Housework challenge - come and join in!

[LadyMarmalade]

This is a spin off from Ickaruse's thread ... a few people expressed interest, so here it is.

I think lots of us find it hard in those weeks after Christmas - the fridge grows some funky stuff, the decorations seem to generate more dust, the gifts the kids received never seem to fit anywyere - so let's hold each other accountable and get into those jobs which are bugging us! I guess this thread is here to provide motivation rather than competition. Here's what I wrote in the other thread:

Is anybody up for a house challenge? We could set it for a day, two days, three days, whatever ... everyone sets their goal at the start and we'll see if we can get everything done. Not a competition, more an encouragement type of thing. Whether your goal is to sweep your driveway and water the plants, or whether it's to paint the bedrooms ... what do you think?

So let's set up a 3 day challenge! We'll run it Thursday, Friday, Saturday (January 5,6,7).

Write down your goals here, and give us a daily update! It doesn't matter if you've got 2 goals or 20, and it won't really matter if you don't get everything done. What are we going to do? Chase you down, chain you to the mop and refuse to let you go until it's done??

Let the fun begin!

[LadyMarmalade]

So here are my goals:

* to tidy the study. This means going through my craft cupboard and sorting out all of my scrapbooking stuff (ugh - this will take hours).

* rid the house of Christmas stuff.

* dust the entire house from top to bottom - I'm tired of sneezing (we just got back from vacation, so the build up is significant).

* tidy our yard - sweep the courtyard, get the toys organised, brush the cobwebs off the swingset and fence (and the dining room window).

* tidy out the fridge and kitchen cupboards.

* this is a very ambitious one - I doubt it will get done, but I might as well write it. I want to finish sewing the new curtains for the kids room.

* get all of the lego into the right baskets - the kids have got it all over the house (when I vaccuum I'm always scared they'll lose an important part).

* this isn't really housework, but I want to finish making a photo album for my best friend's birthday.

* wash and vaccuum the car.

* do some baking - the kids are sick of eating fruit as snacks. I'll make peanut butter rolls for them.

I'm also going to volunteer a job for my DH - he has to get the garage tidy. I've been waiting for him to do it for 3 years, though, so I don't like my chances! He also gets to take the Christmas lights off the roof.

* Clean bathroom from top to toe.

* Clean windowsills (gack).

* Write all dates in new diary (not housework, but still a job I have to do).

That's all for me. Like I said, there are some I doubt will be done, but I might as well try.

[leomom]

I'm in!

Have to think more about my list, but here are some of my goals:

Organize/declutter my closet
Clean under my bed

[earthmama369]

Thursday, Friday, Saturday? . . . Let's see. Starting tomorrow, I'd like to:

-clean off my desk in the office

-post at least 10 items on freecycle

-go through at least one box in the office and find a home for everything or get it out of the house

-reorganize the bathroom closet

-stay on top of the dishes (we finally got a good rhythm going -- don't want to ruin it!)

-put away the mountain of clean clothes on top of Qualia's dresser

-sort out Qualia's clothes and store/give away her too-small ones

-sort out all the old bills and junk mail and get a filing system for mail in place

Realistically, that's probably more than enough to shoot for. I'm going to challenge myself to do at least 3 things more, no matter how small, just to see what I come up with. (I'll probably get more done by procastinating on the list than by following the list itself. *sigh*)

[JesiLynne]

*Take down the tree and finish packing up all the Christmas stuff

* Clean off this desk and file everything away

*Straighten my bookcases

*Clean my room and pack away all the stuff that does not need to be in there

*Pack up the boys room , just all the stuff they dont need.........clothes they wont were wear from now til we move

*clean the heckouutamy bathroom

*Pack up all the pitures frames

*Clean out the van

*Straighten the garage so I can start putting packed up stuff in there

*Transfer all the plants to my window sill

[TeaBag]

I am so in!

*clean the kitchen. I mean, Really Clean the Kitchen

*catch up on all laundry, including washing all the sheets, blankets and comforters

*DUST (you don't wanna know how long it's been)

* take down Christmas and go through...put the things we aren't using in the Yard Sale pile

* clean out ds' dresser, figure out just how many pairs of pants this child has.

*Work in the horrible playroom--start the downsizing process

Okay, I think that's enough for now....I'm sure I'll add more as I come across things that need to be done, or I'll just make myself feel better by doing something that's related to one of these, and I'll post it to make it look like I did more!

[Penelope]

My goals:

*finish up the laundry that has been a-moldering.
*clean generally for dd's birthday party on Saturday (I'm expecting around 30 people!)
*scrub kitchen floor (I can't even admit how long it has been.)
*tidy my office so that small children at party don't destroy research.

I think that's it, although "clean generally" covers some territory.

[celestialdreamer]

I'm definitely in for it! I do have a playdate to attend on Fri am, but I can make up for it on Saturday since DH won't be home. My nesting instinct is definitely kicking in...I spent about 2 hrs making 'lists' of things I need to finish and what baby items I have/need before I saw this thread


*wash, dry, fold and put away ALL of the mountain of laundry

*put away Christmas decorations and tree

*pay bills that I've been neglecting : and actually file them away

*organize and declutter desk so DH quits whining about it

*clean fridge

*quick dust and pickup of main rooms

*vaccuum and mop all floors (we have all hardwoods)

*clean both bathrooms including showers

*clean out junk drawer (it can hardly close )

*make 4 lasagnas (2 to freeze, 1 to bake for dinner, 1 to take to a new mama)

*make banana bread with the dying bananas on the counter

[MotherWhimsey]

*clean our bed room
*sort all the stuff I clean out of the bedroom and either donate or keep and find a place for it to live
*clean the bathroom thouroghly
*wash the bath curtain (laundry) and mat
*find something to get rid of the mineral build up in the toilet
*wash at least one set of sheets
*wash dd's laundry
*wash my laundry
*wash towels and cloths
*sweep and spot mop the kitchen
*vacuum living room
*wash dd's hair (I know she's not housework, but it's a huge undertaking to actually wash her hair, and I don't use stuff on it often, but I need to use bakingsoda on her sometime this week)
*if I find the time somewhere, I'd like to go through my lower kitchen cabinets and purge them.

[Autumn Breeze]

Im GameThursday:
*finish dishes
*put away clean laundry
*pick up clutter in living room

Friday:
*claen off kitchen table
*start cleaning my room

Saturday:
*get more done in my room
*clean out ds' closet
*clean up babys room
*clean bathrooms (competley)

[MotherWhimsey]

man, after reading all these, for once I'm glad we don't have christmas decorations, they seem like a whole lot of work to put up and take down. I think I'd have christmas decorations all year if I ever put them up.

[LittleOne03]

Oh boy, I need this. Now, since I'm posting my goals for the whole internet I have to do it, right? Here goes:
-Wash, dry, fold and put away this week's laundry
-Clean all 3 bathrooms
-Vaccum upstairs and downstairs
-Clean sheets on our bed and toddler bed
-Sweep and mop kitchen
-Kid's room straightened
That, our play date tomorrow and a trip to the grocery store should keep my time occupied between now and Friday evening (Saturday is the Sabbath, and I don't do any housework that day)

[Red]

WEll, you know I'm in!


I thought MY windowsills were the only ones that got funky! THey're always damp from the steaming windows and tehn they get dusty and sometimes MOLD grows! YUCK!


I need to clean the bathroom, including the window, curtains, floor and clutter. And wash the rug. And get dh to hang the hooks!

I also need to move all the business stuff BACK where it belongs. It's migrating. THen I need to remove whatever clutter has collected around those boxes and put IT alll away.

Two 'under the bed' storage boxes....ok, 4, would clean up alot of the mess in my room and make it possible for me to have a chair by my table again. Oh, and I'll have to take down teh tree an dall of THAT mess. Seems like it jsut went up.


THere's more. I could DUST. But, Nah. That's all. Oh, I might assign each of the kids a task....Yeah. One can tidy the mudroom, one can put away the decorations and clean up a bit in the attic and one can.........maybe haul stuff out of the cellar to the dump.


oh, my kids are going to hate you all!

[Epiphany]

Oh count me in too.... My list:

*put away all the clothes in my room

*scrub the bathroom (my poor shower is nasty, its hard to bend over right now! )

*clean out the fridge

*mop the kitchen

*organize the basement

*put items on freecycle

*take down my daughter's castle tent

*clean off my entertainment center


There, that should keep me busy for a month...oh we have 3 days??? *sigh* Did I mention I am the world's laziest, worst, most procrastinating, housekeeper ever??

[earthmama369]

GOOD MORNING and happy Thursday!

Ready to get cleaning?

/duck

[earthmama369]

Noontime update:

*two posts to freecycle

*half a box emptied in the office

*sort of vaguely started cleaning off my desk as baby, er, helped

*swept kitchen floor (off list, first procrastination clean!)


Post-lunch sleepies kicking in. Tell me to get off the computer and keep going!!

[celestialdreamer]

Its 9:30 and all we've done is eat breakfast and sit here. I'm kicking myself off here now to go take a bath & get dressed. I'll tackle the Christmas decor first I think. BBL!

[LadyMarmalade]

How is everyone doing?

So far I've managed to:

* scrub the bathroom (it wasn't a hard job - I usually keep the bathroom really tidy, but I scrubbed the tiles and gave it a really good clean today).

* tidy the study (I haven't done my scrapbooking cupboard yet though).

* tidy half of the kitchen cupboards.

* Christmas tree is down, inside decorations are down ... but they're sitting in the shed (haven't been put away).

* Sorted the lego.

* Put all of the important dates into my new diary.

[LadyMarmalade]

I thought MY windowsills were the only ones that got funky! THey're always damp from the steaming windows and tehn they get dusty and sometimes MOLD grows! YUCK!

I'm so glad it's not just me!!

PS I'm not in the US - I'm ahead of US time, so I got a head start (but I have to finish earlier than you gals).

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by celestialdrmrmama

I'm definitely in for it! I do have a playdate to attend on Fri am, but I can make up for it on Saturday since DH won't be home. My nesting instinct is definitely kicking in...I spent about 2 hrs making 'lists' of things I need to finish and what baby items I have/need before I saw this thread


*wash, dry, fold and put away ALL of the mountain of laundry

*put away Christmas decorations and tree

*pay bills that I've been neglecting : and actually file them away

*organize and declutter desk so DH quits whining about it

*clean fridge

*quick dust and pickup of main rooms

*vaccuum and mop all floors (we have all hardwoods)

*clean both bathrooms including showers

*clean out junk drawer (it can hardly close )

*make 4 lasagnas (2 to freeze, 1 to bake for dinner, 1 to take to a new mama)

*make banana bread with the dying bananas on the counter

Umm...yeah...so I think you should kick me off this challenge : Let's see...what have I done since I checked in earlier? NOT A THING ON THAT LIST! I got dressed, played with dd, made lunch, played on the computer, decided to buy brand new dipes for dd (I sure hope none of you are on that 'No spending in Jan' thread on the frugality forum : ), then freaked and realized I need to sell some of the stash we already have so I spent the afternoon going through fluff and making a TP thread. So...thats something right? I mean the house is still messy, I haven't cooked anything yet and dinner is an hour...but I did something

I promise I will try harder tommorrow...after a playdate in the am