Strollerderby : cleaning house

3 Ways to Clear Out Space for the Baby

Madeline Holler — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:32:00 GMT

So, we've established that your stuff won't make you happy. Especially if you stop appreciating it. And no matter what you said in your post-baby shower thank you notes, I know you don't appreciate alllllll that crap that seems to have come along with a baby (no, not the emotional crap, the plastic, over-priced, single-use baby crap).

But what are you going to do about it?

This guy, who admits he has a wildly emotional attachment to accumulating stuff, has some ideas. You can follow his struggle to clear out a home office to make room for his pretty new baby, who, thanks to his fortitude, no longer has to sleep atop USB cable. (The indulgence!)

He's reading a book on it, but his website is enough to give you a nudge. Here are 3 tips:

Never organize what you can discard. (I love this one. In other words, quit buying containers, storage space, etc.)

Establish a dump zone -- throw anything in there that you might consider getting rid of (you can edit it later for the stuff you really can't live without).

Just freaking start getting rid of stuff.

Please add your own tips in feedback. Clutter is kind of an American shame so, you know, any extra tips would be appreciated. I'll start: throw out last month's magazine when you get this months. Also, get rid of your CDs (that's what computers are for) and all those shelves/towers/boxes you store them in.

Photo: livingthewellorderedlife.com

[via coochicoos.com]

Greenhouse: Baking Soda is Wonder Stuff

Amy Kuras — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:03:00 GMT

I'm not exactly the world's most fabulous housekeeper, but I do feel better when the house is clean. I just hate all the hard work required to do it. So I tend to turn to harsh cleaners that get the job done fast, all the while worrying about the effect it may have on the baby I am carrying or the air quality in the house for the people and pets that are already living here.

So I love coming across tips for inexpensive, nontoxic, green cleaners (because while I am totally Method's bitch, the cost mounts up). Like these tips for baking soda. I already knew it was a wonder substance, but I didn't know it could do things like put out small kitchen fires, kill roaches, and deodorize your hands (I'm assuming after chopping onions or garlic). And to keep drains clear, pour baking soda and vinegar down them once a week, which sounds like a chore my daughter and husband would fight for.

My favorite baking soda use is as a deodorizer for stanky gross laundry. When my daughter was in the "frequent accidents" phase of potty training, I'd throw a bunch in with any load that had her stuff in it and it came out smelling fine – I'm guessing it would work well on cloth diapers too. Plus I use it on sheets and towels; we all have sensitive skin and this helps soften and freshen them without giving us rashes.

Not only is it Earth-friendly, it's cheap. You can find it in giant bags at Costco and frequently find generics at the dollar store.

Do We Do Too Much for our Kids?

Karen Murphy — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:33:00 GMT

I read Sandy Banks' article in the L.A. Times and had one thought: I'm screwed.

Everything she talks about, I'm doing. Everything. I am so screwed.

Here's the thing, and maybe you don't do this, I don't know. Maybe you haven't succumbed to the urge. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the urge some of us parents have to continue to do everything, all the cleaning, all the chores, all the everything, for our kids despite the fact that they've grown old enough to do some or all of that themselves. For whatever reason. In my house, it's for a number of reasons:

My kids are only at my house part-time, and I rationalize that they'd rather spend their limited time with me playing and having fun than swabbing toilets.
Playing on this, they complain and moan when I do ask them to do something.
Which causes me to avoid asking.
ad infinitum
Plus, it's easier to do it myself. Sometimes.

But Sandy points out, and rightly so, that we're actually doing a disservice to our kids when we do this. We're not teaching them useful life skills, and more importantly, kids need to see that "taking care of the house is a collective responsibility." She gives several good tips in making the transition, s butome of which make my eyelids curl involuntarily, but I think if I really tried I could get past them. (Something about "patience," whatever that is.)

Use Toy Recalls As Excuse to Rid Your Lives of Toys You Hate

Karen Murphy — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 18:49:00 GMT

This is so brilliant; I don't know why I didn't think of it! But while you're digging through crowded toy chests (and your floors, let's be honest here) to root out recalled toys, why not take the opportunity to also divest yourself of some other toys that make the cut as far as safety goes but are just loathsome to you for other reasons?

Myself, I would get rid of the lovely wooden fruits and vegetables that with two kids were ingredients for wonderful gentle picnics and tasty kitchen creations, but in the hands of Eric have become projectile missiles. And Candyland. That would definitely go, with me laughing manically while gleefully tossing it into the trash can. And the huge rocking horse of Serena's that she never rides but for whom we must maintain a stable. In the computer room. And 2/3 of the stuffed animals who live here. I don't care which ones.

This is so cathartic!

(Sorry kids, all this stuff has been "recalled".)

So, what about you? Will you join me in taking back our houses from stupid toys we didn't want in the first place? Or toys we once liked but have grown to hate now that we know their true personalities? Join me in collectively LYING TO OUR KIDS?

You know you want to. You can taste the freedom already, can't you?

What will you get rid of?