OK, so we started work on the cleaning of the giant family room. Here’s some history on it. This was a 2 car carport originally but back when I was in like middle school my parents decided they wanted more space. OK, the house was small but the main issues was all of mom’s books. She needed a library. LOL. So they got a contractor and they enclosed the carport. They left the brick stairs leading into it. There’s a brick fireplace in the center of the far wall. They put parquet tiles down on the cement floor. The walls they paneled. At the top of the paneling is dark brown molding and then the rest of the way up is white. At some point the KFC my mom worked at got rid of their cieling fans and got new ones. Since there was nothing wrong with the cieling fans my parents bought two off the store and put them down here. The ac/heater does not reach down here. So it wasn’t unbearable today but we got working and there was no ac and whew did we get warm!!.

So anyway the room is quite large. Currently my father has arranged everything to make all these little boxes. So my mom has a cube for her large L shaped computer desk. There’s a cube on the other corner on that side that’s the book cube. Then over here by the doors we have the TV cube with Dad and DH’s pc’s. Then the other corner is mom’s sewing corner. Yes there’s a LOT of furniture. For instance she has a sewing table thing AND a desk and an ironing board in the sewing corner. Takes up all the space to the fireplace. On the other side of the fireplace is the book nook which looking at me I can see two shelves. then there’s one going back. Plus shelves inside. Anyway you start getting the picture.

and to make it worse, everything is BROWN. All of the desks, the bookshelves, the entertainment center, their extra wide filing drawers, the entertainment center, even the walls and floors and sofa are brownish! Yup, makes for a rather dark room. Throw into this that a lot of it is cluttered? Whew… LOL.

So today we worked hard. One bag of trash is gone. We have a bag started for donations. (We’re skipping the yard sale stage. Just take it to good will and be done with it.) We put all the computer stuff over next to the computer area beside dad’s desk and the wide file drawers. DH and I had brought the kids desktops in so those went in that corner first, then all of dad’s boxes of computer parts. We then found a basket and we put al lhis loose stuff in that. He says he will go through it this weekend on his 3 day.

We moved all the sewing stuff to the sewing corner because it was strewn all over. Mom did go through SOME of it but not hardly much. The goal is to get all the surfaces cleaned off so we can collapse the ironing board and drop the leaves of that table because it actually folds up rather small. No horizontal surfaces unless she is working. And when she is done working for the day they are to be banished once more. She doesn’t realize this fully yet. I did have an argument with her over some batting scraps. She says “I’ll use it someday!” But couldnt’ tell me when or what for. They were scraps so I made her throw it in the middle of the floor and say good bye. When Dad came home she pouted and said “She’s meaner than you!” That woman hasn’t seen mean yet… we haven’t even TOUCHED the shelves.

OK, so the floors in the entire room except her computer desk and in the far reaches of the sewing corner where I can’t get to due to shoes, treadmill, and sewing stuff. The coffee table is clean. WOOHOO go us!

Now… we didn’t touch a single shelf. But I did clean up and square off her three video cabinets. So they are taken care of. We’ll go through them last since they are enclosed. Get rid of anything she has gotten on DVD. See if we can work it down some. I also cleared off her window sills. They had these wide window sills put on so the cats could sit in the windows. Well once more, horizontal surfaces. So off went everything. And YUCK… they need to be taken care of!!.

Now what’s left… Dad needs to take care of his computer stuff. But this whole corner is just about done. The tv stand needs some more work done though most of what I did over spring break is still taken care of. Yay! That sewing corner *SHUDDER* That’s going to be a nightmare. And then my mother’s extra large L shaped desk… it’s almost all papers. So what I’ll probably do is go over there at some point when no one is around and just clean it up. Stack up all her six tons of papers, and etc etc. Then make her go through that. The last tough thing is going to be the shelves. Now here’s the funny thing I discovered. She’s got these shelves that are triple stacked and the books are laying on their side on top of the triple stacking. Just shoved as they can fit. But I found totally empty shelves in that nook! I mean I know of four!! Hello? And she has books laying anywhere and everywhere in the house? I think not! Hello shelves!! But we are going to try to make some method to the book madness. I’m going to try to put all the computer books together for instance. But I am going to tell her she has to get rid of maybe 2 bags of books. Won’t hardly dent her collection and then I can tell her she can get some more. 🙂 But I’m sure there are books she can clear out. She buys all the books she reads and I’m sure not all are keep worthy. I’m very particular about the books I purchase but my collection is not near as massive as hers. But even I have culled books.

But there are also shelves where there is just crud on. I found yarn on one. No. Out of the question. She has converted the spare room into her sewing storage. There will be no sewing storage in this family room when I am done. The spare room is literally all shelving now. So yarn will be removed from bookshelves and put in there. Also there are a TON of knick knacks. Well she needs to part with some. So I’m going to tell her she has to get rid of some I just don’t know how much to tell her to get rid of. But all the bookshelves will be used for books. There is no reason to have bookshelves and then have books all over the floors getting kicked. (Especially since I have discovered these empty shelves.)

So anyway that’s the work we did and the planning I have. Tomorrow almost no work will be done due to my grandfather having several appointments. So any work will be minimal.

At any rate, the room just having clean floors and things not junked up as much just seems so much more spacious!!! Awesome! Yay!!

Oh and I cleaned up the front foyer a lot tonight while on the phone with a friend. So I need to still get the hallway back to the bedrooms. And the kitchen? Still clean! Yay! (Though we need to go clean up from dinner but mom’s been able to handle that and does it around 10 so I’ll wait to see if she does that or not.)

Am feeling much better about being in mom’s. It is starting to feel more organized. I know, I know… I’m an organization nut… leave me alone!!!!

Still not picture worthy, so no pictures of the work I’ve done. Sorry. But I promise, once I’m done? I’ll take pictures!!!