How to Clean a Room

This is what Middle and Little Sisters' room has looked like for the past month.  Or more.  I've completely lost track of when it was cleaned up last.  Every time I look in there thinking I will clean it up I get this sinking feeling and head back down the stairs and put it out of my mind.

Can you believe I'm really sharing these photos with you?  I've lost my mind I tell ya.

First you make the bed so you have a clear space to put the piles of 'stuff'.

Photographing the marker marks on the bedspread is optional.  The girls say they had a little help from a certain little friend of theirs!

After about an hour you have some clear spaces, a huge pile of trash, a pile of dirty laundry, and piles of sorted stuff.

The other side of the room still looks like this.

And this.  The stuff was piled so deep over here I needed a backhoe.

This tub used to hold all their American Girl stuff.  Now it is in the trash can.

I decided getting the backhoe up the stairs was more work than it was worth so I pitched and piled my way through.

By lunch time I had it looking like this...

With this pile of American girl stuff...

...and this large box full of American Girl stuff.

And this closet still needing cleaned out.

After lunch, a break, some school work, an orthodontist appointment for The Teenager, and a trip to the library, I cleaned out that closet.  With The Teenager's help we switched out her dresser and the one from this room.  Middle Sister and Little Sister helped with the organizing, and putting away of all the mess in the closet.  The photo above is what their room looked like when they went to bed. 

American Girl stuff found homes in some of these tubs.  The Polly's and some of the Playmobile were shipped to the cellar.

New curtain is a must.  Also a longer cord on the chandi. 

This is inside the closet.  I have plans for this space to make it more user friendly but for now it works.

I have BIG plans for the whole room.  There is marker, crayon, pen, pencil, stars, stickers, you name it all over the walls.  We moved The Teenager into this room from our bedroom when she was 18 months old.  She is now 13.  She shared this room with Middle Sister and then they all 3 shared this room for awhile till we got the 3rd bedroom finished.  Now this room is in dire need of a fresh coat of paint, new curtain, and hardwood.  My but it is hard to move furniture around on carpet!  Reason #3587 why I love my hardwood!!

A big thank you for today goes to my Mom.  She has agreed to come over once a week to oversee the school day while I concentrate on something else.  I never would have even started this room cleaning today if it hadn't been for that.  Thanks Mom, you are the best!!