*** I hope y'all liked yesterdays post and the first in my new 9+ month series... Stay tuned every FRIDAY to follow Michelle on her journey***
Getting asked weird questions doesn't shock me anymore. I'm getting used to it, I guess. I mean, I personally don't think our family is THAT large anymore. seriously!!! to me, they are not numbers. I don't see them as a bunch of kids. Their individuals... And all mine. But whenever I'm out in public, I'm almost ALWAYS stopped and asked questions. People count out loud. Or just stop and stare... And some will just go right up to me and start asking me all sorts of things. Even in my circle of friends, questions will amount... And that's ok. I'm fine with it. Large families interest me as well... Well, families that are larger than mine. For years, I was the first one in front of the tv watching the Duggars. It's only natural to be fascinated about the inner workings of the large family way, so for all those with a million questions, but are afraid to ask, let me try and answer them for you... Bit by bit and piece by piece.
Getting asked weird questions doesn't shock me anymore. I'm getting used to it, I guess. I mean, I personally don't think our family is THAT large anymore. seriously!!! to me, they are not numbers. I don't see them as a bunch of kids. Their individuals... And all mine. But whenever I'm out in public, I'm almost ALWAYS stopped and asked questions. People count out loud. Or just stop and stare... And some will just go right up to me and start asking me all sorts of things. Even in my circle of friends, questions will amount... And that's ok. I'm fine with it. Large families interest me as well... Well, families that are larger than mine. For years, I was the first one in front of the tv watching the Duggars. It's only natural to be fascinated about the inner workings of the large family way, so for all those with a million questions, but are afraid to ask, let me try and answer them for you... Bit by bit and piece by piece.
A popular subject is laundry...
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| Where we tackle Mt. Dirty Laundry |
The dreaded L word... The "dirty" word..... The word that has me wincing because I am forever behind on. I am blessed enough to have a laundry room on my main level in my home... Which is more than I had in my last home. It's not the biggest room, but it does the job. I think that if the room were bigger, it would only allow me to collect MORE dirty clothes. I have just one washer and dryer. Extra large capacity and it really does hold ALOT! ( trust me, I fill that sucker UP!)
"Laundry day" doesn't fly with me. I don't believe in it. It just doesn't work. If I were to wait to do laundry for one day... Well, lets just say 24 hours wouldn't be long enough to do it all. On good days I do about 2 loads a day. Doesn't seem like much to some but my teenagers do their own laundry, so 2 loads a day covers the 7 of us. This also doesn't include the extra load a week I do of hubby's uniforms,....I keep those separate because he gets all sorts of dirty on them and
wouldn't want it ruining our stuff...( I ruin enough myself...) or any bedding I might do. Baby blankets are saved for another load as well.
When the clothes are finally dried, I usually throw them in a pile in the corner of the living room. My greatest intention is to fold them as soon as they get out, but reality is that it sits there and we may sometimes live out of it till I can sit down to fold it all. The pile ranges in size depending on how many articles are taken out and how quick I throw new clean clothes on top.
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| My very sophisticated laundry method |
Shamefully, it's not the best system I have but hey, I never claimed to be perfect. My 8 yr old is in charge of bringing the folded clothes upstairs and placing the appropriate clothes in the right rooms... Then I make my way up there and put away. My little ones are still too little to do all the hanging on hangers but we are working on that. Hopefully that torch will be passed within the next year.
*insert happy dance.*
My closest friends grant me so much grace when they come to visit and naturally just step over the pile. But on school breaks and summer, when I have more time, the laundry pile is literally non existent... ( I have to make myself look good somehow!!!)
I DO have an amazing system IN my laundry room though. After years of having to run up and down the stairs because of who can't find socks and she needs new underwear, I have white plastic bins which hold ALL of that... In size order... By gender. Literally, I heard the angels sang when this was implemented. Now, whenever we are running out the door and socks can't be found... WHOOSH... into the laundry room I go and * Voila* there they are! I plan to get more bins as more socks and underwear join the mix.
I also make my own stain remover that works WONDERS. I mix DAWN dish detergent ( 1 part Dawn to 4 parts water) and mix. Takes anything in the world out. I keep it in a spray bottle in my laundry room. It gets out all those grease drops that fall on my shirts while I cook.
My laundry room is pretty much hopping 100% of the time. There is always a load needing to go in, a load in and a load waiting to go out... The dirty clothes hamper is always overflowing, but that's ok. Its a small price to pay for the benefits of what all these special people bring into my life. Life is more important than a few dirty shirts.
But there you have it folks, the big secrets behind this familiy's large family laundry... how we stay clean and looking good, by the skin of our teeth!!!!
Feel free to ask me any other questions you want me to answer about loving, managing or schooling this large brood!!!!
- XoXo GiGi
We also use Dawn for stains. I did quit buying the boys white clothing a few years ago though!
ReplyDeleteSame here, white in our house doesn't fly!!!
DeleteI didnt know that about the stain remover! I will def be mixing some of that up!
ReplyDeleteI will try the Dawn mix. We need it. If I don't do laundry everyday it will take over my house.
ReplyDeleteYES!! Try it, it has saved me many shirts
Deletewe still battle the laundry pile even with 3 of us...used to happen when there were 4...usually got someone to fold it then..now not quite so often. It can sit for a couple days before it's folded. I like the dawn soap idea. Will remember that when I run out of the Shout I have.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to try that Dawn tip. I hate those grease splatter stains!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I love this kind of posts!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome! Let me know if there is anything else that interests you :)
DeleteMy kids do their own laundry. They each have a day and bring down their basket, load the machine and switch to the dryer. I help the little ones with soap and folding, and they put away. It's a great method - when we stick to it! Even smaller families struggle with laundry! HaHa! :-)
ReplyDeleteThats a genuis idea... its time I teach Molly to do the same thing... Im thinking Laundry is of the devil... along with showers before 8 am and pms... :)
DeleteJust now getting to read this AND providentially as of this week I find the quickest way to prevent a CLEAN "Mt. Clothesmore" is by folding it into a basket as soon as the dryer is finished. Otherwise I set a time, and it never gets done. My sisters and I "pull" from that pile, and the only convenience is that we have a low table which is high enough to hide the baskets, but we have that guilty feeling when anyone not from the room comes in (which is, in summary, every day). As others have said, we all have our laundry days, each room has their own day. 4 rooms, laundry 4 days out of the week. We usually have extra loads done on Saturdays and Sundays. Younger ones have an older "representative". The youngest here is 6 now and he can fold his own laundry.
ReplyDelete:)