Where To Start?

I think I am in a funk.  Motivation to accomplish things while at home has completed disappeared.  There are so many things on my to-do list at home that I might just be buried under the ship, instead of going down with the ship.

I need to get a move on with my list because . . . . . In two weeks we have the kids joint birthday party.  And then there is a family reunion on my husband's side coming up in May, we were informed (not asked) by the hosting family member (who just happens to have the most immaculate house I have ever seen), that we would be showing our house off to out of town relatives sometime during the three day event.  Yikes!!!!!  No pressure of course, my husband's grandparents only built the house (in the late 30's early 40's) and most of those out of town family members have not been inside for over ten years.

Anyway here is my home to-do list that I need to chip away at.  Some are routine tasks and others are not:

CLEANING!!!!
- Sweeping, Vacuuming, Mopping: so very far behind on this.
- Dusting: Oh, can't tell you the last time I did that.
- The stove, oven, and refrigerator could really use some TLC.
- I don't know why, but I am terrible at remembering to clean the bathroom.  Maybe because half the time I am not wearing my glasses and I just cannot see how dirty it really is.
- Cleaning windows:  hahahaha, we still have one window that had cat nose smudges from our cat and she disappeared October 2008.
- Are we suppose to wipe walls down?  We have lived here since December 2004 and I have yet to do that.
- How often are we suppose to wash curtains?  
- Oh, just remembered I am behind on laundry again.  Sigh!  The chore that just keeps on giving. ;-)

ORGANIZING:
- Clutter: It is everywhere and grows and multiples and it has babies that grow and multiple.  I really am not a pack rat!  It just seems that certain areas are safer to piles things away from the children.  Some of the piles are from before mom and grandpa died (2 1/2 years ago) and I am a bit apprehensive about what I might find in those piles.
- The kids rooms:  Toys everywhere!  And it is like pulling teeth to get them to give something up.  Of course we also have books everywhere.  I do need to start going through and weeding some of those out too. 
- The basement:  It really needs to be organized, it is a disaster area.  I'm not even going to describe that chaos.
- I so wish this house had more closets and cabinets.  I need to try to reorganize the kitchen.  I have kitchen stuff everywhere- the basement, the sun room, the great room and of course the kitchen.  If only the cabinets in the kitchen went all of the way to the ceiling.  Oh the extra space that is not utilized.

UPDATING AND / OR REPAIRING:
- We need to do some patching of a cracking area in the hallway ceiling outside the bathroom.
- Painting of most of the rooms (definitely a long term project).
- We need to fix some loose trim in the sun room.
- We definitely need a new garage door sometime this year.
- I would love to get new floor rugs for under the tables in the sun room and great room that are not shredding apart.
- A window in the sun room needs the outdoor trim work replaced.  Eek!  That will be an expensive one.
- I would love to have a new refrigerator, but that may have to wait a few years.  I think the duct taped on the door shelf will hold out a bit longer. 
- Oh to replace the lighting fixtures in the great room, that would be a blessing.  If we could get lighted ceiling fans it would really help with the air circulation in the core of the house.

I have came up with a outline game plan, but the trouble is finding the time and sticking to it.
January- Kitchen
February- Great Room
March- Sun Room
April- Bedrooms
May- Basement

Well wish me luck!!!!! Oh and if you see the cleaning fairy send her my way.  Thanks!