Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 1, 2016 15:59:58 GMT -5
Welcome all! Dh did some cleaning in our room while the kids and I were gone today. DD is working on homework now. She came home with 2 packets of work and 4 book reports. I think the packets are done and she's reading her 4th book but she prefers my help with the book reports so I don't want to start anything big just yet. I think I'm going to check on laundry and load the dishwasher. Next up is the snack cupboard which also houses spices and baking stuff.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jan 1, 2016 16:26:59 GMT -5
Hi.
No time like the present. I'm on board.
Happy Beginning of a New Year.
ETA: Task one: Main Bath.
Deep cleaning. (Pick EVERYTHING up, Scrub, Throw away the un necessary)
This is my plan for today.
Last post for today. Main Bath scrubbed. I'm not doing an "official" count, but 28 small items have left the building. . Yes, there was that much. I think I understand how zone cleaning works, but, today I wanted to at least get a couple areas CLEAN and, yes, a bit less cluttered. The other CLEAN was one cabinet in the kitchen. You know, the one with all the storage containers . One cabinet, YEA, done! Congratulations on getting the main bath done!
The FlyLady website explains the zone cleaning. Here's how I've adapted it to fit my home:
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jan 1, 2016 17:24:39 GMT -5
My vacation is over! I must buckle down tomorrow!!! I didn't even go to the gym today. I need to update some of my daily, weekly, and monthly lists also. For the sake of being focused tomorrow, here are my regular lists:
Morning (done by 9am):
breakfast & coffee Make bed cardio Floss DONE
wipe down bathroom counter and sink dresser cleaned off
clean out dishwasher laundry rotation DONE
afternoon Zone chores: sweep/vacuum laundry room DONE laundry rotation DONE
evening dinner kitchen clean up dinner prep for tomorrow straighten up house wash face clothes for tomorrow swizzles desk cleaned off
This is my list of irregular tasks--except that some of them are "regular". I need to update some of my routine lists. . I'll try to copy and paste from the spreadsheet: Prune hydrangeas and rhododendrons (this is started, probably half-way done. We had a small break from the rain on Saturday, and we're waiting for another one.) 01/02/2016
January zone cleaning schedule 01/02/2016
Complete DD#1's FAFSA DONE Test #4 01/02/2016
Schedule lodging for Feb trip 01/08/2016
Update Costco list 01/12/2016
Test #5 01/02/2016
Sub plans for Jan 5 01/02/2016
fix eye-hook on green skirt 01/05/2016
Vacuum Cars 12/29/2015 DONE
Grading journals 01/02/2016
Lesson Plans week 17 01/02/2016
Purge 10 household items 01/02/2016
deposit DD#2's Check 01/02/2016
Well, I'm on pace for finishing my morning list by 10:00am. Well, here's the mid-afternoon update.
updated through after dinner.
going to do the evening list and head off to bed. Good night!!!
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startsmart
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Post by startsmart on Jan 1, 2016 17:53:47 GMT -5
Welcome all! It's so good to see old and new names in the group Don't worry if you "fall off the wagon" so to speak, we don't take attendance and it's your home anyway! I'm glad I got the Christmas decor taken down a few night ago, feels like a clean slate in the house. The guest room looks pretty good after my parents went home today, I do need to work on the fabric more but that's in a state of waiting until I buy a new sewing machine. Big accomplishments today include getting my new washer/dryer stacked (finally!) and sending my parents home with 2 storage units they gave me that were no longer working out. Now I have more space in my garage! I also bought 2 new pillows since my youngest dog kept hurting his ears and bleeding all over my bedding. The comforter could be bleached but I needed new pillows. Since the living room is looking good that means my office is a mess of papers and stacks of stuff which is not ideal. I'm thinking a monthly goal for cleaning might be good for me this year. This weekend most of my work revolves around work and I have 4 out of town trips in the next 5 weeks. Here's my initial January list: - Write emails for WWW program
- Write web pages for WWW program
- Pack for trip #1
- Put away clean dishes
- Clean out fridge
- Reschedule massage
- Cancel haircut
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attitude21
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Post by attitude21 on Jan 1, 2016 18:37:21 GMT -5
Would love to be in.
Organization is a work in progress at our house.
Tomorrow.... clean frig...(deep cleaning) before I go do stock up for January. Nothing left, we are eating out of the freezer tonight which is good too.
Today we put away Xmas tree/ washed all the xmas rugs, kitchen and hand towels.... and did most of the laundry. It takes longer as you get older. (we are both young 53...but we take breaks.... not all done in one setting)
Good luck everyone....
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Sharon
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Post by Sharon on Jan 1, 2016 19:32:44 GMT -5
I spent New Years Eve taking down the Christmas tree and getting the living room back in order. Today I took down the outdoor lights. The main house tree had gotten all the branches chopped off last night and put into the yard debris bin. Today I chopped off the branches from the tree that I had on the front deck. Then I got out the electric chain saw and chopped up both of the tree trunks. All the Christmas decorations that belong in the attic are back in the attic. I also threw away 5 boxes of old lights that were hanging around up there. There is more that could be thrown away but I didn't want to take the time to sort it out.
The garage also got swept out and the front deck and driveway got blown off. Hopefully I will now stop tracking in pine needles.
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jenpen
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Post by jenpen on Jan 1, 2016 19:57:22 GMT -5
Happy New Year, all! I'm still here, reading along even though I haven't posted since I adopted 2 kittens back in October. The boy has had one health issue after another since I brought them home, and has shared some of those issues with the girl. The worst was that he must have come to me with ringworm, though I didn't notice the first bald patch until 3.5 weeks in. The two of them had become joined at the hip, so of course she ended up getting it, too. They were confined to my spare bedroom for the last five weeks of the year--the room where all my stuff from the flood had been stored. Anything that couldn't be easily cleaned had to be pulled out of that room, so I had piles of bags/baskets/boxes in the middle of my living room for weeks, while I slowly went through all of it and figured out what I really wanted to keep. I also emptied a few storage boxes from other rooms to use for giving the kittens their weekly medicated baths and lime-sulfur dips (they survived 5 of those, poor babies). Those contents got pared down as well. I threw away several large bags of stuff, took a full carload of stuff to Goodwill earlier this week, and the kitties were declared ring-worm free and were released from confinement last Saturday. We've had flash flooding here twice in the past two weeks -- the worst was 2 days ago. I moved everything that was left from sorting back up to the spare room. I also moved whatever furniture I could carry up there, put the dining room table legs into plastic trash bags and put the new cat tree on the dining table, managed to move my sofa on top of my coffee table (the table got beat up from the last flood and has never been replaced, so I don't care if it gets water damage), carried two small area rugs upstairs, rolled up the large rug but wasn't able to move it, so just kept my fingers crossed that I wouldn't have to Thankfully the flood prep turned out to be unnecessary -- we were spared, but the complex across the street got a few feet of water in their first-floor units and the fire dept had to evacuate them again. Even better, my downstairs is now clean and clutter-free(ish) for the first time in months!!! I took advantage of the lack of furniture and rugs to thoroughly clean the floors. Everything else had been repeatedly cleaned like crazy the past 6 weeks trying to get rid of ringworm spores. So I'm starting the year feeling comfortable hanging out in my own home for the first time in months! It's lovely. I have a ton of projects I need to get done this year, some small, some large. I'm working on making and prioritizing a list still. But, the rest of this weekend is going to revolve around things I need to get done for work, along with just keeping up with basic cleaning. I'll post my to-do list in the morning.
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 1, 2016 22:20:47 GMT -5
Did the cabinet. Took everything out, wiped it down and tossed a bunch of things.
I like to leave the Christmas stuff up until Jan. 6th, but I did work on some of it. The outdoor stuff is half buried in snow and ice SD o Lord only knows when I will get a round to that!
I've also got a bag of leftover candy that I'll take into work tomorrow. Its partially from St. Nick, partially from visiting Santa. Dispatch and coworker's will polish it off.
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dogmom
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Post by dogmom on Jan 2, 2016 6:14:42 GMT -5
Underwater Chloe, Thanks! I looked at Flylady a while back. Maybe I should re-visit.
Our weather has been really cold lately. I noticed how cool it feels near the windows in the living room. I do have a set of thicker curtains in the linen closet that I bought a while ago. I think it's time to put those up. I had already taken down the Christmas tree...I should have done them then.
The other "to accomplish" is take Sierra to the vet. Sort of a wellness check. (she's been having some tummy issues recently). I also have a sweater that I need to return. I'm not replacing it, does that count for one more thing out of the house?
attitude21, Good idea on cleaning the fridge. Ours certainly needs it. Maybe that will be my tomorrow item. I do need to grocery shop.
Have a really good day, and Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!
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plugginaway22
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Post by plugginaway22 on Jan 2, 2016 10:14:34 GMT -5
DH took a pile of things to the local Rescue Mission donation place. I had gathered 2 full garbage bags of clothing and shoes, also a suitcase and an area rug. Things that were still in good shape that I no longer want. Now the focus needs to be getting the Christmas things packed away before I can get super relentless in every room!
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busymom
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Why is the rum always gone? Oh...that's why.
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Post by busymom on Jan 2, 2016 11:31:09 GMT -5
I went through the top half of our linen closet, & ended up throwing out a LOT of things. There isn't enough storage in our bathroom, so the linen closet ends up with stuff like sunscreen, lotion, etc. (Yes, the bottom 2 shelves are packed with linens.)
DD goes back to the college campus tomorrow, so when she gets home from work today, I'm going to have her work on packing. She tends to wait until the last minute on that, for some reason. Plus, we need to send food for her cooking, too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2016 12:05:06 GMT -5
Can some of the books go to your classroom? Or someone's classroom? My sil teaches 5th grade and a couple of years ago she was scrounging for classroom books because her kids'reading levels varied from 2nd grade to college. While reading level may be at post-high school level, the maturity level doesn't always match. I have twelve of John Grisham's novels that I'm going to get rid of and probably that many of Stephen King's. Those are definitely not appropriate for fifth graders. Think how horrified you would be if your fifth-grader started reading A Time to Kill, which starts off with the brutal rape of a young girl about that age.
I teach high school seniors, and the books might be appropriate there depending on the student and the student's parents. But really I just don't really want to move clutter around since eventually I would have to deal with getting rid of them, anyway. Eventually is sooner than you may realize: I am retiring in three or four more years.
I'll donate them to the thrift store where someone will be delighted to find their favorite authors.
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Wisconsin Beth
Distinguished Associate
No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
Posts: 30,626
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 2, 2016 12:56:59 GMT -5
Ok, makes sense. I hadn't thought about that.
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jenpen
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Post by jenpen on Jan 2, 2016 12:57:16 GMT -5
my downstairs is now clean and clutter-free(ish) for the first time in months!!! Well, I must have been drunk or delusional when I typed that! It is true that I can now walk around my first floor w/out dodging boxes, and can use my dining table, desk, and coffee table again, but clutter-free? No, even with the "ish" qualifier, LOL. To-do for today and Sunday: WORK: - finish 2 PRISM tasks - make sure WIHS64 is in demo and email project manager to test it - figure out solution for WIHS9 and email project manager proposed solution - review S's request for position reclassification, write up response/recommendation - email our Employee-Management relations liaison to request meeting re: S and ongoing problems w/their performance - go through work emails and pull out additional to-do's - start work on setting up new laptop - installing software and transferring files from old laptop HOME: - launder bedding ( wash, drying now) - launder comforter - launder afghan - remake bed - put away clothes that were hung to dry overnight - done - load of whites - wash and hang to dry - run tub-clean cycle on washer, drain, and clean filter - iron shirt - patch jeans x 2 - empty upstairs wastebaskets - clean up breakfast - run dishwasher, put dishes away - scour kitchen sink and counters - clean coffee maker - dot entry rug - bring runner back down and dot it - empty 3-drawer storage unit and bring downstairs - move all the kitten's stuff (food,toys,grooming,etc) from the kitchen counter into the drawers - make space to keep the drawers in the kitchen 'closet' - empty bookcase in spare room and fill w/books that are now in bags on the stair landing (these were from the flood stash I already pared down) I think that's it. And that's probably over-ambitious, but I'll do my best! Great to see everyone making so much progress already!
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Wisconsin Beth
Distinguished Associate
No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 2, 2016 13:07:50 GMT -5
I'm at work. I did remember the bag of candy and some food supplies for my desk, like the bullion cubes dh can't eat.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jan 2, 2016 14:29:58 GMT -5
Good morning!!! We have already been grocery shopping this morning. My morning list is done.
For the remainder of today,
- grading journals (this will be about 2 hours in my classroom)
- set up classroom for next week (another hour in my classroom)
- make a cheese cake for DD's birthday dinner tomorrow
- complete some prep work for next week's teaching (can do this at home)
- clean toilets
- sweep house (dear goodness, I want a roomba!!!)
- clean purses
- cardio
I would have more chores, but DD#1 wants to do the zone cleaning for this week for extra allowance money.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Jan 2, 2016 14:47:18 GMT -5
I didn't do much today. I did laundry, went grocery shopping, went to visit my friend who asked me to pick up a few things for her. So I went to the supermarket again on my way home. I cooked a lot (for me ): a big pot of potato leek soup, and a big pot of sweet and sour meatballs (so I can bring her some food). Since a lot of people are going back to work Mon one of her friends is organising people to stay with her; I'm going on Mon and Thurs. I've been going there a lot, but I'm not going to be able to go as often once school starts again on 11 Jan. Off to try to drag DH to the basement to do the 15-30 min he promised to do there.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jan 2, 2016 14:51:53 GMT -5
Good luck with DH and the basement, debthaven.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2016 14:58:45 GMT -5
Trim done in TG's room. Having a pop break and I will go do the first coat. Thank goodness BF likes to paint. He will do at least the second coat of trim after he gets home. Well after he has dinner and a nap
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Jan 2, 2016 15:27:50 GMT -5
Win! 20 min and everything is off the floor (except what lives on the floor, i.e. the large fans, DS1's riding trunk, etc).
I did find 2 new bags of old clothes ... apparently I told DD to put them there. I will go through those bags tomorrow or this week so I can donate the girls' clothes and give the boys' clothes to my friend at work. In fact I need to do it by Tues evening, because I'm driving into work on Wed, and I don't usually drive in once the semester starts.
ETA: So that's 1/2 of the small projects DH has promised to do by Monday ... the other is to spend 15-30 min dealing with his night table and overflow basket. I may try to pretend I said 15-30 min on each.
ETA2: Went through the clothes ... I have 2 small bags for the donation bin tomorrow, and 1 for my friend at work. All 3 bags are in the car. :-)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2016 16:20:57 GMT -5
First coat done!
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PauletteG
Junior Member
Happy New Year, you beautiful people
Joined: Mar 4, 2015 14:03:41 GMT -5
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Post by PauletteG on Jan 2, 2016 16:28:38 GMT -5
I vow to be more disciplined in cleaning, decluttering and organizing. I have two slothy gaming space cadets who have low executive functioning skills (i.e. "Will it benefit me to do this now? Yes? In that case I will neglect this action until she blows up at me" brain cycles). I am not much better, only in that I get fed up earlier and put more things away.
I tried the "put five items away in the kitchen every time I enter". Remembering the "waiter" trick of entering one room to put something away and removing another item from that room is too problematic. I printed a 52-week declutter challenge the first week of 2015 and put it on my sanctum door. It's still there, unfilled.
I need help. Flylady's output is too much for me. Maybe a RSS feed reader for UfYH (Two of the three words here are "Your Habitat"), the most remedial for the near-hoarders or too-depressed-to-clean types. I need help in the "what's attainable, what's retainable, you are retrainable" department.
Has anyone with my pathological attention deficit done well with Marie Kondo's decluttering system? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I am not new to decluttering. I do look at my state Attorney General's website every three months or so for a list of "shredding days" and a big recycle electronics+batteries+furniture+books event once a year. I'm just not good at scheduling or long-term planning anymore.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Jan 2, 2016 16:47:38 GMT -5
Hi Paulette. I don't use Flylady but my sister did ... I think there is a "light" version you can opt for (I seem to remember having read that here).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2016 16:50:58 GMT -5
Hi Paulette. I don't use Flylady but my sister did ... I think there is a "light" version you can opt for (I seem to remember having read that here). I don't go for any of the emails or anything. I just read the site and follow the zones and daily tasks. Well I try, I'm not perfect at it. But the amount I do even makes things neater and cleaner.
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moneysquirrel
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Post by moneysquirrel on Jan 2, 2016 17:33:12 GMT -5
January 1-3:
School:
Test 1 for 7th
Test 2 for 7th Rubric for 7th Project -- can wait if need be
Rubric for 6th Project -- can wait if need be Rubric for 5th Project -- can wait if need be
January Lesson Plans Add Information to Assignment Web Site -- can wait if need be
Fix new calendar/appointment book with class rotation/activities
Lessons for next week
House:
Clean out fridge Clean out old makeup/medicines
Clear off flat areas in kitchen, craft room, bedroom Put away Christmas Items -- Nutcrackers, Nativity, Linens (after the 6th)
Clean and Mop Kitchen Clean and Mop Bath
Finances:
Recheck 2016 Spreadsheet -- set up a while back and need to update numbers. Taxes
Crafts:
Crochet at least 4 rows on afghan-- got 2 rows done Finish one stringing project One new beading project-- Started -- lots more to go
Errands:
Post Office Grocery Run -- need to get list and coupons together
I also am finishing up a load of laundry, have a crock-pot of black beans almost finished and ran several errands today. Managed to get gas for the car, run to the bank and get to the mall where I cashed in several gift cards for needed items besides the other errands previously listed. I also de-cluttered the last piece of fudge and the end of the box of crackers.
Taking a short break now.
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Malarky
Junior Associate
Truth and snark are equal opportunity here.
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Post by Malarky on Jan 2, 2016 17:45:39 GMT -5
I'm here. I'm ready...ish.
October to December are hellish in the bakery business. I've put in many long weeks.
I'm just about to end a nine day vacation where I managed to do none of the things I meant to do, unless you count eating out with friends.
I got a lot accomplished last year. While I still occasionally battle paperwork clutter, I have a pretty good system going that only falls apart when I work too much. Today I paid all the bills that have been piling up waiting to be attended to. There's still a bit of filing to do, but DH is sick and I can't do that without disturbing him.
I have a couple of boxes of donate items hanging out in the basement, ready to go. I just haven't been motivated to either take them out or call someone to pick them up.
I don't remember where I left off in the old thread. It was quite a while ago. The big things were getting rid of the large patio furniture (I actually traded a large set for a smaller on with my SIL-win/win for both of us) as well as a wicker set and a couple of random chairs that I really didn't need.
No counting for me this year. I just want to keep plugging away at it. There are lots of little oases of cleanliness and clutter free zones now.
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PauletteG
Junior Member
Happy New Year, you beautiful people
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Post by PauletteG on Jan 2, 2016 17:53:19 GMT -5
Hi Paulette. I don't use Flylady but my sister did ... I think there is a "light" version you can opt for (I seem to remember having read that here). I remember Batlady which was a gothier, darker version (but fewer emails) of Flylady. I used to imagine someone with a Phyllis Diller hairstyle floating about the abode in a Morticia Addams black dress armed with a feather duster and a spray bottle of homemade cleaner. Anything to make cleaning more fun!
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Jan 2, 2016 17:56:25 GMT -5
I'm just about to end a nine day vacation where I managed to do none of the things I meant to doSame here, but mine was 16 days.
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Jaguar
Administrator
Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
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Post by Jaguar on Jan 2, 2016 18:11:29 GMT -5
I've got drawers to clean out specifically 2 dressers and under bed storage boxes, plus a closet I can now use. I want to purge the craft stuff cause well that's not my life anymore and move things into those two under bed storage units. I want to see if I can purge enough that I can eliminate 1 dresser.
This plus deep cleaning is my to do list.
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Jan 2, 2016 18:24:59 GMT -5
I'm just about to end a nine day vacation where I managed to do none of the things I meant to doSame here, but mine was 16 days. Same here, but mine was 12 days.
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