So Here Is My Game Plan for Today....

I have bacoodles of laundry to do, and I mean BACOODLES! I probably have 4-5 loads plus all the sheets and comforters need to be washed.

I will begin washing laundry. If there are any clothes in the dryer (which I am sure there is because my hubz is world's worst to start laundry and not finish it past the dryer) then I will go ahead and fold and put those away.

My next game plan is to take on the living room, because it really isn't that bad. After I have put away all of the kid's toys and clothes (they like to strip in the living room for some reason) and vacuumed, I will have a clean living room. Then I will feel really good and feel like I accomplished something today.

By the time I am finished with the living room, I can empty the washer into the dryer. I can, then, start another load. Then, I am off to clean my dining room (not so bad) and kitchen (Oh, it is ugly). It will probably take a while in the kitchen because I always like to scrub down everything with bleach water in there. I will probably come across 10-15 little handprints on the walls and appliances if I get down on my knees, so I may have to break out the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. When all is said and done with, I will have a clean kitchen with a shiny sink.

Okay, so I could go on and on about every detail that I plan to do today,  but you guys would get bored. As I sit here writing this, I realize that I am going on and on just to put off cleaning. So I am off here, and onto the living room!

I Slipped....A-G-A-I-N

So, here I am again...months later. I think about this blog everyday.  I have been working major hours- around 60 a week. I was also driving an hour to work. So calculating that in, I was gone at least 70 hours out of the week. That doesn't count all my errands that I run.

The house isn't as bad as it once was. However, the floors could be mopped more often. My husband vaccuums about every day. Well, he is the one that keeps it looking presentable- I have done nothing...nothing at all. I should be  and am ashamed. I fell off the wagon hard. It all started when I came down with the flu. I laid on the couch for about a week.

It devastated me that I couldn't even keep my house perfect for 3 months. I think I have been way too hard on myself though.

I want to be the person that when someone walks into my house, they say, "How do you keep this so clean with 3 children?" I know that it is possible because I have walked into perfect houses with children residing there.

So here I am again, ready to start anew- with your permission and encouragement, that is. I cannot do this without my readers advice, opinions, and encouragement. You ladies (and guys) have been awesome!

I Do Not Want to Strangle My Husband...

I Do Not Want to Strangle My Husband...
I Do Not Want to Strangle My Husband...
I Do Not Want to Strangle My Husband...

I must keep telling myself that. Do you remember how hard I worked on getting my home clean and organized? My poor husband who was just trying to help me cleaned our brown carpet with bleach spray! He sprayed 4 spots to be exact- 2 in my bedroom and 2 in the kids' room. Now there are 4 spots on my carpet.

We have a dog who is house broken, but something we fed her didn't do right on her tummy. During the night, she did 4 "messes" (the 4 spots). My husband, trying to be a good spouse, cleaned it up while I was at work.

He failed to tell me what he used to clean it with. Our conversation was something like this:
Me: "Did you get Bossy's mess cleaned up"
Him (answering with a weird look on his face): "Yeah, I cleaned it up"
Me (thinking he gave the weird look because it wasn't pleasant to clean up after a dog): "Did you use the carpet cleaner?"
Him: "Yeah, I got the carpet cleaned. Did you have a nice day at work today?"
Me: "It was a long day, but it was okay."

I didn't catch it- he basically just lied to me, and I didn't catch it until after coming home to see the spots.

Now, what can I do about it? I am desperate! I wonder if I can get clothing dye to fix it! I need a quick fix girls!

Day 6: Hot Spots

Oh, I have several Hot Spots in my home. If you are familiar with Fly Lady, you may know what a hot spot is. If you aren't, then you can read about it here. It is basically that place in our home where all of the things go that don't actually have a home. For example, my kitchen table is one of them. On the top of my washer and dryer is another one.

Here is what you should know. Everything NEEDS a home. For small items, that home shouldn't be out in the open either. For example, I am really bad about throwing all of the mail on the kitchen table. Most of it is junk mail too. If you cannot find a certain home for something, perhaps you do not need it. This is something I have to tell myself often. I hate throwing things away, but for the sake of having an organized home it is becoming easier these days.

If everything has a home, it will be easier to locate that item when you need it- so I have learned from experience! You are talking to someone who has never been able to keep up with anything because "I forgot where I put it". This is still a work in progress for me.

Now, here is what Flylady wants us to do about Hot Spots:
Set your timer for 2 minutes and lets practice putting out your Hot Spot. You don’t have to work till you have finished; just do what you can in 2 minutes. Put your bills in one place. This will keep you from having to search for them.

I Did Not Bail!

I know it appears that I have been M.I.A. for the last few days, but I haven't! I have had internet problems with my provider- long story short: billing dispute over $1.11! Anways, I am back and still kicking!

 I work 40-50 hours a week on most weeks. When I come home from work, I start a load of laundry and pick up around the house. Since starting work, I have noticed that my house stays cleaner. You would think it would be the other way around.

Stay at home moms, I have been in your shoes. If you want to keep a clean house with little rug rats running around, you may as well put up your apron and cleaning spray (not really, but it sure feels hopeless). It is so hard to clean and keep things organized with children.


At the same time, it is so hard to keep things clean and organized when you are working all the time. I will give credit to my husband because when I am working, he is home with my children. He keeps the dishes done and vacuums at least twice a day. I am very lucky to have him. However, the house is never as clean as I like. I am a perfectionist, and I notice the smallest things. If you would have seen my home 2 months ago, you would have never called me a perfectionist- a slob maybe, but definitely no perfectionist. When I work hard at something, I want to keep it looking perfect.

So, I finally got around to cleaning the upstairs! Let's do a check off from my previous list:

My Bedroom (oh dear):
Put away laundry (my bedrooom is where the baskets of laundry go after leaving the dryer)
Change linens
Organize closet
Vacuum

 Notice the table at the foot of my bed with the plastic totes underneath? Check out the after picture. I covered the table with a downy comforter and throw pillows- I think it looks nicer than a table with totes underneath.

Kids' Bedroom
Have kids clean bedroom (because let's just face it- anything I do will be undone within minutes)
Organize kids clothes in drawers
Change linens
Vacuum

 








Bathroom:
Clean Bathtub
Clean toilet
Organize under sink
Sweep & Mop

Here is a photo of the dining room after I placed the pictures I bought:

And after I completed all of this, I rewarded myself and family with a meal of baked ham, dressing, green beans, and mashed potatoes. I helped my daughter bake a chocolate cake also. We had a very good meal in a very decluttered and clean house.

Remember When I Said I Was Going to Buy Clothes Hangers...

Well, I couldn't stop myself. See below:

See, I bought hangers....along with 2 pictures for my dining room and a fat chef picture for my kitchen. I also "needed" a shoe organizer to go under the bed and a clothes rack to go over my bedroom door (which is great for all of my pull overs and jackets). I couldn't resist the new comforter set for my bed, as it was on sell.

The whole time that I was shopping, I kept saying, "Joe is going to kill me..." I was only supposed to be gone for a few minutes to get one thing. When I walked in the door with bags of things, he began to sing "money, money, money, MONEY..." I actually got really good deals on all of this stuff. I got the comforter set for $22.80!

I told myself that all of those items had to set against that wall until after I got the upstairs completed. That was motivation enough for me, because I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and decorate!

I FINISHED Decluttering My House...

But, I cannot write about it because a certain 20 month old has my camera hostage. Well I can write about it, but it isn't fun without pictures! It was mostly an all day event, but I took about a 4 hour break (I had to pick up my daughter from a friend's).

It wasn't as bad as I expected. I am at a loss for where my camera could be because my home is decluttered, and some time while I was cleaning my little man took it. Oh gosh, I hope it isn't in the garbage...

I am off to dig in the garbage can, so stay tuned for some pictures (hopefully)!

Okay, I Slipped....

So, the day before yesterday we ordered takeout. I did not clean anything. I said I will pick up and do it the next day. I was just so exhausted (see, that's always my excuse). Yesterday, I came home from work tired (again). My home is lacking. I keep kicking myself,  but I know that I am only human.

I learned from that mistake. I know that to keep a clean house, I must do a little each day. A little is better that doing a lot on my weekend off.

With that being said, I now have to clean the downstairs again- which isn't a disaster area like before, but this could have been avoided (kicking myself again). When I finish the task of cleaning downstairs, I have to get upstairs- which by the way isn't pretty. My bedroom has become a sanctuary for clean laundry.

Our bedroom suit got ruined in our last house. We had  stored it in the basement, and mold got the best of it. If I keep my bedroom clean for one month (which has never happened in the 25 years I've been on this earth), then I will reward myself with a brand new bedroom suit! If that isn't motivation, I do not know what is!

On a different note, I bought a brand new mop last night- with a scrubber! YEEHAW! Just writing about my bedroom reminds me that I must go buy clothes hangers! I am off to purchase those, and I shall return to start my tasks!

Just knowing that you guys read this helps keep me on track, thanks!


Here is a glimpse about my next post. Now, I will actually get around to hanging the Bob Marley poster up in my bedroom...see what I mean about the laundry sanctuary:

I Get Excited When I Buy Cleaning Supplies...

Is that normal? For as long as I can remember, when shopping for cleaning supplies I get all warm and bubbly on the inside. I have never been able to buy just one thing either. I will get different bottles of cleaner, floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, glade plug ins (are awesome) refills, and a mop refill. I am not kidding you when I say that I spend a good 30 minutes in the cleaning supply aisle.

What are your favorite cleaning supplies? I need suggestions for my shopping trip tomorrow. Comment below:

Day 5: Write Down What You Hear

Here is Flylady's advice from her website:

- Getting Dressed to lace up shoes
- Keeping our sink shining
- Going to Big Tent and reading messages
- Looking at our posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom

Are you hearing any of those nagging negative voices popping into your head? I want you to take a piece of paper and write down what you hear then I want you to turn those ugly words around and say something nice to yourself to negate the ugly words that they said.


Flylady has been around the block a time or two because the timing is perfect-  day 4 is when I began hearing those annoying voices. Here is what they said:

"You had a hard day at work today, so just rest the remainder of the evening"
"Laundry can wait until tomorrow"
"Just let the dishes wait"

and blah blah blah

I did exactly what Flylady said and turned those voices around- so they said:

"Everyone has hard days at work, so get your butt up and straighten this little mess or it will grow into a big mess."
"Wash and dry that one load of laundry or it will turn into 3 loads of laundry."
"Go ahead and 'just let the dishes wait'. By the time you get around to doing them, the food will be stuck on- and what would have first cost you 10 minutes of your time will now cost you 30 minutes"

Also, I would just like to thank Flylady. I have spent less time on the internet and more time on my home.

I still have to organize and declutter the upstairs of my home, and I plan to do that on Saturday- my next off day. I am really excited about it.

I Decluttered My Downstairs! (Caution: Some Photos May Be Inappropiate for Neat Freaks)

Okay let's check off my list for downstairs:

Kitchen:
Clean countertops and cabinets
Organize cabinets and pantry
Sweep and mop
Clean out fridge
Clean top of fridge off

Laundry Closet:
Clean off shelf above washer/ dryer (this may take a while)

Living Room:
Pick up kids' toys
Dust television stand
Throw away papers
Clean out coat closet
Vacuum

Downstairs Bathroom:
Clean sink and countertop
Clean underneath sink
Clean toilet (of coarse)
Sweep and mop

 (Sorry no photos as the bathroom is too small to get a good shot)


Dining room:
Clean off kitchen table
Sweep and mop

I am VERY proud of myself! The whole downstairs of my home is organized and decluttered and clean! I am going to work upstairs next. This time I plan to do a little at a time, as I am just a little tired (and I have a ton of homework along with cooking dinner)

Oh, and here is that pantry from Day 1:

Keep checking in, as I still have to update about what step to take on Day 5!

and just for the heck of it, here is a photo my detective 4 year old snapped of me while cleaning (I didn't realize she did this until uploading them)

It's My Day Off- Time to ORGANIZE!

I have the day off today, so I am going to get this place organized! I am going to make a list of things to do and work, work, work!!!! I am going to tackle the downstairs first.

Here is my list:

Kitchen:

Clean countertops and cabinets
Organize cabinets and pantry
Sweep and mop
Clean out fridge
Clean top of fridge off

Downstairs Bathroom:
Clean sink and countertop
Clean underneath sink
Clean toilet (of coarse)
Sweep and mop

Dining room:
Clean off kitchen table
Sweep and mop

Laundry Closet:
Clean off shelf above washer/ dryer (this may take a while)

Living Room:
Pick up kids' toys
Dust television stand
Throw away papers
Clean out coat closet
Vacuum

Now for the upstairs:
Have kids' clean bedrooms
Organize kids clothes in drawers
Change linens
Vacuum

My Bedroom (oh dear):
Put away laundry (my bedrooom is where the baskets of laundry go after leaving the dryer)
Change linens
Organize closet
Vacuum

Bathroom:
Clean Bathtub
Clean toilet
Organize under sink
Sweep & Mop

Now, wish me luck! It will probably be later on this year, I mean tonight before I can update this blog!

Day 4: Write These Things Down

Flylady recommends writing down the steps already completed on sticky notes and posting them in the home. So, I did the following:

Wrote down, "Getting Dressed to lace up shoes" and posted on my bathroom mirror.

Wrote down, "Keep sink shining" and posted above my kitchen sink.

Flylady says that leaving these hints around the house helps me to remember the habits that I am trying to establish.

To be completely honest, I was just going to post the note above my sink without doing the dishes. I felt tired, so I thought I would just do them tomorrow (this has always been my excuse to keep from cleaning). I first set the dishes aside and shined my sink. After getting the sink shined, it just really bugged me that the dishes were not clean. It was only a plate, a few bowls, and a pizza pan. I then ran water and washed the dishes. While washing, I said that I would just put them away later. Well, that didn't happen either. It bothered me that my sink was not perfect, so I dried them and put them away. THIS PLAN IS WORKING! I am so proud of myself!

I am super excited that my lazy tendencies is slowly fading! I worked all day today, and I planned on coming home to just relax (err be lazy).

Flylady is right. These are babysteps, but they are really helping me. I still have a really good feeling about this.

I did not get to blog last night because my husband took me out to dinner right after work. He did this to reward me for my accomplishments.

The link to FLyLady Step 4 is found here: http://www.flylady.net/pages/bbd4.asp

Day 3: Do What We Have Already Done

That is simple enough. I worked 16 hours today, and I have only been home for about 15 minutes. It is almost midnight here. Let me just say that working from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm at a nursing home is HARD STUFF! My back hurts, so I am going to cut this short.
It was easier on me getting up this morning than previous mornings. I did manage to make a pot of coffee for myself, which I haven't done in a quite in a while. (Note to self- buy coffee filters). I also had time to apply my make up- which is great, considering that I always apply make up in the car on the way to work. I made it to work on time also!
I have noticed that I have been much more positive since starting this program. I was in such a great mood today. Even though I am wore slap out, I am still very happy. I am still motivated and feeling really good about myself.
Now, I am off to shine my sink and hit the bed. I have to be up in 4 hours for work.

Day 2: Get Dressed to Lace Up Shoes

Today, Flylady told me to get dressed to lace up my shoes first thing this morning. I had a hard time waking up, considering I had to at 4:00 am. When I finally pulled myself out of bed, I dressed myself and tied my shoes.

Clearly, there is a meaning behind getting dressed to lace my shoes. Here it is: If I get up and get dressed (even if I am to stay home all day), I just feel better about myself. If I take pride in myself, then it is much easier to take pride in my home. Flylady says this is the beginning of my home control journal.

When I got home from work, instead of laying on the couch I went to the kitchen and cooked dinner. Like I said before, we have only been at this place a month. I have yet (until today) to come home from work and cook dinner. Instead, I leave that to my husband, and we end up having frozen dinners (gross). We had our family dinner at the table, and the children helped me clear the table. Get this: I washed the dishes! I did not let them set and wait on my husband to get them. I washed them!

By the way, Joseph noted changes in me over the last couple of days- good changes. I did not want to tell him what I was doing, because I feared he would think I wouldn't stick to it (like last time). Of coarse, I cannot keep any secrets from my husband, so I told him all about it. He told me that he knew I would stick to it this time, because he could tell that there is change in me. That really boosted my self esteem.

Trust me, if it were not for my ex-Marine of a husband, my house would be total chaos and clutter. I am thankful for everything he does.

Now, I am off to shine my sink before going to bed (FlyLady's orders).

See Flylady's advice for Day 2:

http://www.flylady.net/pages/bbd2.asp

I Shined My Kitchen Sink

So I just shined my kitchen sink, and I have to admit that I feel like I accomplished something. Just as I predicted, I was unable to put my dirty dishes away in the floor like Flylady suggested. It bugged me to just leave dirty dishes aside while my kitchen sink was being shined, so I washed them first. Flylady recommends taking baby steps, but it feels good to be ahead of the game.

Once I washed the dishes, I shined the sink. I scrubbed it with bleach water and scrubbing bubbles. I sent my husband to the store to buy a scrubbing pad. While I was waiting on my husband to get the scrubbing pad, I decided to go ahead and clean the remaining counters and stove. My two oldest were in the kitchen by then. I was feeling pretty confident.

Those two were very encouraging. Chloe, my 4 year old, told me that I was a very good cleaner. Both of the kids said it looked like they had a new house! This made me feel very good. Noah, my 5 year old, then asked Chloe if she wanted to help clean their room.

Light bulbs were going off in my head:
I am rubbing off on my children!
They are proud of me!
They asked to make a rule to keep the house clean!

Oh boy, does this feel good! I had a hard time stopping, but at the same time I felt the need to finish it and make it look nice. I was so excited to get back to my blog and write about it. I sped up a bit just so I could get back and write about it. Yep, I could get used to this.

We have been in this apartment for a month. While cleaning the stove, I realized that it was long overdue for a cleaning. I removed the knobs on the stove to reveal grease- GROSS! I then wondered how long that has been hiding and lurking behind those knobs. That just made my skin crawl, so I scrubbed the whole stove and soaked those knobs in hot bleach water.

Behold the results:

Kitchen sink before (Joseph started washing dishes earlier but never finished):


Kitchen sink after:

Step 1: Shine Your Kitchen Sink

This is the same "baby-step" program I began last year, and I never followed through with. I shined my sink last year (and it looked REALLY nice if I may add). My husband was impressed. Sadly, I only got passed the first baby-step. My house continued to be cluttered and my laundry only got past the dryer and stayed in the laundry basket until time to pick out an outfit for wearing.

Not this year though! Today I will shine my sink! I am following the Fly Lady's system of getting organized. She teaches me to take baby steps. By shining my kitchen sink, she says it will give me a sense of accomplishment. She says if there are dirty dishes in the sink to just set them aside. I do not know that I will be able to do that. I am one that has to do things perfectly, and she is one that teaches not to do things perfectly per say. With that being said, I am going right now to shine my sink!

If anyone wants to follow along with me, here is the Step 1 according to FlyLady:
http://flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Shine.asp

Over the next 30 days, Flylady will give me a new baby-step to complete each day. I WILL blog about each day, because I know that it help give me a sense of "completion" and this will help me to stay motivated and determined!!

Now, I am off to shine my sink FlyLady style!

Anyone can tell you that I am the complete opposite of organized. It dates back to my childhood. My grandparents used to give me hell about my bedroom. My husband gives me hell about my messy habits. He says that a trashcan can be next to me, but I will still throw my trash anywhere but in it (I argue this).

Okay, so I have weird cleaning habits. For one, I do not clean until my whole house needs it. I have never been one to pick up and do a little cleaning each day. I have always picked one day to clean everything. When I clean, I REALLY clean. I am talking bleaching all the floors, cabinets, etc. The house looks really nice when I am finished. However, this is an all-day event. Since I have began working a full time job, it rarely happens.

I am sick and tired of living in clutter and not knowing where anything is. I am frustrated with not having any clean clothes to wear (I HATE doing laundry).

Last year, I tried to complete a simple program to help me get organized. However, I never complete anything- which is getting to be discouraging. I have a goal to get better organized and to complete something! Here goes!

Before it is all said and done with, this pantry (along with every other closet and room in my home) will be organized:



Looking at soon-to-be recycled cans in my pantry is getting old.