FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Kitchen & Laundry

 Good morning, everyone!

I am so in love with the fall weather that has finally arrived in the Ozarks. Our high today should only be about 79*. With full sun and me with TONS of work to be done in the house.

I'm back to cleaning the laundry room & kitchen. With all the office prep I have to do this week ahead of leaving for a writer's conference next week, I'm not digging in deep. Just making the rooms presentable. 

I've still not hauled out the fall decor. At this point, it's all about Halloween - hopefully by the weekend so I can enjoy it for a few days.

Laundry is cat counter and floors. Bob took recyclables in last week so I don't have to do those.

Kitchen is all about clearing that corner by the coffee pot I didn't get to last week so I can put up the Halloween display there, the coffee island, and the floors. I need to deep clean the refrigerator but that will have to wait until the the first week in November when I start prepping for Christmas baking. 

The only other thing for the kitchen is to prep meals/ leftovers for Bob to have at the ready while I'm gone for five days. That is the 1950's mentality. I always make sure there is food in the fridge/ freezer for Bob. While he is totally capable of cooking his meals, I like to provide him with a variety that is easy to grab. 

Aside from that I have to get blog posts and videos up ahead of leaving a week from Wednesday. I need everything scheduled/ posted through the 17th so I don't have to dive right into working as soon as I'm home. I want to spend a couple of chill days with Bob.

What room are you focusing on this week?

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

FLY LADY WEEK 1 - Laundry Room & Kitchen

 Good morning, everyone!

Were you able to experience some cooler temperatures last week? We did but I guess the temps are going back into the upper 90s this week. Ugh! Anyone else ready for fall?

Last week's post provided a cleaning list. I failed to mention that some things, like the walls & drapes only need to be done twice a year... NOT every month. I'll be revamping that list in January with an easier check list to follow. 

I'm not deep cleaning this week. The office is in total disaster after a leak over my cardstock storage. Boxes of stamps and dies are everywhere. We're just waiting for a good rain storm to see if the leak is fixed before putting stuff back. And I was SOOOO close to getting things in order. I'll update you on the office in Week 4... hopefully. In the mean time, here's where we are this week:

I'm not doing any deep cleaning in these two rooms this week, though I would love to get the shelf liners and fall curtains made. Here are the two areas of focus:

LAUNDRY

Behind the fooc containers, there is a 3-cubby unit that is suppose to hold the pet supplies. They were mostly HoneyB's. He's been gone since January and I've just put off going through this stuff. My goal is to have all of the items gone from in front of the unit. The water cube on the right needs emptied, winsed good then refilled. this is the first emergency water I work with for cooking should we have a power outage. There's another one in the basement. I also have 3 cat litter juts I keep water in for dishes and sanitary usage. My goal is to clear this then post an update next month.

Then there's the kitchen:

My old coffee small Keurig and Bob's Bunn used to sit in that corner. When the Bunn went kaput (I may or may not have melted butter down through the vent) We decided the dual unit was best against the wall (You can just see my side of the dual on the left) and the corner became a catch-all.  My goal is to clear that out and put in a fall display followed by a Halloween then a Christmas display throughout the season. 

Accomplishing those two spaces this week will be a major improvement.

If you want to refer back to the cleaning schedule for these two rooms, you'll find that BLOG POST HERE.

What's on your list for this week? Do you have an area you keep putting off, or just not sure what to do with? Let me know in the comments below.

Be safe, Be prepared, Be Blessed!

~ Kelly

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 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

BACK TO LIFE!

 Good afternoon, everyone!

I have puzzled the past few weeks about resurrecting this blog and I've decided if I don't try to do too much here, that I can manage.

One thing I discovered is when I quit posting 'Flylady' and housekeeping stuff, I quit following my action plan - and the house shows the defunct plan. 

I'm gradually getting back on track and began working my house cleaning routine this week. 

This week is all about the laundry room and the kitchen. For this month, I want to focus on decluttering. I have a box ready to start adding items to for donation. There are things in the three laundry room cabinets we don't use. I also need to clean the 'laundry' drawer out completely. The drawer is directly below the new food dehydrator. I need the space to keep the extra screens and the dehydrating foods book. Time to clear the 'cookbooks' out of the living room and put them where they belong.

The laundry room/ kitchen is always the first week of the month. I'm pretty sure I won't get to decluttering the kitchen this month. I can do that in October.

After this post, all other cleaning posts will run on Mondays. Friday's will be used for 'Things To Stock Up On Now' kind of posts. I'll explain more about that post on Friday.

In between the posts will be scattered based on if something crosses my path I think you'll find of interest, basic preparedness or what's going on in my kitchen at the time.

I hope you'll come along for the ride. If you have wisdom to impart on any of my posts, please do leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. 

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