Wanna play? Accountability for a project this weekend.

[RollerCoasterMama]

I have a child-free, commitment free weekend coming up and a giant pit of a bonus/laundry/storage room in the basement.  I've taken some running starts at it, but I neeeeeed to finish it*.  That room haunts me every day since we get to the car by walking through it.

I'm thinking that I'll take a horribly embarrassing before picture or two.  And post updates whenever I need to take a break.

Anyone else want to commit to a nagging project for the weekend?  Otherwise, I'll sure be glad of naggers/cheerleaders!  ;) 

*The most embarrassing thing is probably the 70% assembled eliptical that's been that way since October!!!  I have my excuses, but they're long passed by at least two months now!  I just hope all the bits are still there to finish the assembly!!!

[AFWife]

LAUNDRY!!!!

[RollerCoasterMama]

Originally Posted by AFWife 

LAUNDRY!!!!

Are you saying ALLLL of the laundry?  ;)  (The laundry mountain is part of my room-where-stuff-goes-to-die project.  I haven't worn non-maternity clothes in many months...so I keep ignoring the bottom of the pile!)
 

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by RollerCoasterMama 

Are you saying ALLLL of the laundry?  ;)  (The laundry mountain is part of my room-where-stuff-goes-to-die project.  I haven't worn non-maternity clothes in many months...so I keep ignoring the bottom of the pile!)
 

Yep, I'd like to get ALL of the laundry done and folded before Monday!
 

[mkksmom]

I'm in!

I can't pick:

1. I need to pick paint colors for my kitchen cabinets and walls.

2. I need to do an all-over straighten up of the house. We were prepping for a consignment sale, and I let things go this week.

3. Laundry-- my situation there is a bit more complicated. Gain's formula changed for their laundry detergent. It was the only one I could use. I've tried all free clear, tide free, 7th Generation free and clear, Charlie's (still currently trying that one since it makes me the least itchy) and I think I have one more idea before I give up and just use water. *sigh* So I have laundry that has been washed in all different detergents and then I have a few things of mine that were only washed with water. I need to figure all of this out.

[RollerCoasterMama]

I see a laundry theme.  :)  Happy to have company on project weekend! 

I was too embarrassed to take pictures last night.  Really it's awful down there.  All the out grown clothes and toys (in varying states since SOMEONE WHO IS NOT ME keeps unpacking them to see what's in there) and the Christmas tree, the half-assembled eliptical, random bins of craft stuff, plus the laundry mountain (clean and dirty!).  And that's after I spent hours down there last month tossing and boxing up for good-will and sending two big boxes of hand-me-downs to my nephew.  (There's not many outgrown clothes/toys left after a hard-core declutter.  About a box of each--but they scatter quickly with my little helper looking for stuff.  The boxes weren't full yet, so they weren't sealed up.  Once a box is ready for goodwill, I have a spot in the garage for them to wait all taped up until the next donation pick-up.) 

I've got plenty of storage and lots of bins.  Most of the things that need storage are already in the back closets under the stairs.  And I've done 80% of the decluttering part.  I really think I can do this.  The room is my big embarrassment and it's haunting me.  I'm due in July and I'm afraid that if I need help with DS, that someone will see that room and fall over dead in shock.  :P  It's the project that kind of paralyzes me.  But I CAN do it!!!  I had a similar room at my last house and I turned it into a beautiful play-room so I know I can do it. 

I think I have plenty of bins.  But I'm thinking I might invest in a rolling laundry bin so that when I throw the laundry down the stairs, I can at least move it to the laundry sorter until I'm ready to throw in a load.  And a short shelf to hold the random crafty things that I keep ripping apart the long-term storage to get at.  And finish the darn eliptical so I can see if it even works!!!!!

I'd also like to move the cat stuff (boxes, food, water) down to the gigantic unused bathroom down there. 

[bonjourmama]

Can I join? I have laundry! Laundry laundry laundry! Plus, the general smallness of my place makes for a huge mess. I am really getting behind this week. Good luck!

[RollerCoasterMama]

Originally Posted by bonjourmama 

Can I join? I have laundry! Laundry laundry laundry! Plus, the general smallness of my place makes for a huge mess. I am really getting behind this week. Good luck!

The more the merrier!  :) 
 

[Ellien C]

hmmm - so many to choose from.

I'm on week 36 of my 52 week UFO challenge but only on item 22. I'm hoping to get to 25.

Then there's the chalkboard paint to go on top of the magnetic paint (which is only slightly magnetic after 4 or so coats - should I do a couple more)

I was thinking of going to the garden store to get some plantings with Christmas gift money.

I need to get DD signed up for camps! (Big TIME!)

General decluttering and getting rid of stuff.

ooo- maybe cleaning of duplo-sized blocks that got stored in the garage and full of wet.

Electronic Recycling weekend is this weekend, but it requires DH cooperation to identify what needs to go.

moving furniture around - sewing table out of baby's bedroom; rocker INTO baby's bedroom; chair and half-into living room (pull-out sleeper - requires DH help) and then moving sewing table INTO family room.

I don't know where to begin! Someone help me figure out something to commit to.

[RollerCoasterMama]

Originally Posted by Ellien C 

hmmm - so many to choose from.

I'm on week 36 of my 52 week UFO challenge but only on item 22. I'm hoping to get to 25.

Then there's the chalkboard paint to go on top of the magnetic paint (which is only slightly magnetic after 4 or so coats - should I do a couple more)

I was thinking of going to the garden store to get some plantings with Christmas gift money.

I need to get DD signed up for camps! (Big TIME!)

General decluttering and getting rid of stuff.

ooo- maybe cleaning of duplo-sized blocks that got stored in the garage and full of wet.

Electronic Recycling weekend is this weekend, but it requires DH cooperation to identify what needs to go.

moving furniture around - sewing table out of baby's bedroom; rocker INTO baby's bedroom; chair and half-into living room (pull-out sleeper - requires DH help) and then moving sewing table INTO family room.

I don't know where to begin! Someone help me figure out something to commit to.

How much time do you have?  I have nothing else to do, so I'm picking the biggest, ugliest project.  Furniture moving sounds like a very satisfying project with instant gratification!   :) 
 

[esg]

I'd like to join in.

my closet is a huge mess with one side of boxes to go through, fabric and to dos and the other side with laundry.

If I can remember, I'll take pictures before and after. It's a mess so I need to get going!

[rere]

OK,I will tackle the bottom of the basement stairs.There is a huge pile of "to go"bags and a bunch of other stuff that needs to get moved out of there.If I get it cleaned out,I could get the bike that is living in my dining room down there.I will need some help from my husband though and I'm not sure he will be around BUT if I can't get that done I will clean out the dresser that is in my dining room.It is full of board games,art supplies,office papers,electronics...

[RollerCoasterMama]

Ok...so it's almost the weekend!  I haven't quite worked up the stomach to take a before picture, but I'll try really hard to do it before cleaning. 

My Friday evening plans fell through, so I'm going to get a jumpstart on the way home from work and stop to buy the laundry sorter and see what my options are for some half-height shelves. 

[rere]

Originally Posted by mkksmom 

I'm in!

I can't pick:

1. I need to pick paint colors for my kitchen cabinets and walls.

2. I need to do an all-over straighten up of the house. We were prepping for a consignment sale, and I let things go this week.

3. Laundry-- my situation there is a bit more complicated. Gain's formula changed for their laundry detergent. It was the only one I could use. I've tried all free clear, tide free, 7th Generation free and clear, Charlie's (still currently trying that one since it makes me the least itchy) and I think I have one more idea before I give up and just use water. *sigh* So I have laundry that has been washed in all different detergents and then I have a few things of mine that were only washed with water. I need to figure all of this out.

Uhg!I just rewashed all of my daughter's clothes plus all the towels.My husband brought home a new detergent and she broke out in a horrible rash.The detergent that has worked for her is the Costco free and clear.Uhg.So sorry you're having trouble finding one that doesn't make you itch.What about trying those soap nuts?Or making your own?

[rere]

Originally Posted by RollerCoasterMama 

Ok...so it's almost the weekend!  I haven't quite worked up the stomach to take a before picture, but I'll try really hard to do it before cleaning. 

My Friday evening plans fell through, so I'm going to get a jumpstart on the way home from work and stop to buy the laundry sorter and see what my options are for some half-height shelves. 

Ok,I took a pic so you wouldn't feel so bad.Uhg...

[RollerCoasterMama]

:)  Yup.  Looks like my basement!  :) 

[mkksmom]

I did think about making my own, but I can't use bar soaps. I doubt soap nuts would work for me either, but I'll look into it. Worth a try, right? I'm still trying to decide if the Charlie's will work. I don't want dingy clothes from washing in water alone. It really is a pain. I have the washed with just water pile, the washed with Tide Free pile, the washed with the bad Gain pile, and a washed with Charlie's pile. I'll get this straightened out if it's the last thing I do.

I am going to attempt an all-over clean-up and a trip to the hardware store this weekend. The laundry thing is on-going and will be backed up for a bit while I figure this out. I think I'll just end up frustrated if that is my goal. Picking out paint colors is more fun anyhow.

[RollerCoasterMama]

Ok...being brave...BEFORE:

This is my lovely view each morning when we leave the house.  Note the lovely path right between the clean and dirty laundry.  :P

And this is the view coming home each afternoon.  Complete with Christmas tree, reminders of the last attempt to organize, incomplete elliptical and kitty friends waiting to see who's home. 

Ugh.  Totally vulnerable doing that!  My mom hasn't even seen the basement!!!  So, progress tonight...broke down empty boxes for recycling.  Put the growing pile of too-small DS clothes into a box.  Assembled the laundry sorter and filled it up.  (New rule...if the sorter is full...must put in a load!)  Found DS's missing orange sneaker.  Put a kitty box in the bathroom since they were downstairs and would be sure to investigate.  Put the ironing board into storage since the new laundry sorter has a flip down ironing board.  Emptied and put away suitcase (from a trip a month ago of course!!). 

I have two half-height shelves to put together tomorrow, but for tonight, my preggo butt is going to crash and watch netflix.  I take another run at it in the morning. 

[BeckyBird]

You know, when you actually get in there and start working, I bet you'll start to have a little fun! Last weekend, I finally reorganized my computer area and desk. It was such an eyesore, and I dreaded working on it. But during the cleaning, it was not so bad. I guess the anticipation of cleaning is worse than the actual cleaning! And aaahhhhh, don't you love that good, clean feeling when you are finished? That is the best!

This weekend, I would also like to commit to a few projects:

*Work on Taxes!

*Plant seeds

*Paint & assemble bee hive

*Laundry....can laundry ever really be finished, lol?

Good luck with your weekend, ladies!

[RollerCoasterMama]

Originally Posted by BeckyBird 

You know, when you actually get in there and start working, I bet you'll start to have a little fun! Last weekend, I finally reorganized my computer area and desk. It was such an eyesore, and I dreaded working on it. But during the cleaning, it was not so bad. I guess the anticipation of cleaning is worse than the actual cleaning! And aaahhhhh, don't you love that good, clean feeling when you are finished? That is the best!

This weekend, I would also like to commit to a few projects:

*Work on Taxes!

*Plant seeds

*Paint & assemble bee hive

*Laundry....can laundry ever really be finished, lol?

Good luck with your weekend, ladies!

Always do...I just never finish!  I WILL finish this weekend though.  It looks bad, but I did all of the hard stuff last month.  And if that room isn't done soon, I'm going to end up crossing my legs and never delivering this baby for fear someone will see it!  ;-D