Getting ready for Christmas

I have been in a super-cleaning-and-organizing mood the last few days and I gotta admit, stress is really good for getting me going! I have so much on my plate right now, I can hardly stand to think about it. You know when your mind is going a mile-a-minute trying to figure everything out so you deliberately distract yourself with something else? Well, that's me right now.

But anyway, back to the fun stuff... my cleaning-and-organizing spree!

I have about three different projects on the go right now: bringing up all the Christmas stuff (three HUGE containers full!) one at a time and getting it all put up (the tree is already done, quite the project in itself); getting my kitchen organized and ready for Christmas (friggin' filing -- which I let build up until my 'to-be-filed' box is bursting, washing cabinet/cupboard fronts, etc); and then the main project, my downstairs livingroom!

I'm trying to get it all 'put-together', FINALLY. I'm just so sick and tired of walking past the mess every day and telling myself I'll get to it later. Well, 'later' is NOW. I had a vision in my mind of what I wanted it to look like, so now its just a matter of bringing that vision to fruition.

I moved all the 'dump' and Kijiji items over by the fireplace (which we don't use, so don't worry that I've created a fire hazard). The dump items are the brown couch, the broken green leather chair, the broken keyboard, and the crib(possibly a Kijiji item, have to find out the rules and regulations regarding resale of cribs). I'm going to put up some ads on Kijiji for the old tv, two lamps, the keyboard stand (possibly the keyboard too, if they don't mind that its missing two keys), and the stroller/carseat combo. Most of that stuff will be free, except for the stroller/carseat. I also have a huge bag of stuff for Value Village, mostly stuffed animals and the boys' clothes.

But ANYWAY, you should now see the livingroom area! I moved the sweet-ass bigscreen tv that Trapper gave us over beside the china cabinet, it fits perfectly where the roll-top desk used to be. I moved the green couch to where the brown one used to be, leaving a space in the corner for the kids' little 4' Christmas tree (it looks so cute there!) that has all their kid ornaments on it. (On a side note, now the tree upstairs is MINE -- can you say 'purple'??). The desk I moved in between the couch and the fishing-rod cabinet. I cleaned up the glass-top Ikea table and placed in front of the couch. Walls got washed, surfaces dusted, framed art and pictures taken down to be moved elsewhere. I even, ever-so-carefully ('cause you KNOW Tyler would flip), wiped down the two stuffed fish. The next item on the agenda is getting that damn sheep-head and deer-head put up on the wall, but I've misplaced my stud-finder so I'm waiting to borrow Levi's.

Once I get all the junk out of the other area, it will look so nice! Already it looks more spacious and organized down there. I can't wait.