Update

`Camping was GREAT as usual. The best thing about the group I go with is everyone is a trooper. Murphy followed us on this vacation, but he didn't stop us from having fun. We had sick kids, leaky tent, malfunctioning air mattress, and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. We won the site decorating contest, the kids got to play bingo, pool bingo, go on trailer rides, bowl for candy, mini golf. They lit Yogi's house with lights accompanied by music and fireworks during a down pour. It was great.

` I meant to get back to blogging earlier but I ended up, for the first time ever getting a full blown migraine. It's not a club I was looking to get into. I have had some bad sinus headaches in my life, but nothing prepared me for this. Over the counter meds didn't even take the edge off. I was completely useless for three days and my house looks it. Back to square one, but that is okay. I'm going forward with the I know I can....I Know I can attitude. I have lots of fun things to look forward too. We are going to a zoo next weekend, then a water park, and then the end of September we are doing our fall camping trip. Fall is actually my favorite season to camp. Yes the cold can be brutal, but there is something about being surrounded by the beautiful colors and the crisp air that makes you feel alive. We usually go in October, but my hubby and I decided to have an adult only weekend in Mystic for our anniversary so we decided to move the camping trip up two weeks.

Rain Rain GOOOOOO AWAY!!!

This post is a part of Focus Check Friday at A Slob Comes Clean.

` I followed through with the KISS method and my house stayed semi clean, but I didn't stress over it. I had a lot of packing to do plus oldest ended up with bronchitis and I have a lovely summer cold. I have little odds and ends left to pack and want to do a quick clean up through out the house before we leave.

`This week according to weather.com I am going to have to focus on staying dry!! Looks like it is going to rain for the next three days. However since it rains EVERY time we go camping, especially for set up, I am not surprised. I know no matter what we will have an awesome time and a little rain never hurt anyone. Kind of funny we will be celebrating Christmas in July, that's the theme for activities, with a 100 degree heat index. I am SO glad we got the sites next to the pool. Be back next Friday.

Monday

`Today I got the kitchen done. Washed, swept mopped, even dusted the ceiling fan and I feel great. I think the kitchen is my anchor room. As long as that room is clean I feel productive and like I can conquer the rest of the house. I would love my bedroom to be my anchor room but somehow I think it would be to easy to just shut the door and live in there so I didn't have to face the rest of the house.

` I am still waiting for Mercedes to collect her clothes so we can wash them. Her consequence will be that she will have to stay home instead of sleeping over my moms with my sister who is her age. I don't think she believes me when I tell her she's not going if the clothes are not done. I have reminded her several times and decided instead of getting mad she will have to learn the hard way. I am not going to lie don't like being this way, but I have also witnessed first hand what happens when you give your children everything without any responsibilities or consequences.

`As a matter of fact I decided this year for shopping I am handing my oldest cash and she will have to figure it out herself. I will take her and assist but she is going to have to decide how she is going to spend the money. I have read about other people doing this and after a trip to the mall where we did nothing but argue over I pair of shoes (I gave her a limit she wanted a pair for twice as much) that I would try it. She will be able to keep whatever is left so I hope that is a good incentive for her to make good choices.

Laundry Schedule

I want to try something new this week. I am going to attempt a laundry schedule and stick to it.

Monday- Mercedes Day- I will wash and dry but she can help get the clothes to the washer, fold, and put away.

Tuesday- Thomas will have the same job Mercedes has on Monday.

Wednesday- Matti's Day- She will be completely responsible for her own laundry.

Thursday- Towels, Towels, and more Towels

Friday- mine and the hubby's

Saturday- Sheets and bedding

Sunday- My washer shall have a day of rest.

I won't be able to get a full week in this week since we leave Friday night for vacation, but I can go all the way through Friday and since we come back on the following Friday I will pick up where I left off. The camp ground we are staying at has a laundry mat so I plan on doing some laundry there to make my life less hectic when we get back. Thanks for the comments on my Focus Check Friday. The more I thought about them the more I realized I am missing out on an opportunity as a mom to help give my children some life skills that they will use the rest of their lives. I can't do it all and at the ages they are at now there is no reason for me to do it all.

Camping trick #1

I know I have shared this tip before if not on my own blog in comments on others. I will start with the story that led me to doing it.

Two years ago we took our first tent camping trip. We went to a park in New York for a weekend. Before the trip I forgot to buy shampoo and conditioner so I just took my bottle from home. The first morning my friend and I headed to the shower house and when we got their she realized she left her shampoo at the site so I told her to go in the stall next to mine and when I was done I would put it on the shelf between the stalls. Well someone must have needed it more than us because when we came out from the shower it was gone. The other woman in the bath house said a woman took it and left. The way I look at it is if she needed to steal a bottle of shampoo she was in worse shape than I so be it. Around the same time I started reading a blog that did store match ups and free sample offers, so I decided to do all the free samples for everything I might need for camping. Now instead of buying shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, razors I simply bring a box of samples with us. It works out well because now I can separate them by person and each person gets a bag with what they need to go take a shower.

FCF- KISS

This post is being linked to Focus Check Friday at A Slob Comes Clean.

This week I have decided to live by the KISS method. Not the rock band but the Keep It Simple Stupid. I am not of fan of the last word hmmm........ maybe I will make it Keep It Simple Shannon.

My grandmothers advice for cleaning house when you are overwhelmed is to pick a spot and start from there. She used to tell me that when I was a child and my room was a mess. It worked. It kept me from becoming overwhelmed. I think I need to get back to that. The truth is I do very well then life happens and before I know it it is chaos AGAIN. Once that happens I have a bad habit of walking around aimlessly trying to figure out where to begin again. If I was in a movie it would show me standing still and the cameras would be swirling around me to help the audience feel the way that I do. As far as the main parts of the house goes what isn't done yet can be accomplished in a short period of time. The room that gives me the most problems is the girls bedroom. It is a MESS. My 12 year old is a hoarder. I have been sneaking up there trying to do what I can when she is not here, but I have never realized the full spectrum of MESS in that room. Did I mention we are having an electrical problem in there and on top of the mess we had to take out a wall? I washed all the laundry I could find 12 loads of stuff shoved under beds, between beds, under dressers and when I thought I was done I opened the closet. NOPE not done. Out of all the wash I think one load was the seven year olds. So this week I have to focus on getting that room DONE! ..........and pack for vacation, and keep up on the rest of the house, oh and I volunteered to watch my friends four girls one day. On top of having the room worked on for the electrical problem and last night the flowmaster in the downstairs bathroom went while my husband with the only vehicle we have is at work. Fun times... fun times.

Daily Yuck list

From reading several other blogs about housework, I noticed a similar theme, they all had a daily to do list. Nony at A Slob Comes Clean calls them her non-negotiables. Shell at Tangled Zen has a cute to do list. So I decided I would come up with my own list. Unfortunately the things on my daily list often make me go YUCK! Either because it is a task that is truly yucky or it is something that I just don't want to do even though I have to. So here it is my daily YUCKS!

1. Clean the litter box- a truly yucky job, but if not kept up on the yuck multiplies...... quickly

2. Dishes- a chore that seems never ending and if let go can turn into some truly yucky stuff

3. Laundry- at least 1 load a day although more often than not, I have to do more. I do limit myself to only doing as many loads as I know I will wash, dry, fold, and put away to cut down on the opening the washer lid and getting a whiff of a very yucky smell.

4. Dog duty- I love my dog but he only respects my husband which makes everything I do for him a task. (Like today when he ran out of his Kennel on me and I had to chase him around the neighborhood in my socks)

5. Floors- although I enjoy my new vacuum, I don't like picking up all the stuff before I can vacuum.

6. Pool care- We have one of those vinyl pools and I have found that if you do not go in daily and maintain it it turns to Pea Soup very quickly. This weekend I had to go into the Pea Soup pool and clean the sides and floor and have vowed to make sure to keep up on this everyday so I never have to do that again.