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FREEPER FAMILY TABLE--Spring Cleaning
me | April 15, 2005 | grellis

Posted on 04/15/2005 6:38:21 AM PDT by grellis

Has everyone filed their taxes?

Its that time of year again--the snow has melted, the days are getting longer, it is finally spring! If you're like me, that means it is time to deep clean the house. I no longer have an excuse for not cleaning the outside of the windows. It is finally warm enough for me to take down the Christmas lights and wreath. Time to pack up the parkas, ice skates, hats and gloves.

It is also tax time, a great time to deep clean the paperwork that has accumulated over the past twelve months. Do you save every receipt? Do you use the "circular file" a little too brazenly?

Spring also means yard work. Do you garden? Have you cleared away the remnants of winter debris and begun planting yet? Or do you know there is at least one hard frost lurking in the calendar, waiting to wipe out your seedlings?

Share with us any spring cleaning tips you have!


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: dads; families; grandmas; grandpas; kids; moms
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To: grellis

I don't even remember what the raspberry was - but I am asuming it is a cane - because the things are about 6 feet long.

Other than my veggies I am a believer in only having plants that thrive under benign neglect. I have an absolute black thumb when it comes to anything other than veggies and herbs. I don't do flowers and I don't do house plants!

Hubby and I attacked the three "shrubs" along the driveway yesterday. They are now only about 4feet tall each. The only green on them is some viney stuff that has taken over in the area of the bushes and we can't get rid of it.

The really cool thing about cutting all that stuff down yesterday was the fact that we didn't have to move it when we did it. I looked at the piles of it and said to hubby - thankfully we don't live in Dover and so don't have to move this tonight - his response was we don't live in Dover so we can burn it right where it is!!!!

We are going to move it - but we still do plan on burning it!


81 posted on 04/15/2005 1:22:00 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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To: grellis
I have bought three new vacuums since we moved to Lansing in '93, so I have already wasted close to a grand on vacuums.

Only 3????? I went through 7 since '92.

Never again!

You've got that right - no rugs or carpets in this house now!!!! Hardwood, laminate and for the moment vinyl on the floors.

Once we finish the attic it will have carpet, but since the dogs won't be up there and we won't be tracking much dirt and dust up there vaccuumming will be a cakewalk.

82 posted on 04/15/2005 1:28:56 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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To: Gabz

Thank you, sweetie! (blushing)

I just wish I had the energy I used to have when I was younger. I still get a lot done but it just takes longer for me to do it and I hurt more when I'm finished! :)

I finally let my second job go a month or so ago. It was seriously interfering with family time, so it was time to cut it loose. That freed up a substantial amount of time for me to do some home improvements around here.

Later on this summer, I'm going to take down a wall in one of my bathrooms and re-do it. The dummies that built this house put ceramic tile on top of drywall with no moisture barrier around the tub. After 30 years, the wall has basically disintegrated. A good friend of ours is going to help me with the job (he's an excellent carpenter and jack-of-all-trades). We're also going to pull up the carpet and the commode and put ceramic tile on the floor while we're at it. Then, if I survive that, I'm going to redo the little bathroom.

As an FYI to anyone doing any serious painting this spring: Buy yourself one of those Wagner power rollers. They cost about $50.00. They make painting a room a breeze. Using the power roller, it took approximately 10 minutes each to paint the 3 walls in my 10' x 6' home office. And the best part is they don't leave any tell-tale roller marks on the wall! I'm a really lousy painter so I need all the help I can get to do a good job! :) Cleaning up the power roller is a little time consuming, but it's well worth the cost of the roller, IMO.


83 posted on 04/15/2005 1:38:24 PM PDT by EagleMamaMT ("Uncle Sugar: Handle it at the border or Uncle Winchester will handle it at the porch." Squantos)
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To: Gabz

I *am* a domestic goddess, after all. ; )


84 posted on 04/15/2005 1:39:44 PM PDT by annyokie (Laissez les bons temps rouler !)
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To: Gabz

I'd ditch the black plastic idea. IMO it cooks your plants' roots. Get hubs to make you a raised bed. I know, I know, your garden is huge. You'll have your weed problem whipped and more veggies than you can ever use!

I have to go fetch the kids. BBL.


85 posted on 04/15/2005 1:42:34 PM PDT by annyokie (Laissez les bons temps rouler !)
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To: grellis

Here's a housecleaning secret I discovered when I was trying to be three people at once: you don't have to do it.


86 posted on 04/15/2005 1:43:11 PM PDT by firebrand (Member of the proud brotherhood and sisterhood of copyeditors)
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To: grellis

Get a flame thrower! Takes care of all those papers, debris, old clothes, etc. Might need to get a permit first.


87 posted on 04/15/2005 1:44:02 PM PDT by Vicki (Truth and Reality)
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To: grellis

LOL! I have 4 boys to help me with the grunt work - usually they don't do it willingly but I tell them if they want to eat they have to work! :)


88 posted on 04/15/2005 1:46:20 PM PDT by EagleMamaMT ("Uncle Sugar: Handle it at the border or Uncle Winchester will handle it at the porch." Squantos)
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To: Gabz

When we moved last year, we replaced the carpets right beforehand.

They were disgusting. The new house still has carpeting upstairs, but the downstairs is all hardwood. I wouldn't mind getting rid of all the carpet eventually.


89 posted on 04/15/2005 1:47:24 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: luckystarmom

The townhouse we sold had a humungous amount of closet space - so the lack of closet space has been a huge adjustment for me. I had a 9x6 walk in closet just for me - and now I have NO closet.

There is really no wasted space in this house - it's pretty hard to have wasted space in a house that is only 6 and a half rooms with 1 bathroom. I consider the laundry room the 1/2 room.

Please don't get me wrong I LOVE our house, I really do. Having a 10x16 kitchen outweighs the lack of closet space!!! My kitchen in the townhouse with all the closet space was only 5x7.


90 posted on 04/15/2005 2:00:30 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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To: annyokie

I can't wait til my boys are old enoughto be put to work! :)


91 posted on 04/15/2005 2:17:51 PM PDT by WV Mountain Mama (Anyone else able to track the hubby's movements by open drawers,cabinets and clothes on the floor?)
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To: Gabz

Sometimes I think that men design these houses without talking to any women who have to clean and cook in them.


92 posted on 04/15/2005 2:27:30 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: WV Mountain Mama

Start them young. Mine have been doing yardwork since they were three or four.


93 posted on 04/15/2005 2:51:35 PM PDT by annyokie (Laissez les bons temps rouler !)
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To: annyokie

My oldest is 3 and he loves to pick up the sticks in the yard and put them in his wagon. Is 3 too young to mow the lawn? ;)


94 posted on 04/15/2005 2:53:29 PM PDT by WV Mountain Mama (Anyone else able to track the hubby's movements by open drawers,cabinets and clothes on the floor?)
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To: Gabz

I lived in several older houses with nothing closets. I bought an armoire at a flea-market to hang MY clothes in. (Husband's clothes were in the dresser an the dinky closet.)

Bulky and a pain to move, but worth its weight in gold.


95 posted on 04/15/2005 2:55:06 PM PDT by annyokie (Laissez les bons temps rouler !)
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To: WV Mountain Mama

LOL. My youngest is 8 and picks up the "spiky balls" from the gum trees and has since he was 4. Eldest is 15 and he cuts the lawn when he's off from school.

I have a cute pulling the wagon pic of the youngest that I'll have to find.


96 posted on 04/15/2005 2:57:09 PM PDT by annyokie (Laissez les bons temps rouler !)
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To: EagleMamaMT

You are a wonder to me. I stay home all day and don't accomplish in a week what you do in a day.

The power roller sounds great and I was looking at them a while back - but they are not worth the investment for the painting I've got in front of me. No walls, just doors and windows.

The original part of our house was built in 1945 and has been added onto - but every wall, and I mean every wall, except the bathroom, is panelling. I have already painted over it in our daughter's room and papered and painted in the kitchen. The living room and family room I will leave as is because it still look just fine - but the dining room and our room need major makeovers.

Once we finish the attic and I can get my "office" out of the dining room I will have a better perspective of what I want to do in here.


97 posted on 04/15/2005 5:39:09 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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To: annyokie

LOL!!!! My garden, a raised bed????? FUGGEDABOUTIT. No way in heck wold hubby timber that in - are you aware of the price of lumber right now? Let alone all that topsoil?

Sweetie pie - we're talking about more than 1/3 of an acre - closer to a half acre.


98 posted on 04/15/2005 5:53:42 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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To: EagleMamaMT

Smart woman!!!!!!!


99 posted on 04/15/2005 5:55:09 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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To: luckystarmom

There was only carpet in the living room and dining room when we moved in here. It was nasty, but because we thought there was only plywood under it we left it be because we couldn't afford to replace it right away.

We discovered that it was hardwood parquet when we cut a section of the carpet out to put down slate for the woodstove we put in - the rest of it came out the same day!!!!


100 posted on 04/15/2005 5:58:26 PM PDT by Gabz (John Paul II, pray for us.)
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