Project Clean Up 2021...Week 5: Great Room

The Great Room took more time than it ever has. Not sure why exactly? I think I focused a lot more on the mopping and drying than usual. I was able to get the Valentine's Day decor up so I was very happy with that. 

I went from the golds and whites of the Valentine decor last year to basing the design around a jar and block set I made during a craft night. 

I loved how it turned out! 

Onto the cleaning...

So, as I've told you before, this room is big. I mean, BIG. It is the room with the highest ceiling, tall walls, lots of windows, ceiling beams, lots of furniture, fireplace and hardwood floors. Here is how I made it all happen...

__Vacuum sofas

__Spot clean sofas, if applicable

__Febreze Sofas and any pillows that cannot be laundered

__Launder throw pillows and blankets

I love that feeling of a completely clean couch. Spot cleaned, vacuumed out, washed throw pillows and Febrezed. Holiday pillows put out really perks it all up. 

__Dust shelves, furniture and decor

__Touch up black furniture with marker

This is one of our ladder shelves. We have 2 total, one on each side of the tv. I use a simple black marker to touch up any scuffs. This is also done on the tv stand. 

__Clean lamps and lampshades

__Wash windows and sills

__Take down curtains and handwash, dry, rehang

These are the windows towards the back of our room, towards the pool area. There are 3 other high windows in the front of the room, but these are the only curtains that have to be taken down, handwashed and dried. 

__Take out and wash window screens

__Clean TV screen

__Carefully dust electronics

__Tidy electronics wires. Tuck nicely out of sight. Label them, if practical.

__Sort dvd's in basket under coffee table. Keep any under that are currently watching, put others back in dvd cabinet. 

__Wash switch plates

__Wash walls and trim as needed

The walls go up very high so I have to be sure to break out the 6 ft ladder. Still having random stink bugs here and there, I have to look very closely for stink bug track marks to clean off of the walls.

__Wash doors and door knobs

__Wash floor registers and other vent covers. Hose sweep as far down in vent as possible. 

__Clean floors; broom sweep, shopvac sweep cracks of plank wood. Mop, Dry. 

We have plank wood flooring so I get the Shop Vac going and sweep thoroughly between the cracks. That is when you really have that feeling of the room being clean. 

__Vacuum area rugs 

Onto Week 6: Foyer.

See you next week! 

Project Clean Up 2021...Week 4: Organize Gift Bins

This week is always my favorite because I love to organize the gifts for upcoming holidays. Let me let you in on what my gift bins are:

I buy all year long. I begin the day after Christmas and watch out all year for just the right gifts. You never know when you will find that "ultimate" item (and at a great price too)

So, here is my system. Each member of my family has an 18 gallon Rubbermaid type bin that I keep in my garage (younger ones have 2 due to sizes of toys)

Each bin has their initials added to the end. Simple black marker written on an index card and attached with packing tape or get your own self stick labels...you know your storage space, have at it!

I am lucky. My kids do not go near them. In their defense though, they are stacked 4 bins up!

I keep a notebook of all items bought. Just a 70 sheet spiral notebook written in pen. Example of my pages:

Pg 1: Mom
Pg 2: Dad
Etc...

I love to get it written down immediately and put away, but sometimes I have to do a quick run to the garage and items do end up out of place sometimes so this week is an imperative week of organizing.

If you would like to have a gift system (and save money in the long run) here are your instructions:

**1 Bin per Immediate Family Member

-Label each end with their initials (index card with marker, tape on with clear packing tape)
-Store all gifts per person in their designated bin (includes gifts and clothing)
-Keep a large Ziploc bag in each bin for smaller items so they don't get overlooked (stocking and basket stuffers, jewelry)

I also have one bin for my extended family (all go in this one together...Mom, Dad, Sisters, etc...) and my husband has 1 bin that covers his extended family.

Keep a Notebook

One page per person.
List all gifts on the front of one page.
List all Clothing on the top part of the back side of that page.
List all small stocking/basket stuffers on the lower part of the back side of that page.

Keep notebook and pen in a place in the same area as your bins so you will remember to immediately write down and stay on track.

My notebook seems to go on forever so gifts can get moved around a bit to other people or even knocked completely off if not used in a reasonable amount of time. If that happens, I determine whether to keep in extra bins (*read about these a few paragraphs down) or it goes into a yard sale box.

If you already have this system, simply go through and make sure all items are written down and placed into their designated bins. Be sure to check what you currently have and make sure it still falls under that designated person. Example...are they still within range for a board game waiting in their bin to be gifted, etc...

Be sure to shop all year for Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and any other holidays!

I also keep extra bins; Women, Men, Girl's, Boys. When I come across nice items for a great price, they are roaring and ready to go for a last minute birthday party, host gift, etc... I also do "little blessings" of fun on friends' porches at random times and these items help with putting together those gifts. It also serves as a place I put items that I choose to keep on hand that were originally purchased for a family member and then never gifted.

Happy Organizing!

I have already done Week 5...Great Room cleaning and organization. Blog coming soon!