This is back after a 2 week hiatus while the kids had pneumonia!

1. Set a timer for 15 minutes and spend that time cleaning/straightening in a room that needs a lot of help. If you can, do it several times this week.

2. Wash all of your comforters, blankets, quilts, shams, and similar items. Pillows, too.

3. Clean your window treatments. Dust the blinds and take down curtains and sheers and wash them, etc. While the curtains are off the rods, dust the rods. Shower curtains, too!

Bonus/Alternate: Make the smallest room in your house (probably a closet, bathroom, or utility room) the cleanest. My small master bath is a disaster because nobody ever sees it, so I’m going to take some time and really clean it up!

A day late, but here you go. If there are specific things you need to work on, let me know in the comments and I’ll incorporate it into future challenges.

1. Find 25 things in your house to get rid of. Give them away, donate them, or just throw them in the trash, but get them out of your way. This can be anything from toys, to clothes, to a piece of junk mail.

2. Clean your kitchen. This includes all dirty dishes, even if they have to be hand washed. Clean off the countertops. Clean the appliances. If you’re really ambitious, go through your cabinets and make sure you don’t have anything you don’t use taking up space.

3. Clean your light fixtures. Dust your ceiling fans. Make sure you take the globes off and wash them to get all of the dust and bugs out. Replace any bulbs that are burned out. (If you use CFLs, be careful not to break them as they contain mercury. If you don’t use CFLs, consider the benefits of switching to them.)

Bonus! Find a new recipe to try. If you want, post it in the comments below. I love to try new things!

A message board I post at has recently started having a “weekly challenge” for those of us who live in utter chaos most of the time. Actually, I started it and it’s been a good thing for me. I’m motivated to do some things in the house I wouldn’t otherwise do. I thought I’d carry it over here and post the list each week. So here’s challenge #1!

1. Go through your personal care products (hair care, cleansers, facial products, make up, etc.) and toss anything you don’t use regularly. If you don’t want to toss it, offer it to a women’s shelter, a teenager or someone else who likes to experiment with products.

2. Now that the seasons are changing, pack up any winter clothes you don’t expect to wear until next year and put them away. Alternately, pack up and give away (or store for the next one!) the kid’s winter clothes that have been outgrown. Put away the coats, boots, mittens, scarves, hats, etc.

3. Find a surface in your home that collects junk. Desk, counter, dresser, entertainment center or whatever. Clean it up. Come up with a plan to deal with the junk before it piles up. A basket to hold mail, a folder for the kid’s school papers, a hook to hang the keys or your purse on, etc.

Bonus! Once you’ve done all of this, treat yourself. Have a glass of wine while you relax and watch your favorite TV show. Go get a pedicure. Take a long, hot bath with a good book. Go out to dinner with a friend. Do something you enjoy and don’t feel guilty about it.

Post a comment and let me know how you did and how you rewarded yourself!