Motivation

There is nothing more motivating to get your house clean and organized than inviting your mother-in-law and stepfather-in-law to stay at your house for Christmas. They moved to Muscatine this past summer so they needed a place to stay when they are here for Christmas with her mom and sisters. (We did Christmas with them in Muscatine this past weekend and that is when I offered our house.) They will be our first overnight guests ever in 11 years of being married...except for the rare kid sleepover whether it be kid friends or cousins. I doubt kids are looking in the corner of the bathroom counting the fly away pubes that have landed. I'm not sure my mother-in-law will be doing that either (on purpose) but I do not want to give her that chance.

To say my mil is a neat freak would be a major understatement. She is and has always been obsessive compulsive about cleaning and her house. It is immaculate!! Always!! One of the greatest gifts she has ever given me was when she deep deep cleaned the bathroom at our newly moved into house. It is a tiny tiny bathroom and I think that woman scrubbed for 3 hours getting every nook and cranny spit spot. I don't think it has been that clean since.

Before you think I am a total slob, let me say that I clean on a regular basis but I deep clean about oh...every 2 years. And organizing gets done about every 5 years. (Yes, I found an antibiotic ointment that expired in 2007 in my vanity drawer tonight.)

Having J and R come to stay the night is just the kick in the pants that I need to get some long overdue deep cleaning, decluttering, and organizing done. I have completed Eli's room (we will not talk about his closet...eeek...no time for that monstrosity now) and our room (sans closet as well) the linen closet, the vanity drawers, and Chad even did some touch up painting in the bathroom that has been on the honey do list for a long time. It feels good to get those things done and I know it will be very rewarding in the end to have it all done.