FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Laundry Room & Kitchen

 Good morning!

We've had cooler temps the past couple of days, putting me in a much needed cleaning mode.

As promised, I have a check list. Mind you, items may be added before this list is complete and while broken down by space, they are not in any particular order at this time. If you have suggestions for either, please leave them in the comments. At some point I want to provide a google docs.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

You don't have to do everything in one day! Make a check list, decide what you can do each day and tackle them.

If you've not done this complete clean before, decide what you can do this week and what can wait until these rooms come around again next month.

If that's the case, I would suggest tackling the deep cleaning items such as cleaning the oven or the Emeril. Next month, those items will be much easier and you can do more of the other tasks. You'll slowly build a routine. 

LAUNDRY ROOM:

I'm going to give the list then items with ** will be discussed at the end. 

*  Pitch/ put away anything that doesn't belong in it's current location. This includes emptying/ putting clothes away from the dryer. If things are in the washer, toss them in the dryer now so the dryer will be available for a later step.

** Once the washing machine is empty, do a cleaning cycle. 

* * Dryer empty, Clean the entire length of the dryer venting. There are brush kits available for this.

* * Wipe down the appliances top/ sides. Dust behind the appliances 

* If you use separate containers for your detergent, fabric softener, ect. Fill those now.

* * Clean beneath the appliances

* Dust ceiling fan blades

* Wash light globes & replace any burned out bulbs you've been meaning to get to.

* Wipe out window tracks/ sills & windows

* Vaccuum register vent

* Check smoke alarm & date on fire extinguisher

* Emtpy trash

* Sweep/ mop floor

This is also a good time to take recycling bins to recycling center

KEY POINTS:

** 92% of home fires involve the clothes dryer  LINK FOR COMPLETE INFO

 Cleaning the lint screen with every load will require less drying time, giving you better energy efficeincy.  

If you have a lint hose attached to your dryer and venting outside,  you need to deep clean this using a bursh kit. You'll go from your lint trap at the point of entry and from the point of exit. Check your dryer manual for complete instructions. 

** Aside from wiping the outside and top of the machines, you'll also want to dust/ sweep behind them This provides better air flow and less chance of things to catch should you have a spark. This is also a good time to make sure the plugs are in good condition. If you see a problem you don't feel equipped to handle, contact an electrician.

** Just like behind the appliances, it's important to clean beneath them. Again, mostly for air flow. And if you have one or more cats you won't believe what you'll find under there besides dust bunnies.

To do this, I  use a yard stick, laying it flat against the floor and sweeping to the front or an open side. Once everything is pulled out, I strap a swiffer cleaning cloth to the yard stick with an elastic band and repeat the process. 

** My washer has a cleaning cycle that I purchase their tablets for. Check your manual for tub cleaning tips. You'll find great tips from GAIN HERE.

KITCHEN:

* Put things away that don't belong clutter the counters

* Wipe down all surfaces

** Wipe down any appliances such as microwave, mixer, toaster, etc.

* Emtpy the toaster crumb tray and wipe out.

* * Detail drains/ shiny sink.

* Descale the coffee pot according to manufacturers directions. 

Note: I don't by the cleaners. I fill the water receptical with white vinegar, let that run then continue running pots of clean water through until the vinegar smell is gone. This may take several passes.

* Repeat the same process for the refrigerator and stove as we did for the washer/ dryer in the laundry room. Remember the top of fridge and cabinets.. any open areas. Particularly if you don't have a vent hood over your stove. Include the vent hood, if you have one.

* If you have a counter top appliance like an Emeril 360, Put a pan of water in the appliance and turn on to 400* F for about 30 minutes. If you've not done this in awhile, you may need an hour. Then wipe down with a warm cloth. Again, if you've not done this before a weekly clean will help get you to a cleaner appliance. If you cook anything especially splattery/ greasy, you might want to get into the habit of doing this after cooking to make the task easier. 

* Clean out the refrigerator and wipe everything down (trays/ containers/ bottles) with a warm soap & water. Follow with a clean warm cloth. 

** Clean the oven. If you have a self-cleaning oven, this will make life so much easier. If not then oven cleaner it is. 

* Dust Fan Blades/ Clean light globes as we did in the laundry room.

* Sweep/ Mop. 

FOR THE SINK: This task will help prevent drain clogs and is much better than using chemicals.

   Place a 1/2 C. of baking soda into the drain receptical. Heat 1 C. of white vinegar and pour slowly over the drain opening. Use a spoon to rake any baking soda more into the drain opening. If you need a second round of the vinegar to get it all, heat another cup.  Follow this with 2 C. of hot water to wash everything through the drain.

   Next, fill the sink with hot tap water and a 1/4 C. of household bleach and let sit a few minutes. Do other tasks on the list while you wait for the water to cool. Once cool, remove the plug to drain the sink then wipe the interior and exterior of the sink, including faucet items down with a clean warm, white cloth.

FOR THE OVEN:  I have a self cleaning oven so I simply run the cycle then use a short-handled swiffer with a warm/ damp dishcloth to wipe everything down. They now have Swiffer with an adjustable handle!

If you need to use the oven cleaner, here's my steps:

Lay a few layers of newspaper or shop towels in a row in front of the cabinet. 

Remove the oven door (check your manual to make sure yours does this) and rest it against the cabinet. on the cabinets. The towels/ newspaper will catch the cleaner drips running off the door.

Spray the oven (I always prefered the cold oven method with less fumes). 

Let this set the recommended time (usually 30 minutes) while you're doing the other cleaning, Then wipe down with warm clothes. Will take several wipes. 

If you want... do the kitchen BEFORE the laundry room. Then you can toss your rags into the washer and get them done before cleaing the washer.

~ ~ ~  ~ ~

That's it for this week. Please. leave comments. I'd love to know more about your cleaning routine. Did I miss something? Let me know.

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 3 - Bedroom & Bathroom

 Good morning, everyone!

After a day of struggling with an email issue that's been going on for over a month, I think I've found a 'happy at the moment' place and get back to what I'm supposed to be doing.

This week is all about the bedroom & bath. 

While there are things that need tending to, I'm not diving in hard this round. For this week, I'm going to focus on making a list of what needs decluttered. One area is the bathroom cabinet on my side.

When we remodeled the house we used deep pantry cabinets on either side of the vanity, not realizing how easy things could get lost in there.  The other thing was I chose baskets to organize everything on each of the five shelves. After 20+ years, let's just say there's A LOT in there that can go.

My plan is to pull each basket out, pitch what no longer serves me then by individual 'refrigerator' type storage bins. They are quite deep in length so should work great in the cabinet. Something similar to these:

WAYFAIR

I think the bins system will allow me to keep things separated and not all dumped into one basket on each shelf.

If I can at least get the pitching done this week then I'll know the type of bins I need to purchase.

Do you have a cabinet in your bedroom/ bathroom that could use a serious pitch session? Maybe it's time to go through the winter clothes so you know what to purchase for the coming season. Reward yourself with a cozy fall sweather for your efforts.  

I meant to get in here last week with pictures of my #jaritupjuly progress but the computer/ email issues was more than I could deal with. I did get some things in jars. #jaritupjuly only runs through the 25th of the month, but I'm taking the entire month.

What's on your list for this week? Remember, any little step forward is still progress. You got this!

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 2 - Living Room & Dining Room

 Good afternoon!

Apologies for the late-day post. Still trying to get back on track after being at a writer's conference last weekend. Granted, the conference was virtual but I made sure last week's blog posts were up then focused on writing. 

Last night, I'd already shut down before realizing I hadn't scheduled today's post. Then up about every two hours last night made for a rough start to today.  

These two rooms are pretty much non-committal. I need to prep for being unavailable Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The writer's retreat is virtual, as well, so I have stuff to get done. Focusing on deep-diving into a room or two is not on my agenda this week. Part of the issue will be sitting my car bag in the living room so that we have room in the back of Angel for something else this weekend. It's always something.  

I did get the living room sofa cleared last night so Bob and I could both sit and enjoy back-to-back episodes of Forged In Fire while we ate supper. Up to that point, Bob was the only one with sofa room. I had my Patriotic Journal kit items on my end. 

I'm also hoping to get more of the jars out of the living room. I have three weeks left of the #JarItUpJuly and I really want to get more items in jars. I did get the Dinner Rolls mix in jars yesterday. I got 9 pints of mix from a #5 bag of self-rising flour. 

Summer is always a busy time. If you have kids, I suggest just focusing on keeping things in some semblance of order while educating them on taking care of their own things. You are not their maid, nor are you serving them by picking up after them. They can, and need, to pick up their stuff. 

I'll see you later in the week with #jaritupjuly pictures.

In the mean time....

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Kitchen & Laundry Room

 Good morning, friends!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Sometimes, it's hard to comprehend our country as we know it has been in existence for 250 years. But then, as I approach 65 I find that hard to believe as well.

I got a head start on the this area last week. We had a nice day so I stripped out the items I could move. I began by a deep sweep of the floor followed by a serious mopping. Mind you, I still need to steam clean and use the bissel but that will wait until I do the deep clean for the holidays. But this was a start. While the recycle bins were empty, I gave them a good scrubbing before putting them back in place. How you can wash the cans & plastics and still wind up with crud in the bottom of the baskets baffles me. 

I have one goal for each of the two areas; laundry room & kitchen:

LAUNDRY - the pet bins. I don't need any of the things that belong to Honey B anymore. I want to use one of the bins for the bird food containers. I also need a better place to put the box where I collect magazines for recycling. We'll see how this goes as I don't have a definitive plan, yet.

KITCHEN - the corner where the coffee pot used to sit at an angle. We changed that when we got the new pot system. Now the area has become a catch all for all manner of things we use routinely. I want to change that out so the area is ready for the Fall tiered trays I bought a couple of years ago and have  yet to put into place. I have one for Fall and one for Christmas. I'd like to find a white one for the rest of the year. Maybe I need a 'me' day of shopping. I've not done one of those in a long time.

I'm planning to have a check list for each of the weeks by the first week in August. While not all of the items on the list will apply to everyone, they might get you looking at your area with a new perspective.

In the mean time...

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

 ~Kelly

#JARITUPJULY

ANGELA - THE INQUISITIVE FARMWIFE

Good morning, everyone!

Welcome to Jar It Up July!

I don't know about where you are but summer has arrived with temperatures near 100* with heat indexes topping that.  The heat is exactly why I'm not going to be doing any water bath or pressure canning for the challenge this month. Instead, I'm going to be giving my jar vacuum sealer a work out. If you're curious, THIS is the one I use and am very happy with the appliance. The item has gone up about $5 since purchasing ours but is still a great deal.  

I have a long list of what I want to put up this year, most of which I've gotten from Jara at Wicked Prepared on YouTube.  Here's a direct link to her Meals In A Jar Playlist.

Basic mixes:

Cheese sauce

Alfredo sauce

Chicken gravy

Brown gravy

Mulling spices

Baking mixes:

Dinner Rolls

Muffin Mix

Quick Brad

Bread In A Jar

Meals:

Mountain Man Casserole

Creamy Lasagna Skillet

Hamburger Lasagna

Shepherds Pie

Chicken Ala King

Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

Italian Stew

Burrito Filling

Chicken & Rice Bake

Vegetable Beef Soup

We've tried several of these and very happy with the results. They are something Bob can dump and fix if I'm not home or need help with dinner on a busy day. 

These are all made using freeze dried products (some ingredients may be substituted with dehydrated but the rehydrating will differ a bit. 

My plan is to do these on Sundays and possibly one other day during the week. I can do all the Baking mixes in one day. Same with the Basics. The meals will take a bit more so will probably do two a week, pairing up similar ingredients for specific dishes.

When I'm through with this project, I'll know what I need to restock in my freeze-dried food pantry. Now that Thrive doesn't exist anymore, I'm looking at ThriveAList  I know a couple of ladies that were with Thrive, have moved to Thrive A List and are very happy. Leisa and Jara both work closely with the company.

I'll be back soon. In the mean time, let me know in the comments if you are participating in the challenge and what you are most excited to have a supply of in your pantry.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

 

FLYLADY WEEK 5 - Basement

 Good morning, friends!

Appears as if the rain has finally moved out and now it's just going to be HOT! 

This should be the week I work on the basement, but other things have to be taken care of.

Bob did spend some time last week organizing the boxes/ tubs in the shower room. He opened up a tub that said 'restaurant pans' on the label then promptly left the tub sit open in the room rather than putting it back where I had it stored.

I do need to do some decluttering and rearranging. There are cardboard boxes that I can break down and take out to the greenhouse for the strawberry bed mulching and I'm sure there's a few things that can go to thrift but right now there are three other important things I have to take care of.

Wednesday starts #jaritupjuly. I'll be making up all kinds of jar mixes such as both chicken and beef gravy, alfredo sauce mix and cheese sauce mix.  Then there are 'meals in a jar' that I need to replenish or didn't get to in January. None of these require the pressure canner, water bath canner, or the dehydrator. I'll share my complete list with you later this week.  

I'd also hoped to share my 4th of July decor. We got the front deck cleaned then rain/ thunderstorms visited several days in a row. I hope to squeeze in time tomorrow morning to get that done. I also want my coffee bar set up. 

This is a Rough Draft Challenge (writing challenge) month with Sarra Cannon in the Heartbreathings community. I'm determined to be inspired by the patriotic theme of the month and finish pulling this book together. I've already told Bob I need two hours every evening except what we do for the 4th celebration. 

To round things out, I'm doing 25 Days of Christmas in July in my creative community (KellysCreativeDreams on YouTube and Blogger). Aside from a Christmas themed thing every day for the first 25 days, I'm hoping to get another journal kit done up and out of the way with a Pink Christmas theme.  

Not a lot of cleaning this month at all except the basics and trying to declutter the studio as I work through kits. I'll keep the Fly Lady posts coming and I have other posts to pepper in throughout the month on my schedule. 

I hope you have a great & safe 4th of July!

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly