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mvastian

Need to get some things done... keep me accountable?

mvastian
15 years ago

This coming Saturday is my brother's engagement party and on Sunday it is my and my daughter's birthday. (Fortunately both are family functions, with no cooking involved.) Sunday morning we'll be at church, so this leaves me Thursday (it is Thursday morning here), Friday and Saturday morning to get the following done:

Cleaning:

1) Fridge.

2) Kitchen sink and surrounding counter and backsplash.

3) Kitchen cabinet doors.

4) Spot clean walls (the whole apartment).

5) Bathroom.

6) Windows.

7) Mop tile and terrazzo floors (kitchen, bathroom, entrance and little halls, living room balcony).

8) Dust all rooms (hope DH will do half of it).

9) Swiffer floors.

Also:

- Straighten my nightstand, my bedroom bookcase and the bookcase in the kids room.

- Go to the pastry shop to order both the engagement (one more phone call to my Mom) and the birthday cake, and then go again both days to pick the cakes up.

- Get some more groceries (involves another phone call).

- Get down from storage the rest of the couch pillows and the bedspread for our bed (Sunday afternoon).

The swiffering, dusting and moping must be done on Saturday morning. (I'll just do a touch up on Sunday afternoon.)

Bathroom and windows should be done Friday afternoon (and a touch up on Sunday).

Kitchen, walls and straightening should be done Thursday and Friday morning. So, I'll aim for all kitchen cleaning today and walls/straightening tomorrow morning.

Today evening I'll go to order the cakes, and tomorrow early in the morning I'll go to the supermarket.

Also laundry must be kept up with. (It tends to swell on weekends) I'm doing well on this one, yay!

And of course there is the regular cooking and kitchen cleaning today and tomorrow.

It may not sound like much to do (especially for an apartment like ours) but this is also the week we potty train, so I need to stop what I'm doing frequently to take DD to the potty before she asks me, rush her when she does ask and mop up the accidents (and get to the mess before my younger toddler does!).

I guess my problem is that I don't like to clean. That's why I post here my little personal challenge. I'll sure appreciate anyone who'll ask how I'm doing and cheer me up a bit.

Any who care to join me with their own challenges, are welcome!

Maria

Comments (12)

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Ok, it is almost noon and I have cleaned the fridge in and out. On for the sink.

    M.

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Sink done too. (I scrub it every day, but this involved chlorine bleach and a toothbrush.)

    I realize that it is still night for most members on this forum, so I probably have no pals right now, but it is great motivation to come here and check things off the list!

    Maria

  • donnawb
    15 years ago

    Wow, you have a lot to do in a short amount of time. Isn't it funny how company is such a great motivator. I need to invite people over. All I can say is turn up the music and keep on going. Do not take to long of a break because it is hard starting again. I have learned that one a few times.

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I just put the girls down for their afternoon nap and I'll soon get one too!

    I cleaned all the upper cabinet doors (10), the foil/wrap/paper towel wall mounted dispenser, the inox hood over the stove and the kitchen window.

    I also dusted the kitchen and all the high areas in the rest of the apartment (light fixtures, over the curtain 'rods', the top shelves of bookcases and over them, top of all frames etc - DH never gets to them and he's much taller than I am), so when we dust on Saturday morning, I won't have to do these areas - nobody can see up there anyway!

    After my nap I'll do the rest of the cabinet doors (11) and whatever else needs cleaning in the kitchen (plastic hat of the light fixture, outsides of oven, m/w, d/w, counter/tile and a bit of wall and door frame), and cook dinner.

    M.

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Good morning, dd50! Thanks for checking in.

    What I'm rediscovering is how much less time it takes to actually do something than I think it will take, and how much more time it takes to think and even write about it (i.e. procrastinate - I'm the queen of it!).

    Maria

  • donnamp14
    15 years ago

    Happy Birthday, Maria! That's my birthday, too, as well as 2 of my cousins.

    You'll get it all done. One thing at a time. I do find that a list helps, and often I'll scratch things off the list when I decide they don't need doing after all. I, too, procrastinate.

    You're home will look perfect. Of course it will, because you're a Virgo! You sound like me with the toothbrush cleaning the sink. Don't forget some fresh flowers, as a treat to you!!!

    -Donna

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you Donna, Happy Birthday to you too!

    I have already eliminated from my list the scanning of some negatives that I had to return to my sister who will come this weekend. (She gave me three more weeks - Thanks Sis!)

    Oh, I hope that someone will think of the fresh flowers for me. If not, it's Ok, I'll get some for myself on a no-occasion day.

    Ok, progress report:

    I did the rest of the kitchen cleaning (except for the counter and tile that I'll do after dinner), and while I was at it I also cleaned the inside of the under the sink cabinet and the flatware drawer. These 2 are the only ones that get dirty. IT FEELS GREAT!

    To the list of things to get down from storage (top of our reach in closet) I must add the case of my good flatware.

    I also did some online banking and filled in our budget spread sheet.

    The 2 phone calls that I needed to do, DONE.

    M.

  • jamie_mt
    15 years ago

    Wow - a lot to do, but great progress! Keep it up, you'll be done before you know it! :-)

  • donnawb
    15 years ago

    You are doing great. Glad to see you are taking a nap. I find if I do that for 20 - 30 minutes I can get going again as when I don't I move much slower and don't get as much done. I have been going through papers today. I have a bunch to shred and not finished but glad I started. Yes, I found that it doesn't take as long to do things as I thought but the getting it started is the hardest.

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the heads up Jamie!

    Well Donna, my nap was cut short (my sis called) maybe at 20 mins, 30 tops - but it was better that way, I wouldn't have finished otherwise. After dinner I didn't clean the counter and tile - too tired. This has to be done today. I did go to order the cakes, and I swiffered the floor, at 10.30 p.m.

    TODAY I am so unmotivated!
    It is past noon and all I did was go to the supermarket, did all the prep for dinner (ready to go in the oven) and a load of laundry in the washer and then hang to air dry. I feel tired and want a nap so badly! Only I must DO something first.

    Ok, I'll go do the windows, feed the girls their lunch, put them down for their nap, do the counter and tile, pop dinner in the oven and then go take my nap.

    The rest of the day I must go to another supermarket, spot clean all walls and do the bathroom. I fear I'm getting behind!

    Maria

    Midday naps is a very rare luxury! (I've taken this week off from work).

  • donnawb
    15 years ago

    I bet you will be glad to go back to work to rest. You will get it done. I get like that when I have to go to the supermarket I come home and don't have any more energy. Keep up the good work, you are almost there.

  • mvastian
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Donna, thank you for cheering me up! What will you be doing for your birthday?

    Yesterday I did go to the supermarket again and to the florist.

    DH helped with the cleaning: dusting the living room, vacuuming the couches and scrubbing the bathtub.

    I swiffered the floors and did the rest of the dusting, mopped the tile and terrazzo, cleaned the living room balcony, changed my DD's bed and did another load of laundry.

    We had maybe an hour to rest and were on time for my brother's engagement, were we had a great time.
    (Oh my new SIL has a so different style in her home! More glamorous and much more loaded than ours. That was interesting to observe - hope gift giving will not be too difficult!)

    Today after coming home from church, feeding the girls and putting them down to nap, I'll have to finish polishing the kitchen (that counter/tile thing), do some touch ups, clean the balcony again, change our bed and bring down the bedspread, also tidy my nightstand and bookcase, bring down the rest of the couch pillows and put them in place, and, finally, bring out the nice tablecloth/napkins/flatware and arrange them on the table along with plates and glasses.

    We'll order in pizza and salads. Oh, I'll need to go and pick up the birthday cake too. After having the girls, I don't feel like cooking for a crowd anymore (we'll be 13 people altogether).

    After our guests leave, we'll have to mop the whole apartment, as we are a no shoes home but we'll be making an exception this time due to the new additions to the family... end of a long day.

    The previous night I didn't sleep much or well (got up and came here at 6am) due to excitement and I expect the same for tonight - then the work week begins.

    Sorry for writing a book and THANK YOU ALL for letting me come here to vent and think in writing.

    Maria

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