Monday Non-Mayhem: Purging, Decluttering, Cleaning and Organizing

I would love to have a clean and organized house, but everywhere I look there are disaster areas that need help.  I'm 5 months pregnant and I have a 2 year old.  I'm trying to juggle a lot of different household things- menu planning, regular chores, cooking, teaching my son, relaxing, etc.  I really want to clean, but I can't seem to muster the energy or I waste my time.  No more!  I have a TON of work to do before this new baby comes in May and I need to get on it.  So I have made some short and long term plans.  I see the big picture, but I have a hard time with details.  So this week I sat down and listed 5 areas that are bugging me to pieces.  My plan is to give each area one week and work 15-30 a day to clean that area by purging, decluttering, cleaning and organizing.  I also have a HUGE job to clean in our attic garage which I will dedicate 2 nights a week after our 2 year old goes to bed.  So here's my plan for January and pictures:

*Dec 26-Jan 1: Filing Cabinet

*Jan 2- Jan 8: Back Entrance

*Jan 9-Jan 15: Guest Room Closet

*Jan 16-Jan 22: Linen Closet

*Jan 23-Jan 29: Usana Bookshelf

I will be posting new pics at the end of month when these areas have been cleaned and make a new list to work on.  Hope this gives you encouragement to start doing something similar.  Let me know what you are doing or any ideas you have.

Monday Non-Mayhem: Cleaned behind the couch

I'm actually a little embarrassed to show these pictures, but I've been dumping stuff behind the couch for more than 2 years.  I clean it out sometimes, but it's been really accumulating with review products, books, lots of stuff for Shrade school and just little stuff.  I cringe every time I look at it. 

BEFORE

Ugh, I just had to clean it up.  I am so tired of being messy so I took about an hour one day last week and pulled everything out and recycled a bunch and organized things into boxes the way I can find things easier and here is the end result.  It's really not that much neater, but to me it's a HUGE improvement!!

AFTER

 Ok, now I can rest...until I find another "hot" spot to clean.

Do you have a place that you need to clean?  Tell me about it. I can sympathize!!

Monday Non-Mayhem: Plans

I am a first born perfectionist, but I can't seem to get it together somehow after having a child.  I make plans, but don't carry them out.  I get frustrated and give up doing anything at all.  But I know I need to give myself some grace, so I'll start small and see what I can accomplish, but also make some goals.

Start small:
*Weekly Home Blessing Hour on Mondays (I usually can get the bathrooms, garbage and downstairs vacuumed)
*Make at least one new dinner each week
*Spend one hour cleaning in the attic each week (could be 15 min time slots)

BIG goals: (on top of the ones listed above)
*Focus on one room each week for cleaning
*Make a week worth of freezer meals (so many inspiring blogs out there for that) during the month
*Post my menu for the week

Eventually...
I want to get back into knitting and sewing, but I need a clean house!!




I think I will work on the start small section for a month before adding anything from the BIG list. 


I also want to work on some fun teaching ideas for my son, but that's for my other blog (Milk N' Honey Learn and Grow).  :)


So, what do you do to get organized?  I'd like to know.

Monday Non-Mayhem: My plan

Wow, I had such a fun week at the Ultimate Blog Party sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom.  I have met so many new blogging buddies.  Thanks for coming to visit Knowlton Nest.  I look forward to getting to know you better and learn new ideas from all of you.

OK, so I've been lacking in some areas, so I have made a plan of things I want to accomplish for the rest of 2010.  I will be blogging about my adventures so keep me accountable!

Here are my areas to conquer:
*Knitting- finish projects and start some new ones
*Sewing- I have a purse I really want to make
*Attic-  what a mess, I need to organize all my school and baby things
*Reading- lots of book to read
*Math class-  I am working on getting credits for my teaching certificate
*Plans for teaching Shrade- I'll be looking at several fun websites and books and documenting everything on Milk N' Honey
*Playing piano-  My son loves music and it's my first love
*Organize my home and clean- I'm going to try a new way and see if I can get some more done by I Dream of Clean
*Call family and friends more often
*Plan great dates with my husband
*Be more intentional in my workouts- I did lose 20 lbs last year of baby weight!
*Continue to keep on track with cooking and also try new recipes that I find
*Make a blogging calendar!

So, it looks a bit daunting, but I will do it!

How do you keep non-mayhem?  Let me know and have a great day!  Blessings, Shonda

Monday Non-Mayhem: Pampering!!!

You heard it: pampering!! One way to reduce mayhem is to find time for pampering. There are so many ways to do this, but here is just one way I do.

I LOVE homemade soap! One year for Teacher Appreciation Week (when I was teaching) I received a cute little sample of soap from one of the parents who had a business called Rose Petal Betty. Isn't that cute? Well, I fell in love with her soaps and never went back to store bought again. However, I was so sad when she decided to discontinue her business. Lo and behold, just a few months after that my husband took me on a romantic getaway to Vashon Island, WA. We visited the local farmer's market and there I found Rainy Day Garden. Oh, the scents are heavenly and the soaps are beautiful. So I ordered my first set of soaps from Sherri when I got back home. Her soaps are so unique and she creates many different kinds. Here is my latest order: Mandarin Sunrise, Pink, Country Lilac, Ume Blossom, Magnolia Blossom, Apple Ambrosia and Cascade Morning. Even the names are fun! I always look forward to my bath or shower time! Can you smell them? :)
So, here's another pampering moment for me: Tomorrow I get to go to a spa and get the royal treatment. My husband is taking the day off from work and taking care of our son and said I could book a spa day. I am going to get a 1 hour massage, a facial, a manicure and foot soak! I am so excited.

So how do YOU pamper yourself? And guys, how can you pamper your women? :)

PS. I also put these soaps in some of my dresser drawers to make my clothes smell good.

Monday Non-mayhem: Declutter time!

Hi everyone- So I will do short posts so I can still blog, but not feel overwhelmed! Flylady's habit for the month of February is to declutter 15 min per day. What a difference that will make. Be sure to check out her website for some tips and tricks. If you sign up on Flylady's website you will get some great emails that will inspire you.

So what are your tricks for decluttering?

Monday Non-mayhem: Taking a break

Hi everyone- I'm really sorry, but I'm going to take a little break from blogging this next month. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and connecting with new friends in the blog world. I have found some awesome blogs and I have tried my hand at creating my own unique way of sharing in the blog world. Lately, though, I have spent a lot of time working on my blog more than other things in my life. So, I'm going to take a little break. That doesn't mean I won't blog at all. I will most likely give a recipe of the week and my God's nuggets post. I want to make sure my priorities are straight. Also, I do want to update on my Eat From the Pantry challenge I did in January, but it will have to wait. I'm also Booking It this year and will give an update later this month as well.

Blessings, Shonda

PS. Of course, somehow this week I have a full schedule for my blog, but I will be slacking up a bit more, I think!!!

Monday Non-mayhem: Recap

So I just wanted to recap what I have shared so far these last 5 weeks. I hope some of it has been helpful for you to control your mayhem!

Week 1- Weekly Home Blessing Hour
*Choose 6-7 areas in your home to clean in one hour once a week

Week 2- Zone cleaning
*There are 5 zones in your home. You will clean in one each week. Check Flylady's website for "missions" to accomplish in that zone.

Week 3- Monthly Habits
*For the month of January you focused on keeping your sink shiny! How did you do? :)

Week 4- Control Journals
*This is just a notebook where you keep important info. and routines organized.

Week 5- Baby steps
*Flylady has a complete system for getting to where you want to be called Babysteps.

Again, do what works for you! Do have other ideas to share with me? I'm open.

OK, next week I'm going to attempt a menu plan like I have seen on all of the fun blogs that I visit every day. Mine might be a bit rough and different, but I will make it my own.

Monday Non-mayhem: Babysteps

OK, how are those control journals working? It's OK if you haven't had a chance to start one. This week we will start with the Babysteps in order to take time to start a control journal and other habits that will help you to have non-mayhem in your life. So stop by Flylady's website and check out the Babysteps.

Here's where I'm at:
I have a control journal and I do my Weekly Home Blessing Hour every Monday. I also try to clean in the Zone for the week. I don't always get everything done, but when I do something I know my home is blessed.

So take the first step and move forward. You can only create peace in your home if you start taking some steps. I'm rooting for you!

Next week I will recap what I have shared so far.

Monday Non-mayhem: Control Journals

So is your sink shiny? :-)

Control Journals sound like somebody is trying to control you. Not true. It's just a journal that you create to keep your CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) in order. I made one that I'm still revising. Basically I put in some cleaning routines, bills that need to be paid, and other mail that I need to keep and not yet file. You can read more about creating your own control journal on Flylady's website. She has so many great ideas. Choose what works for you and stick with it.

What other organizing tips do you have?

Next week: Baby steps (let's start at the beginning).

Monday Non-mayhem: Monthly Habits

So last week we talked about Zone Cleaning. The Zone for this week is the Kitchen. Click here for a Sneak Peek of the missions for this week.

This week we will focus on Monthly Habits. So now that it is January, the first task is to Shine Your Sink. This is a great habit to start and keep doing every day.

First, you need to Shine Your Sink with the Flylady method. I try to do this once a month, but otherwise I make sure that my sink is clean before I go to bed, so the next morning I don't have to do dishes. This is one of the basic habits that Flylady recommends.

So what habit do you have everyday that makes your day start off with a smile? :)

Have fun Shining Your Sink! Right behind ya!

Next week: Control Journals...

Monday Non-mayhem: Cleaning, where do I start?

Enter Zone cleaning! I have wrestled with this question over and over and never came up with a good solution. Then, I checked out Flylady and her method of breaking the house into zones really caught my eye. I can be an all or nothing gal and I can turn circles trying to figure out where to start. When I do that, I give up, but not with this system!

So each week you focus on a different zone and by the end of the month you will have cleaned in each area of your house. Remember, this is a process, but at least you can make some headway in each room during the month.

Here they are: The five zones in your home
Zone 1- the entrance, front porch and dining room
Zone 2- the kitchen
Zone 3- the bathroom and one extra room (laundry, office, kids, guest)
Zone 4- the master bedroom
Zone 5- the living room

Also on Flylady's website she gives you a "mission" for cleaning in that zone each day for the week. I like when someone else has the plan. Happy Zone cleaning!

Next week: Monthly habits.

Monday Non-mayhem: Weekly Home Blessing Hour

Hi everyone- I thought I would share my thoughts about cleaning and organizing on Mondays so you can get your week started right. Several years ago my friend, Donnetta, directed me to the Flylady website to help kick my cleaning to another level. I was half-hearted and checked the site to see what it was about. But now that I have a son and I'm home more, I would really like to get focused and organized. I will share what I learn from Flylady and any other sources that are helpful. So, take the journey with me!

First, Flylady is an acronym for FLY (Finally Loving Yourself)! Everyone who is learning to be a Flylady is a Flybaby! So I'll just start with the basics.

Today is Weekly Home Blessing Hour. This is where you have 6-7 areas that you clean for 10 minutes each and hopefully take less than an hour. This is how you bless your home every week. This is not detail cleaning. Here are my tasks:
-change sheets
-empty trash
-clean toilet, wipe bathroom counters
-vacuum (middle of the floors only)
-sweep and mop kitchen
-wipe doorknobs with disinfectant

You can choose your own list. Flylady has her list and I made it to fit my routine. Have fun!

How do you bless your home on a weekly basis? Open to your idea!

Next week I will talk about zone cleaning. Stay tuned.