Sorting the mountain of laundry in bedroom: Day 4

The kids and I sorted the growing mountain of laundry that is ever present in my bedroom! I get the laundry washed, its just a bit of an ordeal to get it put away. So, today we sorted and then put it away! Using my "screaming deal collapsable bins" from Target, I got a large pile of clothes to give away! We got a lot done in my room, which is good since Thursday's zone is the master bedroom.

It's Day 4, the sink is still shiny, I am getting some good routines down and I am making progress!

A sugar free challenge.....boy its going to be challenging!

Next weeks starts a 1 week sugar free challenge that the Nourishing Gourmet is doing. I decided to participate to challenge myself and help get rid of sugar cravings! The Nourishing Gourmet created different levels to meet people where they are and challenge them to go further! I know its going to be hard b/c I will really have to read labels and the things I buy and I am sure there will be some protest on my kiddos part, but I think its a good thing!

*****update**** Since I posted the challenge this morning, I have been reading up on some natural sugar alternatives and one that I landed on that I think will be a great option is coconut crystals or nectar. The trick will be finding it this weekend, hoping whole foods has it!

The kids bathroom is calling...Day 3

Today's zone on Fly Lady is the bathrooms. I am not big on cleaning bathrooms because I have visions of gross germs floating through my head and I especially hate the kids bathroom. We have a bathroom upstairs that is by the kids bedrooms, they are the only ones that use it and for some reason they forget everything I tell them to do and that bathroom is always a mess. Soap spilled all over the sink, tooth paste dried in the sink, etc. Because I hate that bathroom so much, I procrastinate cleaning it, thereby making it even worse!!!! But today I decided to start keeping up with Fly lady's zones and I tackled the kids bathroom!

I have also kept my sink shiny for 3 days now and you can see I started my control journal (the journal fly lady wants you to start the keeps all of the daily routines, weekly routines, etc. that we implement!). I am encouraged and making progress!

Great $1 collapsable sorting bags at Target!

I ran to Target today with my "4 kids yo" in tow (my hubby had that as my license plate last year and ever since then my kids refer to themselves collectively as 4 kids yo) and we found these collapsable bags in the dollar section at Target. They were actually marked like $2.50 but they are now a screaming deal at $1 a bag. I was super excited to find these b/c I went to Target looking for something just like this and I was thrilled to find it for sooooo cheap! I am starting to de clutter as part of my fly lady regimen begins and she suggest using a box or bin for 1. put away things 2. give away things and 3. throw away things! These brightly colored bags fit the bill and collapse for easy storage!

Its early morning, I have my shoes on and I am not going anywhere...Day 2!

It's day two of fly lady and I am ready to go......I am showered, dressed and I have my shoes on and I am not leaving the house anytime soon. Even though I don't wear tennis shoes very often and I don't ever wear them in the house, I do feel like I am ready to get some things done! Mission accomplished!

My Fly Lady Challenge: Day 1

As I have thought about New Year's resolutions and all that I want to accomplish this year, I am painfully aware my efforts will be in vain if I do not get more organized and disciplined. I am a little bit of a free spirit and I love spontaneity but when it comes to running a household efficiently, its not such a great thing! I totally see the purpose and value of being a regimented individual.....I just tend to be laid back about things like putting the laundry away, changing the sheets on a schedule, keeping the mail clutter from turning into a papery mountain, etc. The practice of being super disciplined seems almost confining to me but I recognize its my own way of being in control in a rebellious "I don't have to do that if I don't feel like it" kind of way. My lack of organization has been nagging away at me for a long time...I have taken baby steps in the right direction but its time to get into gear.....enter Fly Lady! About 9 months ago I looked into fly lady but I wasn't ready to make the plunge so I started today and I am determined to stick with it. Keeping my house clutter free and neat is just the starting point as I venture towards a more purposeful and effective lifestyle!

So, with the explanation out of the way, Day 1's task is to shine your sink! It is the end of the day, the dishes are being washed in the dishwasher, the table is cleaned off, the sink has been shined and there is a clean dish towel for tomorrow! The kitchen is ready and waiting for breakfast!

Using things from outside for my table setting: a last minute design idea!

For the last couple of years, Thanksgiving has been at my home but it has been very informal because of the busyness of all the little ones. I was overwhelmed enough with taking care of my four little ones and getting the Thanksgiving stuff ready that I didn't bother to create a table arrangement. At the very last minute, the day before, I decided it would be nice to make a simple table setting. I didn't have much to work with and I didn't have the time or budget to go out and buy something. (Of course, if I was a more organized person, I probably could have come up with something much nicer and much more creative a few weeks ago) I found an old small crate that was actually part of a Melissa and Doug food set my kids got a couple of years ago.....I quickly did a light coat of white spray paint so that it could be the base of my centerpiece. I used some small pumpkins we had left over from halloween, some festive hazelnuts and other nuts in the shells to fill in the crate. I used a small plastic plant that I already had sitting out in a simple white ceramic container as the main part of the piece. Then I had my kids go outside and get some sticks and some little acorn type nuts that fall off of a tree we have out in our front yard. I hot glued the acorns to the sticks and put them into the top of the greenery of the plant. I then used the rest of the acorns to hot glue onto a folded ribbon and some burlap strips I cut up for the napkin holders. It was a simple table design that added a little fall festiveness to our Thanksgiving meal! Oh, and the little cutie making a sneak appearance in the pic is my oldest son, who was so proud of what he helped me with!