Clean Up, and A Call for Action
Clutter/Garage Clean-out update
Well 2 FULL carloads went to Deseret Industries truck, and I have a big pile of trash on the patio. I still feel like there is more to do. Most everything has a home in the garage (oh and I got my power tools out and built some shelves). I still need to sort through all the kids outgrown clothes and decide what is really keep and what to give away. I also need to go through the kids toys...again. I seem to be constantly needing to purge their toy "collections". Each time I go into their room I feel like Mama Bear from the Berenstain Bears in the Messy Room. I just want to get a big box and throw everything in the trash. There has got to be a better way. Overall I am very happy with the progress of decluttering. I wish it went faster though, but when you only have 1or so hours at a time it makes it a bit more difficult. I guess the clutter/mess didn't happen in a day so I shouldn't expect it to get cleaned up in an hour.
Now that I am trying to get things cleaned out I am also realizing that I have very little decorating going on in our home. There are a few pictures here and there, but I just don't love the way the house looks. So I thought I would start on the mantel. It's proving to be a challenge because it spans the entire wall and I'm also contending with two windows to work around. If anyone has a good eye for design and wants to help me figure out what to do I am all ears.
On a serious note (this is a difficult story to read, but I have to share it as it may save a life)
A week or so ago I came across someone's blog posting that has really stuck with me and I would like to share a bit of it here. A mother shared the story of how her 3 year old daughter died. Early one morning her little girl woke up early and decided to play in her room before the rest of the family got up for the day. Somehow she managed to tip over a SMALL dresser in her room and it killed her. As I read this woman's story I couldn't help but imagine my Camille in that same situation. Some time ago I had bought straps to secure different pieces of furniture to the walls, but I had never installed them. Well you can imagine what I was doing the next day after reading this story. SO for those of you who have children please please please go buy the anti-tipping furniture kits at the store and install them (give me a call I'll even come help since I now feel like I'm a pro at it). You should even do this on some smaller furniture items. Here is a picture of the dresser that fell over and killed this sweet little girl.
If you would like to read her full story here is the link: (warning it WILL make you cry your eyes out) http://lovelightlaughterandchocolate.blogspot.com/2012/12/be-with-me-just-for-today.html
Well 2 FULL carloads went to Deseret Industries truck, and I have a big pile of trash on the patio. I still feel like there is more to do. Most everything has a home in the garage (oh and I got my power tools out and built some shelves). I still need to sort through all the kids outgrown clothes and decide what is really keep and what to give away. I also need to go through the kids toys...again. I seem to be constantly needing to purge their toy "collections". Each time I go into their room I feel like Mama Bear from the Berenstain Bears in the Messy Room. I just want to get a big box and throw everything in the trash. There has got to be a better way. Overall I am very happy with the progress of decluttering. I wish it went faster though, but when you only have 1or so hours at a time it makes it a bit more difficult. I guess the clutter/mess didn't happen in a day so I shouldn't expect it to get cleaned up in an hour.
Now that I am trying to get things cleaned out I am also realizing that I have very little decorating going on in our home. There are a few pictures here and there, but I just don't love the way the house looks. So I thought I would start on the mantel. It's proving to be a challenge because it spans the entire wall and I'm also contending with two windows to work around. If anyone has a good eye for design and wants to help me figure out what to do I am all ears.
On a serious note (this is a difficult story to read, but I have to share it as it may save a life)
A week or so ago I came across someone's blog posting that has really stuck with me and I would like to share a bit of it here. A mother shared the story of how her 3 year old daughter died. Early one morning her little girl woke up early and decided to play in her room before the rest of the family got up for the day. Somehow she managed to tip over a SMALL dresser in her room and it killed her. As I read this woman's story I couldn't help but imagine my Camille in that same situation. Some time ago I had bought straps to secure different pieces of furniture to the walls, but I had never installed them. Well you can imagine what I was doing the next day after reading this story. SO for those of you who have children please please please go buy the anti-tipping furniture kits at the store and install them (give me a call I'll even come help since I now feel like I'm a pro at it). You should even do this on some smaller furniture items. Here is a picture of the dresser that fell over and killed this sweet little girl.
If you would like to read her full story here is the link: (warning it WILL make you cry your eyes out) http://lovelightlaughterandchocolate.blogspot.com/2012/12/be-with-me-just-for-today.html
Oh my goodness - that is such a sad story. Sometimes I make myself crazy with paranoia of different things that can happen to my children and that is one thing I never even thought of! What a horrible way to lose a child. We will probably be doing something about this in our own home.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting that! Already read the original post and (like you said) bawled my eyes out. We already secured our armoire and bookcase, but I guess the bookcase didn't occur to me because it's so close to the changing table, you can barely open the drawers...but now I'm thinking the changing table needs to be secured, too! What did you use? Was it those heavy straps that you screw into the wall and into the furniture?
ReplyDeleteI've been bugging Todd about securing furniture for Ever. Time to do it myself. Ugh. I just spent a good 30 minutes crying. Thanks! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe kit I bought used heavy duty zip ties and then there were anchor things you screwed into the furniture and the wall. I think I bought it at target, but I know they have them all over. The hardest part was finding the studs in the wall (I won't show you all my little test holes). Also make sure the drill you use is going in the right direction - makes it a lot easier!
ReplyDelete