Comment by: mothergoosemouse

August 25, 2006 @ 9:05 am

I’ve got refrigerator dandruff. It’s on the shelf where the milk resides, and I think it’s milk that has dried and flaked off the rim of the milk containers where it drips after I’ve hurriedly poured milk in my frantic attempts to fill the cups before anyone starts screaming.

But yes - both girls cooperate when we sing the clean up song, and they both love to wipe any available surface with Clorox wipes and Pledge dust cloths.

Comment by: Amanda

August 25, 2006 @ 9:16 am

My house the laundrey is in black trash bags waiting to be put in the proper draws. We put the clothes in their so if people come over we just throw the bags in the laundry room.

“wow your house looks great”

Comment by: mamatulip

August 25, 2006 @ 11:13 am

God, the laundry dunes are my number one enemy. I have so many of them. *sigh*

Comment by: Kristen

August 25, 2006 @ 2:17 pm

I used to subscribe to flylady when I was staying at home with a baby and toddler. Now, with working full time and having older kids who throw around a lot more toys, I don’t think it would work for me. It did work pretty well when the kids were younger and I had more time at the house, though.

Comment by: Cathy

August 25, 2006 @ 4:30 pm

I tried Flylady but it didn’t work for me. I attributed it to the fact I was a full time working mom but the truth is I was to lazy to work her system. I know it works for lots of people… I ended up getting a cleaning service, which I have never regretted. It’s well worth the expense, in my opinion.

Comment by: Mrs. Flinger

August 25, 2006 @ 5:37 pm

Heh. Great terms. and that whole dancing/singing bit to gets kids to help out? Totally works and TOTALLY worth it (says a former Pre-K teacher who’s class room was ALWAYS picked up before we had a transition)

Comment by: SistaSmiff

August 25, 2006 @ 7:29 pm

I’ve been on the FlyLady email list for years. One of these days, I’m going to shine my sink and attempt to follow it.

Comment by: Jill

August 25, 2006 @ 7:32 pm

The floor is my worst nightmare too. With three boys and a dog, we used to have a cleaning service come once a week, but I stressed out so much over having them here that it wasn’t worth it. Once they broke a stove knob and once they dripped bleach water onto a bedroom carpet. One time my infant was waking up from his nap while they were here, and I walked upstairs to find one of the cleaning ladies leaning over his crib and patting him! So that was the end of maid service for me.

My biggest problem with cleaning is that I don’t have time to do the whole house at once, so I do it in bits. But then the whole house never feels REALLY clean (until we have a party!)

Comment by: Renee

August 25, 2006 @ 7:38 pm

I’m right there with ya, sister.
I actually used to sing the stupid Barney clean up song to myself.
Scary, eh?

Comment by: beth

August 25, 2006 @ 8:58 pm

not into the fly lady. couldn’t get past the fact that she wants me to keep my shoes on at all times. How does that keep my house clean? that just tracks in the mess that’s outside!!

Comment by: Pattie

August 26, 2006 @ 7:00 am

This is so funny! Laundry Dunes! We suffer from the same affliction over here. I have to laugh at Mothergoosemouse’s “refrigerator dandruff”…I hate that, too!
As far as the FlyLady goes, I suppose some people would require her services. Thankfully, I am not one of them.

Comment by: Paige

August 26, 2006 @ 7:09 am

Oh how I can relate!! We have the dog hair too, but at least it is really short and white so you can’t see it, but she refuses to actually eat at her food dish and has to bring food into the living room so we have pieces she forgets about or crumbs from where they have fallen out of her mouth. You would think that she would want to eat those too considering she is 50 lbs and apparently getting bigger! LOL Our carpet is horrible unless I vacuum every single day, but with 2 kids (1 & 3) that just doesn’t always get done.

Comment by: Shauna

August 26, 2006 @ 11:08 am

Poodles don’t do much shedding, so my hairanoia mostly focuses on my own hair, which has been falling out by the handful. Gross.

Comment by: Anne

August 26, 2006 @ 4:58 pm

hey, I have the laundry dunes too! And because of the scariness that is beneath carpet, we don’t have any of it. which means a head bonk on concrete hurts more but at least I don’t get heebiejeebied out. as much. Once Caitlin learns to clean a toilet please send her over here. Lily needs the tutelage.

Comment by: Nancy

August 27, 2006 @ 7:41 am

Loving your descriptive terms for the state of the house. What kills us is the toy shrapnel — bits and pieces of toy sets strewn throughout the house without rhyme or reason. It takes hours to get all the little pieces together and in the right location. Half the time I just give up!

Comment by: Library Mama

August 27, 2006 @ 8:26 am

Hi there,

Now that I’m back at work, I don’t get over here nearly as much as I would like, but I am so glad I made the trip today. I can relate not only to your fabulous post, but also to each and every comment.

I try to do Flylady in the summertime when I am home from school. I always unsubscribe the day before school starts. I already have sufficient guilt through the school year; I don’t need an email every hour or so reminding me of all the things I don’t have time to do.

I have always longed for a maid service. Alas, our finances don’t allow it at this time. Maybe by the time I’m retired and have time to clean my house again…

I’ve always harboured a (hopefully) secret bitterness for two separate families we know. One is a couple with no children who have a cleaning service (how messy can they be?). The other is a stay at home mom (with two perfect little girls) who has a cleaning service.

Hello! What about this pathetic full time working mom over here with three messy boys and an overactive dog. Where’s my housekeeping fairy?

(Sorry for the extra-long comment. I’ve really missed coming by; guess I’m making up for it.)

Comment by: Library Mama

August 27, 2006 @ 8:30 am

Oops - one more thing.

I read somewhere that one reason children are not as healthy as they used to be is because of our obsession with cleanliness, especially antibacterial agents. The kids can’t get immunity built up because they aren’t exposed to sufficient amounts of mild bacteria. Then they can’t cope when exposed to stronger strains.

My kids should live forever.

Comment by: deb

August 27, 2006 @ 8:55 am

Fly Lady is way to regimented for me. “Fly by night” is *my* theory ;~)

Comment by: R*belle

August 27, 2006 @ 11:43 am

I need to check out Fly Lady. Sigh.

LOVE this post by the way, you are a riot!

Comment by: molly

August 27, 2006 @ 2:55 pm

Hairanoia? ROFL!!!!

My house and yours must look so much alike.

And as for flylady, I’ve visited the site a couple of times and come to this conclusion, apologies to flylady and all her adherents, but OCD is alive and well. I’ll live with the disorder and mess, thank you very much. I like to think of my clutter and disorder as the product of a creative mind, so take that, Flylady!

Comment by: Bluegrass Mama

August 27, 2006 @ 5:14 pm

The laundry is the only chore I tend to keep up with. Probably because until I lose 15 pounds I only have about three outfits that fit.

My name is Bluegrass Mama, and I’m a clutter-holic. I can’t get away from it! Which means it’s too hard to dust or vacuum, because all the clutter’s in the way.

Comment by: Blonde Mom

August 27, 2006 @ 9:10 pm

In some sort of bizarre blog jinx our dishwasher is not working. UGH!

I did get motivated to not only do laundry, but put it away, as well as vacuum this weekend. And Swiffer…can’t live without the Swiffer.

Comment by: Jennifer

August 27, 2006 @ 11:34 pm

*sigh*

Because of you I had cleaning dreams. Then I felt compelled to clean when I woke up.

Sheesh!

Comment by: Lisa

August 28, 2006 @ 1:15 am

I do fly! I love her. Its really encouraging to get emails reminding you to do what when and stuff. You know kinda like that saying it works if you work it so work it cause its worth it. Ok total cheesehead here. I like it though.

Comment by: Keeping the Castle » Good [Enough] Housekeeping by the Blonde Mom

September 13, 2006 @ 12:58 pm

[...] We do so much drudge work at home that it’s good to have a bit of fun here and there. From the Blonde Mom Blog is a glossary of terms that I think should be in every homemaker’s dictionary. P.S., the Blonde Mom has a dog. [...]

Comment by: eMoms at Home » Blog Archive » MVPs for Friday September 15th

September 15, 2006 @ 10:36 am

[...] Earlier this week, I had committed to my Mastermind Group that I would clean the garage floor. I put it off until 3:00am the night before my meeting. Why?? Because I hadn’t put the trash out in two weeks, and racoons had entered the garage when my son left his bike in the doorway leaving the door wide open. I don’t think I’ve ever taken on a grosser task [bleughahch!!!!!]. My favorite BlondeMom wrote a hilarious post I just found on Good [Enough] Housekeeping. I suddenly don’t feel like a schlep anymore (I thought I was the only one with laundry dunes! YES!!). [...]

Comment by: Rebecca

September 16, 2006 @ 3:06 am

What a relief, other people don’t hoover carpets and have refrigerator sludge too. Please tell me you don’t do any ironing either, then I will feel even better!

Comment by: BlondeMomBlog » Laundry is not for Wimps

October 16, 2006 @ 8:43 pm

[...] The nice PR folks representing Clorox contacted me several weeks ago about reviewing their latest product, Clorox UltimateCare Premium Bleach. Considering laundry dunes taunt me and stains mock me I said, “Yes, please!” You know you revel in the mundane when you get excited to see a box of bleach on your doorstep. [...]