This will be the year of the clean basement!

Welcome to 2011 - the year of the clean basement. No, seriously. I mean it this time.

See, it's not that our basement is dank and forbidding - far from it. On the contrary, it's a treasure trove guaranteed to suck you in.

If the children are there, we know we're doomed. Our oversized basement is toy central. Little toys, big toys, - toys that haven't been touched in years. But bring out that old stained, ragged bunny and my daughter clutches it to her chest like a long-lost sibling. "Mr. Bun??" she says, looking at me like I've just announced we're having rabbit for dinner. "I can't give away Mr. Bun!!"

Of course, I can't just blame the kids. I'm lured in by shelves of old videos, ("Hey, check it out! Let's watch X-Files!!"), my husband is mesmerized by sports paraphernalia, and then there's the giant basketball Pop-a-Shot that can be a bit distracting. (It is, for the record, known as "Mom's Folly." But I swear it didn't look that big in the store).

But no mind. This year we'll get through it all. This will be the year of the clean basement. It just might ... take awhile.