The Dirty Ugly Truth

Yesterday was supposed to be a dreary, rainy, thundering kind of a day...the PERFECT day to slap some more paint on my kitchen walls! I spent the morning applying "Horizon Gray" while the sun shone brightly. Urgh! Oh well.....such is life when you plan your day according to the weatherman's report! Below is a disgusting and highly embarrassing picture of the top of my refrigerator. I pulled it out to paint behind and was assaulted with a mega amount of dust. (You can see the side and front aren't bad...I'm able to reach those areas and wipe over them a couple times a week).

I am a self-proclaimed clean FrEaK and am appalled that I have let the fridge get to this state!!!

Soooooooo much better! Just a bit of lint leftover and a peak at my newly painted wall.

Ta-da! The full view!!

So happy with it (not to mention the price...free!! Gotta love leftover paint!)

A Rainy Day at Home

I spent the majority of yesterday at home working on projects around the house.

For instance, notice the empty slots in my key/mail organizer:

They have been empty for about 4 or 5 years.

Pathetic!

But no longer!!

And I made dinner for the first time in days.

My family was so appreciative!

Homemade meatballs, sauce and cornbread.

A great end for a rainy day at home!

Spot Cleaning

Care Instructions: Spot Clean with Damp Cloth

Maybe I should have heeded the label...my washer really ate up that cushion!

WANTED: Hunky Handyman

Does this...

...look like this?

I didn't even get past the 1st step (and I did that wrong!!!!)

Looking for a hunky handyman to come to my rescue.

Pay will stink but I promise to make it worth your while!

Side-by-Side Woes

I really, REALLY, REALLY wish I had NOT chosen a side-by-side refrigerator when we bought this house. There is just NOT enough room for everything! I still have things sitting on the counters that need to be added to this mess.

When this fridge croaks I am so getting a french door style!

Are You an Ant or a Grasshopper?

I am an ant or at least trying to be!

Aesop's Fables: The Ant and the Grasshopper

Even though Autumn has not officially begun my thoughts have already turned to winter. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, my little nest on the East Coast will experience : "a colder and snowier than normal winter, with near or above-normal precipitation. The coldest temperatures will occur in mid-December, early January, and early February." Hmmm, I'd better think of some ways to keep warm!

Due to the rising costs of EVERYTHING, hitting the thermostat up a degree or two this winter is not in the cards. Instead I have started gathering quilts and throws in a cute basket and have placed them in the living and family rooms within easy reach of cold little bodies.

While I was out and about on Saturday I popped into Marshall's. I was browsing their bedding section when I came across two warm, fluffy and oh-so-soft twin blankets that were perfect for the girl's beds. The price seemed reasonable and I decided to buy them. My thoughts then turned to my own bed and I started looking for a quilt or coverlet to use in addition to my down comforter. I was not able to justify the expense and ended up not buying anything for my bed.

Fast forward to Sunday. I was visiting my mom and told her I bought the girl's new blankets and that I had looked for a little extra warmth for my bed as well. She got this look on her face that said, "Oh shoot...I have a secret...should I tell her now or make her wait?" She took me down to the closet where she stores birthday and Christmas gifts and pulled out a king size quilt that looked identical to the ones I had been looking at the day before! In addition she also had the softest throw (with feathers lining the edge, no less!) that will not only be warm but is so funky looking I immediately fell in love with it! Problem solved! Now, this winter, DK and I will be warm and snuggly with flannel sheets, a down comforter, a quilt AND a feather-lined throw. Phew!

I wasn't the only one trying to feather my nest with a few extra layers of insulation this weekend. DK spent all day Saturday doing maintenance around the house and getting things prepared for the coming cold weather. We have been having a roofing issue and he was up in the attic and on the roof fixing it. (This is the first time we've lived in a house long enough to encounter problems such as this. Usually we build, move in and out within 2-3 years! Does this mean it's time to move?)

The one area I am not like the ant is in food storage! Probably THE most important area and I flunk at it! Decorate my house? Check. Clean my house? Check. Maintain the house? Check. Grocery shop? Hold the presses. Keep the pantry stocked? Yikes. Lord help me...I have my work cut out for me!

Don't forget to stop by 11th Heaven's Homemaking Mondays!

You Asked for It!

Here it is...I have had several people ask about my cleaning schedule. Instead of e-mailing everyone separately I decided to post it here for all to see. Just remember, it's not nice to judge other people. Please be kind when commenting on this post!

I am not including items like cooking, cleaning up the kitchen, emptying dishwasher, etc. To me, those things go without saying.

My Cleaning Schedule:

CHORES I DO EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK:

Vacuum entire first floor

Vacuum off living room furniture

Clean main bathroom

Clean Buckwheat's cage

Sweep out garage

MONDAY:

Clean half bath on first floor

Wash kitchen floor*

Laundry~including my bed sheets

Clean leather furniture in living room

Windex all mirrors and picture frames in entire house

TUESDAY:

Dust dining and living rooms

Iron

WEDNESDAY (This is my cleaning day from hell!):

Clean half bath

Vacuum bedrooms

Dust bedrooms

Laundry~including JK's bed sheets

THURSDAY:

Dust over dining and living rooms

Wash dining room floor

Dust family room and my work room

FRIDAY:

Dust over bedrooms

Clean half bath

Laundry~including the girl's bed sheets

Wash kitchen floor

Vacuum family room, DK's office & my work room

SATURDAY:

Try to enjoy the weekend and not stress over the house getting dirty

One load of laundry

Clean my "spa" bathroom

SUNDAY:

Use Swiffer pad to dust over living, dining and bed rooms

REMEMBER:

One of the most important keys in keeping a clean home is to stay on top of all the clutter. Before you go to bed at night take a look around and make sure things are picked up and put away. Waking up to a de-cluttered home will make your morning a trillion times better!

*All floors are washed on my HANDS and KNEES wearing protective knee pads