Summer Clean-Up Challenge

Okay, my cyber friend, Lisa in Jax, posted a summer clean-up challenge. She said to pick your worst room and show before/after pictures. There'll be a prize for the "most improved." There's nothing like an Amazon gift certificate to motivate a book addict, so I decided to face the humiliation and post ONE of my worst rooms. It was hard to decide. So hard that I may have to post more than one. So I started with the first room people see when they walk into my house - my living room.

*I* do not LIVE in my living room. I like the kitchen/dining area and the bathtub! I hardly EVER sit down on my sofas except to occasionally read a book and rarely ever watch television. But my children....that's another subject. And because of that, I will blame MOST of this mess on them. Not all. But most.

Now to also further qualify, we ARE building a house and are soon to be moving. We have zero storage in our current house. And I am currently storing food/drinks for the swim team until our banquet. With that in mind, here we go.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Now this was unwanted stuff left by Josh's friend who was staying with us. He has moved back out of state with his family. I guess we qualified for Goodwill:

The dogs' toy basket had seen better days, so this plastic bin was put to better use.

Most of this stuff is for the swim team - bottles of water and other assorted drinks that we will need for the banquet. *I* am the lucky mom who gets to store it in her spacious home.

Stuff's still there, but at least we can get to Cosette's crate without tripping! And it is straight.

Because we have no storage, out of season clothing and things Brooke has outgrown, but Morgan has yet to grow into has been stored in Rubbermaid bins behind the front door. Lovely. But it has to go somewhere. The girls have started just tossing out of season/outgrown clothing on the top of the stack because they are all full. Stewart loves this cushy perch - he can see everything from there!

After. The pile of clothing were folded and put into another box. I really MUST cull these clothes.

Okay, this is just a disaster and it is right when you walk in the door. We had to wash all the horse blankets (those red things). Two have been done. They WERE folded. Someone has tossed them onto the floor. And the "squirrel cage" fan from LAST MONTH when the a/c went out. This has GOT to go! Only I cannot lift it!

Now there is nothing there but a box of school books for next year. Even Stewart approves.

All of this was done after 3 p.m. and before 10. And in case my girls would try to convince you otherwise, I did it ALL BY MYSELF. Down to sanitizing the dog crates, vacuuming, and dusting. If you don't believe me, ask Stewart.