FLYLADY Week 4 - Still In the Office

 Good morning, everyone!

Well, I turned last weekend upside down. I'm involved in four different craft challenges due by end of the month. Rather than make a bigger mess by pulling everything out of the planner corner, I decided to see how many of the challenge videos I could knock out. It's been a busy three days and I'm nowhere near done. But I do have until this afternoon.

I did get the rest of the flour and rice dry canned as well as four loads of laundry. I'm contemplating the white oad this morning. Haven't decided yet.

Weather is still hot but to cool down this week. I'm still waiting on a storm to test the roof leak. I don't know what I need more at this point, confirmation the roof is fixed so I can put stuff back or for the temperatures to get considerably below 100*F.

I'm supposed to do a 31 Days of Halloween on my creative channel but right now, I'm strongly considering 13 days. That would let me hold off until the 19th before I have to start uploading content. The Ozark Creative Writers Conference is the second full weekend in Oct. I'll be gone for six days, meaing I'll have to have all that content recorded a head of time and can upload the videos while I'm at the conference ot just relax so I'm not wore out before the conference. I'll let you know what I decide LOL

As we approach Autumn (supposedly) think about how you want to switch things out, or do you? At this point, with the house in complete chaos, I think fall decor will wait til next year. If I'm lucky, something more than the Christmas tree will go up. 

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 4 - Office

 Good morning, everyone!

A gorgeous 65*F in the Ozarks as I type this morning. I need to check the garden. Produce is pretty puny since I've been a baby about going out in the heat. 

When I was younger, heat bothered me. I'd even get nose bleeds if I tried to work in the garden. That's when mom decided I was better suited to the household duties and I learned about keeping house. As a young adult, the heat didn't bother me but now, as I approach 65, the heat just zaps the life out of me. I've gone from keeping the AC set at 73 to 70. What a difference three degrees can make. 

No detailed cleaning list this week as I realize a lot of you don't have an office. Maybe it's your craft room and you just need to put stuff back where it belongs. Or maybe the children's playroom or one of their bedrooms. Pick a room that suits you this week and a previous cleaning list that fits that room.

I've been slowly (and I do mean a turtle's pace) putting things to rights. I spent all day yesterday moving digital files I've had in a tote bag into the scraprack. The tote bag is already in the donate pile. One more thing off the floor.

For this week, I want to focus on finishing the Patriotic Journal as well as two challenge pieces for the Spectrum Art Creations FB group. I just have to tweak the fairy piece then make a shaker card by week's end.  With those out of the way, by next weekend I can dive back in to going through more 'collective' boxes to pitch, donate, put away. 

I'm also still dry canning mixes. I meant to post last Thursday about the progress. I'll work on that for this week. 

What room will you work on this week? If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I love to hear from my readers.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 4 - Office

 Good morning!

A quick post this morning as I am multi-tasking all over the place to kick off the week.

For starters, I didn't get anything done in the bedroom last week except wash the bedding. 

I've been busy getting the 25 Days Of Christmas videos  up on my creative channel and taking a minimum of two hours every evening to work on my book... until Friday happened. LOL Isn't there always something?

Bob set up at a gun show in West Plains last weekend. I helped him set up on Friday after his eye appointment then did a couple of other errands. I wanted things out of the way because I had big plans for the office while he was gone.

I guess you can say, I got an early start on the office.

Saturday, I had a solid eleven hours to work in the office while he was gone. I put in 18,000 (yes, that many) steps pulling stuff off the floor out of the office, sorting it on the bed so I could bring it back into the office in an organized manner. 

Sunday, I pulled boxes/ baskets off the sofa and sorted the contents. Everything is now sorted and put away, donated, or pitched from those collectives.

I won't get anything done the next couple of days. Bob's going to man the house while I go pay bills then settle into a hotel (FREE night!) to get my planners set up for August so nothing drops into an abyss the next couple of months. I want to finish Q3 strong!

I use the HB90 method from Sarra Cannon for most of my planning. However, once I get my stickies done and on the kanban board, I almost never transfer anything into the planners, giving them their own time slot to be done. I just pull stickies off and work through them like a To Do list.  I've started dating the sticky notes so that is helping but there are still other things that really need to go into my planner.

I've made serious progress on An Ozarks Homecoming by working on it every day. I need to get the blurb written so I can order the cover so that's my goal for this week. I'd love to finish the components I need to enter the cover contest at the Ozark Creative Writers Conference. The deadline to enter is August 31st. No self-imposed deadline for me this time around, I need to get moving! I'm ready to put this book out there then start on Book 3 in the stand-alone series while I'm at the conference in October. This entire series takes place in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and Book 3 was inspired by my real life hero to set it at the conference, not just in the surrounding community. I can't think of a better time to write the opening then at the conference!

Back in the office later in the week I'll continue the sorting, pitching, donating, writing.

What's your plan this week? I hope it's somewhere cool.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 4 - Office

Good morning, friends!

I think this is  my favorite week. I'm sure you know by now I'm trying hard to make sense of the office/ studio.

By the time you read this, I will have FINALLY gotten the gift box tub put together and out of the Living Room. I've also taken care of the canning items except for the table holding wide-mouth quarts for a project I'll be talking about on the 26th in the Pantry Prep post. 

I'm only seven days from the next Full Moon. so pitching really isn't my agenda for this week. The best time to purge is between the Full Moon and the New Moon. Get rid of what no longer fits you or that you don't want to grow back (or at least at a slower pace)

With that in mind, this week will be all about organizing what I DO want to keep. I don't need in the sewing corner at the moment so I'm going to move all of my kits to that end of the room so I can get around in here, then stage what I do want to pitch after the 29th when the next Full Moon makes an appearance. 

I have other things I need to do in here that doesn't pertain to cleaning. July is going to be a really busy month so I'm trying to prep what I can  now.

* RoughDraftChallenge to finally get this book pulled together. 30 days of FOCUSED writing

* Ozark Creative Writers short pieces. Deadline is August 31st.

* #JarItUpJuly (I'll be talking about that on the 26th)

* 25 Days of Christmas (cards) on the Creative blog/ Youtube channel

* Pink Christmas journal kit (I've had this kit in a bag for 5 years! Time to get it done. 

I'm trying to work through all of my kits, one journal per month. We'll see how this goes but so far, so good. As I type this on Sunday, I'm hoping to finish one this afternoon. I've had all the elements and the signatures for about three years. I'd intended to finish it at the retreat in April but when I opened things up, I realized I didn't have a cover. Instead, I used what I did have to make MORE elements for the journal. LOL 

If you don't have an office or a craft room, what will you work on this week? With school out for the summer, maybe work with your kids to declutter their room and give them a fresh start for the coming school year.  Please let me know what you'll be working on.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 4 - Office

 Good morning, everyone!

Looks like we get a day or two break in the rain. Saturday, I finally found healthy strawberry plants as well as Marigolds. Who knew those flowers would be so hard to find! I'll be planting my own next year, so that will help. I'm putting the marigolds in the tomato and zucchini tubs. We're going to put the strawberries in a holding pattern in the tower pots until we get the bed built. I need to wait for the 4-th of July firework tents to go up so I can haul a massive amount of cardboard. 

As you read this, the two areas of my bedroom will be done. I still need to take care of the 2'x4' table holding my Christmas paper crafting but not ready to bring it back into the office yet. But I will be able to sit at my roll-top desk and work on planning out the next big personal project - Alchemy180. I'll talk about it more in a later post. 

For this week, I'm back hard on the office. I have multiple areas to work on so I'm taking each area and using my Your Path Forward game board for inspiration. If you want to know more about that, I'll link the video HERE. I need to do an updated video this week that I hope to have posted by Wednesday, so if you are interested in that, please subscribe and click notifications on the linked video. That channel is my author account, Angela Drake. If you like Hallmark quality stories, I think you'll enjoy my books. I need to re-release one I got rights back to and Book 2 of the Eureka Springs series is coming soon.

Let's start with the Ugly Truth of this office. Watch the brief video then you'll understand. I'm being fully transparent here.

I know this looks bad. I'm not a hoarder. I USE my stuff and, most of the time, I can get exactly what I need in the moment. However, I want to be able to sit on my sofa and write or read the current book I need to write a review for. Come into my office, shut the door and just do my thing. 

The main things I need to focus on are:

1 - The filming corner

2 - The space in front of the scrap rack binder shelf

3 - Record videos then put the retreat items away 

4 - Clear the sofa, stacking the kits in front of the work table

5 - Finish 3 Bee journals and get one of them in the mail

6 - Organize the stamps that we moved. Some hadn't been included into the boxes yet.

7 - Put digital kits away

Next month I plan to focus on my Tim Holtz storage area.

Using the Game Board Strategy of Your Path Forward (brain child of YA Fantasy author, Sarra Cannon), I'm just going to pick one area, map it out on the game board then get started. If I can get through at least three areas this week, I'll count it as a win. 

The red bag has been returned to the car. One task down! The rolling craft bag is taken care of. Some items were put back where they belonged. Duplicate items stayed in the retreat bag. I've also cleared the filming table... then put stuff on it again. LOL It's a process!

So, as you can see I've made some progress.

What area are you focusing on this week? What major project could you make progress on using the Your Path Forward game board strategy? I'd love to hear from you.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 4 - Office

 Hi friends!

This week, I'm back in my happy place. I'll be even happier when it's completely done!

This week's target is the corner that was originally going to be my writing space. Since I've been working and am set up on my long 4x8 work island, that space will be designated for working in my planners and storing office supplies. 

I started clearing the space out last year when I got rid of nearly everything having to do with the music business after walking away from music promotion. I still miss that part of my life but honestly, I don't know how I had time for everything that entailed to begin with. 

I need to pitch more stuff then figure out how to organize all of the planner things I have. I should probably do a destash. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

In the mean time, do you use a planner? Multiple planners? Inquiring minds want to know, and remember, this is a judgement-free zone. 

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 4 - Office

 Good morning, friends!

Last week was a busy week. At least the ribs are healing. If I remember to take Advil Dual and pay attention to how I move ( still requiring Bob to lift or bend for me), I'm accomplishing quite a bit.

We started last week with getting the end tables for the living room. A little modification was needed to make them fit the height we needed because of the sofa arm rests but that's okay. I'll post pictures next week (if I remember lol)

I got the night stand cleaned off and washed down with Murphy's Oil Soap. The big thing was getting stuff moved from the bedroom back to the sewing corner in the office and the roll top desk in place in the bedroom. That's where I'll spend most of my Saturday's creating in my 'list' documenting traveler's notebook in Listing With Layle class. relaxing way to take time out to document milestones. You can check out her YouTube channel HERE as well as her Instagram HERE.

This week is all about progress in the office. 

As much as I'd love to work on the sofa side of the room and begin emptying book cases I really want to get the planner desk set up and my HP printer Bob got me for Christmas in 2024. Does that tell you how behind I am. The printer finally got moved to where it needed to go last October but is still in the box. I'll be printing editing copies of Book 2 and being able to just hit print and let that go through while I do something else would be very helpful.

As we move toward the next Full Moon, this is the time to bring in what I want/ need to acquire in my life. For me this month, that is getting more stuff put in the pantry. Both in jar meals and canned. I may have more seed potatoes than I wanted since I hurt the ribs after buying #10 that are now starting to sprout. At least I can grow new potatoes and can them later this year. I'll just have to watch for potatoes on sale around Easter or Memorial Day and try canning the seasoned potatoes again.

With each phase, I'm getting the house in order. I just have to remember I can't do this all at once or alone. I have to remember to ask Bob for help and not push myself. Yeah, we'll see how I do. LOL

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY - Week 4 - Office

 Good morning, friends!

The final push to get everything set up for Christmas. 

Thanksgiving was a big tradition during my teenaged years, thanks to my (step) mom. I use that term loosely and will always refer to her as Mom.  We always decorated the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving dinner... between dinner and desserts. That tradition slid downhill fast after we became empty-nesters then again when Bob took the line boat position and was gone twenty-one days at a time.

Since this is his first full year of retirement, I'm determined to pull that tradition back out. 

What tradition do you wish you still continued? Why not?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly 

FLYLADY - Week 4

 Good morning, friends!

Yay!!! My favorite room in the house...

... and the one that needs the most work!

I've been pushing to get this room finished by picking areas I think I can tackle in the shortest amount of time. On Saturday (Nov. 1) I begin a new writing challenge. The Rough Draft Challenge is the brain child of YA fantasy author, Sarra Cannon. She began the RDC a couple of years ago when things began to fall apart at National Novel Writing Month (NanoWriMo). She had a vision we were all going to need a positive place to continue our challenge month. Now she offers it a couple of times a month and you can do ANYTHING  creative and if it's writing, YOU choose your wordcount goal. I love the challenge. 

You can find out the basic information by checking out the video below. She even offers a free workbook to help you along the way. (You just need to sign up for her email then you'll have access to soooo many great printables)

While she writes under Sarra Cannon, all of her writer supportive content is under HeartBreathings:

She starts us off in October, called Preptober, where we begin to think about what we want to write during the RDC in November. This prevents opening up the computer on November 1 and staring at a blank screen. I love her process.

So, my goal for this week is to seriously find the office space to write, because the challenge begins in just five days!!  I would love to be able to sit on my sofa and use the AlphaSmart to write. Send me all your positive vibes, please.

What are you working on this week? Let me know in the comments. Remember, if you have questions, I'm here for you.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY - Week 5 - Basement & Meal Plan Monday

 Good morning!

We've come to the end of another month. How are you doing with your tasks?

I was gone all last week celebrating my birthday and doing some crafting with friends and family. So, unless I got something in the office done ahead of time, nothing got done last week. 

As I've been working on the basement little by little during the Pantry Preparedness Challenge (See my Tuesday Posts), I've been trying to get the shower room as well as the pantry room more organized. I swear the shower room is my 'catch all drawer' of the basement. Time to make it more workable. I really need more shelves for the canned (both store & home) goods but there just is no room.  

Do you have a 'catch all' room? What changes do you need to make to make the space more functional?

Remember, you'll find the #MealPlanMonday video HERE.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY - Week 4 - Office

 Good morning!

The office is a continuing project. During part of Week 2, I did get the paint shelf put back in order. All of my mixed media mediums, paints, sprays are all nicely displayed and reachable. I just have to rework my Tim Holtz area and that project will be DONE! But there's  still more to work through.

What is the biggest project you are still working on? I'd love to hear.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY - Week 4 - Office

 Good morning, friends!

I'd love to say I'm diving hard into the office this week, but there's a slight change. The weather is finally cooling down here in the southern Ozarks and I can work on the 'warehouse' where the overflow of craft supplies as well as holiday decor is stored. I am sooo ready to dive in to see what can go to the thrift store, trashed or reorganized. Primarily the Christmas decor.

We've been in this house twenty years and have figured out the decor for each holiday in the various rooms that I am happy with. Everything else can get donated so maybe someone else can use the items.

Reorganizing the Christmas decor will also make room for the four big village tubs I have in the basement in our 'safe' corner. I'd love for Bob to be able to build a storage bench where they are now that we can put stuff to be protected in case of a tornado and that we can sit on. 

Over the course of forty-one years of marriage we've developed an amazing working relationship. Either I design something and he builds, we design and he builds, or we design and build together. This office desk I'm working on was an 8' kitchen island with storage I designed and he built over 35 years ago. Nothing fancy but served as a kitchen island initially that could seat 12 people if needed as well as store all of my baking pans. Then it served as an island against one wall in our first purchased home turning our narrow kitchen into a galley kitchen. In this house it was a crafting/ sewing table downstairs before we built the office/ studio almost 11 years ago. Here it remained a craft table until about 3 years ago when the cat took over my writing desk and I moved my 'office' space to this huge work table. I can move stuff easily enough if I need the 4'x8' space to cut fabric and one side still functions as space for my die-cutting machines when necessary. 

That's me for the week. Next week, I'll be back in the kitchen/ laundry with a bit more of a detailed list of what I do there.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly