Two...and Fall Frenzy

Cuteness personified lives in my house. When you have a little girl with the brightest smile, a playful spirit, and LOTS of personality, you can never have a bad day. Recently, we have been trying to teach Addie to put one finger up and say "One" when we ask her how old she is. Boy were we surprised on Monday when she answered the "How old are you?" question by putting up one finger and very proudly and loudly saying, "Two!" Cousin Laura, the Leap Frog Lily you gave Addie as a baby has done its job well. She now knows what number comes after one.

On another note, the Fall Cleaning Frenzy has hit our home. Last year, I read a book called Living Organized (anyone who know me knows that I love organizing and being organized). In it, was mentioned the Mt. Vernon method of cleaning. The main idea of this method is to start at one point in your home, clean what you come upon, and move on. You do as much as you are able, and the next time you come back you pick up where you left off.

I began on Monday with the two smallest areas in our home, the laundry room, the front entry, and the kitchen pantry. Everything was scrubbed (bleach was used after a small person went down for a nap), evaluated (do we use it, need it, love it?), and either put back, placed in the garage for a future garage sale, or tossed.

On Tuesday I tackled the fridge and freezer. I'll bet you didn't know how much fun a toddler can have with ice packs from the freezer. The fridge and freezer were completely emptied in stages, shelves were scrubbed in the sink, dried, and replaced.

The picture shows what my working white board looks like. This is a reminder for me of all the spaces and things I want to make sure that I clean in the particular room I am working in, which is the kitchen for this week. As each item is completed, it is erased. Yes, some things are obvious, but isn't it more fun to cross things off a list than to just know it was done?

Sometimes doing the regular chores that we have as Keepers of the Home can become monotonous and less than exciting. I think it is always interesting to learn from others new and different ways to clean and organize to keep our jobs fun and (dare I say) exciting. I am always looking up websites, books, and magazines for different ways to clean and organize to keep me fresh and alert and to keep my family on the toes.