Sunday, August 30, 2009

Week One: Front Porch

Today kicks off an 18 week plan for a cleaner, more organized home by the holidays. This week we at Magical Holiday Home tackle the front porch. I don't have a porch so I am cleaning my balcony.

Sweep outdoor carpet
Wipe down patio furniture
Wipe down railing
Clean outside patio windows/doors
Throw out old grill

My balcony will be ready just in time for Fall. I can't wait to put up my fall decor.

I love sitting on my balcony. Especially in the morning as the sun is rising. I sit out there some mornings drinking a big cup of hot chocolate, watching the beautiful color leaves on the trees. It's really a beautiful site.

I'l be checking in later this week with my progress. I also will be taking before and after pics. So stay tuned.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Seasonal Cleaning

At Organized Home, CEO discusses ways in which to get your home ready for Fall and the upcoming holidays.

Okay, Who's Ready for Fall?

I am sooo ready for Fall.  The weather here has been extremely hot the last couple of weeks.  Temps have just begun going down this week (Thanks Hurricane Bill).

I have been cleaning my apartment like there's no tomorrow.  Now I am ready to pull out the fall totes and decorate.  My friends are gearing up for the HHP and HGP countdowns, which starts this weekend.  I started a couple of weeks early.  I just couldn't wait. (Heeheehee)

So far I've gone through my coat closet, threw out old coats and got together others that need to go to the cleaners.  I went through my summer closet (in the guest bedroom) and threw out tons of summer shoes. In the bathroom I removed the summer shower curtain and rugs, washed and put them away.  All that's in there is a clear shower liner.  I even went through my many handbags and threw out what I no longer wanted. One Sunday I spent several hours shredding a shopping bag full of papers. I could not believe I was still holding on to paystubs and bank statements from 1994 to 2008.  I filled two kitchen size trash bags.  The worst part is I still have another shopping bag to shred. 

I spent a little time cleaning off my balcony too. There's trees directly behind my building and the dirt, pollen and leaves were just everywhere.  It's going to need one more good cleaning before I put my fall decor out there.  My coworker has a brother in the moving and hauling business. I have some furniture in the guest bedroom that I plan to get rid of. 

Although there's still a bit more to do, I feel that I've accomplished quite a lot so far.  Will check in again soon.