Saturday 28 March 2009

Domestic Blitz

With Easter swiftly approaching, I felt again that primeval urge........



.......to spring-clean.


A quick trawl around the internet will find you numerous sites advertising 'spring-cleaning checklists'. You can, if you so desire, print them off and carry them round the house, presumably in your apron pocket, ticking off items as you go.


Sadly, they're not much use to me, being full of instructions such as:



Dust coils at back of refrigerator



and



Clean filters above cooker hood



Anybody carrying out a quick casing of the joint here would realise I need a more basic list, such as:



Scrape baked-on yoghurt from plasma screen TV using a flat-bladed knife....



or



Discard and replace all rabbit-chewed items, including bedding, shoes and various soft toys....



or even



Actually ENTER teenage bedrooms with a view to cleaning, rather than standing at the door thinking 'Dear God, whatever did I do to deserve this.......'



Anyway, I've made a start. And as I sat surveying what I had accomplished lastnight, I had to admit, it didn't look half bad.


Now, I just need to find a way of keeping this lot locked out till Easter Sunday............












My legs look pretty good on this one, don't you think?

44 comments:

ChrisB said...

Are you sure you haven't been looking in my house-except for the teenage bedroom-although I have to say I have memories indelibly printed on my mind from the late 70's early 80's. What goes around comes around; my daughter now has teenagers and I can sit back and smile to myself!

BTW Neat ankles ;)

Idle Rambler said...

It all sounds far too familiar!

I decided pretty early on with our two lads that the best policy re their bedrooms was, 'close the door and walk on by'.

To be fair they're both reasonably tidy it's just that they don't really see why things have to be clean as well!

Idle Rambler said...

I forgot to comment on the picture - Yes, great legs; I wish I had ankles!

Cath said...

Spring clean?
Is it spring yet?

Your legs look great. :)

Katney said...

Most halfway decent legs look really good in heels. On the other hand, what would possess anyone to clean house in heels. I don't even own any heels any more. I don't worry about the legs as I just wear slacks and long skirts.

Kitty said...

Cleaning and kids are mutually exclusive. I find myself forever thinking 'there's no point washing the floors - they'll be in in an hour and make them all dirty again' ... so they don't get done.

x

Ttony said...

I suppose the vanity got to your head and you wanted us all to see that you even do your cleaning in high heels - "Kathy Kirby!" is what I have to say to you.

I will say, however, that I read your remarks about teenage bedrooms out loud to senior management here and she immediately felt the tug of a kindred spirit.

Maggie May said...

Your legs look brilliant. Don't know how you do it! And those heels.....

You never DID tell us about the rabbits, did you? Remember the post about the three things & you only told us about one! (The Father of this Lot) Why is the house full of rabbits or is that a daft question?

Amrita said...

To do all that work wearing stilletos ...my oh my!

Renae said...

Images of June Cleaver are flooding my mind . . . are you wearing the pearls to go with the heels?

Only June's boys always had spotless rooms . . . If she'd had girls, she'd have taken those heels off. :-)

Yes, your legs look great. I'm a bit jealous. If I didn't love you so much, I might not like you. ;-)

Daryl said...

Amazing this need to clean .. I can usually ignore it .. but yesterday I was on a mission .. I cleaned out the closet shelves and book shelves got vacuumed as did every nook or cranny those miserable little white moths could hide .. didnt find a single one I wonder who told them I was coming...

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

I know it's time to clean up when the action of throwing a grenade into a room would actually tidy it up a bit.

Anonymous said...

You've obviously been polishing the rubbish bin in the middle of the night....I've never seen one looking so shiny and free of yogurt stains dribbling down the side.

I'd just like to know who you were expecting for company... in that length of skirt I think it might have been the Vicar. You have such great legs. If you just shortened the hem a touch, you could use the remnants for a duster, don't you think?

Bella x

E said...

And try not to get Windex in the computer keyboard when cleaning the pilled diet Coke. Or how about take wrappers out of sofa cushions and discard.
Another favorite around here is open drawers and just empty into trash. The pennies are too sticky to matter and who knows what all that other stuff is anyway?
I love going to Restoration Hardware or the Vermont Country Store and looking at all the fancy lavender cleaning products and brass cleaner and and and...Then I come home an....well ti is a slightly different narrative isn't it?

Cath said...

Jackie - would you mind sending me an email address so that I can "invite" you to read my blog? I have the troll back.

Jennie said...

your legs look fab! I entered my twelve year olds room the other day and moved it all around and tidied it, took me all morning. My seventeen year old son on the other hand, I shut the door as I long ago gave up trying to tidy/get him to tidy it.
I love your list of cleaning things, much more realistic. I think you should write a book ala Kim and Aggie :D

Working Mum said...

Husband has declared we need a spring clean here (still suffering from two years of plaster dust from doing up the house). Hope he can find the hoover while I'm at the hairdressers!

Casdok said...

Love the legs!!

My list is more basic to - i wont tell you what i have to scrape off the TV!!

Swearing Mother said...

Don't you find those stilettos make your legs ache?

meggie said...

Never mind the legs, what about those tight little cheeks!

Ally Jay said...

When you find that list please pass on to me. I find myself fast running out of rooms as I adopt the policy of closing the doors on the messy ones.

qualcosa di bello said...

a very blessed Easter to you & yours, jackie! how'd that spring cleaning in teen rooms work out???

E said...

Okay enough waiting already. Update this blog now, errrr, ummm...... please.
I miss your stories!

Beth Cotell said...

I hope you had a blessed Easter! Miss your posts...

Kimmie said...

Your legs look great (crazy girl) and it looks as if you have been to the gym...and a bit tan too, I might add.

Kimmie
mama to 7
one homemade and 6 adopted

Idle Rambler said...

Hi, you've been quiet for too long - get blogging soon, please!

Thumbelina said...

Ed strikes again...

Time for you to blog again please...!

Renee said...

Hello. (knock knock) Anyone home?

Mean Mom said...

Good legs! I've never dusted the coils on the back of the fridge. Are you supposed to, then?

Are you OK? You've been missing even longer than I have.

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Hi Jackie, are you still in the Blogosphere? I do hope so - and hope that all your family are fine?
I'm obviously not the only one that misses you. M xx

Maggie May said...

Jackie, we are getting worried about you. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Beth Cotell said...

Are you still out there? Is everything ok? Are you posting somewhere else and I missed it the notice?

Kimmie said...

Jackie...

could you send me an email and tell me you are okay. Worried about you. Praying for you.

Kimmie
mama to 7
one homemade and 6 adopted

Mrs P said...

Long time no see! I do hope everything is alright! Is the computer being naughty again?!
I've tagged you, over at mine - just a bit of fun if you need a topic for a new post.
Rx

Amrita said...

Hi Jackie, Just wondering how you are?.

Pray every thing is weell.Miss you

How is the lot?

Are you on Face Book like I am?

Idle Rambler said...

Hi again, hope all is well.
You (or someone!) are obviously checking in now and again to post your comments. Do you think you could manage a tiny little post just to let us all know you're OK and give us a clue whether or not you will be blogging again, some time. I feel cheated - I'd only just discovered your blog when you went all silent! Please!

Manic Mother Of Five said...

Oi!

Where are you???

I'm back!

Working Mum said...

Hello? Anyone there? Come back Mother of This Lot, I so miss your ascerbic wit and wisdom.

Thumbelina said...

Seems that Ed has changed his name! Just popping by to say hi. I am having to stop too. Too much going on.
Take care.

Katney said...

Hey, Jackie. We miss you. Hope all is well.

Kit said...

Jackie...dear, where are you? :(

Thumbelina said...

Okay I lied. I haven't completely stopped. So if I haven't why have you?

WE MISS YOU!!!

Come back soon. :)

Rose said...

Wish you were here!

Maggie May said...

Just let us know you are alright! Miss you.

Nuts in May