Pictures: what was done, and what's being done next

Taskmistress here,

A number of times during this week I got emails/phone calls asking just how much cleaning needed to be done in order for me to not to detail the state of her house again. I kept answering "if you need to ask, you haven't done enough." It worked OK (you'll see in a mo'), but I've come to the conclusion that she needs smaller goals to prevent such badgering in the future, and to set a standard for how much work needs to be done. Plus, it lets me post more pictures.

So she did indeed sort the box, and the rest of the garbage. She also moved the mattress that was on the floor of the office back to where it's supposed to go and only 3 weeks after the heatwave where she needed it ended! I'd take more pictures showing you the improvement in the office but there wasn't really one. So here's a closer picture of the mess:

She told me to take this picture. Honest.

I think part of her plan for this week is to move the blasted bookshelf into the closet shown in this here picture. I'M NOT HELPING MOVE THAT THING!! And I presume that moving that bookshelf involves some organization of this mess. (You never know, Mum is quite talented).

The biggest improvement is bathroom wise:

Toilet improvement! W00t. It's a terribly old toilet, so I won't be too fussy. I still think it could get a bit cleaner. However, that floor...

Ewwww... Official Task Number 1 for the week. This includes the whole floor of the bathroom (not pictured, but this is the worst part). And I'll be checking behind the door.

Shiny. Even the soap dish is clean. :)

Improved. Not done, but improved. Finishing this off is Official Task Number 2 for the week.

This woman should not be allowed on the Internet. Ever. *sigh* That cabinet needs painting... not this week though. Because painting generally seems to be my job.

Now, I didn't take pictures of her bedroom before, but she told me too this week because she did clean a bit. But I think it's mostly to show you that at least one room is a normal level of clean.

Vanity. I like the dolls. Whoever made those is obviously quite talented. :P

Nice neat bed. You can't see the curtains, but a nice job was done on those. Really talented sewer made those, I bet.

Missed a dust bunny! The fact that I got down on the floor to take this picture and live to tell the tale is kind of amazing, considering how much dust is normally under there.

Also, improvement on the kitchen front:

This is kind of miraculous. It's never been this clean, except for when I've gone on a rampage. However, only half of the kitchen is shown (and definitely no floor). These will come in time. Official Task Number 3 is:

Organization. You can't cook if you're afraid to go in your cupboards.

I'm also challenging her to have the other half of the kitchen as clean as this one. And the toaster oven could use a good scrub. Floor not required, yet.

And the last official task for this week:

Help us!!

Along with these four official tasks comes the understanding that the stuff that has been cleaned shall be in this (or better) condition next weekend. Minus the stupid toilet paper thing. (Or I shall cut off the Internets).

Ciao,
Ally

Before Pictures Part 2

Ally here,

I feel that there definitely needs to be a warning before this. The upstairs is relatively livable, but most of the main floor and basement has not been repaired, or cleaned all that much, for many many years, and it shows. Continue at your own risk.

The Living Room

This living room has quite a bit of potential, because the floors were also recently replaced and I painted the living room last summer. And I cleaned it weekly for a while because I needed the space for a studio (I was teaching Cello). But there are a few things that need to be changed...


This, for one...



...and this. And yes, that is a Harry Potter Poster in the background. I painted and organized that living room so that it was almost sort of lovely (furniture an exception) and then she made me put up those silly things. (You don't see the Ice Age one in these pictures.) *sigh* There is a reason for them, and also for the condition of the furniture, and I will let my lovely mother explain them to you. But they are still going. (No arguments, mother). And a living room ought to be a place where one enjoys being, not where you are afraid to touch the furniture.

The Kitchen and Dining Room


At this point I would like to remind everyone that I have permission for the person who lives in this house to post these. Just sayin'...
A messy kitchen is one of my biggest pet peeves, because I am a total foodie. And she wonders why when she asks me to cook something for her, I run in the other direction. No, I will not become your personal chef if you clean up your kitchen, Mother.


I didn't really take a picture of it, but I started to paint her kitchen last summer too, but I stopped when I hit this little road block. Moving that stove frightens me. There is probably something living under there...


Along with "The Box", my mother is going to explain why there is a big pile of garbage in her dining room on garbage day. And then she's going to deal with them, and make sure they are out next Sunday evening. Those shelves are dusty, ugly, and most of the food will never be eaten that is on them. The floor is not clean enough to eat near, never mind off of. And that fish tank...



Poor Sharks. (That's what we call those goldfish.)(Yes there are goldfish).(If you look really closely you can see them, I swear). (There's also plants). (I think). (I haven't seen them for a month, so who knows).

ummm... You may want to stop now. No, seriously. Are you sure? Absolutely sure? Well, here's...

THE BASEMENT!
dun dun dun!



I would like you to take it as a sign of dedication to my mother that I went down here. I wasn't even wearing a biohazard suit.



Ummmm... we block off the downstairs with a board, so the cat doesn't go down here. There used to be carpet on here, but I ripped it up. I never got to painting this.



This little room used to be habitable (almost). At least, I'd played down here when I was little. But as you can see, it's storage. I recently scavenged some art supplies from down here. From ten years ago.



As you can see, she tried to make this part of the basement into a little room. But that was over 10 years ago. If this basement gets cleared up, scrubbed down (preferably with pure bleach or something) it might suite as a rec room.



Ummm... the close up photo I took didn't turn out. Thank your lucky stars. Errr... yeah.

So yeah, that's The House.
No more updates from me until after the weekend. Lets hope my mum cleans enough, or I'm gonna have to go back into the basement to take more pictures. Do me a favour and nag her in comments, will ya?

~Ally