I finally finished the entryway!  I didn't even want to really start on the livingroom, as the cleanliness of the livingroom is really dependent on the entryway.  The livingroom is usually kept picked up, except for the occasional forts, toys, and mounds of laundry needing folding.  So, I really focused on the entryway.

The entryway is where everything gets piled up that needs to go out to the storage container, needs to go to other people, and needs to be gotten rid of, as well as house all of the gear needed for 7 people.  During the winter, it is really crowded!  The kids each have their own basket for hats, gloves, scarves, etc, and the snowpants go in the bench.  The other “clutter I run into in the winter is everyone having multiple coats.  They need one for when it is really cold (below 0!), as well as a lighter coat for when it is above 0, because the parkas get too hot.  So, the first thing I did was start washing all of the coats and snowpants.  I put all (except a set for the two youngest) of the hats, gloves, and scarves into a tote, and after the parkas were dry, I put those into the same tote.  It is marked winter gear so it will be easy to find next winter.  I rinsed off the snowboots and took them out to their designated tote out in the storage container, pulled out the shoe rack (which my 4yodd wiped down), vacuumed and mopped behind and under it, cleaned off the coat rack shelf (boy was it dusty!), took the storage things out, took the stuff to go to other people out the the tote in the van, washed the dog kennel bedding and cover, and even gave the dog a bath!

After!  Isn't it beautiful with the sun streaming in?!?

It has made such a magnificent difference!  When dh got home from being in town for two days he said, “WOW!  It looks really nice in here!”  My MIL came over for a little while and couldn't belive the difference!  Whee!  I really want to keep it this way.  So far, the van is still clean (it could probably use a vacuuming again though) and the porch is still clear.  The kids have a few sticks lying around, and the dog got into some insulation from under the house, but otherwise, things are staying clean!  I think I will finish up the livingroom today, and then maybe I will start on the kitchen….Actually, I think the kitchen will wait, as I have plenty I want to do to get ready for Resurrection Day.