He was like sure baby. Whatever you need.

Fast forward to this moment…

He calls me to tell me he has to take the car to the shop. The battery died. And, while he’s there he may as well get the oil changes…blah blah blah!

Soooooooo…..

My supposed first day of “2 hours a day will get the messies away” program is not going to begin today!

Why don’t I just get into the trenches without him?

Well…

I am out numbered by children…messie…whiny children who will do like they do everyday…LOL…break me down. Demolish my defenses and nothing will get done except more messies and giggles!

AHHH!

I need chocolate…NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

OK…so when these things are goin’ on in el’ fridgeO…well, ya know…

• You have some old fruit that could be donated to science for a new type of penicillin.
• Your magnets have gone on strike.
• Your Baking Soda is fuzzy.
• There is something in there with a hairdo.
• Your milk is still in a glass container from the 50’s.
• There is a hardened mass at the bottom that may be used to cut diamonds.
• You would rather use the fast food ketchup packs than what’s in your ketchup bottle.
• You swear that something is living in the veggie bin.
• Your lunch meat has become jerky…and you didn’t plan it.
• You can smell the contents of your fridge from the living room.
• When there is a package in there that says cheddar, but you swear it’s Lindbergh.
• And…when what you thought were brussel sprouts are actually icicles.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

And my 10-year-old has picked up some of my bad habits.

But over the holidays, we cleaned her room-a job we’ve been putting off for months. She did about 80 percent of it.

I coached from the sidelines. It was then that I realized: a little thinking goes a long way with room organization.

You know those designer folks who can pack a house into a micro-space? They’re born thinkers. They visualize analyze, hypothesize, predict, and problem-solve. That’s because the key to organizing space is to think about how people actually use it.

Here are some ways to help our kids get-if not quite as expert as the pros-then at least more receptive to the clean-up challenge!

• Survey the chaos with your child and admit it’s a challenge. Help with ideas, but stay cool.
• Offer some empty boxes or bags to sort items while your child figures out where they should go. This is a great way to begin. Sorting and categorizing attack the mess and they’re also GREAT thinking skills. Ask your child to suggest the categories, e.g., electronics, craft supplies, books and magazines.
• Once basic organization has replaced the chaos, your child can figure out what to throw out or give away. Can she see herself playing with a toy again? If he gave it away, would he be disappointed if a friend showed up and wanted to play that game or use that toy? Posing scenarios and “What if?” questions helps kids think about how to handle life’s little curve balls ahead of time.
• Ask your child to take note of anything in the room that’s hard to reach. Racks and cupboards with poor access mean that they won’t be used. What could you do together to solve the problem? Sometimes the solution is as easy as a container on the floor or a new hook.
• Make sure your child has garbage and recycling boxes and knows how to use each one.

Be scarce once the ball gets rolling except for the occasional check-in. Your child will feel good at the end of the clean-up, so will you: I can guarantee it.

About the Author: Jessica Pegis is an author and consultant specializing in learning resources kids. She is the mother of 10-year-old Simone, her sternest critic and loudest cheerleader. Sign up today for KidSmart, her FREE e-zine, by going to http://www.talkplaythink.com

Tips, games, and other fun (and brainy) stuff to do with kids.

2. If you find your scissors by feeling around your dining room table until you feel something hard of the correct shape, it’s time to clear off a few things.

3. If you need a gas mask to open your fridge, you might think about throwing away some of those leftovers.

4. If you drop your comb in the bathroom and you pick it up with more hair than is currently attached to your head, it’s time to sweep.

5. If your feet stick walking across the kitchen floor, it’s time to mop.

6. If it takes more than 20 minutes to find your kids when you wake them up in the morning, it’s time to have them clean their rooms.

7. If you haven’t seen the floor of your car for a week because of the Happy Meal litter on the floor and ‘wash me’ is written in the dust on the outside of the car, it’s time to take the hint.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

OK…your turn…don’t be shy!

You Are Very Messy

You are a slob, and you really don’t care if other people know it. You don’t love messes, but you just can’t be bothered to clean on a regular basis. While being messy and disorganized feels easy, it’s probably making your life harder. Maybe it’s time for you to get a maid.

Are You Messy?

1. Do you make panic runs to the garbage can for fear that someone has thrown away something “important”?

LOL! I have ACTUALLY done this!!

2. Could you feed a family of four for more than two weeks from supplies found inside your sofa?

OK, I seriously think I could! ROFL!!

3. Have you put off purchasing a refrigerator until you can find a self-cleaning model?

This could be a serious money maker…anyone interested in colaborating??

4. Have you written to Dow to ask how you can get your Janitor in a Drum out?

Huh?? LOL! Blonde moment…

5. When you hear the phrase “cleanliness is next to…” do you fill in the blank with “impossible”?

YES!!! LOL!

6. Do you own more than 5 sets of keys you had made when the current set was “missing in action”?

LOL! No Comment…

7. Is there something growing inside your refrigerator that puts your houseplants to shame?

Oh, yeah baby! I have some MAJOR experiments going on…pennicillian has NOTHING on my fridge…that’ll be a “fun” challenge to share pics of…ROFL!

8. Have you ever put off a diet because you lost the book?

ROFL!!!!! Among other things…

9. Do you put off redecorating the den because you haven’t seen the floor in so long that you’ve forgotten what color the carpeting is?

I have tile only…LOL…funny though

10. Do you know laundry can reproduce in a hamper?

This is the question of life…WHERE does it all come from??? Wouldn’t it be AWESOME if money in the purse did that?? LOL!

11. Do you have at least three bags of “stuff to sort later” stashed somewhere in the house?

3??? LOL! More like 10!

12. Have you ever lost something in your bedroom, like the bed?

LOL! All the time! ROFL!

13. When visitors suggest that they’ll throw their coats on the bed, do you offer to set up a cot in the hall?

Visitors…LOL! Yeah, OK…Too much clutter…LOL…

14. Does your storage system consist of 30 boxes marked “miscellaneous”?

ROFL! No comment…

15. Have you ever gone to put up the holiday decorations, only to discover that you hadn’t taken them down from last year?

Hee Hee Hee! We only do inside decorations….BUT…one year they were up til April! LOL!

OK….If you answered yes, to two or more of the above questions…ROFL…Never fear…help is HERE! Join Thou Shalt Clean! Here you will find support, tips, and encouragement top help you through! LOL!

Hi, my name is Lara and I am Organizally Challenged!

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Have a wonderful and laughter filled day,

Speaking of mates, I just cannot get the man’s smelly work shirts to not have SOME mild smell in the under arm area. LOL! I mean I do it all…the soak with THREE different cleansers…the LONG wash with THREE different cleansers…and I finish it off with the FOUR dryer sheet drying time! AHHHHH! He should bottle whatever it is that comes out of his pits! LOL! We could REALLY get a handle on terrorism with the strength of my wonderful husband’s under armor! OK, OK, sorry…LOL…I LOVE my husband. However I do NOT love washing his work clothes!

Then there’s the teenager! LOL! My goodness! WHERE ARE her clothes??? She complains about having NO clean clothes. They are always MIA when I begin a load. I even make the announcement…”I am washing clothes! If you want something washed, NOW is the time!” She comes waltzing into the laundry room with ONE shirt, a bra, and a pair of panties! LOL! AHHHHHH!

Do you think I will ever have NO laundry??? LOL! What about you? Does your mountain ever shrink??

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved