This past Thursday my house was not fit to have people over.
The Flylady (see www.flylady.net) would have said it was in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). But it was also the day a sitter would be coming in to babysit my son.
I had limited time to do any tidying up, so I resorted to one of my old tricks: I grabbed a couple of re-usable grocery bags and began filling them with anything stewn on the floor or covering any flat surface that didn't belong.
In all, I filled 3 of them from the main floor alone.
The house wasn't clean, but it looked tidy. Tidier than it was, at least.
My husband says I should stop worrying about the house; that it looks better than it has in years.
Still, the house didn't feel "presentable". Despite taking small steps for the past couple of months to organize my home, I haven't seen enough progress to feel comfortable spending a few minutes straightening up before inviting someone into my home.
Despite the setback, my husband is right. The house does look better than it has in years, and I have to remember: The house didn't get into a state of CHAOS in 2 months, so I can't expect that it become spottlessly clean and completely organized in 2 months.
Keeping that in the forefront of my mind is helping me to not give up on the babystep approach I have been putting into practice. Progress is being made, and no backslide has brought me anywhere near where the house used to be. The babystep system does not require perfection, and it doesn't require hours out of my day to do them.
One day, I also hope to see that it means that the changes in my home will be lasting. Entire weekends cleaning and organizing one area of my home usually meant that a few weeks later the room was back into a state that was just as bad as it was before. By taking babysteps I can see how I have a "built-in" system for maintenance that just didn't exist when I devoted a day or an entire weekend to cleaning out areas of my home.
The verdict is in: I am keeping with the Baby Steps.
See www.flylady.net if you would like to join me in taking baby steps to keep your home in a state of bliss.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Lose a Pound In 5 Minutes
Can you lose a pound in just 5 minutes?
It may not be shed from your waistline, but it can be just as good for your health! I'm talking about losing clutter around your house, and rumor has it that shedding weight from your house can translate to losing some pounds on your body because it frees up your mental energy to focus on keeping yourself healthy, eating right and excersising. The two may feel completely disconnected, but I believe the two relate to each other; as one area improves, the other can improve as well.
But more on the clutter I purged this morning:
I lost 1.2 pounds of clutter this morning during my daily morning routine. Routines are becoming, more and more, a part of my day. I still tend not to follow them from start to finish on a consistent basis, but I am still in the process of tweaking them, and still in the process of engraining them into my muscle memory so that I do them without even thinking. I am not there yet, but I am getting there!
For the past week or so I have been eeking out 2 minutes of my morning to put out a "hot spot" (see www.flylady.net) and 5 minutes to tackle the worst room in the house.
Today, in that 7 minutes I tossed or recycled 1.2 pounds. Both my Hot Spot and my Room Rescue were in the mud room, which tends to be a bit of a dumping ground. I tossed papers, mail, and a few things that were in a box that I had brought in from the car.
Here is my progress so far:
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 328.8 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 1.2 pounds
Total Purged: 330.0 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1670.0 pounds
*I have a goal to get rid of 2000 pounds of my belongings. I was inspired by Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge.
It may not be shed from your waistline, but it can be just as good for your health! I'm talking about losing clutter around your house, and rumor has it that shedding weight from your house can translate to losing some pounds on your body because it frees up your mental energy to focus on keeping yourself healthy, eating right and excersising. The two may feel completely disconnected, but I believe the two relate to each other; as one area improves, the other can improve as well.
But more on the clutter I purged this morning:
I lost 1.2 pounds of clutter this morning during my daily morning routine. Routines are becoming, more and more, a part of my day. I still tend not to follow them from start to finish on a consistent basis, but I am still in the process of tweaking them, and still in the process of engraining them into my muscle memory so that I do them without even thinking. I am not there yet, but I am getting there!
For the past week or so I have been eeking out 2 minutes of my morning to put out a "hot spot" (see www.flylady.net) and 5 minutes to tackle the worst room in the house.
Today, in that 7 minutes I tossed or recycled 1.2 pounds. Both my Hot Spot and my Room Rescue were in the mud room, which tends to be a bit of a dumping ground. I tossed papers, mail, and a few things that were in a box that I had brought in from the car.
Here is my progress so far:
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 328.8 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 1.2 pounds
Total Purged: 330.0 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1670.0 pounds
*I have a goal to get rid of 2000 pounds of my belongings. I was inspired by Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Do You Go "All In"?
I often approach things "all in."
I get a hair cut and opt to chop off 8 inches instead of going for a trim. I decide I need to excersise more and buy the P90X videos. When playing poker I wait for a decent hand, and literally,go "all in".
This approach can lead to excitement about a drastic change, as in the case of a haircut, unsustainable changes that lead to reverting back to old ways after a few days weeks or months as in the case of excersising, or high-stakes endeavours that end with either taking it all or losing it all, as in the case of playing poker with friends.
An "all in" approach means that I am either in, or I am out. There is no in between.
This can be a good thing, because when I set to my mind to something I am often stubborn enough to see it through. But it also means that getting committed to do something takes an incredible amount of time and energy. It means I usually don't get started.
It also means that when I finally get into something I am setting myself up for failure. Doing something all or nothing is rarely sustainable.
Learning to Take Baby Steps
Doing things in baby steps is not in my nature. But it certainly has it's advantages.
While taking baby steps doesn't produce that dramatic change that I seem to live for, it does produce change that is a lot less overwhelming and much more sustainable. Lasting changes can be made by taking small steps rather than by taking leaps and bounds. Things happen in a relaxed time frame and in a more relaxed manner. Changes and tasks can take on a life of their own when they are not forced and allowed to happen naturally.
Learning to take baby steps is not going to happen over night. It will happen gradually by making small sustainable changes over the long-haul, rather than major changes over night.
One of the aspects of my life I am trying to slow down and take babysteps, is my approach to dealing with clutter. I have had my share of marathon sessions cleaning, organizing, and decluttering, but months would go by between these sessions and things would sometimes back slide.
Today I took 2 minutes to address a "hot spot" (see www.flylady.net) and 5 minutes addressing the worst room in the house. In that time I managed to toss 0.5 pounds of clutter. Not an earth-shattering amount, but every little bit counts:
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 328.3 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 0.5 pounds
Total Purged: 328.8 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1671.2 pounds
*I have a goal to get rid of 2000 pounds of my belongings. I was inspired by Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge.
I get a hair cut and opt to chop off 8 inches instead of going for a trim. I decide I need to excersise more and buy the P90X videos. When playing poker I wait for a decent hand, and literally,go "all in".
This approach can lead to excitement about a drastic change, as in the case of a haircut, unsustainable changes that lead to reverting back to old ways after a few days weeks or months as in the case of excersising, or high-stakes endeavours that end with either taking it all or losing it all, as in the case of playing poker with friends.
An "all in" approach means that I am either in, or I am out. There is no in between.
This can be a good thing, because when I set to my mind to something I am often stubborn enough to see it through. But it also means that getting committed to do something takes an incredible amount of time and energy. It means I usually don't get started.
It also means that when I finally get into something I am setting myself up for failure. Doing something all or nothing is rarely sustainable.
Learning to Take Baby Steps
Doing things in baby steps is not in my nature. But it certainly has it's advantages.
While taking baby steps doesn't produce that dramatic change that I seem to live for, it does produce change that is a lot less overwhelming and much more sustainable. Lasting changes can be made by taking small steps rather than by taking leaps and bounds. Things happen in a relaxed time frame and in a more relaxed manner. Changes and tasks can take on a life of their own when they are not forced and allowed to happen naturally.
Learning to take baby steps is not going to happen over night. It will happen gradually by making small sustainable changes over the long-haul, rather than major changes over night.
One of the aspects of my life I am trying to slow down and take babysteps, is my approach to dealing with clutter. I have had my share of marathon sessions cleaning, organizing, and decluttering, but months would go by between these sessions and things would sometimes back slide.
Today I took 2 minutes to address a "hot spot" (see www.flylady.net) and 5 minutes addressing the worst room in the house. In that time I managed to toss 0.5 pounds of clutter. Not an earth-shattering amount, but every little bit counts:
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 328.3 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 0.5 pounds
Total Purged: 328.8 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1671.2 pounds
*I have a goal to get rid of 2000 pounds of my belongings. I was inspired by Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Garbage is Not Just in the Bin Under Your Kitchen Sink
I read a decluttering tip recently that suggested walking around your house for 15 minutes with a garbage bag and filling it up with garbage until the timer goes off.
I have been working at decluttering, and am taking it rather seriously. I was inspired by Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge, but adapted it to become, for me, a 2000 pound challenge. I have challenged myself to get rid of 2000 lbs of "stuff", and I am still early in the journey, meaning I still have a lot of stuff I need to get rid of.
Still, I was a little skeptical about having much success walking around my house looking for garbage. Sure I have clutter. And yes, I know that I can't organize clutter - I can only get rid of it. But walk around with a garbage bag for 15 minutes? It's a good idea; straight-forward and simple in concept, but it's not something that would work for me. "Pff", I thought, "I'll never fill a garbage bag walking around my house for 15 minutes."
But, in the spirit of being a willing and open soul, I decided I would give it a go before judging the idea as being not for me. I decided to be realistic and grabbed one of the smaller garbage bags thinking I would be lucky to fill even that up. In doing this task, my intentions were more to prove that this was not a helpful task for me, more than it was to find success in it.
My Experience
I stood for a moment thinking about where I should start first looking for garbage that wasn't there.
I mean, I really didn't think I would find much garbage around the house. I live in a home not a dump.
Turns out I had a lot more garbage than I thought. Looking around my house with a radar for garbage made me see what I saw around the house with a new perspective. Clutter, and garbage in this case, at some point becomes a part of the landscape and you stop even seeing it until you change what you are looking for.
I couldn't believe I filled my kitchen garbage back within 3 minutes. I tied it up and got another one.
I thought it must have been a fluke, but I filled up another one. And another one after that.
In total I tossed 7.2 pounds of garbage. This was stuff just lying around my house I didn't need or want. This did not require any difficult decision-making on my part, or humming and hawing about whether I could part with something. It quite literally was just garbage that I found lying around my house!
I found empty boxes I knew I wasn't going to use so I crushed and stacked them to go out with the recycling, I found wrappers and toy parts, and flyers I was hanging on to but that were no longer relevant. I found papers and reference materials from old jobs I didn't have any more.
Maybe the first round is the easiest,. Maybe the second, third, or fourth time I do this things will get progressively more difficult. But it was fruitful enough today to do again. And maybe even a few more times after that.
If you think that 15 minutes with a garbage bag is not going to make any difference in the clutter in your home, then know I started in the same place as you are now. Try and you may be pleasantly surprised. And if not, you will be none the worse off.
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 321.1 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 7.2 pounds
Total Purged: 328.3 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1671.7 pounds
*I have a goal to get rid of 2000 pounds of my belongings. I was inspired by Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Today's Purging Mission Tackles Plastic Containers
If you get help from the FLY Lady to stay in control of your home (instead of the other way around), then you may know that today's mission was to purge clutter in the kitchen in the form of plastic containers.
I didn't think I would be able to purge very much because this was one area of my home that I am on top of. My system for storing my plastic containers is one of the few organized systems in my home and has been maintained for a few years now. Still, I was able to get rid of dozen or so lids and containers combined.
My guess is that I purged close to a pound of plastic, but when I weighed it, it was too light to register on the scale. I will make a conservative estimate that it was only 0.2 pounds and will add that to my tally for the 2000 pound challenge. The current progress can be found at the end of this blog post, but since my plastic container situation is one that I am proud of because it works for me, I will share my system in case it is one that can be adapted to suit you.
This is the cupboard that houses all my plastic containers. The containers are in the dark brown box on the very bottom, the lids are stored in that cream-coloured basket on the right-hand-side at the top.
I only use plastic containers for lunches. The glass containers are used for leftovers or for cooking. When I make a brown-bag lunch, I pull out the brown basket and grab the container or containers I need. Even though the containers are tossed into the brown basket, I can easily find what I am looking for without bringing it right onto the countertop because I have a limited number of sizes, and I don't have dozens more than I really need. If I had a large family, I might have a different basket for each size. Also, it makes clean up really easy. Plastic containers are tossed in after being cleaned. I bought the basket at Dollarama.
All leftovers are stored in glass containers. My system for organizing my glass containers isn't quite as good, but it still works. I keep the small ones on the bottom shelf next to my plastic containers, but there are a few medium-sized glass containers stacked next to the container I use to store the plastic lids. Larger glass containers are stored on the middle shelf and are used for cooking, and their plastic lids are stored standing up on their ends (like books on a bookshelf) on the left hand side with the cutting boards.
Ideally I would have drawers in this area of my kitchen rather than shelving, but this does the trick for now. The shelf in the cupboard is actually an "under-the-sink shelf".
2000 Pound Challenge
Previously Purged: 320.9 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 0.2 pounds
Total Purged: 321.1 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1678.9 pounds
I didn't think I would be able to purge very much because this was one area of my home that I am on top of. My system for storing my plastic containers is one of the few organized systems in my home and has been maintained for a few years now. Still, I was able to get rid of dozen or so lids and containers combined.
My guess is that I purged close to a pound of plastic, but when I weighed it, it was too light to register on the scale. I will make a conservative estimate that it was only 0.2 pounds and will add that to my tally for the 2000 pound challenge. The current progress can be found at the end of this blog post, but since my plastic container situation is one that I am proud of because it works for me, I will share my system in case it is one that can be adapted to suit you.
This is the cupboard that houses all my plastic containers. The containers are in the dark brown box on the very bottom, the lids are stored in that cream-coloured basket on the right-hand-side at the top.
I only use plastic containers for lunches. The glass containers are used for leftovers or for cooking. When I make a brown-bag lunch, I pull out the brown basket and grab the container or containers I need. Even though the containers are tossed into the brown basket, I can easily find what I am looking for without bringing it right onto the countertop because I have a limited number of sizes, and I don't have dozens more than I really need. If I had a large family, I might have a different basket for each size. Also, it makes clean up really easy. Plastic containers are tossed in after being cleaned. I bought the basket at Dollarama.
The basket containing the lids gets pulled out and placed on the counter top. I can access it and put it back without really having to look. My hand just knows where to go to get it, and to put it back, so there is not crouching or bending over much. The basket has a smaller basket inside, and I place the lids in one of 3 sections. I got them from Dollarama. The left side has the extra small lids, the front right has the small ones, and the medium-sized lids are at the back right. Accessing the right sized lid, and putting the lids back after cleaning, is easy! I try to stick to the same company for my plastic containers so that I don't have to worry about different lids for different containers. I usually get them at Dollarama.
All leftovers are stored in glass containers. My system for organizing my glass containers isn't quite as good, but it still works. I keep the small ones on the bottom shelf next to my plastic containers, but there are a few medium-sized glass containers stacked next to the container I use to store the plastic lids. Larger glass containers are stored on the middle shelf and are used for cooking, and their plastic lids are stored standing up on their ends (like books on a bookshelf) on the left hand side with the cutting boards.
Ideally I would have drawers in this area of my kitchen rather than shelving, but this does the trick for now. The shelf in the cupboard is actually an "under-the-sink shelf".
2000 Pound Challenge
Previously Purged: 320.9 pounds
Purged Since Last Post: 0.2 pounds
Total Purged: 321.1 pounds
Pounds Remaining: 1678.9 pounds
Monday, May 6, 2013
Mommy-hood and Clutter
Here, a blog about my experiences of parenthood, and so many of my posts presently, are being dedicated to de-cluttering.
I guess one teaches what one needs to learn. Certainly, it is in this area that my parenting is lacking in many ways, and so it is the area that is recieving the most of my attention as of late.
Getting rid of clutter is making me a better parent because I am less stressed, I am feeling more positive and less overwhelmed about parenthood and my life in general, and I am able to spend more quality time with family without being irritable or distracted.
I am becoming a bit more of a "home-maker". Something I have never seen myself as before.
Maybe there is something in decluttering for you too. Visit flylady.net for some guidance and coaching. I've found her advice invaluable!
I am challenging myself to declutter 2000 lbs, and hope to be there by the end of 2013. Recently I tackled the playroom on a 15-minute decluttering mission. That's all it took to declutter 4.6 pounds of stuff that I am donating to charity.
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 316.3 lbs
Purged Since Last Post: 4.6 lbs
Total Purged: 320.9 lbs
Pounds Remaining: 1679.1 lbs (16% there!)
I guess one teaches what one needs to learn. Certainly, it is in this area that my parenting is lacking in many ways, and so it is the area that is recieving the most of my attention as of late.
Getting rid of clutter is making me a better parent because I am less stressed, I am feeling more positive and less overwhelmed about parenthood and my life in general, and I am able to spend more quality time with family without being irritable or distracted.
I am becoming a bit more of a "home-maker". Something I have never seen myself as before.
Maybe there is something in decluttering for you too. Visit flylady.net for some guidance and coaching. I've found her advice invaluable!
I am challenging myself to declutter 2000 lbs, and hope to be there by the end of 2013. Recently I tackled the playroom on a 15-minute decluttering mission. That's all it took to declutter 4.6 pounds of stuff that I am donating to charity.
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 316.3 lbs
Purged Since Last Post: 4.6 lbs
Total Purged: 320.9 lbs
Pounds Remaining: 1679.1 lbs (16% there!)
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Reducing Clutter in the Bedroom the Purging Challenge
I made some progress on my goal to purge 2000 pounds last week. I focussed on the Master Bedroom and was able to find a pretty respectable amount of poundage to lose.
My typical purging and decluttering missions usually last only 15 minutes, plus about another 15 minutes putting things away that belong in different areas of the house. Decluttering and purging starts with 4 bags or containers at my feet: One for garbage, one for recycling, one for donate, and one for items that belong elsewhere.
I was able to purge 1.6 pounds in garbage and recycling, and 9.8 pounds of items that were donatable. That's a total of 11.4 pounds.
If you would like some guidance on organizing, decluttering, and cleaning your home, then visit the flylady.net. She has kind and supportive guidance and inspiration, and a plan that has been working well for me because it doesn't require perfection!
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 304.9 pounds
Purged Today: 11.4 pounds (9.8 in donated items, and 1.6 in garbage and recycling)
Total Purged To Date: 316.3 pounds
Pounds Left: 1683.7 pounds
My typical purging and decluttering missions usually last only 15 minutes, plus about another 15 minutes putting things away that belong in different areas of the house. Decluttering and purging starts with 4 bags or containers at my feet: One for garbage, one for recycling, one for donate, and one for items that belong elsewhere.
I was able to purge 1.6 pounds in garbage and recycling, and 9.8 pounds of items that were donatable. That's a total of 11.4 pounds.
If you would like some guidance on organizing, decluttering, and cleaning your home, then visit the flylady.net. She has kind and supportive guidance and inspiration, and a plan that has been working well for me because it doesn't require perfection!
The 2000 Pound Challenge:
Previously Purged: 304.9 pounds
Purged Today: 11.4 pounds (9.8 in donated items, and 1.6 in garbage and recycling)
Total Purged To Date: 316.3 pounds
Pounds Left: 1683.7 pounds
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