Are you tired of picking up after your kids? A toy by the door, a magazine carelessly thrown on the couch, a video game console’s controllers all over the coffee table, a jacket on the floor… The mess is only half the frustration — the other half is that it happens constantly.
What if you confiscated these items and allowed your children to retrieve them only on a particular day? Call it your “Monday Turnover Box.” The rule: Any item that isn’t picked up or put away after dinner will be placed in the box. Kids (maybe even Dad) can …read more

Cleaning the home isn’t always a pleasant task. While we know we do it to keep our homes neat, organized and hygienic, it does get tiring. And aren’t there days when you just want to chill and leave the dust bunnies under the coffee table? Unfortunately, we can’t leave them there for too long.
How do you make cleaning less of a chore, and more of a fun activity? Here are some ideas.
Put on some music. Wipe that kitchen counter to the beat of the songs on the radio. Throw in some workout moves by wiping that window up, down, up, …read more

Have you ever looked at your living room and wished it looked more like it popped out of a design magazine? Reality hits though and there are children’s toys all over the place — under the coffee table, hanging from a lamp. There are stickers stuck to the front door and crayon marks on the floor when your son wanted to create a floor mural. There are days when you just want to dump everything into a box and ship them off to the other side of the world. And then there are days when you are seated in the …read more

Spring cleaning time has been traditional in homes since pioneering days. What better time, also, to check into your arts and crafts supplies and see which ones are out of date, those you no longer use, and others you can reorganize for different projects?  Sometimes cleaning and revamping of your supplies will give you insight and inspiration for new projects.
My daughter is going through her supplies, as well as quilting and arts books, trying to determine which she should keep.  Our multigenerational house (home for six of us plus dog and guinea pig) is overflowing.  So all of us are …read more

Susie Homemaker (My Mom) is Coming To-Do-List:

* Steam clean the couches

* Mop floors

* Dust and lemon oil shelves and furniture

* Rake leaves

* Vacuum

* Make a Birthday gift

* Laundry

* Caulk shower

* Clean bathrooms

* OxyClean Zack’s floors

* Kid’s rooms

* Magic Erasure door jams and walls

* 5 Blog Posts (so I can spend time with my parents).

Is anyone going to do the 6 month Oprah and Peter Walsh Clutter-free Challenge?

I’ve been conciencious about working on the clutter. After the show I put 3 pair of shoes in a donation bag I keep perpetually going.
I’ve gone from this:

To This:

Ok, quick like a bunny…it’s time to think about yourself, noone else just vous. Time for a little feng shui of the mind, soul and body. Here is my list of spring things you need to do: (If there are things you’d rather see on the list, please feel free to add!)
Go shopping
Watch Food Network for 12 hours straight
You must get a manicure
You really must get a pedicure
Change your hairstyle or find a new salon
Endure/enjoy a department store make-over
Learn how to cook something you’ve never cooked before; better yet, start a cooking club
Buy a really expensive bottle of wine
Go to …read more

I will start by acknowledging that my hubby does much of the laundry on the weekends. However, it may very well be my imagination, but since I started working from home to manage my business, The Pet Set , I get the distinct feeling that there has been a reversal of roles without my knowledge. For years I commuted to and worked in Manhattan and so did/does hubby; therefore household chores seemed to have been shared equitably.
This Sunday’s New York Times Style Section , covers the issue of the rift in who does more house cleaning with the deft of …read more