Clean houses....then again maybe not

Why is it that when you clean the house (or have it cleaned - like I do), within hours or if you are lucky enough, the next day, it doesn't look like anything was ever done? This week we started having the lady that cleans my mom's house come and start cleaning ours. You may think that I am spoiled, but being that my husband and I both work high stress jobs and we have 2 kids, we decided for the sake of our sanity and marriage that we needed to get help with the household chores. We also desperately need to sell our house, so we figured that if we can get someone to help keep it clean, maybe we can start showing. NOW, if I could just get somone to come in my house and throw away the things I don't need, and organize the rest, I think we will be in good shape!! Design to sell here we come!!!!!!

After all that, it now looks like nothing was ever even done. Why...why does that happen? I have been trying to get in the habit to either wait until the end of the day and run the vacuum in the kitchen or right after they get done eating. Sometimes I wait because otherwise I would be running it all day long. I have also tried to get Kaitln in the habit of cleaning up after herself, but that doesn't always get done. The attention span of a 2 year old is not very long.

My kids are both spoiled to death not only by mom and dad, but also by both grandmas and my sister and her husband. They have so many toys that they get bored with them, so this is what I have decided to do........

This next month is Tyler's birthday and if it is ANYTHING at all like Kaitlyn's 1st birthday he will get a MOUND of presents. My husband and I decided that we are not going to spend the kind of money on a party and presents like we did for Kaitlyns, partly because we can't afford it, but also because we are trying to teach our kids that they don't NEED all that stuff. SO, I am going to go through all of their toys (mostly Kaitlyn because Tyler is still kinda too young), make a pile to donate and keep the rest, BUT I want to put some of them away and every few months rotate the toys she plays with so it will seem (to her) that she has something new. ALSO, I am not opeing all of Tyler's gifts, and will keep some of the for Christmas most likely. We are also going to try to down play Christmas this year since my family used to be ALL ABOUT THE PRESENTS. I really don't want my kids growing up like spoiled little brats, and I forsee one of them being like that if we don't change some things. PLUS, the less toys they have, the less I will have to CLEAN!!! :)

So, I will hope that next week's cleaning experience will go a little better.....Maybe I could take another day off and get some organizing done.......hmmmm....One would only hope!!!