Tackle the Pantry - CHECK CHECK!

Aaaaaaahhhhhh . . . . . . the dreaded pantry is DONE!

I didn't bother to use the timer for this one. I cleaned out five drawers in the kitchen that didn't take much time as a warm up. Then I just dove in.

I should have taken before and after pictures, but I was too ashamed of the way it looked before! I gutted that bad boy -- took everything out, one shelf at a time, vacuumed each shelf and wiped it down. Did a major fling boogie (probably more than 27 things).

Now the bottom shelf has nothing but canned foods, all grouped by "category" - fruits on the right, then veggies, etc. The next shelf is jars and bottles on lazy Susans. The third shelf is boxed stuff - cereals, pasta, crackers, etc. The very top shelf, which isn't as deep as the others, has three plastic containers with "duplicates." I found three boxes of "Nilla wafers (for banana pudding) - one went on the box shelf, two are in a container on the top shelf. Extra boxes of pasta, confectioners sugar, corn muffin mix, etc. are all up on the top shelf.

OH MY GOODNESS, how GOOD it feels to have that job done! And guess what -- it didn't take as long as I thought it would. I can't wait until the hubster gets home and sees the new and improved pantry. I've been harping about that one hole in our house forEVER.

This flybaby LOVES Flylady! No more procrastinating!!

Now go shine that sink! :)

Clean the Spice Cabinet - CHECK!

We're making progress!

Here's what I've done so far today (besides my normal morning routine stuff):

1. Flylady's Spot Alert -- cleaned out our upstairs linen closet.

2. Feather dusted & vacuumed the middle level - entrance, hallway, living room, family room, kitchen, & dining room

3. Tackled the dreaded spice cabinet!! I set the timer, ran a sink of sudsy water, and pulled the lazy susan from each of the three shelves. Went through those spice jars and was amazed at how many duplicates there were! Combined jars when I could. Scrubbed those lazy susans, wiped down the cabinets, placed the lazy susans back in, and replaced the jars in alphabetical order. I used to think only people with OCD did things like that, but now I realize that if I want to find things when I need them, I need to know exactly where they are.

It took me about 45 minutes to finish with that cabinet, and it was time well spent. I was so happy with the spice cabinet that I . . .

4. Cleaned the cabinet above the coffee maker. Found some things to fling, cleaned the shelves, made it all nice and neat.

5. Couldn't stop there, so I continued to the cabinet above the stove. Found more things to fling. Placed baking pieces on one side, cooking ingredients such as cooking wine, olive oil, etc. on the other. Now everything is within reach and easy to find.

All of my kitchen organizing took me about an hour to complete. Much less time than I had thought, which was probably my reason for procrastinating.

The pantry is staring me down, but I really think I can win that one too. I did some flinging before we left for the beach (as I was packing some snacks), so it shouldn't be too bad.

I love this feeling of accomplishment, but even more I love the feeling of being in control of my home instead of being a slave to it. Little by little I'm finding the peace and joy I've been looking for between these walls!

We're Back from Nationals!

We returned yesterday evening from a weekend in Myrtle Beach for our younger son's national basketball championship. We came in ninth, and what made us feel better was that the two teams that beat us were the two teams that competed for the national championship! If you have to get beat, you might as well get beat by the champs! :)

Flylady is really getting into my brain. We stayed in a beautiful condo while we were away, and I found myself "shining the sink" and swiping the bathroom sink each day. I also threw in a load of laundry each morning so we didn't have so much to do when we returned, and I tried to keep things picked up in the living room. It really wasn't that big of a deal, and we kept it neat. Usually when we vacation, the hotel becomes a big mess with everyone's things on all of the surfaces.

I'm loving the timer too. I read a testimonial from a lady who cut down her "getting ready" time by abandoning the idea that her hair had to be perfect, so I thought I'd put Flylady to the test. By setting my timer, I've learned that I can dry my hair in five minutes, apply makeup in less than 10 minutes, and style my hair (with curling iron -- I have unmanageable wavy hair) in 10 minutes. So by using the timer I have cut down my morning "prep time" to 25 minutes or less. Woohoo!

Before Flylady, I hated to travel because I hated the mess we made in the house before we left and again when we returned. We would leave things out where they didn't belong, and when we returned the suitcases would remain on the floor for several days until we felt we had enough time to unpack and put things away.

This trip was different. I had the house nice and neat before we left, so walking into the house we were met with a peaceful feeling. Bags and suitcases were brought into the house and immediately unpacked and everything was put in its proper place. This morning we weren't tripping over suitcases -- Yay! I started the laundry immediately, and there wasn't much to do since I had kept it under control while we were away. What a difference! My hubby had to go into work when we returned, and when he finally got home around 9:30 last night, the house was calm and peaceful, and you couldn't tell we had been gone. Very nice!

Oh, and I even found time yesterday evening to completely clean out the refrigerator. I took out every container of leftovers and dumped them, cleaned out the crisper and meat drawer, wiped down all shelves, and threw away everything that needed to go. Now when I go to the grocery store, I'll know exactly what we need and will have room to put them away. The pantry and spice cabinet are still needing attention, but I'll get there.

I just love Flylady, and I highly recommend giving her suggestions a try for anyone who needs a little more organization in her home. My older son really enjoys the changes, because he's a bit of a neat freak and (unfortunately) a perfectionist himself, so he likes what we're doing. He also LOVES the meals we're preparing now (from the Body Clutter menu mailer). The younger son claims to hate the Flylady and wants his "old mom" back, but I see him coming around. He puts his dishes in the dishwasher most of the time without being reminded, and he's doing things in his room the first time we ask (such as picking up, putting clothes away, etc). We're getting there!

Time to go fly! Have a great day!

My Husband said the Nicest Thing!

For so many years I've been griping about being our house being disorganized. I bought books on how to declutter, how to organize, and even one on how to stop procrastinating. I would crisis clean the house and then be so disappointed and frustrated that we couldn't seem to keep it that way for long. I would whine to my husband to please help me get organized.

Well, a few days ago my hubby gave me a hug and told me he appreciated what I've been doing. I asked him to explain, and he said he loves what I'm doing in the house and that when he comes home from work our home feels PEACEFUL. That's exactly what I have been wanting for our home for years. Hearing him say that meant so much!

I know it sounds corny, but Flylady is about more than just cleaning and organizing. She is about loving yourself and taking control of your life. My house is becoming neater and more organized, but I am also drinking more water and preparing healthier, more balanced meals. She even sent a reminder to do a monthly breast exam!

FlyLady, I Need your Help!

Uuugggghhhh . . . the ugly P words are trying to creep back in. You know the ones. Say them with me. Procrastinate and Perfectionist.

I've been doing so well with my decluttering -- setting my timer and going to town. I've done a lot of the "easy" spots, and now the tough jobs are looming before me. Maybe if I write it down here, I'll feel obligated to start tackling them.

1. My kitchen pantry. YUCK! We don't have a lot of room for food storage, so all of our non-perishables are in there. And they multiply. It's to the point now that opening the door is hazardous to your toes. I have a lot of throwing away to do. That part I can handle. The part I dread is putting everything back in. There's just no good way to organize the pantry. The shelves are really deep, so you end up with boxes in front of boxes and having to move the front items to get to the back ones. Any suggestions for me?

2. My spice cabinet. Doesn't it seem silly to put off this one cabinet? I think I'm procrastinating because it's in an awkward spot. I'll have to stand on the countertop to get to the top two shelves, and there's not a lot of room to move around. I'm afraid of heights, so feeling like I'm going to fall won't be a pleasant part of the task. I know I have duplicate spices in there, so I'll have to do a lot of combining. Not a big deal. I just have to get started.

3. My OFFICE. UUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! What a mess, what a mess, what a mess! I had started decluttering a little more than a month ago, but I got sidetracked and haven't gone back to it. In here I have my computer, my inventory for my ebay store and my website, lots of paperwork for my business, my looming supplies, and some leftovers from my days as a Henn consultant. I need to start with some five-minute room rescue sessions, but even that seems overwhelming. Where to start? I think what I'll do is break the office into zones and just start in one of them. Baby steps. Fifteen minutes at a time.

As far as hot spots, we're doing really well keeping them cleared off (at least the ones in our visible living area). My kitchen counters are neat, my sink shines, the bathrooms are always company-ready, our bedroom looks better than it has in a long time, my floors are clean. The boys are getting the hang of it too. They put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher after meals and snacks (most of the time, anyway), and they've gotten much better about taking their shoes and other things upstairs instead of plopping them in the foyer.

I have to make myself face those areas that I'm avoiding. I know once I get started it won't be as bad as I'm making it out to be. Sometimes that first step is the toughest, isn't it?

Okay, so I've shared my secret and I've committed to doing something about it. Hold me to it. Don't let me find a way around doing what has to be done. I'll get started right away. Well, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

I Finally Broke Down . . .

I finally broke down and listened to FlyLady's advice about wearing shoes in the house. Now keep in mind that I was taught that the shoes come off as soon as you step through the door, and I've always taught my kids the same thing. But I have been reading the benefits of wearing shoes, especially the part about doing away with rough heels, and I thought I might give it a try.

So I went to the Shoe Department at the mall and bought a pair of white canvas Keds. They're lightweight and comfy, and they will never be worn outside. I'm letting my family know that when they see the shoes, mom is flying! :)

I also bought a digital kitchen timer at WalMart for $9.97. What a neat tool! When I taught students with learning disabilities, I used a timer in the classroom to help them break down tasks into smaller steps. I never thought about using one in my home to help me with baby steps!

I did my weekly "home blessing" this morning, and I was amazed at how much I got accomplished in small spaces of time. I cleaned the master bath and bedroom (dust / mop / vacuum / mirrors), vacuumed the stairs (two sets), cleaned the entire middle level (dust / mop / vacuum / mirrors - living room, family room, dining room, foyer, hallway and kitchen), and cleaned the basement family room, including reorganizing the kids' game systems into stackable crates. All of that took me less than two hours!

Cleaning goes so much faster when there is no clutter to put away and when things have been kept neat and tidy.

The really cool thing is that when my older son came home from school today, he came downstairs and commented about the game systems. They're noticing what I'm doing and they appreciate it. AND they are starting to buy into the whole thing and help me out.

Dinner time is a breeze thanks to the menu mailers I get. The planning is done on Sunday evenings -- I look over the menu and make the grocery list. Each day I know when I wake up what I'll be making for dinner, so that major headache is taken care of. The recipes are yummy, and we all love the variety.

The best benefit of the menu mailers is that they're Weight Watchers friendly. I don't have to do any modifying. The weight is still coming off, and I'm within a fraction of a pound of changing my middle number. Huh? My weight is 1## -- that number in the middle is about to go down by one. Get it?

Okay, I'm making it sound like everything is perfect. No way! I still have a way to go. I still have closets, drawers, pantries, and a whole office that need work. I still have a child who is way too picky with his eating. We have lots of old habits to break and new habits to establish. But FlyLady is teaching me that it's okay if it's not all done right now. Baby steps. How liberating those two little words are!

Here's to shiny sinks, comfy shoes and jeans that fit!

I have time for a DATE!

Woohoo! Hubby is coming home right now to pick me up and we're going to see a matinee movie while the kids are in school! The best part is that my house is neat!

I look around and realize that I really have been a "procrastinating perfectionist" for a long time. I never let things go because I was lazy or a slob. I was in the habit of waiting until I had enough time to do EVERYTHING that needed to be done. For example, if I thought about cleaning out the pantry in the kitchen, I would put it off because the other cabinets needed to be cleaned too and I knew it would take me days to do it all.

But now I'm learning that I can do anything in Baby Steps. Fifteen minutes at a time, my house is taking shape -- and staying that way!

Kelly's mission yesterday was to tackle the Tupperware / Rubbermaid / leftover containers. I took it a step further and decluttered the whole cabinet where they are stored. I had been putting off doing that one dreaded chore because I thought it would take forever. I started at 4:00 and finished in plenty of time to pick up my younger son from his fifth grade social at 5:00. All the stray lids, oversized cups and other things we don't use anymore have been thrown out, and the cabinet looks great.

I have my eyes on the next cabinet to be decluttered, but not today. Today I have a DATE! And tonight we're going to the country club for an awards dinner for my older son.

My kids are a little too old for FlyLady's Camp GonnaWannaFly, but we've got to get them on a schedule for the summer to get their chores done. I'm thinking about doing their own evening and morning routines, a basic weekly chore schedule for them, and a daily "Mom's challenge" based on things that need to be done in their rooms. I really want to send them out into the world organized and neat. I'm going to be the "mother in law" one day, so I want to prepare them to be good husband material, or at least teach them to pick up after themselves. :)

Okay, I'm off to slip on my jeans and get out the door!

This House has been Blessed! ;)

Whew! I just can't seem to grasp the concept of the weekly home blessing *hour.* It takes me at least two hours to do the top two levels of my house (dust, vacuum, mop floors, clean mirrors, empty trash, change sheets), and I haven't gone any farther with the basement than dusting the family room and cleaning the bathroom down there. There is some clutter left over from the weekend's sleepover that needs to be dealt with first. I'm sure Kyle will be reaching for the flyswatter when I tell him what he needs to do this evening! :)

Well, it's been a week and a half since I met the FlyLady. My kitchen always looks great now because we shine the sink every evening and don't leave clutter on the counters. I found an expandable file in my office -- one of the travel ones with a handle -- and placed it in a basket next to the counter. In it we place all bills as they come in (to be paid every other Friday - payday), and then we file the paid bills in the pockets. Everything else that comes in gets dumped if it's junk or put into the current catalog basket. No more counter clutter!

The boys are catching on to the routines. They "swish and swipe" every morning, and my younger son has been laying out his clothes the night before. Last night he threw in a load of his laundry without being reminded (even though tonight is his laundry night).

The older son LOVES the dinners we've been having. I've been getting the Body Clutter menus from savingdinner.com, and we haven't found anything so far that we didn't enjoy. Tonight might be the exception. It's a Tex Mex Crock Stew done in the slow cooker. I think it smells wonderful, but I don't know how they'll like it.

So what have we been getting done so far? Hmmm . . .

My evening routine:
* Shine the sink
* Shower
* Check tomorrow's calendar and menu
* Lay out clothes for tomorrow
* Spend a few minutes on the "hot spots"
* Run the dishwasher

My morning routine:
* Shower, do hair & makeup, dress to socks (I'm still working on wearing shoes in the house; I'm thinking about buying an inexpensive pair of lace-ups just for wearing inside)
* Swish & swipe the bathroom
* Grab a load of laundry
* Unload the dishwasher
* Check today's calendar & menu

I've been completing Kelly's mission each day, and I've been trying to do some decluttering in 15-minute increments. The master bath is clutter free and stays neat. We have 3 1/2 bathrooms, and they all get "swished and swiped" each day so they're staying neat. Laundry stays caught up (except the ironing -- I need to catch up on that -- yuck!).

I have a friend who just might BE FlyLady. She has a huge house, two kids, a husband, two cats and a dog. Any time you walk into her house it is NEAT. I've always left there feeling so inadequate.

But guess what? My house is like my friend's house now! At least the top two levels are. I'd still stop you from going to the basement, and please don't open any closets, cabinets or drawers just yet. But you're welcome to stop by now; I won't be embarrassed by the things that need to be put away. That feels great!