WFMW: Cleaning and Smelling Pretty

First, let me start by announcing the winner of the Caption This! contest. After much work, hair pulling and gnashing of teeth, JimmyEW has finally chosen his favorite caption. And the winner is... Saint Seester, with (drum roll please....)

"**nudge, nudge** Watch, watch. She's going to tell us another story about what life was like when SHE was a kid..."

Go read her blog and give her the respect she is due. Thanks for all the participation, many of these were oh so funny, but, alas, there can be only one.

Now to the meat of things. Since we all know I'm a total slacker, and that I lean toward crazy, I think it goes to say I am sometimes not the best housekeeper. Ok, that is an understatement. I'm pretty much always an awful housekeeper, terrible. I suck. I mean, I can clean, but its like if I start I go all OCD and pretty soon I'm color coordinating my closet and stacking canned goods according to type/size and food group. It drives JimmyEW crazy. So... I just don't clean, except the kitchen surface stuff and bathroom.

But my bedroom was beginning to look like this (that isn't my actual bedroom. I actually wanted a picture of the Garbage Lady from the movie Labyrinth, but I couldn't find one). My messy bedroom was driving me crazy. JimmyEW and I talked about needing to make our bedroom a sanctuary for ourselves, so Saturday night, while he was working on a week long project, I cleaned.

And...I enjoyed it. You know why? Yep, my iPod. If I could marry it, I would. This is another iPod lovefest. See, this is what I do, I go into my iTunes and I download a bunch of FREE podcast episodes of This American Life. If you enjoy documentaries or well told stories, you'll love listening to this radio show. It is also a Showtime show now, here is the trailer for what you see on Showtime. It really will give you a feel for how the radio show is, the music, the stories, the people. Check it out. note:the podcast is the NPR radio version, not the Showtime show. But just as good, I've seen both.


The stories are always entertaining and thought provoking, sometimes sad, sometimes funny but always a joy to listen to. And many times, despite myself, I learn something new. Like the episode all about testosterone. That one was very interesting and funny too. Especially since the radio staff had their levels tested and were all freaked out about who would have the highest or lowest.

So I'm listening to a story about the Rubber Room, a place teachers go and waste away while being paid by the district for sometimes years at a time and then one about a family scandal uncovered through historical research by one decendant...and before I knew it, two hours flew by and I had a sanctuary. I had barely realized I was cleaning at all.

The next morning Kiki ran in to climb in bed with us and says in his sweet little voice,

"Mama, your room is SO clean!"

Me, "Yep baby, I cleaned it."

Kiki, "I'm going to go clean MY room!" then he runs off to go do it! How about that?!

Podcasts are the best, they have all sorts, comedy, spirituality (you can find John Eldridge Ransom Heart), Sports, Fitness and even Blogging Basics 101. But with your iPod you're not just limited to music and podcasts, no siree, you can actually go to your local library and get some books mentioned here, upload them to your iTunes and now you can absorb books that you don't have time to read. What could be better than that???

Its the epitome of multi-tasking, and it takes the boredom and frustration out of cleaning. If you have kiddos that you need to pay attention to, just take out one of your ear buds, you'll hear them but still be able to pay attention to what's on your iPod.

Wow, writing this is actually making me want to clean something, I better stop before JimmyEW comes home and wonders who stole his wife and replaced her with someone from Stepford. Of course I'd still have to have an iPod in my little robot ears!

Now, something that I've discovered for the stinkier sex. JimmyEW works hard, and I mean really hard. If you don't believe me read this post. He comes home sweaty and tired and smelling of man with man scent deodorant trying to cover up man smell.

A few days ago I was hugging him, he is giant and I am wee so my nose is right about his pit, and... it smelled good. I looked up and asked, "are you wearing my deodorant?" He smiled sheepishly and confessed he'd run out of his own. I told him it smelled good and I liked it. Fast forward to Monday night, after a grueling near 20 hour day for JimmyEW. He is laying down exhausted and I venture a quick sniff... and.. he smelled good!

"Wow, you really should keep using my deodorant, smell yourself" I said. So he took a big whiff of himself and agreed. He has been converted. He is now wearing the Dove Cool Moisture Cucumber Green Tea deodorant, they have a whole line and so do I! Well, I am missing the body wash.

*sidenote: I totally just took a whiff again, and he smells so pretty! Its amazing! You gotta try it.

Now for more Works for Me Wed. Tips, go see Shannon.

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