articles into page protectors and file into binders (I have an insane number of pages printed off the internet regarding information/ideas I want to be able to refer to without turning on the computer. I have binders for the following categories: Homeschooling; Homemaking/Decorating; Faith; Crafts/Sewing; Health/Beauty; Inspirational Poems, Quotes & Articles; Kids; Family Travel; Scrapbooking; Gift Ideas; Christmas; Other Holidays; Feed the Freezer; SCD recipes

*Wipe down the fronts of kitchen cabinets

*Clean glass on front and back door

*Clean kitchen window, take down curtain and shake it out/spray with linen spray and rehang. When the mood strikes, I actually wash the window curtain.

*Wash shower curtain and plastic liner (the taking down and the putting up takes 10 minutes. The actual wash time is longer: run a short cycle in the washing machine on hot)

*Wipe down baseboards (we live in a small house, so in 10 minutes I can do the baseboards downstairs, the next month I'll do the ones upstairs)

*Sweep back porch

*Clean around kitchen sink (I wrap a rag around the end of a butter knife and run it along the edge where the sink meets the kitchen counter. The nasty gunk that accumulates there is astonishing!)

*Organize (as in refold clothes to keep and put aside clothes that are outgrown, stained/looking too worn) Roo & Rascal's dressers

*Wipe down exterior of refrigerator (don't forget the top)

*Wipe down tops of door frames ("out of sight" really is "out of mind" on this one. I went a long time without doing this one until one day I noticed the top of the one in the bathroom had some fuzzy humid-dust on it. Yikes! I immediately went around the house wiping them all down. I couldn't believe I had overlooked this one for so long)

*Fold and re-stack fabric stash in the craft room (the added benefit of this one is coming across fabric I had forgotten about and feeling newly inspired to use it!)

*Choose 1 drawer of the scrapbooking dresser to organize. Purge old/unwanted items and move new ones I want to try to the top of my scrapping table.

Well, if anyone is still reading this, "Thank you" and I think that's all I have for today! I'm off to "haven" my home! :)