I like to call the way I get things done around my house, the "round-about" way of doing things. Tiffany's way. MY way.
But I've come to realize that really, it's just all over the place. Lacking proper planning and sequential movement, it appears that I've been kidding myself.
If the kitchen floor needs to be mopped, it would make sense to get everything I need to use while working on the other rooms, out of the kitchen, before the floor is wet. But, no. Instead, I remove the rugs, shake them outside, come back inside, broom-sweep the floor, and then begin mopping.
THEN I decide I need to vacuum and dust. The necessary items are , where, you ask? In the laundry room, off of the kitchen. With the wet floor. Sigh.
So, using my ballerina tip-toeing skills, I glide gracefully to the laundry to retrieve what I need.
Okay, I lied. I try really hard not to fall, and not to put my whole foot down and to hurry. HURRY.
Back in action, and feeling triumphant, I plug the vacuum in. But then I notice how dusty the bookshelves are. Oh I have to do this first, I can't stand it.
I grab the Pledge (it's not Pledge, I just call anything I use to dust furniture, Pledge. I don't know why I do this), and realize I don't have the paper towels within reach. And where are the paper towels, you ask? In the laundry room, off of the kitchen. With the wet floor.
After completing my second Olympic-style ninja move to the laundry room, I return with the paper towels and begin dusting. Stepping over the vacuum cord that's plugged in. See the talent?
As I begin dusting the shelf with movies I realize that some are out of order alphabetically. No I am not OCD, it just makes it easier to find the one I want in mere seconds instead of searching for days. I stop dusting.
Twenty minutes later, I'm sitting on the floor in front of the shelf, removing DVD's and dusting the shelf. So in essence, I'm just combining the two objectives. Again, talent I tell you.
Since dusting is the theme for these moments, I decide to dust everything requiring 'dusting' in the house. Then I can move on to the next thing, see! I'm getting the stuff(s) done. While doing so, I notice the mirror in my bedroom has curious paw prints at the bottom of it, and realize I need the glass cleaner. I'm certain that I don't need to tell you where the glass cleaner is.
Making the trek back to the kitchen with the now semi-wet floor, I remember that this weekend is bed-clothes washing. Dang it! Back to the bedroom to gather the sheets and pillow cases, I begin wondering what Penny was doing to the mirror at the bottom. Rubbing her little paws against it? Talking to herself? Admiring her own reflection? We may never know.
Stepping only on the parts of the kitchen floor that are dry, I make it to the laundry room to get the first load of laundry going. I grabbed the glass cleaner, proud that I remembered I needed it, and go back to the bedroom to clean the mirror. Then I clean the bathroom mirrors. And the pictures. I have pictures everywhere so this takes time. Dramatically putting the lid back on the glass cleaner, I feel sort of triumphant that I complete one task. Now where was I?
Oh, the dusting. Listen, I love the sleigh bed, really, it's lovely, but dusting this thing is like taking a yoga class. At least I'm active.
I dust the furniture in my bedroom. I dust the furniture in my living room. AHA! Task number two, completed with flourish.
Well, no flourish really, it's just done and I can move along. I hear the washing machine turn to the rinse cycle, so off I go to add fabric softener. PS I love the way fabric softener smells.
FINALLY the vacuum is utilized and my second stint of yoga-ing commences. I consider leaning down and vacuuming underneath things, almost a downward dog. Moving large furniture back and forth is considered strength training which is essential to your core. Using the attachments and vacuuming anything above my head is clearly a warrior pose. Well, sort of.
When I finally vacuum my way back to the bedroom, I opened the closet door. Listen, I'm positive that you can reach Narnia through here I just haven't found the passageway yet. Turning the vacuum off, I begin arranging anything on the closet floor in a more orderly fashion.
Twenty minutes later......I'm looking through a photo album, remembering the good times.
Therein lies the dilemna. The vacuuming should already be done! Don't deviate!
Forcing myself to put the photo album away, I turn the closet light off, the vacuum back on, and off I go. One of the dresser drawers isn't shut all of the way, so I have to fix that as I go by, but notice that it won't shut because something is in the way. I pull the drawer open and see the disaster that is known as haphazardly folded shirts. WHO did this? Turned the vacuum off. Removed said items from drawer. Refolded them. Placed them back in the drawer that now shuts beautifully.
I turn the vacuum on again and make my way down the hall, into the living room. Glancing at the fireplace I make a mental note that it needs to be cleaned so that I can light a fire tonight. I mean, it's supposed to get down to forty three degrees, lighting a fire is imperative for my survival.
Task number three, complete. I unplug the vacuum, and begin wrapping the cord around the grooves meant for this, and realize that it really needs to be cleaned. It's a shark.
Not this kind:
This kind:
Obviously clean vacuum equals clean carpet. After I take the vacuum apart, partially, and rinse the parts with hot water, I set them on towels to dry.
I notice the absence of the sound the washing machine makes, so I transfer the load to the dryer and start the second load of laundry.
So really, am I kidding myself? The tasks were completed, were they not? And I even exercised while doing them.
Maybe this round-about way isn't so bad after all.
Now, I must go. I have to clean the fireplace.
Please note that I stopped to write this before I cleaned the fireplace.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend friend. If you make any stops during your quest of cleaning-all-the-things, whatever you do, don't deviate!
See you soon,
Tiffany
PS Breakfast at Tiffany's on Saturday morning will be crepes. I just decided.
Photo courtesy of Taste of Home
