KROGER: LYSOL DISINFECTING WIPES AS LOW AS $0.49

Right now at Kroger Lysol Wipes are part of the new What a Deal Mega Event ~ Buy 5 participating products and save $4 instantly. There is also a $0.50/2 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes printable coupon making each container ONLY $0.49 (if your store doubles) wyb 5 participating products!! This is a great deal for back to school!

Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy!

A clean home is a happy home. Seriously, it’s true. But honestly if you’re the one doing the cleaning, it sucks. Who really has the time to clean? Let’s be real for a moment, the LAST thing I want to do when I come home from work is to start cleaning up the mess that my children managed to make while I was away busting my butt.  There are a MILLION things that prevent me from scouring the tub and polishing the furniture ; like cooking, taming the laundry, playing with my kiddos and Facebook, for instance.  Who wants to spend their precious time cleaning? Sure as hell not me…well, unless I’m getting paid for it.

So many people have an all or nothing about cleaning that when it gets to be too much, you give up. When it comes to cleaning my first thought has always been that  Saturday had to be an all day clean-a-thon. I don’t really have a concept of how to balance the work load during the week so weekends could be reserved for  fun! Everyone in my family are perfect when it comes to cleaning.  I am far from it! Truth be told, I think something in my genes is allergic to it!   That being said, I know that if I am to care for my family, I need to create for them a clean, peaceful home environment.

Okay, so you know how much I have cleaning but did you know that I love organization? I am never happier than when everything looks tidy.  This creates a bit of a problem.  My choices are to live disorganized or to spend a lot of time doing things I hate.  Then it hit me. There IS another choice.  I can accomplish  needs to be done with a different attitude. Everything in moderation! If you spend too much time stressing about what is clean or not, you’re more likely to throw in the towel. If you try to do a little bit a time, you’ll probably be more successful. Adjust this list as your family's needs require (those with more or less children might require doing certain activities more or less). If it's easier, make a cleaning calender! Personally, I did not have time to make one for myself but that is okay because I stumbled across Frugal Novice. Below is my cleaning calendar for June. She posts a new one each month! This helps me make sure I am getting everything accomplished and it does not kill my weekend plans! 

A few last tips to keeping your home, and mine, tidy: 

1) Dealing With What Comes Through The Door! Set up a small area by the front door for incoming items into your home. 

2) Do Your Dishes After Every Meal! This will help you stay on top of your kitchen.

3) Laundry? Do a little bit each day. Spread things out so you don't feel bogged down.

4) Get into it! Singing or turning up the stereo are all great to keep the beat in your feet and have fun while working. 

5) Set a Timer! If you find yourself off task it's easy to get back on track.

Have you found the perfect cleaning routine? Do you have anything to add to the list above?  Let me know in the comments below!

The Joy. *Sigh*

Walk into the Little's room? Me? Not without a hard hat and hazmat "bunny suit!" Their room is the definition of a pigsty. First, if you can get the door open, you are greeted by a mound of shoes...I am talking medium size hill here! If you can make it across without injury, you will find yourself in a swamp of books and papers. Haven't drowned? Then you have made your way to the broken toy/missing pieces playground or cemetery if you will. There is more crap in their room than should actually fit. Seriously, if a fire marshall got wind we would probably have to evacuate the premises due to weight constrictions. 

To this I am torn. I have read that children benefit from living in a messy home. Not only is it great because the kiddos are exposed to germs but messy homes bring out random stimulation. Okay, I get that. But there is no stimulation going on it that room. It is Martha Stewart's version of HELL! 

Is it seriously hard to comprehend putting away one toy before playing with another? Can’t find your shoes again? Did you put them away when you took them off? Of course not.

Then there is the side of me that feels allowing them to be messy is condoning their being lazy and unorganized. I have tried to no avail to teach them responsibility for belongings and to respect gifts others have given by not leaving them on the floor. If a toy is broken or missing pieces it needs to be thrown away. Too many toys? Looks like we need to donate some! This does not seem to sink in to my little pack rat hording children who can't bring friend inside without being embarrassed. (I am embarrassed, they see no problem with their room being a disaster!) 

Ultimately, I guess I fall in the middle of my two very different opinions. There still needs to be some order. I am not expecting their room to sparkle and smell like sunshine 24/7/365. Yet I hate the constant chaos! I am not a perfectly tidy person by any means. I organize as suits my style; we live in a home that is too small for our family. That being said, NEVER in my life have I seen such a landfill for a child's room. Numerous times, I have helped them really clean their room. At best it would stay tidy for 3 days tops. I am about to just go in with trash bags and clean house once more but it takes hours....time I don't want to devote on a day off. 

I just don't know what to do. They know the rules and that nightly, they are to tidy up...but they don't. At this point, I feel I am going to have to stand over them and instruct them on what to do. Again, not looking forward to that. I have taken away their favorite possessions. Not even a flinch! Then I promised a total room makeover, they chose the bedding, color scheme, wall decor, everything. Even, that did not work. Which was shocking because I went onto pinterest and showed them pictures of ideas they could use. Though it excited them...it failed to light that fire under their butts!

Ah, the joys of parenting!