Wash Day, Ironing Day, Cleaning Day...

Happy Friday friends! Ever since the kiddos started back to school last week, I have been trying to steer myself onto the road of organization and cleaning. And let my tell you, sisters, that road isn't always smooth. I sit here and ponder...why can I not keep my house picked up and company ready? The desire is there...what is the problem? I figured out that I am very easily distracted (something shiny?? Where?) If I even sit down at this stinkin' computer in the morning, hours can easily slip away! (Pinterest anyone?) I also L.O.V.E. to read. I will sometimes bribe myself by "allowing" myself to read my book for 30 minutes if I do this, this and this first.
Anyway, I have become slightly obsessed (in a good way) with the idea of  a chore for every day. It worked generations ago...I think it went something like...Monday was wash day (because it was such hard work and you would be all rested up from Sunday), Tuesday was ironing day (because all the wash was clean, makes sense), Wednesday was sewing day (maybe you noticed all the things that need mending while you ironed?), Thursday was market day (did this take all day cause they had to walk to the market?...uphill?...both ways?), Friday was cleaning (I guess that was bound to come along eventually), Saturday was baking day (now that sounds fun!) and then Sunday was a day to rest (Amen!).
My Great Grandma had embroidered towels that showed the daily chores. They were so fun to look at when I was little. (I was probably distracted by the neat towels whilst I was supposed to be doing a chore!) I found these kitty "chore of the day" kitchen towels on Etsy...so cute!

 

I am still trying to iron out (haha) the best cleaning/chore schedule, but Mondays have become the day that I change all the sheets. Is it bad that I never had a set day to do this before? Does everyone change sheets once a week? Is that normal or excessive? Please advise. 

I really do love the feel of clean sheets...so nice...but changing them is for the birds! My son has bunk beds (I always wack my head) and my daughter has an extreme amount of pillows on her bed. We really aren't sure how she fits in the bed with all those pillows.

Here is my sheet changing "supervisor".  A big black kitty known as Oreo. He loves to lay on the bed as you're trying to make it, right in the way, getting all tangled up in blankets and sheets. Fabulous.

Last spring I cleaned out and organized my linen closet. No, I am not showing any before and after pictures 'cause it is my own stupid fault that there even was a "before" and it really wasn't pretty. ☺ I started using a tip from Martha Stewart about putting each folded sheet set into its pillowcase so the sets stay nicely organized and together. It seems to be working...I haven't had to search the closet for a matching pillowcase in months!

Ummm...that is Martha's linen closet, well one of them at least, not mine. Actually, that probably isn't even Martha's closet. That there, is probably a stunt closet set up to make the rest of us feel envious! And it totally worked!

So, here is the funny part of my sheet changing day...I was watching Giada make something totally yummy on the food channel while I did my bed and I got the bed all put back together...blanket, comforter, pillows. Everything was tucked and straight and looking nice, I turn to walk out of the bedroom and there is the folded top sheet laying on the floor! I never put it on, dang it! I had to rip everything off again. See, I told you...easily distracted!

Have a good week, think of me as you wash and fold those sheets!

A Laundry Tale

This was a busy week so I will share a simple story. It is a little bit comedy and a little bit tragedy. It is a story about fabric softener...

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine at work smelled AMAZING and I asked her what perfume she was wearing. She said she wasn't wearing any and as we sniffed her (we've known each other a long time!) we realized it was her shirt! She had just washed it and it smelled so good! She said she used Snuggle fabric softener, the original liquid, in the washer. I was hooked. Who knew Snuggle was so wonderful? Do any of the sisters use it? I was a Downy user for years, and I don't even know why, except maybe there are more coupons for Downy out there and I always feel better if I use a coupon. So, I added Snuggle to my shopping list, anxious to switch and have amazing smelling clothes too!

So, naturally, the grocery store that I frequent (which will remain nameless) does not stock the original Snuggle liquid fabric softener. J, does this surprise you?? Of course not, but that is a story for another blog. So, I kinda forgot about the Snuggle until I was Sam's Club and spotted it there. Well, let me tell you, this jug of Snuggle is the granddaddy of all containers, huge and heavy with a spout on each side! The label said it would soften 187 loads! Jackpot. I got it home and gleefully did a lot of laundry. My sheets smell so good this week!

Then came the fateful day, Lulu and I were starting a project for school and the washer was going and we heard a rather loud boom. We went to the laundry room to investigate and apparently the motion of the washer had knocked my glorious jug of Snuggle off and onto the floor. Let me tell you that I honestly have never seen a bigger mess in my life. The cap had shattered, there was fabric softener splashed up the wall, all over the door and the jug was on the rug where all but about 5 of the 187 loads of liquid had glugged out on to the floor!!! I was kinda speechless. Lulu looked at me and said, "Mom, I feel really bad for you!" I felt bad for me too!

As with any big mess, with a lot of mopping and wiping and rinsing eventually it is gone, along with the rug. I just rolled it up (it was saturated), put it in a garbage bag and into the garbage tote it went. So now I guess I'm not quite as excited about my new fabric softener since it was ALL I could smell in the entire house for a couple days! But as a bonus now my garbage tote smells pretty good too! Ah, such is life!

Nel's smile for the week: S's high fashion blog...it was great!

Nel's frown for the week: I am pretty sure I ate too much this week to fit into the high fashion dress that S picked for me!

Where, oh, where is our Lulu??

Lulu's smile for the week: She auditioned to be part of a small vocal ensemble at school and got it!

Lulu's frown for the week: someone took her granola bar! It was her after school, before swim practice snack and someone took it when she set it down by her water bottle! Hungry thieves!