I just posted my notes on what I cleaned this weekend and figured that I would see what Zone the FlyLady was working on this week (to keep my motivation) and low and behold.... on Fly Lady this week is the GREAT CLOSET CLEANOUT! Oh my!
One of the things I was tempted to work on was my linen closet-- somehow we have a ton of towels and a ton of bed sheets (yet I can never find any twin sized ones for the kids beds when I need one- go figure!) If you go and check out www.flylady.com scroll about half way down on the home page to read this week's zone, if you look at the week's sneak peek- you can see the plan for the entire week. Which is what I did... and was thinking... I should really go clean out that linen closet- I know exactly what I want to clear out and what I want to organize in there. But I think I should wait- it is almost midnight and tomorrow is our first day back to school after the 3-day weekend. I should really get some sleep!!
So I will head to bed in a minute and leave the linen closet until next weekend. (I'll let you know how it goes when I get it all done!)
Good Night! ;-)
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cleaning. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Mid-Winter Cleaning
I was getting nervous that I wouldn't get my usual mid-winter cleaning started... but I have hit my stride.
I got alot accomplished this weekend. I cleaned out my dinning room from all of it's new piles that came back after Christmas. I also caugh up on all my dishes and laundry. I swept and mopped the dinning room, kitchen, hallway and front steps. Then I hit the kids rooms. In the girl's room I cleaned it up and vacuumed. Then I went through all their clothes to pull out any that are a bit small. They received alot of clothes for Christmas and now it doesn't all fit in their dressers! I am thinking of buying a dresser at Ikea ($39.99 for a 3 drawer dresser) to add to their room for more storage. But not until after my 30 Days of Nothing.
Then I cleaned the bathroom. About a week ago, when I was hoping to be inspired to clean, I checked out The FlyLady. Her plan is always to do just 15 minutes a day of cleaning. And she has a zone-by-zone approach. The day I checked it out the 'zone' they were working on was the bathroom, and although I was inspired... I find it hard to find 15 minutes a day and would rather do about an hour on Saturday. So I did her whole Zone: Bathroom plan over the weekend. I dusted the ceiling and corners for cobwebs, then got on a stepstool and dusted my light fixtures (boy-were they dusty)! Cleaned the counters and all the items on it, the sink, the toilet, swept and mopped the floors. Then I grouted the tiles I had been putting off doing for months. (They had been covered with plastic so the area wouldn't get wet). I put up a new shower curtian liner, and cut a "good section" out of the old one to cover the window in the shower. I gave the shower and tub a good scrubbing. Whew!
I then went to my son's room and started cleaning. Then we decided to put up his old bed in his room- so he would have two beds. One for a sleep-over or for dad to sleep on, or his sister to sleep in there from time to time. He is always so upset that the girls get to sleep in the same room and he has to sleep alone. So now if the timing is ok- someone can sleep in there with him. This meant moving around some other furniture.. but in the end his room looks all clean and put together.
I also sat down and straightened out some paperwork. I did the last of my 2008 FSA submissions and the first one for 2009, and faxed those in. Then I wrote 2 letters I needed to get out. I balanced the checkbook, paid some bills for the end of January, and got all of that stuff in the mail. Whew! Whew!
The only room I didn't touch this weekend was the living room- which now looks horrible- since everyone was in there while I was cleaning the rest of the house all weekend.
So, onto the school-week, and next weekend I am hoping to finish up a few more things. I am relieved that I got so much done this weekend, and made good use of my 3-day weekend!
I got alot accomplished this weekend. I cleaned out my dinning room from all of it's new piles that came back after Christmas. I also caugh up on all my dishes and laundry. I swept and mopped the dinning room, kitchen, hallway and front steps. Then I hit the kids rooms. In the girl's room I cleaned it up and vacuumed. Then I went through all their clothes to pull out any that are a bit small. They received alot of clothes for Christmas and now it doesn't all fit in their dressers! I am thinking of buying a dresser at Ikea ($39.99 for a 3 drawer dresser) to add to their room for more storage. But not until after my 30 Days of Nothing.
Then I cleaned the bathroom. About a week ago, when I was hoping to be inspired to clean, I checked out The FlyLady. Her plan is always to do just 15 minutes a day of cleaning. And she has a zone-by-zone approach. The day I checked it out the 'zone' they were working on was the bathroom, and although I was inspired... I find it hard to find 15 minutes a day and would rather do about an hour on Saturday. So I did her whole Zone: Bathroom plan over the weekend. I dusted the ceiling and corners for cobwebs, then got on a stepstool and dusted my light fixtures (boy-were they dusty)! Cleaned the counters and all the items on it, the sink, the toilet, swept and mopped the floors. Then I grouted the tiles I had been putting off doing for months. (They had been covered with plastic so the area wouldn't get wet). I put up a new shower curtian liner, and cut a "good section" out of the old one to cover the window in the shower. I gave the shower and tub a good scrubbing. Whew!
I then went to my son's room and started cleaning. Then we decided to put up his old bed in his room- so he would have two beds. One for a sleep-over or for dad to sleep on, or his sister to sleep in there from time to time. He is always so upset that the girls get to sleep in the same room and he has to sleep alone. So now if the timing is ok- someone can sleep in there with him. This meant moving around some other furniture.. but in the end his room looks all clean and put together.
I also sat down and straightened out some paperwork. I did the last of my 2008 FSA submissions and the first one for 2009, and faxed those in. Then I wrote 2 letters I needed to get out. I balanced the checkbook, paid some bills for the end of January, and got all of that stuff in the mail. Whew! Whew!
The only room I didn't touch this weekend was the living room- which now looks horrible- since everyone was in there while I was cleaning the rest of the house all weekend.
So, onto the school-week, and next weekend I am hoping to finish up a few more things. I am relieved that I got so much done this weekend, and made good use of my 3-day weekend!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Winter Clean Out
Well I haven't hit my stride yet on the Winter clean out, but I do feel it coming!
I put the tree and all the other Christmas Decorations away today. Now the living room looks very bare. I find this refreshing after all the Christmas Abundance and Over the top decorating.
My dining room did not stay clear of piles after Christmas as I had hoped! This is probabaly due to the fact that I did not get my school stuff organized in the laundry room-- so my piles have begun again in the dinning room. (OH my!)
I am planning on heading over to read some stuff at http://www.flylady.net/ after I post this in hope of some inspiration, on cleaning, scheduling and organizing.
I have a few projects I am thinking about, unfortunately at this point I an only "thinking". This also relates to my other post about garage sales. I am hoping as I begin my Winter clean out I will find some clutter that I do not need- but could sell in my garage sale.
If I don't hit my stride in January-- I have a week off for Winter Break- and my kids don't!! So I will have 4 days to really get some hard-core cleaning/decluttering done.
I am also looking forward to a series over at http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/ where she is going to go through her house room-by-room and chronical her "overhauling" . That should get me moving.
Now on to see what the flylady is up to.....
I put the tree and all the other Christmas Decorations away today. Now the living room looks very bare. I find this refreshing after all the Christmas Abundance and Over the top decorating.
My dining room did not stay clear of piles after Christmas as I had hoped! This is probabaly due to the fact that I did not get my school stuff organized in the laundry room-- so my piles have begun again in the dinning room. (OH my!)
I am planning on heading over to read some stuff at http://www.flylady.net/ after I post this in hope of some inspiration, on cleaning, scheduling and organizing.
I have a few projects I am thinking about, unfortunately at this point I an only "thinking". This also relates to my other post about garage sales. I am hoping as I begin my Winter clean out I will find some clutter that I do not need- but could sell in my garage sale.
If I don't hit my stride in January-- I have a week off for Winter Break- and my kids don't!! So I will have 4 days to really get some hard-core cleaning/decluttering done.
I am also looking forward to a series over at http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/ where she is going to go through her house room-by-room and chronical her "overhauling" . That should get me moving.
Now on to see what the flylady is up to.....
Monday, December 29, 2008
New Years!! A New Beginning!!
I love New Years as it is a great chance to "start over".. a new canvas to draw up a New Plan.
I know most people "Spring Clean" but I personally always find January a "Big Clean" month. I don't even need to plan it- it just natually occurs-- must be somekind of internal clock for me. I think it has something to do with putting away the tree and Christmas decorations- it makes the houes feel "empty" but not a bad empty, more like a "clear" empty. With all the Christmas toys and new clothes that need to "find homes" it always starts my organizing instinct. Where to put it all???
Before Christmas I always clear out the clutter. I go into each child's dresser and pull out clothes that don't fit or they don't like. I go though all the toys to see what is broken, missing pieces, too young, or just not played with anymore and that all gets sold on ebay or put in the garbage. I went though all the "snow clothes" (snowpants, boots, snowgloves, hats etc..) and have all the kids try stuff on to see what might be needed for this year. Whatever no longer fits is passed onto relatives or sold on ebay.
Now, after Christmas, I feel like I need to do it all over again. There is never enough room- or so it seems. We need to carefully look at each thing in the house and decide "Do I really need this?". How do I decide if I should keep something? I ask myself, Do I use it everyday- or everyweek -or every month? Depending on what it is used for. I have "seasonal items"- if I didn't use it last year- and I didn't use it/put it out this year- then I probably won't- so OUT IT GOES!
I should note here: I tend to be a very "unattached" person-- I have very few items that I have any emotional attachments to--therefore I find it very easy to get rid of stuff. (The price of an item makes a larger impression on me than emotions.)
I love that my dinning room is completely cleared out (in order to seat 13 people for dinner on Xmas) and I would like it to stay that way! Saying something is one thing but in order for Ideas to be come reality you need a plan!! So my plan for this is to organize my "school stuff" in the laundry room. It was all moved to the laundry room this summer- but things tend to creap back upstairs. I think this is because it is such a mess in the laundry room. It was PUT there at the end of the school year- but literally just PUT - not in any particular order. So I am hoping before I head back to school Jan 5th to get it into seperate file boxes marked: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer. That should help. As I bring stuff home now- I can put it in the correct box for next year. (instead of making a pile in the dining room)
As this week goes by and I look forward to the clean slate of the New Year, I will be posting a week-by-week House Cleaning list, in case anyone else has the January Cleaning Bug. I will also be posting some New Year's Goals (personal, family, and financial).
I know most people "Spring Clean" but I personally always find January a "Big Clean" month. I don't even need to plan it- it just natually occurs-- must be somekind of internal clock for me. I think it has something to do with putting away the tree and Christmas decorations- it makes the houes feel "empty" but not a bad empty, more like a "clear" empty. With all the Christmas toys and new clothes that need to "find homes" it always starts my organizing instinct. Where to put it all???
Before Christmas I always clear out the clutter. I go into each child's dresser and pull out clothes that don't fit or they don't like. I go though all the toys to see what is broken, missing pieces, too young, or just not played with anymore and that all gets sold on ebay or put in the garbage. I went though all the "snow clothes" (snowpants, boots, snowgloves, hats etc..) and have all the kids try stuff on to see what might be needed for this year. Whatever no longer fits is passed onto relatives or sold on ebay.
Now, after Christmas, I feel like I need to do it all over again. There is never enough room- or so it seems. We need to carefully look at each thing in the house and decide "Do I really need this?". How do I decide if I should keep something? I ask myself, Do I use it everyday- or everyweek -or every month? Depending on what it is used for. I have "seasonal items"- if I didn't use it last year- and I didn't use it/put it out this year- then I probably won't- so OUT IT GOES!
I should note here: I tend to be a very "unattached" person-- I have very few items that I have any emotional attachments to--therefore I find it very easy to get rid of stuff. (The price of an item makes a larger impression on me than emotions.)
I love that my dinning room is completely cleared out (in order to seat 13 people for dinner on Xmas) and I would like it to stay that way! Saying something is one thing but in order for Ideas to be come reality you need a plan!! So my plan for this is to organize my "school stuff" in the laundry room. It was all moved to the laundry room this summer- but things tend to creap back upstairs. I think this is because it is such a mess in the laundry room. It was PUT there at the end of the school year- but literally just PUT - not in any particular order. So I am hoping before I head back to school Jan 5th to get it into seperate file boxes marked: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer. That should help. As I bring stuff home now- I can put it in the correct box for next year. (instead of making a pile in the dining room)
As this week goes by and I look forward to the clean slate of the New Year, I will be posting a week-by-week House Cleaning list, in case anyone else has the January Cleaning Bug. I will also be posting some New Year's Goals (personal, family, and financial).
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