And the Answer Is . . .
Wow--in just 48 hours there were over 500 guesses to my little "what scares me to death" contest. At first I wasn't sure if anyone was going to get it right. However, I loved your creative answers--dust bunnies, germs, pet hair, fleeting time, static electricity, lists, clutter, shadow, bugs and so on. I got a kick out of the answer "your bootie!" I guess that does follow you wherever you go!
I have to tell you a funny story before I reveal the answer. I was recently sitting on an airplane chatting with the man next to me. We talked about all sorts of things. He then asked if I have a white cat. I answered "yes" and gave him a "how did you know that" look. He said that one white hair on the sleeve of my shirt revealed this fact! How embarrassing. So--I guess pet hair follows you wherever you go. Now I also have Maggie hair to deal with too.
So, what is the one thing in my house that scares me to death??
Sixty-nine of you got it right!
The correct answer is dirty laundry (or clean laundry for that matter--it then needs to be folded and put away!
Honestly, this is a thankless job. You work really hard to get all caught up, you feel a little satisfaction and then you go into every bedroom at night to see a new hamper full of clothes that need to be washed. How deflating. Besides the bedrooms, you have used towels and washclothes in the bathrooms and kitchen. You go on a trip and bring home a entire bag full of dirty laundry. I'm trying to teach my children how to do their own laundry, but they tend to wash everything together (no separation of darks and lights). They are learning to fold and put stuff away properly but no getting around it, LAUNDRY IS A PAIN! I'd love to hear your secrets!
Here's one little secret that I can share. I buy the white Costco cloths for my dish rags. Every night, I soak the rags I used that day in the sink with water, Clorox and and some dish detergent. They totally turn white, smell great and get really clean! Then every few days I throw them in the washer.
From now on when I have a contest, I'll reward the very first person who got the question right, then randomly select other correct answers (within a certain time period).
So--the first person who got the answer right is:
Mimi...grafxguys@mail.manti.com
grafxguys@mail.manti.com
Great job, Mimi!
Here are the 10 winners who were randomly drawn:
1. Heather-dhoswald@msn.com
2. Carol in Phoenix--need info
3. lanjenc@msn.com
4. gracetolman--need info
5. Keiauni....keiauni@gmail.com
6. jnewtonl@wildblue.net
7. scarthurl@yahoo.com
8. quiltz43@yahoo.com quiltz43@yahoo.com
9. Suechase@smartchat.net.au
10. KellyJo...k.j.oates@cox.net
Great job winners and to everyone else who got the answer correct. Winners--please contact Angela at angeladash@gmail.com with your snail mail address.
Have a great rest of the week. And--get that laundry done!
Lisa
I have to tell you a funny story before I reveal the answer. I was recently sitting on an airplane chatting with the man next to me. We talked about all sorts of things. He then asked if I have a white cat. I answered "yes" and gave him a "how did you know that" look. He said that one white hair on the sleeve of my shirt revealed this fact! How embarrassing. So--I guess pet hair follows you wherever you go. Now I also have Maggie hair to deal with too.
So, what is the one thing in my house that scares me to death??
Sixty-nine of you got it right!
The correct answer is dirty laundry (or clean laundry for that matter--it then needs to be folded and put away!
Honestly, this is a thankless job. You work really hard to get all caught up, you feel a little satisfaction and then you go into every bedroom at night to see a new hamper full of clothes that need to be washed. How deflating. Besides the bedrooms, you have used towels and washclothes in the bathrooms and kitchen. You go on a trip and bring home a entire bag full of dirty laundry. I'm trying to teach my children how to do their own laundry, but they tend to wash everything together (no separation of darks and lights). They are learning to fold and put stuff away properly but no getting around it, LAUNDRY IS A PAIN! I'd love to hear your secrets!
Here's one little secret that I can share. I buy the white Costco cloths for my dish rags. Every night, I soak the rags I used that day in the sink with water, Clorox and and some dish detergent. They totally turn white, smell great and get really clean! Then every few days I throw them in the washer.
From now on when I have a contest, I'll reward the very first person who got the question right, then randomly select other correct answers (within a certain time period).
So--the first person who got the answer right is:
Mimi...grafxguys@mail.manti.com
grafxguys@mail.manti.com
Great job, Mimi!
Here are the 10 winners who were randomly drawn:
1. Heather-dhoswald@msn.com
2. Carol in Phoenix--need info
3. lanjenc@msn.com
4. gracetolman--need info
5. Keiauni....keiauni@gmail.com
6. jnewtonl@wildblue.net
7. scarthurl@yahoo.com
8. quiltz43@yahoo.com quiltz43@yahoo.com
9. Suechase@smartchat.net.au
10. KellyJo...k.j.oates@cox.net
Great job winners and to everyone else who got the answer correct. Winners--please contact Angela at angeladash@gmail.com with your snail mail address.
Have a great rest of the week. And--get that laundry done!
Lisa
25 Comments:
>>>So--I guess pet hair follows you wherever you go. <<<
I have read that cat dander is found in 95% of all American homes even when no cats live in the homes.
Does your white cat have blue eyes? White cats with blue eyes are almost always deaf. I've had 2 such cats, I loved them because I could vacuum them.
As for laundry, I love folding clothes. I love ironing even more. It's a task that gives you concrete evidence of a task completed.
Nell
Lisa - for the laundry and mixing whites & darks I use Clorox Color Catchers they are wonderful!
Lynn
Congrats to all the winners! Laundry is such a pain! I have no secrets - I do try to keep caught up, but it is virtually impossible!!
That tip with the white towels is great! I am going to have to try that. I don't have any tips. My tip avoid laundry at all costs and make your family do it. =D
Hi Lisa
Laundry is the only household chore I like doing or that I can't stand to have any one else do! I like everything folded a certain way and I know which outfits go on hangers together and how everyone's closets are organized. I have to warn my husband not to do laundry because it drives me crazy if it's not done my way. I think it is the beginning of OCD. I never did anything like this before I had kids!
I blogged about my horrendous laundry a month or so ago. It's my most hated job. But I have found that if I do a bit every other day, then it's not so overwhelming as waiting to do it once a week.
Now, I have embraced the laundry and choose to think of it as my favorite chore. The perspective changes everything!
By the way, it's MY bootie that scares me to death. That's why I posted that one. I'm sure yours isn't so apparant.
Thank you, Lisa! I am very excited that you picked my name!
Great tip with the Costco cloths and bleach. I can definitely use that tip with a toddler. =)
Thanks and have a Great day!!!
I agree with you on the laundry thing and I think dishes are in the same catagory. You think you're done but it's a never ending cycle infact ALL household chores are that way if you have children! :)
Hi Lisa,
With 3 children and all of them generating huge piles of dirty laundry, many years ago I taught my firstborn how to do her own laundry. She was about 12 at the time. Did she always wash, dry and fold the way I did? No, definitely not. BUT, I stopped making that my issue, and left it up to her. Subsequently taught my next 2 children how to do their own laundry when they were about 10 years old. My 17 year old son (second born) doesn't care whether his whites are very white, so I stopped worrying about it. I just had to step back and let it go. My 2 girls, now 21 and 15 are extremely good at laundry, ironing, and dress impeccably. Believe it or not, when my oldest was ready to choose colleges, and we were looking all over the US, one of her friends told her that she couldn't go too far away (her friend, not my daughter) because she didn't know how to do laundry! LOL
Anyway, handing the chore to my kids helped considerably; I just don't worry about anyone's laundry now except my own. (Hubby does his own, too!)
Thanks,
Ann
I have a cloth sectioned laundry basket (from Costco) in my laundry room, a pocket for whites, darks, lights, etc... My 3 boys, ages 17, 16 and 6 are "supposed" to keep their laundry sorted in there. That way i don't have to do the gathering or sorting - such a time saver (when they cooperate!). That way, when i walk in to do laundry, it's good to go and i just have to spray it and put it in the washer. If the boys are home, they have to do the "transferring" of the laundry for me, which means they empty the dryer(fold/hang)and then put the wet clothes in the dryer. It goes so much faster that way...and hopefully my boys will have the skills down before they go off to college and get married! "No, boys, it's not just a woman's job!!" Even my 6-year-old sorts..and he's getting pretty good!
Twin Falls, ID
Lisa, we find a three basket system works for us. Everyone puts their own dirty clothes in the laundry room in one of three baskets. We have a light color basket for whites (anything in there might get bleach). We have a blue laundry basket for darks (everything in there gets cold water). Finally, I have one pink basket for "Mom ONLY" special care items. The system has worked great for us for years. Also - I never check pockets. Everyone must empty pockets before throwing the dirty clothes in the laundry baskets!
I agree - - totally hate laundry! I really like to have things I can finish and not think about again! No matter what - laundry is never done!
Oh my gosh, my daughters and I were looking at the photos of your laundry and my little one started laughing. She has the same blue star undies that are featured in your pile of "whites". Thanks for making us feel right at home on your blog.
The best thing I ever did was buy a zipper mesh bag for undies and socks for each member of my family. I put their name on the top with a perm. marker. They all put their dirty socks in the bag then as needed zip it up and toss in the basket with the towels. I haven't had to match socks for years. The kids all do their own and it sure sames a lot of time. We each have one for light socks and one for dark then one for delicates too. It's a perfect set up and no more finding socks inside pant legs (for the dark nylon dressy socks) ha....Try this, its wonderful.
By the way Lisa, I searched and searched to find BOTTLE CAPS candy in the stores here in Phoenix after CK Phoenix when you gave us a pack of them in your class. I found them and now I have them when I scrapbook. I love them...my daughter does too....thanks for bringing back an ole favorite.
Carol
Lisa --
My tender mercy is that my husband does most of the laundry for our family of 6 ;-) It is indeed the very worst thankless job -- and so overwhelming all the time.
Oh thank goodness that someone ELSE hates doing the laundry. The horrible feeling of going to get some clean laundry (brought in off the line yesterday but not yet folded because you have been too busy) and realising that you have done everyone-else-in-the-house's laundry, and forgotten to do your own!!!!! And you have run out of clean undergarments (eek). And for the same reasons! Love your blog Lisa. Take care, Kate
I like Ann's idea....having everyone else do the laundry! hee
I wouldn't dare let my Dh do the laundry tho. he's scary(he can build houses, build garages, work on cars...but laundry? NO WAY)! My son is very good at being a helper. I am grooming him to be better than his daddy. Ha!(My Dh before we were married brought his laundry home to his mom to wash for HIM). That's why I agree full heartedly with Ann's comment!!!
I have no suggestions on Laundry....the only thing I can think of is using the TIDE brush. Great tool for laundry. I have also used the color catcher sheets for reds....and it works GREAT!
PS-I bought the front loader machines and that the best help for laundry. Can stick everything in those big machines and get alot done alot FASTER! Best thing we ever bought!
I used to feel that was about laundry, but now I feel like it's one of the things I do well! I have a laundry day! Monday is laundry and cleaning day in my house. So, I put the laundry in and do all my cleaning chores while the first two loads finish. Then I fold and clean alternately unitl it's all done. It works for me because I don't feel bad whenever there's more in the hamper because I know it will get done on Monday! Now, when my youngest was a baby I needed to wash more often, so then I did one load (or two) a day. One load is not a lot to fold or put away so it's not so overwheleming. Maybe each person in your family needs their own laundry day! Just some of my thought, hope it helps! Kelli Panique
There is an entire section (link from the homepage) on the www.flylady.net website just chock full of laundry tips. Big families, small families, working moms, stay at home moms, single moms, whatever. There's tons of tips there and most likely some that will be of help to everyone who reads them.
thanks Lisa for picking me. You made my day! already emailed Angela for my snail mail address. :)
HI!
I jsut received my foam stamp kit! It is incredible! Thanks so much for being so kind. It was so fun to open up a package that was just for me!
I am so with you--laundry is a pain!
Hi Lisa,
A friend of mine has someone come to her house to do her laundry 3 times per week!
congrats to the winners :)
i too am plagued by non-stop laundry of which mine is always last to be done...or not done...depending on the mood.
i'm not sure what it is that if kids were one clothing item for 5 minutes it is now filthy!?
my 14 year old has been doing his own laundry for 2 years - he hates doing it but it does get done. and I don't do my husband's as he is ex-navy and apparently i don't fold correctly. :) so from day one he's done his own....
what are you doing for your anniversary this year Lisa? my 18th is Nov 25th as well...i got my hubby tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I hope he likes it.
See you in a few days(!) in Seattle. :)
Lisa, I don't normally have time to comment,but do enjoy glancing over our blog. But, my little one has been sick & I'm up watching & praying over her. I have 4 children 17, 16, 14 & 8 & my husband is a mechanic, this means extreme laundry. There were times (when the older 3 were little) that I felt I would literally be lost in it (even while getting it done). I tried many different approaches, from doing it daily (like the daily torture); considered hiring someone (felt icky about a stranger handling my clothes)& I enjoy meeting all of my family's needs myself. After much trial and errors I found a system I could live with & worked for all.
I bought 3 large, color coded, tall hampers. One white, for the white, one dark blue for the dark colors & one yellow for the lights. I incorporated the children's help to sort at a very young age (before school age)as a form of game & a teaching method, plus it allowed me to get the job done. Now, for my DH, I set a "special" hamper right in the laundry room for his work uniforms; where I soak, & wash in a separate washer from the family clothes. (this is also used for washing dish clothes; small area rugs, runners, etc.)
Now, that my girls are older, I have a small collapsable mesh hamper, where I collect my fine washables in my closet & they bring me theirs. Once I have enough for a load I do it. I do the regular laundry weekly, with one of the big kids to help fold (I rotate each child every week; including my son)as part of their regular chores. The little one helps "deliver" to each family member's bed (as part of her regular chores) & everyone puts away their own clothes (even my DH). I stay consistent & they stay consistant. I reward them for their help & I get rewarded with less to do by myself; more time to spend having fun with each other & a sense of family working together as a unit. Plus, a feeling of being oeverwhelmed by such a duanting chore, replaced by an immense sense of accomplishment.
I hope you find this helpful or at best, know that you will find something that works for you & your family, just keep trying!
-Aly
I recognise that pile of laundry, did you come into my house and steal my my laundry!!! LOL, so familar!! Even us scrappers can't avoid the mundane chores!! Congrats on teaching the kids how to do their one laundry, need to get around teaching mine.....after I put the glue dots down!!!!
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