Cleaning and Clearance shopping!

Since our two week stay in ICU and the Holidays, my house has been a disaster area.

Really.

You would be disgusted if you could see it. I am. My kids on the other hand seem to feel right at home in all the mess and chaos.

It's so bad. I don't know where to start.

I am frustrated because right before Hubbins finally was too sick, I started this program with a woman called the Flylady. I had almost completed my control journal, my sink was shiny, my living room was spotless and the classroom was getting a rehaul.

I was feeling like I was accomplishing something.

Then it all fell apart. Sure my mom was here, but I didn't want her to touch anything. For example, my washer and dryer. Luckily, they were able to repair that without issue but had it been broken permanently I would have died a lot.

So my house was a disaster zone for the holidays. My plan was to have it all together by the end of the year. I came home to a ton of Fly Lady missions in my inbox and I know that I could've just jumped in anywhere and yet, I didn't. It's actually the whole premise of the Fly Lady. You can join in at any time and just get going. We just have to leave our perfectionistic tendencies behind.

But I've got that whole perfectionist, fear of failure and fear of success thing going on. So, I started making piles of crap. But the piles of crap made things worse. I am sitting amidst piles of crap right now. Which pile should I start with?

So naturally, I blog. lol!

I decided to show you the ugly for accountability sake. I'm figuring if I totally humiliate myself to you guys maybe I'll get over my hangups and be like Nike and JUST DO IT (already!).

But...before then...I'd like to share with you some awesome clearance finds. I was all about Christmas decorations this year. All. about. it. I didn't do so awesome with the decorating this year. Hubbins keeps insisting we did fine this year...but I know better.

I actually got these at 60% off weeks before Christmas. I love Mary Englebreit. I have some of her fabrics that I am going back and forth on what to make with and I also purchased some ornaments that I didn't take pictures of. Teapot sets and chairs, none over $1.99.

Santa!

Snowman!

They are a pretty good size and I LOVE THEM!

Sorry about my pictures, I was playing with the camera and they looked great on the screen but when I transferred them they looked like this.

I love these large wood snowmen, at $4.99 they were a steal. Especially since they have a secret!

They are multipurpose! When you flip them around they are now decorations for Fall and Halloween.

I know exactly where they are going next year too!

I already knew last year that I was going to need a new Christmas Tree topper. I have a Precious Moments Angel tree topper that's over ten years old. I love it. The head is made of wood and it's a struggle every year to try and center it on the big live tree so I was on the hunt for a new topper. I don't really like those stars with lights, etc...

When I saw this Angel, I loved her dress. It's made of a velvet and satin that's flowy (why, yes...that is a word.) and light. She's rather large, which I like because we have vaulted ceilings in the living room and our tree in there is the 7- 8ft ones. Best of all, she was $9.99. I've found another tree topper (we put up more than one tree) in mind but I'm still thinking about it. Sadly, it's a collector's item and not on clearance. :(

I love these Christmas Tree napkin rings. I was eyeing them before and even though they are a heavy metal, I didn't think they were worth the $7.99. I know I am cheap. But it paid off. Both of these boxes cost me $4.

I love nutcrackers too. A couple of years ago I bypassed the opportunity to buy two nutcrackers that were taller than me and I've regretted it ever since. Until this year, I had stayed away from nutcrackers because I was reminded of my missed opportunity. ( I know cue the violins.)

But these guys were a steal at a dollar and besides, someone is bound to be selling those nutcrackers (it was Costco I had seen them at) one of these years and then they won't have any friends. Riiiiight.

This one wasn't on sale but I love, love, love Richard Scarry books. I have some that are falling apart and this was a reprint of a 1950s book. I just had to snatch it up.

I love how the animals wear clothes! Love it. There's just so much to see in all his books too! I am happy that I can share them with my kids.

Lastly, I found this. Nope it's not for Christmas, nor was it on sale. It's a wreath for Valentine's day. For some reason, I am anxious to fill my house with pink and red hearts this Valentine's day. That is weird for me, since I've never really did much in the past for it.

Ok, so that's it for now. I bought a ton of other things but I've probably bored everyone enough already. I'm off to tackle my first wreck. Bummer!