Someone cleaning my bathroom as a new mom was one of the best gifts I was ever given.
Tackling the girls' room (Days 1 & 2)
When the girls came home from their dad's house, I put them to work cleaning the floor and warned them not to touch anything else... They complied. Everything was sorted into bags and boxes like I asked.
The next step was cleaning out their dressers and shelves. They got part way through on the first night, but I soon discovered the drawers on the short dresser were full of junk. Ella's answer, "I don't want to keep clothes in my dresser." (Nice try.)
By late afternoon on Day 2 (after school Tuesday) they had almost finished cleaning out the dressers and shelves.
However, I had a meeting from 6:30-8:30 on Tuesday evening and I came home to find they had jumped ahead a few steps in the process. They were going through all of the boxes that I told them not to touch without my permission.
They put most of it back, but the stacks themselves are much less organized now.
I also found a Build-A-Bear rescue had been initiated, their newest stuffed animals pulled from the garbage bags, now laying on the bed.
So what is the next step?
One bag/box/tote at a time everything from their floor is being washed, dried and put in the living room on the couch. I don't want any mass decisions made about anything. We will touch each piece of clothing and decide if it is a keep, donate, or trash item... as well as who it belongs to. You wouldn't believe how many times I said to myself when I was picking up the clothes originally, "Hey! I wondered were that shirt went..."
We probably have 4 or 5 loads to go today... and there is household laundry mixed up in this... but before I let them touch anything else on the broken bunk bed, we will decide where every piece of clothing goes. I have a feeling that will be a battle in itself. I have yard waste bags waiting to be filled to be dropped off at Mission Mart.
Even for 5 people, we have a lot of clothes to go through.
By late afternoon on Day 2 (after school Tuesday) they had almost finished cleaning out the dressers and shelves.
However, I had a meeting from 6:30-8:30 on Tuesday evening and I came home to find they had jumped ahead a few steps in the process. They were going through all of the boxes that I told them not to touch without my permission.
They put most of it back, but the stacks themselves are much less organized now.
So what is the next step?
One bag/box/tote at a time everything from their floor is being washed, dried and put in the living room on the couch. I don't want any mass decisions made about anything. We will touch each piece of clothing and decide if it is a keep, donate, or trash item... as well as who it belongs to. You wouldn't believe how many times I said to myself when I was picking up the clothes originally, "Hey! I wondered were that shirt went..."
We probably have 4 or 5 loads to go today... and there is household laundry mixed up in this... but before I let them touch anything else on the broken bunk bed, we will decide where every piece of clothing goes. I have a feeling that will be a battle in itself. I have yard waste bags waiting to be filled to be dropped off at Mission Mart.Even for 5 people, we have a lot of clothes to go through.
This might take awhile...
Homemade Laundry Soap Powder
We all know that you can't have a blog in America today that is in anyway related to household matters and not include a recipe for Homemade Laundry Soap.
I'm guessing you are thinking one of three things...
1. Homemade laundry soap users are crazy. It's not worth the time/money/energy. Just buy it at the store.
2. Well OF COURSE I know how to make it... I wouldn't survive without it!
3. Oh yeah... I was going to try that once. I lost the recipe and haven't taken the time to look for it again.
What you need:
Cheese grater (get a cheap one from the dollar store for just this purpose)
Large air tight container
Fels-Naptha bar soap (Found in the laundry section at your local store... try Kmart or Target if your grocery store doesn't have it.)
Washing soda
Borax
Nearly every recipe I've read has the amounts a little bit different for each ingredient. I made mine like this because If you don't like the amounts I have listed, mix in amounts that work better for you.
Grate one bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap and mix it in the air-tight container with one 55oz box of Washing soda and half of a 72oz box Borax. (Save the other half for your next batch.)
Mix well and use a small scoop... a tablespoon or two for each load.
The lemony smell from the Fels-Naptha freshens any load of laundry... you will be amazed if you've never used it before.
This is especially true if, like most busy people, you have a tendency to leave the laundry sitting for half a day before switching it to the dryer... it doesn't make the clothes mildew-proof... but you can rest assured that starting the washer before you head out to work with the intention of switching it after you get home will not leave you running the load a second time!
Have a blessed week!
I'm guessing you are thinking one of three things...
1. Homemade laundry soap users are crazy. It's not worth the time/money/energy. Just buy it at the store.
2. Well OF COURSE I know how to make it... I wouldn't survive without it!
3. Oh yeah... I was going to try that once. I lost the recipe and haven't taken the time to look for it again.
This post is for you!
What you need:
Cheese grater (get a cheap one from the dollar store for just this purpose)
Large air tight container
Fels-Naptha bar soap (Found in the laundry section at your local store... try Kmart or Target if your grocery store doesn't have it.)
Washing soda
Borax
Nearly every recipe I've read has the amounts a little bit different for each ingredient. I made mine like this because If you don't like the amounts I have listed, mix in amounts that work better for you.
Grate one bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap and mix it in the air-tight container with one 55oz box of Washing soda and half of a 72oz box Borax. (Save the other half for your next batch.)
Mix well and use a small scoop... a tablespoon or two for each load.
The lemony smell from the Fels-Naptha freshens any load of laundry... you will be amazed if you've never used it before.
This is especially true if, like most busy people, you have a tendency to leave the laundry sitting for half a day before switching it to the dryer... it doesn't make the clothes mildew-proof... but you can rest assured that starting the washer before you head out to work with the intention of switching it after you get home will not leave you running the load a second time!
Have a blessed week!
How to Know if You Are a Good Mom
So how do you know if you are a bad mom?
This can be a tricky question for some people. I could give long, winding answers about things a good mom does or does not do. I could talk about how your kids dress for school. I could talk about how much of a balanced diet your child eats. I could talk about what time they go to bed and how long it takes them to get up in the morning... but none of those things are the deciding factor on whether or not you are a bad mom... I have that... Are you ready? Do you want to know?
Are you sure?
Are you waiting on the edge of your seat to find out?
If you answered "Yes!" when I asked if you wanted to know... here is your answer...
You are not a bad mom.
Only good moms would read the title of this blog post and then stick around to read the rest.
Only good moms care enough to keep reading to find out if they are good moms.
You are not perfect. You may make mistakes. Your SuperMom cape might have gone missing in the piles of laundry a long time ago. None of that matters...
You care. That is what matters.
You care. That is what matters.
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13