de-cluttering the home, as well as body & mind

[MinnieMel]

Next Week is Zone 3!

Zone 3, it the main bathroom and one other room in the house. (kid room, extra room, office, craft room, utility room.) Don't do two really bad rooms at once. This is usually the 2nd full week of the month. Only do 15 minutes at a time or a day. Take it easy. The consistency will get you to your goal 15 minutes at a time.

Time to declutter, organize and clean that extra bedroom which is my major dump zone (supposedly craft room). Oh my... My Mount Everlast (ing mess).

 

[MinnieMel]

POSTING THIS WEEK's GENERIC GAME PLAN

Missions for Zone 3 - The Main Bathroom and another room - this week we are going to have a 5 minute room rescue mission for each of the following rooms - the Guest room, the Laundry room, the Home Office, the Kid's room & your crafting area - this gives us a chance to do a little something in these rooms before the holidays.

No point in "5 minutes" for me. I'll try 15 (but be prepared to extend it to 30).

Zone 3: Mission # 1 Monday

Today's mission is to look up high and get the cobwebs off the ceilings and clean the fan vent grill. I know this is a yucky mission; get a proper step ladder and your shoes. If you don't have a bathroom vent you can clean the light fixture. Get the dust and the sleeping bugs out, wash and put back.

5 Minute Rescue for the Guest Room - Set a timer and spend 5 minutes: tossing the trash and putting things away. No Guest Room? Choose another room!
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I wish our bathrooms had vents. however, I can vacuum the cobwebs and wash the coving and light fixtures.

Zone 3: Mission #2 Tuesday

Our bathrooms get grungy from dirty little hands and big hands that come into the bathroom to get washed. Today we are going to take a hot soapy rag and wash these dirty spots off the door facings, switch plates and door knobs. They have become invisible to us.

5 Minute Rescue for the Laundry Room - Set a timer and spend 5 minutes: tossing the trash and putting things away. No Laundry room? Choose another room.
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Zone 3: Mission #3 Wednesday

Today we are going to look at the front of our bathroom vanity. Most smudges and toothpaste spots will come off with a damp
soapy rag. Don't use harsh chemicals on wood or painted surfaces. Do one drawer front or one door at a time. Wipe off the knobs and handles too. A little wiping every day will eventually take the layers of dirt and grime away.

5 Minute Rescue for the Home Office area - Set a timer and spend 5 minutes: tossing the trash and putting things away. No Home office area? Choose another room!
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Zone 3: Mission #4 Thursday

Today make a list of things you are running low on in the bathroom; Shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, toothpaste. You know what you use.Take inventory and see what you need. Do you have a master list of everything you use in the bathroom?

5 Minute Rescue for the Kid's room(s) - Set a timer and spend 5 minutes: tossing the trash and putting things away. No Kids? Choose another room!
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I need to dust in here - big time.

Zone 3: Mission #5 Friday

We started high in our bathrooms and we are working our way down to the floor. Today we are going to do our baseboards. They get dusty, the bathroom steams up and the dust turns to mud. If you have not done this in a while just do one wall at a time. Be creative; If you have kids,do it while they are bathing or have the kids clean the baseboards; they are shorter,then put them in the tub. Make a game of it. Give them a spray bottle with just water in it or a squirt gun.
Making it fun will get the job done.

5 Minute Rescue for your Craft/Project area - Set a timer and spend 5
minutes: tossing the trash and putting things away. No Craft/Project area? Choose another room!
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Our master suite really needs to be redone. But as we don't own the house -- it is so hard to get the owners to make the smallest repairs.

 

[MinnieMel]

THIS MONTH's "SKILL": MENU PLANNING!

This is a good skill for being on a "food plan".

From FlyLady Website:

1. Do a food inventory - start off knowing what food you already have. Start your list with the extra pantry and deep freeze. Once you have an idea of what you have, it's easier to figure out what you'll need.

2. Check the calendar - review the calendar for the next 7 to 10 days. During the school year, schedules tend to follow a routine, but there are always shifts. Knowing what evening activities have been scheduled and what time they start helps to plan the meals. Leaving the house at 5:15 (something really quick or in the crockpot) or 6:30 makes a big difference. It also makes a difference on who will be cooking. (Some tend to be a bit more adventurous and try new things). During summer, a lot of people tend to grill or use the stovetop; in winter, the oven gets more use.

3. See what's on special at the store - If the store is running a buy one get one free on pork loin - pork will show up in the menu. Same with chicken. You can also use the specials to stock up on things.

4. Plan the meals - Using the information you now have, pencil in the meals for the next 7 to 10 days. Ask your children things they would like, look through the Saving Dinner meal plans, and consider favorites. Also try to vary the protein from meal to meal so you don't have chicken 3 days in a row and beef for the next 2.

5. Create the grocery list - Now that you know what you are going to cook and what you have, it's easy to figure out what to get.

Then post the menu on the side of the refrigerator. Each night as you clean up, it's easy to see what meal is for tomorrow and make sure things get moved from the freezer to the refrigerator. And if the schedule changes, it's easy to switch a night or two or push things back a night.

Meal planning is easy, prevents stress, and means you always know what's for dinner!

 

[mommyB]

By pure coincidence I have this morning planned and shopped for the rest of the week !!

The rest of today is dedicated to catching up on jewellery orders which frees me up tomorrow for a house blitz!!!!

 

[MinnieMel]

Worked in DS's room today. Thick dust behind and on everything. So much for his cleaning. Changed out his bedspread, dust ruffle and sheets with a set bought on clearance. Not great quality --but about 15 pounds for the whole set. Looks okay. Others being laundered and on tossed. Found an iPod he said I had put "somewhere" -- it was behind his chest of drawers!

I need to finish up in there -- maybe tomorrow evening when he is at school.

We also FINALLY delivered the big doll house and bits to its new little girl. I'm still working on laundry but hope to be caught up by the time I go to bed tonight.

ERRANDS a must tomorrow.

I will try to work on this weeks' focus room and second room tomorrow, as well. It never ends!

 

[ShredFanSW]

Just Hoovered the hall and kitchen. Signed back up to the FlyLady emails yesterday

 

[MinnieMel]

Just Hoovered the hall and kitchen. Signed back up to the FlyLady emails yesterday

Impressed! I need to hoover the hallways, too.

 

[ShredFanSW]

Moving within a month ;-)

 

[MinnieMel]

Moving within a month ;-)

Very exciting - is it far away from where you are now?

 

[ShredFanSW]

No, only a couple of miles away

 

[MinnieMel]

That should be an easy move, then.

 

[MinnieMel]

Tuesday, 13/11/12

Got up and going on my "Monday Work" -- kitchen and downstairs loo clean. I hope to do a big clean in the utility area between the two this week, too. I have a lot of things to go through and possibly toss.

The exciting plan today is: kitchen and loo (Monday work), vacuum most of house and general tidy (Tuesday work), laundry (daily), errands (over due), exercise (about d^mn time!) and stick to my food plan! Lasagna for dinner for my peeps -- Slim and Save for me!

The focus this week is the bath (ensuite and I'll do a check and touch up on the family baton--as that's DS's job and he does not do the best job).

 

[mommyB]

Today I am having a major declutter. Downstairs this morning and upstairs after work this afternoon.


I suppose I should go and make a start

 

[MinnieMel]

That's too big an undertaking for me, Jane. I'm totally a "baby steps" girl.

Tuesday, 13/11/12

Got up and going on my "Monday Work" -- kitchen and downstairs loo clean. I hope to do a big clean in the utility area between the two this week, too. I have a lot of things to go through and possibly toss.

The exciting plan today is: kitchen and loo (Monday work), vacuum most of house and general tidy (Tuesday work), laundry (daily), errands (over due), exercise (about d^mn time!) and stick to my food plan! Lasagna for dinner for my peeps -- Slim and Save for me!

The focus this week is the bath (ensuite and I'll do a check and touch up on the family baton--as that's DS's job and he does not do the best job).

Kitchen cleaned -- including windows, glass doors, tops of cabinets and fridge. Also cleaned "pool table" light over counter with sink. Floor mopped once -- will go over with Swifter wet wipes after aqua fit. Then I put everything back and wipe down table and chairs. Cushions are washed and drying in airing cupboard.

Washing DS's new comforter with vinegar to set color. He woke up with a checked print on his chest. He cranks up the heat in his room -- so I'm sure he sweated the print onto himself! (Cheap stuff!)

1/2 bath (downstairs loo) done, too.

Time to get ready for aqua fit -- go to that, then come back go over floor, work on laundry, go over floor, run errands...

 

[MinnieMel]

Did aqua fit, came home and had a healthy lunch, then finished up the kitchen and vacuumed the downstairs. Ali folded some laundry. Then put petrol in DD's car, posted a package and pick up my pasta maker. I need to find some recipes, now.
Made dinner and helped DD with her homework, too.

I still have laundry and tons, tons, and toms to do.

 

[bettiesrevenge]

Wow mel, you a a force majure!

I need to get out from under this laundry

 

[MinnieMel]

Wow mel, you a a force majure!

I need to get out from under this laundry

Mount Rushmore is back!

 

[MinnieMel]

Lazy morning, so far...

Time to really get busy. According to the FLYLADY Wednesday is anti-procrastination day! So, I need to (at a minimum) cross something off my loooooong to do list that I've not been getting done!

This weeks' focus is the main bath (I've changed it to ensuite and a touch up in the family bath -- as DS is responsible for the family bath).

 

[CupcakoJoo]

I'm doing this as well. Also spurred on by the fact my OH left me 7 weeks ago (another reason I started Slimming World!) as he never let me decorate or furnish the house to my taste, it was always his! My bedroom now looks gorgeous and girly!

 

[ShredFanSW]

Good for you, CupcakoJoo!