Hello out there! I'm still here... still struggling with my messy nest! BUT I just dropped off two garbage bags to charity and a couple of boxes after cleaning little man's room. You can see his floor! Yeah! Now time to get back to all of the other rooms in the house. Ugg. Trying not to be discouraged.
Blessings,
Jen
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Progress- Week of 7/16
Just a quick progress report...
Watched the show Clean House and became very motivated, plus my husband said something that made me think... it was along the lines of... "Boy, they are clean and seem like the perfect family, but they live like a bunch of slobs."
Ugg.. I don't want to live like a bunch of slobs!
Okay- back to the progress..this way when I get down about the mess, I can see that there is light at the end of tunnel.
1. Cleaned off the messy front porch- so embarrassing. I always wonder what the mailman might be thinking.
2. Went through kid clutter with my girls. They filled up one garbage back with clothing to sell or give to charity and I filled up one basket to give away and sorted and organized items they were going to keep.
3. Did a couple loads of laundry. Cleaned in the kitchen/dishes. Vacuumed in the living room.
Also this week- had the girls help me organize in the dining room.
Still a messy nest, but at least I can look back and say.. work in progress.
Hope you are having a good week!
Jen
Watched the show Clean House and became very motivated, plus my husband said something that made me think... it was along the lines of... "Boy, they are clean and seem like the perfect family, but they live like a bunch of slobs."
Ugg.. I don't want to live like a bunch of slobs!
Okay- back to the progress..this way when I get down about the mess, I can see that there is light at the end of tunnel.
1. Cleaned off the messy front porch- so embarrassing. I always wonder what the mailman might be thinking.
2. Went through kid clutter with my girls. They filled up one garbage back with clothing to sell or give to charity and I filled up one basket to give away and sorted and organized items they were going to keep.
3. Did a couple loads of laundry. Cleaned in the kitchen/dishes. Vacuumed in the living room.
Also this week- had the girls help me organize in the dining room.
Still a messy nest, but at least I can look back and say.. work in progress.
Hope you are having a good week!
Jen
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Progress Check-In
Hello! Just checking in- the nest is still very messy. But I did make some progress since the last time I posted. I've been working on the clutter in my girls' room. It's overwhelming for them, so Mom's tackling it and then I'm going to need to work on teaching them organizing skills (once I learn these strategies myself). I filled up two bags of toys/ clothes for charity. Yeah. Cleared and vacuumed the floor- woo hoo.
I've been sick for a week and 1/2- summer flu- maybe, so the rest of the nest fell apart. Slowly, trying to get things together. Worked in the kitchen this week- cleaning counter tops, dishes, and sweeping the floor, etc. and the dreaded laundry. Cleaned in the living room, but as I look around- looks like my family has started to mess it up already. Ugg... endless battle!
Trying to stay positive!
Jen
I've been sick for a week and 1/2- summer flu- maybe, so the rest of the nest fell apart. Slowly, trying to get things together. Worked in the kitchen this week- cleaning counter tops, dishes, and sweeping the floor, etc. and the dreaded laundry. Cleaned in the living room, but as I look around- looks like my family has started to mess it up already. Ugg... endless battle!
Trying to stay positive!
Jen
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Great Laundry Challenge: Week 2
Sunshine girl was the proud winner for week 2 of our family competition!
Peanut wasn't far behind her, though.
Sunshine.. 53
Peanut.. 47
Mom and Dad didn't do very well. Our kids are seriously kickin' our behinds in this challenge. If you missed my post about the Great Laundry Challenge, be sure to check it out.
Happy Cleaning.. I have Soooooo much to do!
Jen
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The Great Laundry Challenge
Yes, Peanut is proud! She is this week's winner of our family competition. With a little creativity, I came up with this idea to motivate family to fold and put away their laundry...introducing The Great Laundry Challenge. A fun, family competition... Who can put away or give away the most clothing in a week? Guess what- the kids kicked our butts!! My husband's score was 11 pieces of clothing, I had 36 (this doesn't include all of the other laundry that I put away- towels and little man's clothing), Sunshine Girl had 59 and the winner had a whopping 62!! Way to go Peanut!! She'll be wearing the Queen of Laundry T-shirt award this week.
To record our totals, I created the sheet below and laminated it.
I also created T-shirt awards- just for fun! These were cut out, laminated, and made into a necklace. One side says Queen of Laundry and the other says King of Laundry. (just in case Dad wins- he better get moving though!)
Sunshine girl is ready for some competition, so I think a lot of laundry will be flying around this week! She wants to steal or I should say earn that T-shirt necklace from her little sis!!
Hope you are doing well! Thanks for reading!
Jen
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Progress: Week of 5/7
Ugg! Progress is slow this week. I've been so busy with very important kid stuff! Watching my girls perform in musicals, helping with school work this week, and I also attended a baby shower. The house is a mess, but I still managed to help with yard work. So the outside is starting to look better than the inside. :)
Oh well, I'll get it together. Some weeks are just like that.
On a positive note...
I gave 2 small bags of clothing away
My girls cleaned out their school desks
I re-organized my coupon binder- watch out- crazy couponer on the loose!
I cleaned out the diaper bag and my purse.
And today- I scrubbed the nasty sink in the basement and wiped off the top of the washer. (not sure the last time that was done.)
I hope your house is looking better than mine. If not, count the positives and try again tomorrow!
Blessings,
Jen
Keeper of The Messy Nest
Oh well, I'll get it together. Some weeks are just like that.
On a positive note...
I gave 2 small bags of clothing away
My girls cleaned out their school desks
I re-organized my coupon binder- watch out- crazy couponer on the loose!
I cleaned out the diaper bag and my purse.
And today- I scrubbed the nasty sink in the basement and wiped off the top of the washer. (not sure the last time that was done.)
I hope your house is looking better than mine. If not, count the positives and try again tomorrow!
Blessings,
Jen
Keeper of The Messy Nest
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Trouble Spots
Do you have hotspots that you need to attend to? I found an awesome trouble spot printable at simplify 101 that will help us plan and to take action!
Isn't it amazing what a two year old can do to a room in just a couple of minutes? Most of the mess is from little man, but I pointed out some other issues in the room as well.
1. Bad lighting- we often take the lamp shade off just to get lighting in the room- not very welcoming and appealing, huh?
2. Shoe area- continue to struggle with having a nice shoe space. I've tried baskets, putting most of the shoes away, etc. Somehow this area continues to be an issue.
3. Laundry- I've blogged about this issue! Ugg.
I hope that this printable will be helpful for you as well!
Enjoy your day and happy de-cluttering!
Jen
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Progress: Week of 4/16
Progress is a little slow this week... crazy week with girls' play- lots of car pooling, hair braiding, schooling at odd hours- just off of our regular schedule. Progress is better than 0 progress!
*4 loads of laundry- actually washed and put away (very big deal for me)
*2 small bags from purging- better than no small bags, right?
*Daughter brought in 3 hand-me down pairs of shoes, so now she has to find shoes to go out! If something comes in, I'm teaching them that something must immediately go OUT!
*Pretty good with maintaining kitchen- a bit cluttered but overall acceptable.
*Cleaned some more in girls' room- working on filling a large bag for charity. Daughter was looking for something- told her I gave it away- handled it well. No fits- yeah!
I'm planning a party for my almost 10 year old this week, so we'll see how progress goes. Even if it's 5 minutes a day- I can do it!
And so can you- just a little cheer for you!!
Jen
*4 loads of laundry- actually washed and put away (very big deal for me)
*2 small bags from purging- better than no small bags, right?
*Daughter brought in 3 hand-me down pairs of shoes, so now she has to find shoes to go out! If something comes in, I'm teaching them that something must immediately go OUT!
*Pretty good with maintaining kitchen- a bit cluttered but overall acceptable.
*Cleaned some more in girls' room- working on filling a large bag for charity. Daughter was looking for something- told her I gave it away- handled it well. No fits- yeah!
I'm planning a party for my almost 10 year old this week, so we'll see how progress goes. Even if it's 5 minutes a day- I can do it!
And so can you- just a little cheer for you!!
Jen
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
5 Tips for Battling the Laundry Overload
I am in no way an expert on this topic. It is actually my major weakness and I'd be quite embarrassed to show you a pic of my laundry room at the moment. Or the baskets scattered throughout the house or the clean laundry that ends up on the floor that needs to be re-laundered and so on...
We need a system and we need it bad, so I searched the web for help and here are some of the tips that I think will be helpful.
Tip #1 Have a laundry system- Conquer Chaos in the Laundry
Room
Tip #2 Let each person in the house have their own hamper! You
can even let your child decorate their own basket.
Organizing Tips for Laundry Day
Tip #3 Have a dirty clothes sorting station. Labeled hampers for
towels, darks, lights, etc.
Read Fresh and Organized Laundry System for more ideas!
Tip #4 Schedule a Laundry Day or Two...
Nony at A Slob Comes Clean dedicates a whole day just to
laundry.
Tip #5 Hang up clothes right away! I like for most of our clothes
to be on hangers, except for everyday clothing such as
sweatpants, etc. A bar in the laundry room works for things
that need to air dry- of course I don't have such a
bar yet. Lovin' the bars and shelves with baskets
at Owlhaven.
Any other great laundry tips? I'd love for you to share!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Party Time!!!
The Messy Nest was feeling a little left out, so I decided to let this little space in the blogosphere join the party!! Also, it's a new blog and there may be people out there who are struggling with similar issues- organization and clutter and would like to join my crusade for an ORGANIZED AND PEACEFUL HOME!! So if that is you- Welcome! If it isn't you- Welcome! and please give us advice and encouragement- because we need it! Just don't judge- God gave us all different gifts.
http://the-messy-nest.blogspot.com/2012/03/welcome-to-messy-nest.html
A couple of interesting (messy) facts about our home...
*Our diningroom is a classroom,too. We use it to cyberschool our children. School papers, supplies, and more....lots to organize! (Take a peek at all of the supplies behind us in our family pic.)
*Laundry is a major weekness- I don't remember if I was ever caught up. Working on purging the clothes and focusing on clothing necessities. Oh yeah, and we have issues with socks- where on Earth do the mates go?
*Our bedroom is supposed to be a place of serenity right, well ours is a disaster and looks like a storage room. Cannot wait to bring peace and quiet the clutter in this space!
* Children's books can be found in every room in the house. Love books!!! Need bookcases and to only keep our favorites.
Enjoy the party!
Jen
Progress: Week of 4/9
Positive gains and frustrations this week!
At the beginning of the week, I had a goal to work in my girls' room for 20min. 20 minutes turned into 3 hours. My husband was home and the kids were well behaved so I went for it. Obsessed Momma! Anyways- it felt good to throw away paper garbage, wrappers, etc. and to bag charity items- but beware- you can get burnt out this way.
Day 1- 3 hrs
Day 2- 20 minutes
Day 3- 20 minutes and 1/2 hr in my bedroom
Results- 2 bags of paper garbage, etc. and 3 large garbage bags for Charity
Other frustrations- could not find a bodysuit needed for my older daughter for a musical- cost $25- needed for today. I had to go out and buy another one. Uggg!! The cost of clutter. One good reason to get this Messy Nest in order!!
Overall good week, so let's focus on the positive!
Jen
At the beginning of the week, I had a goal to work in my girls' room for 20min. 20 minutes turned into 3 hours. My husband was home and the kids were well behaved so I went for it. Obsessed Momma! Anyways- it felt good to throw away paper garbage, wrappers, etc. and to bag charity items- but beware- you can get burnt out this way.
Day 1- 3 hrs
Day 2- 20 minutes
Day 3- 20 minutes and 1/2 hr in my bedroom
Results- 2 bags of paper garbage, etc. and 3 large garbage bags for Charity
Other frustrations- could not find a bodysuit needed for my older daughter for a musical- cost $25- needed for today. I had to go out and buy another one. Uggg!! The cost of clutter. One good reason to get this Messy Nest in order!!
Overall good week, so let's focus on the positive!
Jen
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Before and After: Kitchen Cupboard
I pulled everything out! Purged any items that I didn't feel I used or needed anymore.
I recycled plastic lids or bottoms that didn't have a match.
Not perfect, but so much better than having everything fall out at me.
Everything has a home and is labeled.
Love these labels. I found free printable storage labels
at Better Home and Gardens.
Happy Organizing!
Jen
Monday, April 2, 2012
Fly Lady says...Shine Your Sink!
Have you heard of the FlyLady? A friend of mine recommended this site to me a couple of years ago. FlyLady is so encouraging and has really helpful tips.
One of the tips that she shares is shining your sink before you go to bed. Yes, I know this means no dishes in the sink... which means no procrastination...which means doing them even though you are tired. But I will tell you from experience- it is so worth it to wake up in the morning and see this....
This is my sink this morning! I did dishes after work last night around 11:00pm. Did you see my before and after a couple of days ago? If not, take a peek.
A shiny sink makes me so happy. No matter how messy the rest is right now- at least I have this to motivate me!
Okay- time to get off the computer and get back in the kitchen- that is if little man will let me.
Happy cleaning and organizing...
Jen
One of the tips that she shares is shining your sink before you go to bed. Yes, I know this means no dishes in the sink... which means no procrastination...which means doing them even though you are tired. But I will tell you from experience- it is so worth it to wake up in the morning and see this....
This is my sink this morning! I did dishes after work last night around 11:00pm. Did you see my before and after a couple of days ago? If not, take a peek.
A shiny sink makes me so happy. No matter how messy the rest is right now- at least I have this to motivate me!
Okay- time to get off the computer and get back in the kitchen- that is if little man will let me.
Happy cleaning and organizing...
Jen
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Devotions for Clutterers
Yes, there are even devotionals for those who deal with clutter and disorganization! This may sound silly to some, but to those who struggle, it shouldn't be. God cares about every aspect of our lives. So when we're faced with a challenge who should we go to- to the one who loves us and gives us strength! Parenting, marriage, our finances- even our home and it's order can be approached with a biblical perspective.
When I say no, I can't do this. I'm too disorganized, overwhelmed, or just a failure at this. God whispers- Yes, you can. You can do all things through Christ!
Blessing to you and your home today!
Jen
When I say no, I can't do this. I'm too disorganized, overwhelmed, or just a failure at this. God whispers- Yes, you can. You can do all things through Christ!
Blessing to you and your home today!
Jen
Friday, March 30, 2012
I'm on a Roll....
My focus area today was the kitchen. Is it finished? No. Did I accomplish a heck of a lot? Yes!! I even took a couple of before and after pics.
Yikes! Just look really fast and then look at my after shot!!
I scrubbed and organized my heart out today and boy does it feel good!!
Today's Big Accomplishments
Dishes
Scrubbed the sink and counter tops
Scrubbed the top of the stove
Organized under the sink (purged)
Organized all of our plates, bowls, and spoons
- one children's area and one adult area
The kids had an pretty independent day so I had more time to clean. I also kept little man busy in the kitchen while I cleaned. He likes being close to his Momma! See below....
Other areas...
Cleaned sink/toilet in bathroom and straightened
Toy pick up in living room and vacuum
Cleaned tables in living room
Threw out paper clutter in living room and dining room
Vacuum dining room
Family..
-Hubby continued working in Garage to purge/clean
-Kids helped/played with Little Man while I cleaned
Whew! I should sleep good tonight!
Happy Cleaning!
Jen
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Purge, Purge, Purge...
The de-cluttering process has started! Yeah- a big task for sure, but slowly I am making some progress. Yesterday, I donated 3 garbage bags filled with toys, clothes, and books to charity! I have a big issue with children's books- couldn't believe how many books I'm finding throughout the house. I'm trying to pick out the classics and our favorites and give away the rest. There is a library up the street- I keep telling myself this when I have a hard time parting with a book.
There is still so much clutter in my bedroom, storage room and children's rooms to go through. The process may be slow, but it is possible! I need to keep telling myself that- I can do this- even if it is 15 minutes a day.
Today, I visited the blog- Love and Lollipops. She is ready for the challenge, too. She is getting rid of one item each day for 30 days! Take a peek here...
Love and Lollipops: 30 Day Give Away Challenge
Today's progress....
Organized bill binders and filed
Sorted mail right away and tossed trash
Threw away 25 pieces of paper
Motivating the family...
kids spent 5 minutes cleaning around desks
kids worked together to put dishes away
husband spent 1/2 hr cleaning in garage
GO FAMILY!
How are you doing this week with de-cluttering? If your not doing good, don't worry. Just start tomorrow- all you need is a few minutes.
Jen
There is still so much clutter in my bedroom, storage room and children's rooms to go through. The process may be slow, but it is possible! I need to keep telling myself that- I can do this- even if it is 15 minutes a day.
Today, I visited the blog- Love and Lollipops. She is ready for the challenge, too. She is getting rid of one item each day for 30 days! Take a peek here...
Love and Lollipops: 30 Day Give Away Challenge
Today's progress....
Organized bill binders and filed
Sorted mail right away and tossed trash
Threw away 25 pieces of paper
Motivating the family...
kids spent 5 minutes cleaning around desks
kids worked together to put dishes away
husband spent 1/2 hr cleaning in garage
GO FAMILY!
How are you doing this week with de-cluttering? If your not doing good, don't worry. Just start tomorrow- all you need is a few minutes.
Jen
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Welcome to The Messy Nest!
Welcome! This blog was created mainly for me- to motivate me to do better. To have a home for my family that is simplified and peaceful. I've been struggling with clutter and organization for some time now and am ready for change. If I inspire anyone along the way to join me in this endeavor that is even better.
Jen
Jen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)