How to Clean a Wool Flat Weave Rug

You know when something happens and circumstances dictate you learn (or try to do) something that you thought not really possible? Well that happened when an adorably curious toddler of mine made a disaster of our living room while I was showering. His weapon of choice? Chocolate milk. He managed to get out AND OPEN two containers of chocolate milk...all over the living room. He dumped them all over the couch and chairs. You could tell he even rubbed the chocolate milk around with his hands. It was also all over the floor and rug. I wanted to cry. I also wanted to blame my brother, who got the chocolate milk for the kids...as if it was really his fault. After several deep breaths, I decided to tackle the disaster.

Knowing the rug would be ruined if I didn't do anything, I knew I had to do something, even if it ruined the rug in the end. After all, the rug would be ruined if I did nothing anyway. I thought about washing it in the washing machine, but it was too big. I did some googling and read things about blotting the stains our, which made me want to both laugh and cry at the same time. These people obviously didn't know the disaster my rug was. Then there were the people that mentioned professional cleaning, which would have probably cost just as much or even more than the rug cost initially, so didn't make sense to me. In the end, I found someone mention using woolite on their rug, so I went with that.

I drug the rug in the backyard, on the concrete. First I hosed it off. Using a pretty hard spray, I was actually able to get more stains and chocolate milk our than I expected. Next I used shout and sprayed it all over the rug on the stains. I let that sit for 20 minutes before hosing off the rug again. Then I made a mixture of woolite and water, took a rag and lightly rubbed the whole rug. On some stains, I scrubbed a bit. I let that sit for 30 minutes before washing the rug off again.

Everything I read said not to let a rug dry in the sun, as it would fade it. But I did it anyway. Given that we've owned the rug for about two years and have never cleaned it, I wasn't super covered about fading. I actually think the sun helped get even more stains out.

When it was finally dry, which I did flip it after I felt the one side was dry, I was pleasantly surprised how clean it looked. It actually made me wonder why I hadn't attempted to clean it sooner. But I guess now I know.

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One Room

The internet, especially pinterest, seems to be full of advice on how to keep your house clean. From cleaning schedules, to ways to fake a clean house. I have read it all. My favorite is the suggestion that it only takes 15 minutes a day to keep a house clean. Yeah, whoever wrote that must not have toddlers. I realize it's a season I am in. I clean and clean, then clean some more and by the time the kids are in bed, the house is still in disarray. Though, I promise you it truly is different messes than the ones I started the day with. But I have learned a way to keep my sanity with the mess still all there.

One room.

I make sure one room is clean in the evening for me to relax in. Generally, I focus on the living room. That way if the sink is full of dishes and the laundry (clean or dirty) is piled up, I can't see it from where I am sitting. All I see is a clean room that I get to relax in and not have to worry about the mess. It's a win in my book.

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I Cleaned My Room

Remember back when I declared that I never make my bed?

Yeah, everyone remembers that. It became my most popular post EVER in a matter of a couple hours.

Apparently people like a snarky, sarcastic Jessica...as my friends would call a "normal" Jessica 

^^ A piggy bank and a picture of my hubby on his 18th birthday...we have a super cool room

Well, it turns out I do make my bed from time to time. In fact, I cleaned my whole room. You see, when I walked into our house after camping, it literally looked like a bomb went off in our house and we hadn't even unloaded the motorhome yet. I remember us scrambling to pack, but I didn't remember the house being that bad. I actually went back outside, grabbed Ian's hands and said, "It looks like we were robbed, but we weren't. We are just slobs."

^^ Don't act like you don't have a picture of you biting your husband's ear in your room! That is also known as our engagement pictures. And that
reaction is totally real, as I randomly just decided to do that.

A super trashed house stresses me out. When there is just stuff everywhere, I don't know where to start. Guess where I started? The place I never start out at, let alone get to...my room. I started by throwing all the kids crap out of our room. Why do they need to drag every single last one of their possessions into our room anyway?! Then I put away my clean laundry...which behind making my bed, comes in a close second for something I never ever do. Then I actually decluttered our dressers. I meant business. Finally, I made my bed. Yep, I did it last and that is something that goes against every cleaning expert on pinterest. Those cleaning experts don't live in my house anyway, so I guess I say what goes around here. I also stuffed our decorative pillows for our bed behind a chair, because, lets be honest, they never make it to the bed anyway!

I'm not going to lie, it feels good to have a clean room. Not for the reasons you are thinking though. My head doesn't feel more clear. My life doesn't feel more in order. Nope. I just keep thinking to myself, "Take that people, I do make my bed!" I'll enjoy it while it lasts because I probably won't make my bed again for at least another year.

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Strengths & Weaknesses

In my head, I know everyone has weaknesses. But oh-so-often, I only see peoples strengths and only see my weaknesses. I've already put it out there that I never make my bed. Now, here's another one for you. I never do the dishes unless the sink is full.

A couple weeks ago, at my mops group (a mom's group I go to), we made the above sign. I made a comment about how it is perfect for me because, well, I certainly let my dishes pile up. To my surprise, pretty much everyone around me talked about how they literally can't sleep if there are dishes in their sink. Just throwing it out there, I sleep perfectly fine with dishes in the sink, on the counter and on the table. Such talent of mine!

Before you start thinking that my house is always trashed, this isn't true. I do actually work my way through cleaning my house every week. And I have this odd thing about cleaning my kids rooms before they go to bed. But, odds are, if you drop in, you certainly will NEVER find my house looking perfect.

As I went home and set my little sign next to my sink full of dishes, I was feeling a little down about myself. Then I remembered, we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. We all have 24 hours in a day and we all choose how we spend those days. So, to remind myself that I am not just a horrible slob, I thought I would jot down some of my strengths.

Building legos is my passion. I can (and many times do) spend an hour or more building legos with Connor every day. In fact, playing with the kids is really fun to me. I enjoy reading with them. I enjoy building things with them. I enjoy drinking the coffee they make for me and eating the ice cream cones they serve from their kitchen. If only it was all real. I meal plan and make dinner for us every week night. I do a great job picking up my camera and capturing memories of my kids childhood. I am thrifty and can find a deal on almost anything. And my best strength of all...I'm sarcastic. (You know it's a strength and not a weakness!)

The next time you are feeling down on yourself for not having the same strengths as others, I highly recommend taking the time to remember what YOU are good at.

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10 Reasons Why I Don't Make My Bed

I am just going to give you warning, this is a pretty snarky post. But you know what, it truly is the way I feel. And, well, I am a sarcastic person. So there you have it. You have been warned.  

A couple weeks ago, I kept seeing the same article everywhere I looked - Why I Make My Bed {10 Reasons I Keep My House Clean}. Though I get where she is coming from, it rubbed me the wrong way a little. Specifically the fact that it's her "job". That always gets me about being a stay at home mom. Anyway, it inspired me. It inspired me to give you 10 {snarky} reasons why I don't make my bed. And hopefully, just hopefully, I can put a smile on the face of another mom of young children struggling just to keep her kids alive and get dinner on the table. 

10. I am my own boss these days and I say it's ok not to. From a young kid, I have always thought made beds were a little overrated. Sure I do it if we have company (even then, only if you are lucky), but otherwise, it generally doesn't happen.  

9. Because how does a made bed really benefit me? Honestly, I spend almost no time in my room. It really is a place that we sleep and where we keep our clothes. I don't even get dressed in there...I take my clothes to the bathroom. So it isn't like I am staring at an unmade bed all day that is driving me crazy. 

8. My kids would just mess it up anyway. My kids love playing in our room. And they seem to really love taking the comforter off the bed. Even when I make it, they just trash it. And I am not about to make it numerous times a day. Ain't nobody got time for that! 

7. Isn't that what a bedroom door is for?! You know, to hide the unmade bed from guests! Come on, closet non-bed makers, you know it's true! Besides, it is so hard to keep an entire house clean with little kids running around trashing everything right behind you. And honestly, our room is always the last room I get to. 

6. I secretly hope I will be able to nap. And what would deter me from napping? A made bed. Aww, I remember the good days when I used to nap every day. I can't even remember the last time I napped when no one else was taking care of the kids. Heck, I can't remember the last time both kids napped at the same time. 

5. It's not my job! Is it yours hubby? If I get up before Ian, he doesn't make the bed. And I don't expect him to. Given that he has never once, in 10.5 years of marriage, complained about our unmade bed, I am thinking he really doesn't care either. But, if someone were to pay me to do it, I just may start making it! 

4. I ditched my top sheet years ago. Throwing the comforter over me at night isn't a big deal. I really ditched it because I am a crazy sleeper and always got tangled up in it. But, it is so freaking easy to straighten one comforter before jumping into bed at night. 

3. It's all about priorities. And my bed is definitely not at the top of my list. Just talking about household duties, homemade meals, doing dishes and laundry and cleaning the main areas of my house rank above my bed. Heck, pretty much every house related thing ranks above it. I hate cleaning the toilet, but it is super necessary, so it even ranks above it.  

2. I am a stay at home mom, not a stay at home maid. I really believe this. I feel as if so many people view staying at home with children to mean you do every single thing in the house and your hubby does nothing. Well, let me tell you, my kids far outrank house work. I really take my "job" as a mom serious. That means, I tend to spend a lot more time playing with my kids than cleaning. Just today I spent an hour and a half playing with the kids in the backyard. Take that, unmade bed! 

1. No time. Let me walk you through a typical morning. My alarm goes off and I try to scrunch pillows around Connor (he comes in our bed almost every night) so he won't realize I've gotten up and will sleep a little more. I jump in the shower, then get ready. I run out of the bathroom and get the coffee going. Then I get Connor's breakfast ready. I wake him (if he isn't already up) and bring him to the table to eat. While he is eating, I grab his clothes to dress him, then throw my coffee in a tumbler. Then I dress Connor and let him play. I go wake Isla and dress her. Then, with some sort of breakfast for Isla in my hand, I strap the kids in the car to head to preschool. I drop Connor off and run any errands I have with only one kid (so much easier than two!). I pick Connor up from school and head home. I make lunch. After lunch is nap time for Isla and quiet time for Connor. I do the dishes and start some laundry. Then I jump on this blog of mine. Just about then, I hear Connor's timer going off...quiet time is over. I spend an hour building legos with him. I hear Isla is up. I grab her and look at the clock...about time to start dinner. With dinner going, I change the laundry and tidy up the main part of the house in anticipation of Ian coming home. Ian comes home and we have dinner. Then it's bath time. After that, we play with the kids before putting them to bed. By 9pm, both kids are asleep and I have some time to relax (or clean more). So I ask, when should I (or could I) make my bed?!

Though I wanted to say it in a fun way, all I want to say is give yourself a break. If you are staying at home with young children (i.e. non-school age) or even homeschooling, your kids are your priority, not the perfectly made bed. And if you are a daily bed maker, no judgement to you. In fact, you rock! If you have a problem with my not-so-perfect house, feel free to clean it for me while I play with my kids ;)

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