Spring Cleaning

Last night I started my spring cleaning rituals. First I start off with the kitchen, always the kitchen because that has to get redone every few days or so. I hate a dirty kitchen. I mean really, really hate it. I can't think when my kitchen is dirty. Then I move on to projects that have been unfinished or that don't need doing anymore. This time it was the couch and some new pillow covers. I got two of my six pillow covers done. I am still thinking about whether I should just make it five pillows, though. I have two little ones that could make a very cute big one. Not sure yet. Then, because we can not afford a new couch or a new couch cover and Scott ripped my old one, I had to fix that. After closer inspection, I realized that I was going to have to do quite a bit and that was where most of my day was spent. I had to cut off a certain part of it and remake it out of different fabric that I had. Unfortunately our couch is white and so any fabric I chose would stick out like a sore thumb because I never buy white fabric unless it is muslin and I only use that for lining. Well, anyway, I did the couch and I actually kind of like it, it gives it some character. Now, don't get me wrong I would prefer a new couch or couch cover, but that just isn't in our budget right now and so what I did is really working for me. It's funky and fun and since the kids are only going to make it worse I can continue to have fun with it until they get older.
The other thing that I did today was wash my walls and scrub down the fireplace hearth. If you have a toddler you know what happens when those little hands get a hold of juice, crayons, milk anything. All of a sudden your dry, white walls are colorful, sticky and full of hand prints. I use to wash it once a week, but that was exhausting and such a waste of precious baby time. So now I do it twice a month and I try to do it on weekends when Scott is hanging out with the kids. But his Grandmother is coming tomorrow and so all of my weekend cleaning projects have been piling up throughout the week and today is the day.
Here is a list of what I have done:
Walls
Kitchen
Laundry
Bathroom
Couch (cover & pillows)
Fireplace Hearth & Mantel
Vacumed

Here is a list of what has yet to be done either tonight or tomorrow morning:
Beds made
Bedrooms straightened
Hallway/ Laundry room
Hall closet
Diaper Table
And one last vacume

So, looking at it I have actually done more than it feels like. The rest of the stuff is things that I can usually straighten throughout the week so they aren't bad at all. Just a few minutes in each area.

I love to clean. I used to love to clean just to clean. Now, though I love to clean because I get a sense of immediate accomplishment. With the kids everything is always such a long drawn out process that when they finally do something it is so amazing. But at the same time it can really make a woman feel like she isn't worth much. Cleaning gives me a sense of self pride that I think is important. Most people get that from thier jobs, but when your job is your kids the result isn't going to show up for years. So, the immediate can sometimes feel really good.