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

FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Kitchen & Laundry Room

 Good morning!

How can we be entering a new rotation already? Where does the time go?

Well, I can tell you a good portion of my time is spent with Bob. Though over the course of May a lot of my time was canning potatoes and baked beans. As you read this, I'll be processing the last of those #40 of potatoes. I am so ready to be done with those! I'm also putting the pressure canner away until fall. We're going to move into summer temperatures pretty quick and, if you've not experienced pressure canning, the task is a hot job. I don't want to work my AC any more than necessary.

For the most part, I'm done canning though I am planning on some blueberry and strawberry jam. I can put those in the water bath canner and they don't have a long processing time. An early morning task.

Now I can focus on serious cleaning.

I'm hoping for next month to focus on an actual task list that I can share with you. Things to look for in your own home you might not have thought of. For this last month in quarter 2, I just want to spruce things up a bit.

Laundry:

Go through the 3-cubby unit and get rid of anything I no longer need. We have no plans to get another dog so the bath towels, extra bowls, vet back pack, etc. can go! That will free up at least 2 cubbies for bird feed. LOL Yes, we have a wide variety of birds (and squirrels and raccoons) we feed on the front deck. Bob has gone from we aren't going to be able to afford bird feed to, 'let's grab a couple extra bags while they're on sale'. LOL He's so funny. He even researched what squirrel prefer and their visiting habits. He's such a softy. 

So cubby/ wild life food is the priority for that room. I also run the cleaning pod for the washing machine. 

From there it's the weekly run of the rumba and detailing the litter box area.

Kitchen:

I have 2 main areas of interest this week. 

The back area of the corner counter top. I want to declutter, add a lazy susan and possibly a couple of 4th of July/ Patriotic decor pieces.

The other area is my baking island. I already have the Patriotic decor for that space, I just need to clear everything else off so I can bring that in. I have planned to show you what that looks like in a later post.

Getting those areas done this week will be a big win. Can't wait for those two rooms to start looking inviting again.

Are you following this cleaning routine or have you developed your own? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Kitchen & Laundry Room

 Hi everyone!

Welcome to May.

When I came in to write the blog post I realized weeks three and four never got posted. I thought I'd scheduled everything before I left. Was a crazy couple of weeks. ::: laugh :::

I had a great time at the retreat but am so glad to be home and really dig into this house. I have no travel plans until October. With that said, let's do this!

Bob's turn to be gone this week so I can really dig in. I've been busy canning stuff. (I'll show that post later in the week). As you read this I am working on canning #40 of potatoes I brought home from my trip. At least ten of the potatoes weigh just over #1 each! The skins are thin so they'll peel easy but that's going to possibly a two-day process.

Once potatoes are out of the way, my plan is to go through the bottom kitchen cabinets & purge (again) and to do a deep detail on the kitchen floor. Hopefully, wipe down the cabinets, too. The steam tool on my steamer should make that relatively easy.

The laundry room is pretty much the way it needs to be except for getting rid of dog stuff so I can store the bird/ cat foods in the tubs and off the counter. Crossing fingers. 

Since I'm not sure which day Bob is coming home I want to get a car load of stuff taken to Goodwill and the rest of my stuff out of the living room so we can both sit on the sofa and watch TV together.

As I get stuff cleared out, I'll have a more detailed cleaning list. For this week, take a look at your kitchen and laundry area. Are there things you could pitch? When's the last time you wiped down the cabinets? The appliances? Do you clean the inside of your washing machine? Clean the lint tube/ vent?

I'll see you later this week. promise :-)

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK - Kitchen & Laundry Room

 

Good morning!

The sun is shining and we should have a high in the 80s* today. I've already started putting laundry on the line.

A lot of things did not get done last month, as I'd planned. Between getting the oven repaired, dealing with a sinus infection then doctoring Bob's foot, it was a month. I'm going to say March is going out like a lamb here between the nicer temperatures and all of the afore mentioned things behind us.

As I hung the laundry this morning, I got the earliest scents from the Cherry Blossom Bush. I love that bush. Unfortunately, the honeysuckle and blackberry roots have crept beneath ground, across the back yard and trying to take up residence. I pulled a couple of the larger honeysuckle vines down this morning where I could get to clip them. There is still more to do. Always more to do.

With all of the illness/ injuries/ ect. going on here, the Christmas decor is still up in these two rooms. That's all coming down today. The curtains will be first, followed by the Santa village in the living room. 

Did I mention, this has been a year?! LOL I'm never this late getting things down. I'm also realizing the issue is, in part, to my age and issues with my knees. The other thing is, while Bob has been retired for eighteen months, I'm still trying to find my old routine. I know the old routine isn't going to work but I just work better on my own. It's a process. 

So, this week:

** Santa Village

** Curtains in both rooms

** Tea shelf

** Floor

I'm also adding...

** Pack Bathroom Holiday

** Put every day linens back into place

I'm only adding those last two points because I don't want to wait three weeks to get that room back in order.

On top of this, I'll be trying to finish Book 2, An Ozarks Homecoming, so I can work on the edits when I travel the middle of April. 

After the way this year began, I am so ready to get back to a normal cleaning routine. This is the month I prove it is never too late to get back to basics.

Our local grocers had great sales last week. I now have #72 of butter in the freezers. I bought two #5 of russet potatoes. I plan to get seasoned potato wedges in jars later this week. 

What are you working on? Is there a spot in your laundry room/ kitchen you've been putting off tackling? This is the week!

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Laundry Room & Kitchen

 Good morning, everyone!

We're in for a rainy week, making this the perfect time to really dig in and start the spring cleaning.

My ribs are nearly healed. They don't bother me anymore but I know a wrong move could set me back. Can't have that. I think the knee issue last week was a result of almost 30k steps over the course of two days while I worked on the office. I was sorting everything on the largest flat surface in the house - the bed, so lots of trips back and forth across three adjoining rooms.

The sewing corner is nearly finished. However, the top of the cube unit where the sewing machines will go is currently a plant stand.

I got all of my quilting templates hung on the wall and paired up the sewing machines with their foot pedal. Once I can sew again, I will be able to find things.

I am so ready to dive in to these two rooms. 

My main goal for the laundry room is to get rid of a lot of the pet stuff we no longer need. We're just down to Tabby so all the dog stuff can go. I'll reserve one bin for the outside birdies, one for Tabby then everything else can go.  I'm hoping to pack up the santa village and put the laundry shelves back in order but we're in for rain every day this week so I might not get to the warehouse for tubs, or if I do, will be too muddy to take them back. We shall see. Finally, detail the floor across both of the room.

For the kitchen, I'll sanitize the drains and the sink tubs. I also want to strip everything down off the tea shelf and degrease.  One thing I've always hated is we don't have a hood vent for the stove. When the people who first built this house, they put an addition off the East side, blocking any opportunity for a hood vent. 

If you don't have one, have you noticed how that steam settles everywhere (even in the cabinets!) then attracts all the dust in the air? So tea shelf and fan blades are also on the list. 

I was raised a 1950s housewife and I'm trying to get back to that efficiency throughout the house, excluding my office (but that's another issue all on it's own)

I'll leave you today with a house cleaning tips video I found yesterday:

When you take a break from cleaning, I hope you'll be able to see the Lunar eclipse. You'll find the information HERE.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Laundry Room/ Kitchen

Good morning, friends!

I've had a rough couple of weeks. The ribs are continuing to heal. I still can't bend over very well or lift things of any weight.  Canuary got put on hold. I did get the chunky apple butter made before the accident but I've kept it in a plastic keeper in the fridge and we've been working from the container with fried bread, fresh bread, biscuits and Bob made an amazing Betty Crocker Spice Cake, replacing the oil with the apple butter and putting a layer in the middle. DELISH!

With all the baking, I've not gained a pound; holding at 156 since October!

Because I have limitations, Bob has been a huge help. So glad he's retired. I've been through this rib issue one time without him and that was enough. 

I've been working on laundry. I can put it in the washer but Bob has to move it to the dryer, then to the bed where I can fold everything. He's also been putting most everything away because I can't bend to put things in drawers.

While I am healing. I'm off the ice packs and can breathe or sneeze without pain, I'm still going to take my time. I want to be able to get to the greenhouse and start working on the garden by end of the month. 

With all the snow, all of the Christmas decor is still up in the laundry room and wouldn't normally come down until after Valentine's Day anyway so I'm okay with that. I think I can manage running the electric broom/ Swiffer but that's going to be the extent of my cleaning this week.

How much snow did you get? 

The day after my fall we got about 5". Thank Old Man Winter, none of the ice. I've not left the house since the 15th and I'm okay with that. Thanks to a very well stocked pantry, we've not needed to go anywhere.

Did you catch Canuary? I didn't win any of the prizes but got some great recipes I've added to my canning list, hopefully before weather gets too warm.  

Next up, FREEZE DRIED FEBRUARY!!

Angela, at The Inquisitive Farm Wife is hosting this event and Harvest Right is sponsoring the collaboration by giving away a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer!!!  Just visit Angela's channel HERE for all the details!

I have several things I want to share but in limited amounts of time for a couple more weeks, so be kind while I recuperate.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

 

FLYLADY - Week 1

Good morning, friends!

Things are going to be a little crazy again this week so there won't be a Meal Plan Menu video this week, and possibly next week. Still debating that one. I leave Thursday for the Ozark Creative Writers Conference. This will be my 29th consecutive year (minus the year my youngest granddaughter was born and the Big C when nothing was happening)

I am working on the laundry room and kitchen before I leave on Thursday. I've been creating little 'haunted houses' for a village on the top shelf in the laundry room - something to replace the bird houses and segue into the North Pole village that will go up late November.

For cleaning, that's pretty much my entire plan on the short week. I leave Thursday and won't return until late Sunday. Then I think I'm done with long-distance travel until about April 2026. Wish me luck!

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

 

FLYLADY WEEK 1 - Kitchen & Laundry

 Good afternoon, friends!

I'm still on a deep cleaning around here and trying to get stuff put in some semblance of order in the office. 

But it's also Week 1 of the cleaning process for the rest of the house.

This would normally be the week I deep clean the laundry room & kitchen but since I leave Wednesday for a writing retreat/ conference, I'm doing the quick pass-throughs.

Aside from clean sheets for the bed this week, I've tossed a cleaning bomb into the washer. I always wash the cat beds and dog sheets last thing so the cleaning cube for this washer is mandatory. I've also cleaned/ deodorized the kitchen sink drains (I have a dual sink).

To do the drains, I put a 1/2 C. of baking soda into each drain, followed by 1-1/2 C hot white vinegar. Once that's worked a bit then I follow with 3-4 C of hot water to flush the drain through.  I normally only do this once a month but if the drain seems sluggish later in the month, I follow the same process. Easy clean and no stinky drain or chemical tablets.

I also have the #MealPlanMonday series on my YouTube channel. Here's this week's video. It's not overly exciting but maybe a tidbit or two will catch your attention.

That's it for me this week. I have other things planned for this video but I'm really pushing to finish Book 2 of my Ozarks, Planned To Perfection series. An Ozarks Christmas has been out for several years. Time for Book 2 - An Ozarks Homecoming - just got away from me in much needed research and live in general.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

A NEW MONTH - Decluttering Continues!

 Good morning, everyone!

I'm still waiting for cooler weather to move in and STAY! Because I'm such a hot box, I've still be running AC in the afternoons. I'm so going to hate my power bill.

First week of the month means I'm back in the laundry room & kitchen. Thankfully, since the laundry room has been decluttered I just have general cleaning in there and I can put up the Fall/ Halloween decor. That makes me happy!

This week, I plan to declutter the kitchen. I probably won't get to all of the cabinets as I have a jam-packed creative month over on the creative YouTube channel and Blog. If you are a paper crafter, I'd love for you to check them out!

The space above the cabinets really needs a deep clean. I'll start with taking down glasses & cups we don't use and packing them up for the thrift store. I also want to declutter & reorganize the food cabinets. I tried a rolling can dispenser type of thing but it just isn't working out. I also have canned food up there from 15 years ago!  Yeah, sad, huh? Thankfully, it's veggie pasta additive so I can spread that in the compost, wash the jars and can something I'll actually eat. Lesson learned.

Lots to accomplish today, and none of it involves the cleaning list. That will come later in the week.

What are you working on this week? Decluttering? General cleaning? Prepping for holidays? 

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

CATCHING UP!

 Good morning, everyone! Welcome to another soggy day in southeast MO. 

I woke up to rain yesterday morning. By bedtime we had just under 1".

Woke up to rain this morning with just over 2" in the rain gauge (total of about the past 26 hours)

I'm tired of rain. 

Why blogger has decided to doublespace my posts, I have no clue. As I type this, I have 7 squirrels complaining their feeders (mind you the feeders are actually for the birds). Nuts, the alpha male of the group comes up on the deck and scratches at the metal feed can to get my attention... then sits on the railing and looks in the window to see if I've heard.  This is only a couple of my critters. Nuts is the one hanging from the woodpecker suet cage:

After my post last week, I had to jump full in to a 7-day creative collab for my day job. The project required working up multiple small art projects, filming and posting a video each day. I am currently uploading my last required creative video as I write this post. I'll have one more 'final' to do then this collaborative project can be put away... and the next one started. The next one won't be as intense. 

First week of the month means Laundry/ Kitchen detail. 

Laundry room includes, taking recyclables in, putting the shelf lines back in place, filling all the laundry cleaning items, sanitizing the cat counter as well as deep cleaning the floor and the litter box.

I still haven't put the summer liners back on the shelves nor hung the cafe curtains up. I'll get that done so the storage tub can go back out to the warehouse - out of the dining room.

The kitchen this week won't be as intense. I do want to get a set of glasses down off the soffit area to be washed then put in the donation box for the thrift store run this week. Everything else up there needs a serious cleaning but not this week. Next month when I can move more normally. While I can do stuff, I'm still having to be careful how I move so as not to re-injure the rib and muscles. 

Tuesday should have been the travel post I promised you. That is coming tomorrow. That 7-day collab just pushed a lot of things back. I have the pamphlets here and pictures handy to write that post as soon as I'm done with this one.

My approach to Fly Lady is proof I am a 1950s housewife at heart. Those women did specific deep cleaning tasks on certain days, as seen here by these recreations from PINTEREST   Do you have a cleaning schedule? 

Please share in the comments below. Maybe you do something that would work for me.

Whatever you choose to do today, Enjoy the Journey

~ Kelly 

FLYLADY - November 2

 

Welcome to a new month, everyone!

We've enjoyed a few days of warm weather. The cooler temperatures are moving back in. What else can we expect for November. I'm hoping for a warm weekend as Bob and I have so much to get done outside, including putting the new cover on the greenhouse.

The first week of the month is dedicated to the Laundry Room and the Kitchen. I did the laundry room last weekend because I just couldn't stand it anymore. I also detailed the kitchen floor.

This week I want to get the baking counter under control In just one month I'll be diving into full-on Christmas baking mode. Aside from the 60+ cookie trays we pass out to businesses who've served us throughout the year I will need to get two boxes in the mail... one going to IL and one going to WA. 

The other thing I'm hoping to do today is to clean out the soffit area above the kitchen cabinets. We have glasses/ cups up there we haven't used since they were put up there. If I can tackle the area on the North and East wall then I can move to the soffit above the baking counter at a later time. That entire soffit on that side is all cook books. 

When we moved here twelve years ago I got rid of two HUGE boxes of cookbooks. I need to go through them again. My main keepers will be those from or associated with entertainers. From there I'll start recipe-testing select recipes from all of the others to create one single keeper book (or possibly one for each category). 

If I can accomplish that this week, I will be thrilled. I already have a box ready for the cups/ glassware to take to the thrift store tomorrow.

As we make our way closer to the holidays, I realize we may not experience the gatherings of the past but it's even more important to create an atmosphere we want to be in.

Let's get busy.

Be Safe! Be Prepared!

~Kelly

FLYLADY - Basement

 

To say things have gotten a bit off-kilter around here is an understatement. That said, I think I've found the light. 

Since I plan to be really busy next week diving back into  my novel process during NanoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month. org), I want to get the laundry room/ kitchen done this week. We've been through the list of what I do normally, but I'm adding to the list this week by degreasing the microwave shelf (mounted above the stove), finally getting some dry goods into jars (that post coming Friday) and giving the floor in the combined rooms a good steam cleaning. 

Temperatures have really turned cold here in the Ozarks. I need just one 'sunny' day to get the garden stuff stripped out, as well as emptying the green house in prep for a new covering. We hope to get that done the first weekend Bob is home. Winter is coming!

As we approach the holidays, I know many people start thinking about a winter cleaning in prep for holiday decor and family.  While the 'family' part may be scarce this year, throw up the holiday decor and cheer the place up!  I'll still be baking for the usual cookie box recipients and I love my Christmas decorations even though  no one ever comes to visit. I do them because I enjoy them. 

What's on your cleaning list this week? Share? Maybe you do something I've not thought about. 

Blessings

~Kelly