Think about your home for a minute. Do you like it? Do you love it? Is it too small? Too big? Does it need new carpet? More closets? A new kitchen? Maybe a new knick-knack on top of the TV? A paint job? A bulldozer LOL?
All of us go through those feelings of wanting to make our homes better. Decorating and decluttering shows on cable TV have inspired us to new heights (and in some cases, new lows) in color, style, MDF, and basket storage. Home renovation and home organization is big business. Just look at the magazine headlines at the grocery checkout. At least one will have the word "organization" and another will have the word "closet". All of them should have the word "BUY".
When you are unhappy with your home, or if you are stressed by a mess that never seems to go away, the temptation to BUY something to make things better or make things “look” better can become very strong. Some of us will even use a trip to the store or the mall as an excuse to escape this mess and this stress. Then the retailers, advertisers, and marketers begin to whisper their clever messages of BUY BUY BUY!
SHOP at home FIRST. Discover the treasures you have already paid for. Toss out a little clutter, DO a little cleaning, and rediscover your home. We are loving the home we live in!
Before you start, what are "The Not Me Five?" These are the five things that can quickly mess a home when you are not looking. "Not Me" is the person who did it (sound familiar). If you can take a few minutes everyday to tackle the "Not Me Five" you are going to enjoy your home and the space in your home a whole lot more! The neat part of the "Not Me Five" is that you can get everyone in the family involved in tracking them down - kind of like a treasure hunt.
Once you have taken care of the "NOT ME FIVE" dusting, vacuuming, and (gulp) even floor washing is a breeze (but still not fun LOL). White dog hair and red area rugs do not mix.
Then, every once in awhile, we need to roll up our sleeves and spend a little more than just a few minutes on a room. That's when it is time for the "spring clean" (not matter time of year it is). How often do I deep clean? It depends on the room. The kitchen and the bathrooms are done the most often. Then the kid's rooms. Then the family room, living room, and the master bedroom. The garage is done twice a year - in the spring and in the fall. The basement is done when I can't stand it anymore.
Note from Cindy: I am still working on this page, so some of the links are not working yet, check back in a couple days. We're typing as fast as we can over here! Also, keep an eye on your inbox. We'll be sending out emails to track what part of the spring clean we are in. As sections get done, I will add more pictures to the pages to jazz them up a bit (they look a little boring right now). Take care of you - Cindy
