Cleaning Up

I picked up the family room.  But it's heavy and I don't know where to put it down.  Ha.  Really, I did those last 5 steps. Weirdest/most annoying thing I found: my son's Halloween bucket with a bazillion empty wrappers in it. Threw those away, put the bucket out of reach on the fridge.

All right, now that I've picked up, it's time to clean. I did leave Little Guy's toy trucks on the floor because he's still playing with them and we're hanging out in here right now. I'm no toy nazi. Not at the moment at least.

Time to:

1. Dust
2. Wipe glass
3. Vacuum and/or sweep

If you're joining me, let me know how it's going!

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Here I am back again.  My preschooler wanted to muscle in on the cleaning action so he chose to vacuum.  (Begged me.)  He had fun w/ the vacuum which is as tall as he is.  Vac'd the area rug in the family room and it looks sooo much better.  (I don't have the heart to go over it again or it would be even more fab.) 

I swept about 50 pencils and pens off the floor, and we both wiped up some spots and splatters on the hardwood. I dusted the furniture (just a quick dust) and he used a windex cloth on the tv, computer, and glass door on the entertainment center.  So it looks a LOT better -- even though I haven't yet distributed all the stuff in the "other room" basket which is sitting on the couch.  Or put in the laundry from picking all of that up. 

Right now I'm eating soup and popcorn and making sure to hydrate so I'll get back to it soon. 

Meanwhile, future plans for this room:

Sometime *after* I quick-clean the rest of the common areas in the house, I'll return to this room and do some decluttering.  Then perhaps some redecorating.  Someday.  I feel some lists coming on:

Declutter Spots -- Fam Rm

1. Top of entertainment center (again)
2. Top of computer cabinet
3. Mantel
4. Hubby's little computer table
5. 2 end tables
6. Filing drawer/end table
7. Yes we have wayyy too much furniture in a smallish/medium room
8. Hearth (I know I know)
9. Built-ins and alcove -- there's a jot off the corner of the family room which has built-ins.  They'd be nice but the floor all in front of them is crammed with stuff the kids pull from the game cabinet (base of the built-ins), plus some of my file stuff.  Hi I'm Jen.  I have a bigtime paper problem.  Different post.
10. Bookshelves

Decorating Needs -- Fam Rm

1. Smaller couch or perhaps a cover for the existing couch (gonna have to thrift-shop to get one, or something like that)
2. 86 the entertainment center.  I'm sure we're the only people left in America with a huge (25" ha) tube tv, plus some huge outdated audio equip that my +1 is soooo enamored of.  This was the center of some recent, pretty rare, marital spats.  I'll do what I dare.  Dream is a small, current-style entertainment table to put the TV on.  Not sure where to send the audio.  Must.  Tread.  Carefully.
3. Computer cabinet.  Dammit, they went and replaced tube stuff with flat screens, so our computer monitor is now tiny.  So is the CPU.  Don't need that once-coveted computer armoire.  Plus the kids yank on the doors and we pile crap on top.  We need a student desk a two wall-mounted shelves.  Period.
4. Need replacement lampshades.  Don't ask.
5. I'd love to 86 the brass/glass doors on the fireplace but that ain't gonna fly w/ the mister.  I'll settle for switching out the shiny brass hardware on the end tables.  Need to scratch-cover those end tables too and then someday refinish them somehow.
6. Hang better wall art.  TAKE DOWN THE BORDER I CANNOT STAND.  People who lived here prior were truly lovely people.  (I knew them.)  The geese, I don't like so much. 
7. Must remove metal mini-blinds from exterior door and big window.  Must replace with neutral roman shades or something like that.  Valences have to go.  Very 80's.
8. My dad made me a beautiful, HUGE bookshelf/cabinet.  Then we moved here and there are built-ins.  So the cabinet is in here too.  Need to relocate it.  Where?