Once Bitten Twice Shy

We have a flea issue. Well, not so much of an issue as a problem. A really annoying problem. You would think I’d be ready for all of this, having grown up in the country, but apparently my mom did magical things that I was unaware of to ensure we didn’t have a flea “problem” in our home.
I, however, don’t know my mom’s magic tricks. And so fleas it is.
It all started about a month ago. Josephine would have some bites that I would attribute to summer mosquitos. I would see a flea occasionally, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then, all of a sudden, like locusts descending, the fleas came. And for some reason they decided they like young blood, so Josephine has been taking the brunt of the biting. Poor baby. She looks like she has the chickey pox. She even developed hives for a few days that we think might have been linked to the bites (although I suppose it really could have been anything, stupid hives).

Oatmeal bath to soothe the itch. She looks tortured, I know.

Now, to be fair (and to ensure that people will still come visit me at my home ) there are people out there with far worse flea problems than me. All you have to do is google “fleas” and you will be doused with stories of people who are practically bathing in fleas. The fleas jump into their cereal bowl, do the back stroke and dance a victory dance. I don’t have that kind of problem (although I am entertaining starting a flea circus. That sounds fun!) I have a more low key, extremely annoying flea problem. They don’t jump on your legs when you walk through the house. In fact, everywhere other than the guest room they are ninja fleas and you don’t really see them out gallivanting. However, they are here and don’t seem to understand that it’s time to leave.
Because of our precious child and our cat and fish, we are not willing (at this point) to flea bomb. I am willing to use poison on the guest room carpet, but not anywhere else where we frequent. At this point our plan of attack is a steady routine of vacuuming and laundry, vacuuming and laundry, vacuuming and laundry…over and over again. Thankfully, Taylor is taking the lead on all the vacuuming lately, because JESUS! I really hate vacuuming. We have our cat Bacheecho flea medicined up to the hilt. Supposedly, when a flea bites Bacheecho it will die. We have turned our cat into a walking flea trap, so hopefully the combo of vacuuming, laundry and the flea incinerating cat will do the trick.
And so I pose this question to you
friends, acquaintances, random people who googled “why do dogs eat poop” and ended up here… do you have any suggestions for natural flea decimation? I will take any and all help.
It’s getting better with every vacuum, but it’s not over until the fat flea dies!