Project Clean Up 2022...Week 5: Great Room

 So, who feels absolutely lazy and ready for a nap when it is cold and snowy out? 

I swear that starting my Project Cleanup in the wintertime is sometimes the hardest decision, but in order to get it all done, the time is exactly right! 

Excuse the mantle. When I took the pics, I was getting ready to bring out Valentine decor and had one piece up that I had created during a craft night, but you get the just of the room. Some people say that I am a minimilist. I guess I do kind of fall in that category. I do like the room to look lived in, with a hint of museum neatness. 

This room is very well lived in. My kids scatter crumbs and spill drinks. I pull wrappers out of the cushions sometimes and I run a business a few days every 2 weeks in this room. You can imagine how often I broom sweep, dust...it can become quite a mess if not kept up on. This is a great time to really get down to the nitty gritty of the room. 

A few other angles of the Great Room...

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 just love a clean, fluffed sofa! Decorative holiday pillows coming soon. 

I am totally loving my new coffee table decor, actually just moved from one area to another. These items were once down underneath my tv stand where you could just barely see them. 2 photography books, an old camera and an old wooden box. The box now houses my remote controls so it serves a purpose which I love! I am all about everything having a purpose. 

__Dust shelves, furniture and decor

__Touch up black furniture with marker

Now for a few new pieces...

After dusting this shelf, I added the blue flash piece. I had one identcal here, but it had fallen off of the shelf and cracked. I bought a box of photography accessories from an auction and was very excited to find not only 1, but 2 identical ones (now I have an extra) 

Another new "retro" camera added to my collection after dusting down this shelf. 

Check out these nice vintage jars that were made for editing back in the day. Perfect  "new to me" decor pieces...

I had this camera, but I grabbed a jar and filled it with hallogen bulbs for a cool look. 

This is what the lower portion of my tv stand looks like. I clean and touch up all black furniture with a marker so it looks like new again. The right shelf once housed the items that are now on my coffee table. These 2 baskets are new. The right basket holds magazines and the left one is still up in the air. Will figure it out. 

__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

For anyone who has never seen this (I use on my stove) or used for other areas, did you know it will get scuffs off of your walls? Be very careful if you have colorful painted walls as it can remove paint if pressed too hard, but it is amazing with scuffs and marks (it's good for your tennis shoes as well) 

__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 

__Sweep cobwebs and stink bugs out of fireplace

Onto Week 6: Foyer.

See you next week! 

Project Clean Up 2022...Week 4: Organize Gift Bins

I always love this week of this cleanup since it requires organization of my notebook. Gifts Organization and let me tell you....

Gifts....Gifts Everywhere! 

 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) It really saves money and time as you get closer to Christmas.

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 four car garage is a meca of bins so watch out!!! Could you imagine if the kids were able to get to them? That are stacked 4 bins up just to be on the safe side. Who knows what they may do? Attack the toys or just go full force for the bin...

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...

One of these will suffice. 

After Christmas, the gifts used have been crossed out and others need to be written if purchased after Christmas. 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.

In the 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...Also, 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 am now in week 5...Great Room cleaning and organization. See you next week!