Clean-Up Progress - Week 6

Not much to report this week, although I did clean off the kitchen countertop of all the useless clutter on Tuesday night. I've been keeping it and the dining table pretty cleared off since we got the butcher block cabinet. I've moved all the mail to the top of the cabinet but I still need to get a basket for MK's pocket empty-ings. Don't really have time to make anything myself so maybe I can pick up a cheap basket at Walmart or the dollar store. While the top of the cabinet does have clutter, at least it's confined to that one, small space rather than being strewn out along the entire kitchen countertop. It feels so much better to have that clean.

I've been doing a better job of keeping the laundry put away. I did a TON of laundry this weekend and while it's not all put away yet, at least I didn't take it back to the bedroom just to sit on the floor in the baskets for weeks. It's currently in the dining room floor in baskets (like that's any better, right?) but I plan on working my way through it tonight. The baby hasn't been sleeping well the past week and by the time I get him off to bed, I don't feel like doing any more than getting the dishwasher loaded and started.

I am going to have to vacuum every other day or so because I decided to no longer put down a quilt or blanket on the floor for LMW. It's just too annoying to deal with, especially once dirt gets tracked in. The area rug is usually dirty too and I have to vacuum anyway, so I might as well just vacuum and not deal with the blanket. I hate it when the blanket has pieces of leaves, specks of dirt, and he rolls around in it. He's pulling up on everything anyway, so it would be better if he didn't have folds and wrinkles to trip up on. I figure he'll be walking soon. He's started letting go, like he doesn't even realize he can't walk yet. Stinker.

My eating habits have gotten a lot better. I'm only snacking on healthy things and rarely eat junk unless I get an uncontrollable craving, which isn't often. I can't remember the last time I had a regular soda (I've had a few diet sodas when I needed some caffeine or went through the drive-thru) and although we ate more fast food this weekend than we normally do, I plan to get back on track this week. Drinking more water, eating less sugar, and trying to include more veggies and fruits, which is still kind of hard for me. I'm not a vegetable person...they taste so bitter to me. I've always had a strong sense of smell and I often think that amplifies the flavor of foods. So, if something is bitter, it's twice as bitter to me. If it's salty, it's twice as salty to me (I'm not a fan of salt on my food). I don't know, I may just be making that up.

I still need to find some sort of exercise activity, but it's hard this time of year. Maybe when MK gets healed enough to watch the baby on his own, I can do Zumba a few nights a week.

Some things I REALLY need to do/get soon:

• Welcome mats to keep the pine straw and dirt to a minimum
• Basket for MK's pocket junk (this is why women have purses)
• Hooks to hang up my purse/tote and our most-used outerwear to put near the door
• Start going through the books and making a donate pile.