Relatives from Japan are coming to our area. YAY! It's really great getting to meet everyone at an age where I can take it all in and enjoy the company.
I think I had met a lot of our family from Japan when I was really young, I don't really remember everyone.
We are going to see Eizo and his wife on Saturday & Sunday. Saturday we are starting out early -- meeting at their hotel in the AM then walking through Central Park -- going to Bodies - The Exhibit, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island (I think) then eating dinner at the brewery at the Empire State Building. Sunday -- not sure what is happening then.
Tomorrow night I am going to a Chinese Auction. I love those things -- but since I am now starting the FlyLady routine, I can't start bidding on things that will just add clutter to my home!! Ahhhh that is going to be sooo hard.
Here are the items in my control journal. The headings are listed in order however the items below them are not listed in any particular order yet.
Before Bed Routine
Check calendar for appointments
Shine the sink - load the dishwasher
Layout clothes for tomorrow / Put clothes away (from any laundry done)
Brush teeth, wash face etc...
Skin care routine
Pack and prep work items to take the next morning
Spend 10 minutes in the kitchen, clean off counter tops and set table for breakfast
Start a To-Do list for tomorrow
Take a bubble bath
Think about todays accomplishments
Morning Routine
Get out of bed & hit the ground FLYing -- I have yet to understand this one.
Make the bed
Shower, Skincare, Hair, Get dressed to shoes
While in the bathroom, swish the toilet & wipe down the counters and put things away (Swish & Swipe)
Empty the Dishwasher
Check calendar for appointments
Eat breakfast
Review To-Do list
Allow 10 minutes to check emails (computer time) before heading to work.
After Work Routine
Change clothes (dress down if dressed up) - Make sure to get dressed to shoes (curious about the shoes part?? visit FlyLady.net or get the book.)
Get dinner started, fill sink with soapy water (Clean as you go)
Sit down & drink some water for 5 minutes
Set the table and put some candles out.
Monday
Zone Mission
Figure out menus for the week and create grocery list
Tuesday
Zone Mission
Dark Laundry
Grocery Shopping
Wednesday
Zone Mission
Errand Day (run errands on lunch break or right after work)
Thursday
Zone Mission
White(lights) Laundry
Friday
Zone Mission
Saturday
Home Blessing Hour (see below)
Sunday
Clean out fridge
Pay Bills
**Weekly Home Blessing Hour
Vacuum and Sweep (just the middles, not around the walls)
Dust
Swiffer the kitchen & bathroom floors
Clean the mirrors
Purge Magazines and Newspapers
Empty all trash cans
Change sheets on the beds.
Some days don't have many items -- believe me, they will build! I made this list without actually knowing what I do everyday...so it will be ever-changing, I'm sure.
Slowly but consistantly, we've been building clutter in our house. We have been at the point for some months now, where we don't have a place to put everything, so we just pile stuff up in 'Hot Spots' throughout the house.
These hot spots keep building and building to the point that both of us are just too scared to attempt to clean them or we start and feel unaccomplished when we can't finish, or it just keeps building the next day.
I went to my sanctuary (Barnes & Noble), and found a book to help. It's called Sink Reflections.
Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in CHAOS? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons will show you how to get your home and your life in order --- and it all starts with shining your sink!
CHAOS - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome
I started reading this book, slowly but surely, and I've also visited the FlyLady's website at FlyLady.net.
I can't wait to get started on my ToDo's.
It took me about 3 days to get a 'Control Journal' together to organize some routines to keep the house in order once it gets out of the CHAOS mode.
We have a lot of little things, everywhere. We really do not have a place for them. Our entertainment center has become a storage area for everything. We are going to wind up throwing things out and donating them. It's going to be hard b/c some items hold sentimental value and others -- well they are just in GOOD condition, I just don't see a reason to get rid of them.
We'll see how it goes.
Our first steps are to organize and clean the entire house over.
We've heard comments of how people say our house is always so clean. That's because we go into crisis mode when we know people are coming over. But what happens when an unexpected guest comes over? Well, luckily we haven't run into that issue yet, so we are going to make sure we are ready for it!!! Plus, we have to sell our house. The house is in good condition, we just need to get it staged and looking good to potential buyers.
The FlyLady has some good tips for marathon cleaning, which is what I want to do. 15 mins in the kitchen, 15 minutes in the den, 15 minutes in the kitchen, 15 minutes to sit and relax...then move on to the next zone.
I recommend everyone get this book. We are not living in garbage, and yes there are lots of people who really need an extreme makeover in their homes, but if you're like us and just want some organization/routine and the ability to avoid crisis cleaning, buy the book and get online and join the FlyLady community.
I hope to post pics of before and afters, I will also post my initial Control Journal (which I know will build as I start to use it)
I took this photo on Sunday afternoon while at my mom's house. I walked in the front door and saw this lovely scene. Luckily -- I had my camera in my hand and was able to quickly snap the pic. It is soooo rare to get a picture of our dogs all facing one direction... 4 of our 5 dogs are in the photo. The two big dogs are Yoshii & Chip (Renee's dogs) Peeps is the small white one (My dog) Kiko is the one on the right (My mom's dog) Louie (Dawn's dog) is M.I.A. , probably still sniffing around in the backyard.
