Housekeeping

Here's what I want to know. How do people keep their home clean enough for company to drop by at any minute? I have friends who, no matter when I stop by, most of their house is in order. If you stop by my house, I'd be doing the mad scramble to throw everything in the closet while you walk up the sidewalk. For more than a year now, we've been very aware that we simply have too much stuff. We're are constantly taking bags of unnecessary 'stuff' to Goodwill. I just don't know where it all comes from!

Last year I discovered a website called Flylady. It was free to join so I gave it a try. It worked ok for while. I never quite got control of the whole house at once. What usually happens is that one area looks good, but at the same time, another room is getting worse. For example, last week we cleaned our master closet top to bottom. And let me tell you- It looks awesome! However, our bedroom is a giant mess! There are clothes everywhere and 4 or 5 paper bags full of 'stuff' that was on the steps and had to be brought upstairs. I've tried to keep up with some of the Flylady concepts, but the emails got to be overwhelming, and well...kind of annoying.

Tomorrow night we are having company over for dinner. Somehow between now and then I have to get a handle on the downstairs, at least. I have 1600 square feet of house, but it sure feels like a lot more when it's time to clean up! How on earth do people do it? Do they just enjoy cleaning? 'Cause I sure don't!

Dust
Pick up Daniel's toys
Straighten Brenna's stuffed animals
Sweep
Clean out Brenna's puzzle area
Clean high chair
Wash fingerprints off of windows
Throw away Sunday's newspaper
Clip coupons and put away
Clear off and set dining room table
Vacuum under couch cushions
Clean downstairs bathroom
Pick up tiny pieces of paper around art table
Put stuff that belongs in the car, in the car
Wash more dishes
Put dishes away
Wash umpteen loads of clothes
Fold all the clothes
Put all the clothes away before it's time to wash more clothes (that will never happen)
Take stuff on the steps upstairs
and on...and on... and on... and on....