22 February 2012

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!!

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Jordan said...

I spy a Colts helment:)

February 22, 2012 at 10:29 PM  
Blogger Sew a Fine Seam said...

;) And 'Blue' the pillow pet:)

February 22, 2012 at 10:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this! I now know I am not alone. My kids' rooms have always looked like this. Every couple months I would go in with a few trash bags and a shovel, and start sorting. I would always make them swear it wouldn't get so messy again, but it always does. KIDS!

February 23, 2012 at 1:43 AM  
Blogger Andrea said...

My boys rooms looked similar, minus the dolls, but add Transformers. I took all but two totes of toys out and said they had to earn them back by keeping what they had clean. I cannot believe it has worked for over 2 weeks. Even the youngest says "WAIT we forgot to clean up" It's not perfect, but at least it's better than the pit is was. I guess this blog corrects my "I bet a girls room wouldn't look like this" theory.

February 23, 2012 at 4:44 AM  
Blogger alee said...

bless your moms heart! & how fun for you to get so much done!
cleaning Miss Graces bedroom almost always puts me in a bad mood :/!
p.s. can't wait to see your little blamkets!

February 23, 2012 at 5:49 AM  
Anonymous Meg said...

Dear Jill,
Can I come play soon? My mom has hidden all the markers.
Love, Meg

February 23, 2012 at 7:11 AM  
Blogger Sew a Fine Seam said...

If my girls had their way it would be all 'boy' stuff instead of dolls! But i decided it was high time to get the dolls out in the spotlight!!!
And no, boys are not the only ones who make messes. i think girls can make BIGGER messes - LOL!

February 23, 2012 at 9:27 AM  
Blogger Sew a Fine Seam said...

yes, dear meg, you may come anytime!!! We love to have you around!

February 23, 2012 at 9:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I enjoyed helping the school girls and look forward to it again. I remember rooms at my house looking very similiar to this room. And I remember taking the garbage bags in and filling them up while the occupants of the rooms were otherwise occupied! Their idea of trash didn't always agree with mine. You were brave to post the pics. Not sure I could have done that! Mother

February 23, 2012 at 10:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

By the way, it looks great now!

February 23, 2012 at 10:08 AM  
Blogger lisa said...

Oh JILL! I have soooooo been there, done that! I used to avoid a certain girl's room until she was gone for the day or week, and then I'd dig it out. She saved EVERYTHING, and would have a fit if she saw me moving things. If she was gone, however, she never missed a thing. One year I hauled out 7 bags of 'stuff' and she never missed a thing!
Way to go...it is a darling room!

February 23, 2012 at 7:48 PM  
Blogger deborah said...

I can get grumpy over my kids' messy rooms, too. But it always looks so good when they're clean!

February 25, 2012 at 1:43 AM  

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