FlyLady - Pagan Style. Babysteps Day 25

As you may have noticed, I have been posting the FlyLady 31 Baby Steps and my thoughts on them. I have been adding my thoughts on how cleaning your house, even the simple stuff, can be part of a spiritual devotion, and how the babysteps and the FlyLady program encourage you to think positive about yourself, your home, your habits - all to make life a little easier and better for you!

Today is Day 25 of the BabySteps! So far we have developed a few simple habits of things to do on a daily basis; in the form of simple morning & evening routines. Our goal is to make these routines a habit... if we do them consistently enough then they just become second nature!

Morning Routine

• Make Your Bed!
• Get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes; fixing your hair and face
• Swish and Swipe
• Look at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Recognize the negative voices and change them. Remember, you are FLYing now!
• Put out your Hot Spots for two minutes
• Check Your Laundry
• Five-minute Room Rescue (pick any room in the house). Set your timer and go!
• Spend 15 Minutes decluttering each day. You can’t organize clutter!

Afternoon Routine

• Check Kid's Backpacks for Flyers, News, Homework, etc.
• Homework Time
• Guide kids to do their daily chores
• Check Hot Spots again
• See more ideas for building your Afternoon Routine Here!

Before-Bed Routine

• Keep your sink shining
• Check Your Laundry
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your Hot Spot. It will make you happy in the morning!
• Go to bed at a decent hour! Set a bedtime and stick with it!

Today we are going to celebrate 25 days of learning new habits that can help transform our life.  Our routines aren't perfect yet, and we still need to check our reminders!  But it's not about Perfection!  Here's what FlyLady says today;

"You have only been doing your routines for 25 days now, and we are so proud of you. Keep in mind that you are not ever going to be perfect, and we don’t expect you to be. In fact we don’t even like that “P” word.
Right now you have your routines written down in your Control Journal. It will help you to practice them each day. These habits are not automatic yet, so you are still going to have to use your Control Journal, sticky notes, and our reminders to help you establish your habits. Another tool you have is your calendar and stickers. We love giving ourselves a sticker when we are establishing a habit!
A lot has been thrown at you in the last 25 days, but don’t give up now. Every time you do your routine, you are one step closer to developing your habit and running on automatic pilot. Today, read FlyLady’s personal testimonial on how she started developing her routines one habit at a time. Just so you know, it took her several months to do this; nobody expects you to have your routines accomplished in just one month of BabySteps! Be nice to yourself and don’t beat yourself up. Your consistent BabySteps will get you there.
Now go give yourself a gold star for doing your Morning Routine!"

Read FlyLady's Personal Testimonial!

FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter

For those of you who don't know what FlyLady is, it's an inspirational website designed to help you clean and de-clutter your home and your life.  It helps you create routines that work for you, your lifestyle & your family to help housekeeping become stress-free and something you just do naturally and daily rather than something you put off until the last minute and then stress about when you have company coming over.

I have found the FlyLady system to be a wonderful and positive way to get my life in order, although admittedly, I haven't followed it as closely as I could have!  I have "fallen off the bandwagon" more than a few times!  Yet one of the great things about FlyLady is that you can jump back in at any time!  With FlyLady, I always know exactly where to start!!

Over the years, I have found ways to integrate my spirituality into my household cleaning.  Wait, did I just say that House Cleaning is Spiritual?? Yes, it can be!  I am a Pagan, more specifically an eclectic Neo-Pagan, meaning that I draw from MANY spiritual paths which focus on Nature and the natural cycles of the world we live in.  For many Pagans and Witches, our homes are the central place of our worship, our spiritual learning, our meditation, etc.  Since we don't have Churches to go to, and we don't limit ourselves to only experiencing nature when we are outdoors, it makes sense to think of our homes as our "Temple", or our Sacred Place.  Many Pagans and witches also believe that their spiritual path is a Lifestyle, not just something they do once a week or on the Blessed Sabbats or the Full Moon.  I have found through FlyLady and my own spiritual path, that even the mundane, daily tasks that come with being a wife, a mother, and a housekeeper, can be beautiful parts of my daily Spiritual Life, and I wanted to share with you some ways that I have done this.

I will be going through the different aspects of FlyLady, and talking about how I apply them to my own life as a Pagan.  Today we begin with The Welcome Letter!

When you first join FlyLady you get a Welcome Letter. (and by the way, if you follow my blog, please join FlyLady or at least bookmark the FlyLady website for reference!)  This letter explains the basic idea behind the FlyLady program and how it works.  Please click the Link and read the welcome letter for yourself!!

The first thing you read is what FLY means.  It means Finally Loving Yourself!  All the great spiritual teachers of our time and times long past have taught us that without first Loving Ourselves, we cannot truly love others.  Buddha, Paramasana Yogananda, The Dalai Lama, Ghandi, Jesus, Doreen Virtue, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Sonia Choquette, Louise Hay, Starhawk... to name a few; all teach us that when we truly see ourselves as Divine Children of God/Goddess/The Universe, we begin to truly love ourselves and then the flow of love to others and from others comes more naturally!  With the basic Law of Attraction, if we Love Our self, we invite Love into our lives.  This isn't meaning a type of love that involves vanity or a feeling of self-importance in that we are better than anyone else.  We are all children of the Divine!  But if you don't love yourself the way you love your own children; unconditionally - then you block the flow of true Divine Love from flowing to you and through you!  Without loving yourself, you are constantly criticising yourself, seeing the negative instead of the positive.

When you FLY, you embrace the positive and develop a desire to bring more positive into your life.  When you FLY, you want to eliminate the negatives to make room for the positives.  Maybe you have too much clutter.  Maybe you keep a clean home, but neglect taking care of yourself.  Perhaps you are really good at keeping parts of your home clean and orderly, but there are certain areas that build up and become a source of stress for you.  Maybe you procrastinate and let things build up to the point where it creates stress and a burden upon yourself and your family.  When you FLY, you look around your home and you think, why I am I letting myself - a beautiful Child of The Divine - live in chaos?

FlyLady's Welcome Letter explains that by taking one step at a time, the program will help you build daily routines and weekly plans that will help you run your household more efficiently, thus relieving yourself of stress.  If you embrace the ideal of FLYing (Finally Loving Yourself), then the desire to do this grows stronger.  Building routines takes time, and patience with yourself.  You have to work on developing new habits, slowly, piece by piece; trusting that eventually you will overcome whatever difficulties you may face.  The FlyLady program will help you develop these new habits and new routines, or build on the routines you already have in place.  It starts with the BabySteps, and onward to Daily Flightplans and weekly "Zone Missions", all of which are described in detail on the FlyLady website but I will (hopefully) also cover here - with a Pagan Twist!

Whether you are new to FlyLady, or have been doing it for awhile, take some time today to think about how you Love Yourself.  Are you really acting in ways that show self-love?  Are you being really hard on yourself, criticizing your failures and shortcomings?  Think about your inner voice - is it Loving towards you, or mean?  Would you talk to your child the way you talk to yourself?  How is your self-love reflected in your Daily Life at home?  Are you avoiding things that stress you out?  Is this avoidance just creating more stress and more critical self-talk?  The first step to changing negative self-talk to positive self talk is to be AWARE of your self talk.  Listen to your inner voice, and when you find it being un-loving to yourself, stop and think something positive instead.  Changing your self-talk is something that will take time, and take practice, starting with Awareness and Intention!

Here is a wonderful video of affirmations that will help you increase your self-love, by Doreen Virtue. 

 

Blessed Be!

12 Days of Yule; Day 1

12 Days of Yule; Day 1

Follow along with my 12 Days of Yule Blog Prompts here;  http://journalyourselfawake.blogspot.com/2012/12/12-days-of-yule-day-1.html

Today's Prayer;

"Cold and dark, this time of year,
the earth lies dormant, awaiting the return
of the sun, and with it, life.
Far beneath the frozen surface,
a heartbeat waits,
until the moment is right,
to spring."

By Patti Wigington

Here in the desert, the winter is not the classic "winter" that they sing about in the Christmas songs.  It doesn't snow here, many of our trees are still green, so it can be difficult to connect with that "Winter" feeling.  But there is a chill in the air, the nights get pretty cold, and there are subtle differences.  It sounds different outside, there are no cicadas chirping loudly in the Palo Verde trees, no buzzing of bees, and many birds have gone further south for the winter (spoiled, aren't they?)  I don't hear the mockingbirds anymore.  There are no lizards or geckos crawling the walls of my house, and the un-ending stream of ants that was trying to invade my home all summer has mysteriously disappeared.  So even while I can't really connect with the songs about snow, and my picture of winter is quite different than my ancestors must have experienced in Germany, Ireland, and England many many years ago....I can still find ways to contemplate the winter and what it means for me here in the desert.  Today's blog prompt asks us to consider what has gone dormant around us, and what might also need to go dormant in our lives.  The Earth simplifies herself in the winter, shedding all that she doesn't need, reserving energy for the spring.  She becomes a minimalist.  So I ask myself, what can I minimize in my life?  What parts of my life need to "Hibernate" for a while?

I know that in my home, I have a lot of clutter and "things" that I need to let go of.  I had begun a room-by-room decluttering process in the fall, and I need to continue with that and really purge the closets and shelves of things I no longer need, use, or love. 

I need to let go of an attitude that creates procrastination.  This may seem counter-intuitive to winter dormancy, since a lack of procrastination would actually result in me doing MORE.  But my procrastination creates more stress, and I need to let that go. 

I drew a tarot card, asking what I need to release and how I can do it, and I got The Ace of Pentacles.  The Ace is about beginnings and planting seeds of prosperity, reaching out and grasping the abundance that is available.  I feel that this card is confirming my thought that I need to release my procrastinations and stress.  Although the earth lies dormant, some seeds of the spring are already in the ground, preparing for spring so they can grow.  I can take this time to plant my own "seeds" and prepare for the future.  I need to keep planning, and "planting" and even though I might not see the fruits of my labor right away, the process needs to begin now.  I need to let my financial fears and worries go dormant, and focus on the hope for better times that are on their way.  Today I will work on putting my fears to rest, and to know when the time is right to act.  I plant the seeds and expect the best!

The following is from "Around The Tarot in 78 Days" by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin;

The Ace of Pentacles says;
"There is a material opportunity in the making that is not yet fully formed.  You must be open and receptive  to material reward; good times could be awaiting you.  Now is the time to set the ball rolling on any venture or transaction, or to court prosperity by merely investing in a solitary lottery ticket."

Connect to your card;
Plant a seed -- whether literally or one of an idea.  Have a fresh start at something new.

You are blocking this card today by;
1. Not investing in your future security.
2. Turning down that lucrative deal you have been offered.
3. Not buying a lottery ticket.
4. Refusing the support you have been offered.

Meditation;
"Great oaks from little acorns grow." Allow yourself to be like the little acorn; know that you will grow forever upwards and fulfill your destiny.

Affirmation;
"I am the seed of all that can be created"

Tuesday's Oracle - Clear The Path!

Welcome to this week's Tuesday's Oracle! On Tuesdays (When I have the time) I draw an oracle card from one of my Oracle decks and share it with you. Always before I draw the card I pray for guidance and support from the God and Goddess, the Elements, the Angels, and the Fey. I also pray that while this guidance is generally for me, that it may also be something I can share with others, and that this message from the Divine will reach the hearts of others who may benefit from it. Namaste!___________________________________________
This week I am using the Trust Your Vibes Oracle Cards by Sonia Choquette.  I love the simplicity of this highly intuitive deck.  Each card has a simple message that will help you listen to your Higher Self, trust your "Sixth Sense" and trust your vibes.
This week's card;
Clear The Path!

The waning moon (the time period after the Full Moon and before the New Moon) is considered to be a good time to let go of any negative energies, patterns, behaviors, etc.  It must be this waning moon energy because I have been thinking a lot about what I need to Let Go of in my life, and my card readings have been reflecting this need as well.  Check out yesterday's reading... all about Letting Go of what is no longer serving us!  And now here is another example of how important it is to Let Go.... we clear the path for new energy and higher vibrations when we let go of things we no longer need (both physically and emotionally).  This card speaks more specifically about your physical space, and getting rid of clutter.  The pile of junk mail that brings you stress is blocking positive energy from flowing into your life, as well as the cluttered closet, the pile of un-used clothes, the toys your kids don't play with anymore, the books you're never going to read again, etc.

With my obsession with FlyLady, I know you've heard me talk about this decluttering process before.  (and it probably won't be the last time!)  This card is telling us that right now is a good time to be working on some of these decluttering projects.  Along with yesterday's card about releasing old habits, routines, or ideas in order to move forward... now is a time that these old things we are holding on to are part of what is blocking us from moving forward!

The guidebook by Sonia Choquette says;
"You can't hear your spirit guides or feel any connection to your Higher Self until you dig yourself out from under the dead energy that comes from holding on to what no longer serves you.  Everything has a vibration that either uplifts and aids your soul's growth, or bogs you down and interferes.  Let go of everything that doesn't lend a positive, uplifting vibration regardless of it's material value.  Never mind the rationale that you must keep it just in case you'll need it someday.  You won't.
Clear it all out -- your purse, your wallet, your car, your closet, your garage, your personal phone book, and your desk.  Higher energies are trying to move in, but they're blocked at the door.  It's a brand-new day for a brand-new, higher vibration!  As my teacher Charlie once told me, 'You cannot reach for the new until you let go of what is in hand.' "

Don't let your perfectionism hold you back.  If you're anything like me, you're thinking... how will I ever have time to clean out my purse, car, desk, office, bedroom, etc., etc.?  I think of all the spaces and places that I need to "Clear The Path" in, and I get overwhelmed, thinking I can never get all that done!  That's your perfectionism, thinking "All or Nothing!"  This is where the FlyLady program comes in handy... as she reminds us to take baby steps, break big jobs into smaller jobs, work for 15 minutes at a time, and always remember that "Progress is Progress!"  Start small and do what you can without physically or mentally overwhelming yourself.  Even if you just do one small area or 15 minutes a day for the rest of the week, you will still Clear The Path to those Higher Vibrations!

Mommy Time Monday - The Fool

Yep... I got this card again.  Last week I didn't draw a card, but the week before I did, and it was this one.... (see my last post).  So, I'm feeling I really need to dig in deeper to the meaning of this card.

As I shuffled I was asking the Housewives to give me a message to help me with my attitude towards housework.  Today, and thru most of last week, I have been slipping.  My motivation is lacking, and my house is suffering.  I'm having these moments of feeling sorry for myself, complaining that I get no help, that it isn't fair, etc.  It's the same story every week.  Thru the week I work hard to get my house in order... the laundry caught up, the bathrooms cleaned, the kitchen cleaned, and whatever extra organizing I can manage, on top of dealing with the kids, cooking dinners, and trying to get the best possible deals with coupons at the grocery store and attempting to balance the budget and make sure the bills are paid.  Sometimes I get along just fine, happy to do my part, enjoying the blessings of being able to do all these things for my family.  But sometimes I just feel bogged down, unappreciated, overworked, and stretched too thin.

The weekends come and go, and for 20 hours of the weekend I am at work, only home on Saturday night to sleep and then back home Sunday evening in time for dinner.  During my absence, the house seems to fall apart.  No one does the dishes unless they need a clean dish to eat off of, no one clears those flat surfaces of junk, no one does any laundry.  Now I can't say I blame my husband... he works all week and deserves to relax on his 2 days off.  But I must admit I have been growing bitter at coming home to such a mess after I spend the weekdays keeping it clean.

So as I shuffled my cards, I asked; what can I do to change my attitude about my situation?  I am not looking to change my husband, I love him the way he is, and I love the other ways in which he provides for me and our family.  But I don't want this bitterness to grow.

The Fool card indicates a new beginning, an new journey of sorts.  It's obvious that the housewife on this card needs to pull herself together a little bit... she's so scattered and a bit un-organized.  Maybe she needs to prioritize.  Maybe she needs a little help.  So, maybe it's not a bad thing for me to ask for help, and maybe I'm being a fool thinking I can handle all of this myself!  The Fool card often indicates a new attitude, new adventure, new journey.  Maybe I'm just going about things the wrong way and I need to re-evaluate and think of things a little differently.  Not that I want to shirk any of my responsibilities.... but maybe an attitude adjustment is in order here.  I can swallow my pride and ask my husband for help... I just have to make sure I choose my words carefully and let him know I do appreciate what he does... while at the same time re-evaluating my priorities and figuring out just exactly where I want to put my energy and what I need to direct my focus on.... so as not to be the fool running around with mis-matched shoes and a trail of chaos!

Weekly Housewives Report 4/18 - 4/22

Weekly Houswives' Report 4/18/2011 - 4/22/2011

The week began and I drew this card for myself from The Housewives Tarot - The Fool.  I could certainly relate to this harried housewife, running around in somewhat of a frenzy, excited about the prospects of her week but just not quite in control.  Like the housewife on this card, the multitude of tasks and responsibilities of the week were just an unorganized mess of plans and emotions.  Once I saw this card I knew I needed to just slow down, simplify, and FOCUS.  Not always an easy thing for me to do!

With the FlyLady.net program this week we were focusing on the Master Bedroom.  I figured that focusing some of my energy on renewing my personal space would be a perfect way for me to slow down, simplify, and prioritize.  When my Bedroom is clean and inviting I tend to spend more time taking care of myself.  I sleep better, I meditate more, and I just feel better!

 So... this area needed some work.  This was my bookshelf next to the bed.  Most of my books were either in the closet or in the computer room because there just wasn't enough room for them here.  I had gotten a new book shelf a couple weeks ago, but hadn't brought it in here yet.  I hadn't really decided if it was going to go in my Master Bedroom or in another room.  But I decided my books and tarot cards needed a better home than their present location, sooo....

 Ta-Da!  Transformation!  ALL my "woo~woo" books in one place!  Now I actually WANT to stay in my room... I mean with all my books straightened and easy to find, I've got my own personal witchy library here and I love it!

 My Tarot and Oracle Card collection... now in it's worthy home that deserves some showing off!

And my Tarot Library!   Still growing... but it just makes me so happy to see all my tarot books in one place, happily on a shelf together with my tarot journals!

The lower shelves contain my spiritual books with topics ranging from Astrology, Meditation, Yoga, Wicca, Witchcraft, and other Pagan Paths.

Tuesday night I had my Yoga Class and our meditation on Awakening your Inner Child.  I was inspired to write a couple blogs about that experience...
Awakening Your Inner Child
Peace of Mind
Thirteen Ways to Awaken Your Inner Child
I was also reminded that as a child, our personal space in the world is our bedroom, it is our sanctuary, our kingdom where our imagination can roam and our play and fantasies really come to life.  This inspired me to keep working on my bedroom, even when it began to look like this.... 

But 30 minutes or so took care of THAT problem....

Ahhh!  Feels so much better now, doesn't it?!?!

I ended the week by getting rid of some clothes from the closets and dressers and immediately taking those clothes to my local Goodwill thrift store.  I got myself 1 new pair of jeans for work, and found a new lampshade to go with the lamp I got at a yardsale... so now my Master Bedroom is not only clean and organized, but well- lit also!  The sheets and comforter have been washed today also, so I'm about to crawl into bed and enjoy the scent of lavender on my sheets as I drift of to sleep in my energetically cleansed sanctuary!

All in all, I think this Fool managed to pull herself together and accomplish exactly what needed to be done!  Now I'm ready for the next stage of my journey, whatever that may be!

Weekly Housewives' Report 1-23 to 1-29

My week in review!
I feel pretty good about last week's accomplishments so I just thought I'd share them with you, and perhaps pass on some motivation too!
Last week's Housewives Tarot card was the 2 of Pentacles. You can read that post HERE. I really was feeling like the housewife in this picture. With all the duties of mom, wife, work, etc... How was I to balance it all? Just doing the basics seemed like too much to handle. But this card reminded me that I DO have the power and the grace to handle it all. I just needed to balance my time right!
Last week's Oracle Card was "Call On Your Runners". You can read that post HERE.
Flylady's Zone of the week was The Master Bedroom. My bedroom was in serious need of some TLC. I'm a bit ashamed to show you these, but I think many of you can probably relate!

Uhm... yeah, that's my Master Bedroom. This room can quickly become a disaster in my life. It's not a place that needs to be "company ready", because Company, if any is had, would have no need to go in there. It becomes the "Stash and Dash" area. To busy to put laundry away? Stash it in the bedroom. Not sure where to put something, or too lazy to put it away? Stash it in the bedroom. As you can see, this hasn't really worked out.

Another view. As you can see, I couldn't even GET to my closet!

And yeah... this is my Altar area. *Hangs Head In Shame* What a Bad Witch I had become! I have limited space and a need to have my altar kept in the private area of my home, so it doubles as my bedside table. But I shouldn't have let it become so unkempt!

So anyways, I set to work on my bedroom. I took on a "no pressure" type attitude, letting go of perfectionism and just accepting that ANYTHING would be an improvement on what it was. And guess what? It only took about 2 hours to get the majority of that mess cleaned up! Afterwards, I wondered why I had put it off for so long!

Look! I can see the floor!! AND I can get to my closet! The clothes are all hung up and/or folded and put away. The boxes are back where they belong! The top of my dresser is now a perfect place to do my daily devotions or meditations.

I put my journal, a candle, and my fairy clock here, and got rid of all that clutter. The basket on top of my jewlery box is full of my crystals and gemstones, which helps promote harmony and positive energy in the room, and I can even choose a crystal of the day if I want/need one. I aslo ended up putting my God Box here. It wasn't here yet when I took the picture, but I think this is the perfect place for it!

Oh, and my Altar area is back in order. All is as it should be! I've been sleeping better, waking up in a better mood, and all in all I've been more motivated this week. Can't say that this project didn't help!

FlyLady helped too! With her zone projects and "Fly Missions", I was able to get more done than just cleaning up the mess. She had some great suggestions that only took 15 minutes (or less) a day and really helped me Bless my Bedroom!
On Monday I cleaned out under the bed and vaccuumed the whole room.
On Tuesday I cleaned out my sock drawer, threw away old socks and organized it. I even bought myself new socks and did the same with hubby's sock drawer!
On Wednesday I spent more time clearing away clutter on the night stands and tops of dressers.
On Thursday I dusted the room, even wiped down the tops of the door jambs, wiped the doorknobs, windowsills, etc.
On Friday I pretty much had my bedroom nice and clean, so I focused on the small bathroom that is adjacent to the bedroom. I gave that room a good scrubbing and put stuff away that needed to be put away. Now when I go in my bedroom I really feel like it is a relaxing area, both for begnning and ending my day!

It's funny the things we take for granted, and the way that we minimize the importance of having a clean, sacred space to rest. This week, the work I did here in my bedroom was not just a cleansing of the room where I sleep, but it was a major blessing for myself! Giving myself a peaceful environment to sleep, read, rest, get dressed, etc, was a HUGE affirmation of self-love. It gave me a major boost that I really needed!

Clear Your Space

Today I was reminded of the importance of having a Sacred Space. I have my altar, tucked into a nice little corner in my bedroom; but it isn't always a place that I can go to unwind. Sometimes the kids are running amok and I can't just leave them unnatended. Sometimes my husband is sleeping or reading in that room, etc. I was sitting at my computer this morning, wanting to do a reading for a client and do my daily facebook postings of a positive nature... and I thought... what am I doing? I just wasn't feeling it. I was feeling this overwhelming anxiety. I've been feeling it for a while now. I could feel the depression there; lurking in the background... waiting to get in. Latley it gets in every day... I start off positive and then end up feeling bogged down, overwhelmed, lost. And I haven't been getting much of anything done. I would retreat to my haven; the computer desk and facebook... but end up feeling worse. This morning as I sat here and looked around, it hit me... THIS needs to be a sacred space. This area needs to be peaceful and serene. I mean, how can I sit here and offer advice to others and try to feed this positive light through the wires of the internet when I am surrounded by this;Clutter and mess and not even a clear space to set down my coffee mug? Why is it that even though I know the importance of keeping these flat surfaces and "hot spots" clear of clutter, I tend to neglect the one area where I spend the most of my time? No wonder I've been procrastinating on giving readings.... I don't even have enough room here to lay out my cards. No wonder I have a sense of anxiety and depression... when I come here to "take a break" and escape from stress, I'm surrounded by clutter. This picture doesn't show it all... but there is even clutter on the floor all around this area. Well... there WAS. But then I got up and cleaned it. In a matter of 30 minutes I cleared away the clutter, threw out the trash, and added some items to help this area become a peaceful, sacred place to rest, do readings, meditate, listen to music, etc.I began to feel better almost immediatley. Like.....LOTS better. I could kick myself for not doing this sooner.... for letting it get to this point to begin with. I get so occupied with trying to keep the kitchen, livingroom, bathroom, etc. clean that I tend to put off cleaning my personal areas. (Speaking of which... my bedroom and altar area are a mess right now! But that will be for another day) I tend to put off those personal areas, sacrificing the cleanliness of my personal spaces because I "don't have time", or the other areas seem more important. But you know what? I spent 30 minutes clearing this space... felt immensley better... and my energy started flowing again. I cleaned more of the spaces in this room. Then I cleaned the kitchen.... really good. I mean, my kitchen is SPARKLING like a Cullen Vamp. AND I still had time to give the kid a bath, have a phone conference with my daughter's teacher, and cook dinner. I'm sitting here right now, not worrying about what I didn't get done today... but relaxing with my candle lit, a cup of hot tea, and getting ready to catch up on my favorite TV series Fringe by watching the episode I missed last week. Life is good, and yes, it CAN be as simple as clearing a sacred space for yourself.

I was reminded of this card from the Archangel Oracle deck by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. -

"Archangel Jophiel - Clear Your Space" (Card posted at the top of this blog post)
This is one of the first cards I drew for myself when I got this deck two years ago, and it is part of the inspiration that got me started on www.FlyLady.net . I'm a devoted FlyBaby, but even I need a reminder now and then to do something a little extra, and how important it can be to have a Sacred Space. The message along with this card from Archangel Jophiel says;
"Your home and work environments affect you on many levels. Clutter can erode your energy, creativity, and prosperity. I'll help you find the time and motivation to clear interferences from your physical environment. Together, we'll release anything thats not serving you. We'll donate, recycle, or discard unused items. We'll open the windows to circulate fresh air in the rooms. And I'll escort lower energies away. You'll notice huge improvements in all areas of your life as a result of this endeavor."

Perhaps it was Jophiel who came and tapped me on the shoulder this morning and reminded me to do this. Perhaps I was reminded of this card because it's message is exactly what I needed right now... even though I didn't physically or randomly draw this card for myself today... I still feel like this was my Oracle card of the day. And I'm sooo glad I have this peaceful space in which to tell you about it!

Weekly Housewife's Report 9/5/09

I feel like I got a lot accomplished this week and am finally getting used to the new routines with the girls in school and stuff.

I think that although it's really hot, the exercise from walking the girls to and from school each day has helped improve my mood a bit. I have always heard that exercise can help with depression and lift your mood, but I never really thought about it much before. Some days I am tempted to have a neighbor or friend pick them up or take them to school, and in some ways I think they are old enough to walk home by themselves. They are 10 and 6, they know the way very well, it is only about 3 blocks, and there is a large group of other kids they could walk with. But, thinking of it in terms of exercise for me and Mr. X, and a way to both help improve my mood and run off some of his boundless energy, I think I'll keep walking with them.

As far as my housework this week, I feel like I have been doing great!! With my blog earlier in the week I talked about some of my goals for this week and did a reading for myself with my Housewives Tarot deck about where I would draw my energy/inspiration from this week. Looking back, it seems those cards were very fitting, I certainly was motivated and energetic, I did have the right state of mind to stick to my goals, and I feel I was able to blend in just enough spirituality into the daily grind to make my days feel less like a "daily grind" and more like blessings!
Remember my goals for the week?

• To Spend 30 minutes a day doing Pre-School stuff with Mr. X - DONE!! I did it! I managed to work preschooling time into my daily routine, and I'm still finishing up the stuff I need to do. Mr. X is loving the one-on-one time with me and excited to be doing "homework" just like his big sisters do!


• To Work on Detail Cleaning Zone 1 - yep yep! It's amazing to find myself at this stage of the FlyLady program. I mean, I scrubbed walls and baseboards!! I was no longer worried about decluttering my front entrance or Dining Room - everything that is in those areas belongs there!! So I didn't have to worry about that and now those areas look and feel really nice - the walls are white again!! LOL!! PLUS - (this is a HUGE bonus) the KIDS must have gotten a touch of the Decluttering/Detailing Bug, because they surprised me by "Organizing" all the magnets on the fridge in the dining room!! PICTURE BELOW!!


• To do my daily routines & daily cleaning - YES, I have applied all my willpower and kept up with the daily cleaning!! Plus on Friday I took on an extra project - not one that was directed by FlyLady, but one that I did of my own accord - I cleaned and decluttered in my Master Bedroom. One part of the bedroom had become a complete disaster... *discreetly points finger and Husband* Shhhhhh!! I took care of it. (more PICTURES BELOW)
  
• To do my Bedtime Routine every night - YES!! (except for last night, ssshhhh!) And I am LOVING how I can get up in the morning, find my clothes already laid out for me, find my sink shining and all my dishes washed, and not have to play "Catch Up" for the first part of my morning!! A couple more weeks of doing this every night, and it will truly be a Habit, just like my morning routine is!

... The kids did this as a "suprise" for me!!

BEFORE & AFTER ... look, there IS a floor/space to walk between the bed and the wall!

Ok! I'm off to do my evening routine, and then go to bed! Tomorrow I will try out my new "Weekend Flightplan" and see how it goes!

Errand Day/ Office Day

Adding another page to my Online Control Journal!

Thursday is Errand Day - http://www.flylady.net/pages/df_Thursday.asp

Today (if possible) make a point to get out and run those errands! Sometimes I end up doing this stuff on Wednesday - which is Anti-Procrastination Day, but it's always good to have an extra day to get it all done!! Some of the things I might do are;

Grocery Shopping
Picking up last minute items at the store
Paying Bills
Going to the Bank / Cashing Paychecks
Checking the Mail / Sending out Mail

Sometimes am not able to get out of the House, and if I have to work in the Evening I don't have the time to go do these things. But I can still have Errand Day at home;
Call the bill collectors to make arrangements if necessary
Call to schedule Dr. Appointments
Call to schedule School Appointments

And, while I'm at it, I might as well do some "Office" type work
Organize the bills
Balance Checkbook / Look at Budget
Empty my e-mail Inbox
Listen to Voicemails / Delete old VoiceMail & texts
Check my alternate e-mail, empty inbox
Go thru, declutter kid's school papers
Declutter / Organize the Computer Desk

Weekly Housewife's Report 8/8/09

I like to take a little time each week to look back over my accomplishments. I call it my "Weekly Housewife's Report", and it's always evolving and changing, just like me!

Weekly Housewife's Reports for the week of August 2 - 8
Remember the beginning of the week? I went to a party at a bar with some co-workers... so unlike me!! Out of the house, away from the kids, drinking.... it was a much needed and much deserved diversion to stray from my usual life.

So then came Monday, with a bit of a hangover, a really messy house, and a lot of mixed feelings. But I managed to pull myself up and get my home back in order again, which always helps me feel much better! Plus I learned a good lesson about Temperance, balance, and compassion. Hangover, Housekeeping, Temperance and Quan Yin

FlyLady's Zone of the week was the Front Entrance & Dining Room; in my apartment this is probably the easiest zone to conquer. I ended up cleaning up my front entrance pretty good, sweeping, wiping the door inside and out, wiping down the light switches, and organizing the shelf in the dining room. Since this Zone wasn't taking too much time out of my daily cleaning, and I was surprisingly motivated, I dedicated a lot of time each day this week to decluttering in the Kid's Room. ~Gasp!!~ I know - I braved the depths of darkness and barbies and came out o.k.!! I cleaned out under their beds, and decluttered each drawer in their dressers! This involved going thru ALL of their clothes, having "fashion shows" to try everything on and see what fits & what doesn't. All in all, I flung a huge garbage bag of clothes that my 3 kids no longer wear, don' fit, or is just plain too stained or worn out to be counted as clothing anymore. All of this will be donated to a local Shelter. A customer at work donated some clothes to my kids - her grand-daughters are about the same size as mine, just a little bigger and they had a lot of stuff they outgrew over the summer; so my kids made out quite nicely!! So we tried on all of these and refilled their dresser drawers with "new" clothes - just in time for school!! Thank goodness for friends and blessings, that kind gesture saved me so much; I had been worried about sending the girls back to school in their clothes from last year! No Worries!!

I'm so proud of the fact that I finally got into the kid's room and gave it a good decluttering! It's something I have been putting off. Speaking of putting things off, I made a new page for my Online Control Journal this week (It's a FlyLady thing) - it's called Anti-Procrastination Day and now I have some goals for getting those things done that I always seem to put off!

Another great accomplishment this week was in the realm of House-Hunting. We are so ready to get out of this apartment and into a home we can call our own! We spent a few hours looking at prospective homes on the market and put some offers out there!! So cross your fingers, say a prayer, or light a candle, I know the right house will come to us soon!!

Friday was Princess A's Birthday! I can hardly believe that she is already SIX years old!! For this week's Thursday's 13, I did a photo essay of sorts dedicated to these amazing 6 years; Thursday's 13 - Princess A turns 6! Daddy took her out to see Ice Age 3, and she LOVED it!! Plus she got to spend special time with her daddy; something that is too rare since he works SO MUCH!! We are having a small party for her tomorrow, so we are all pretty excited about that!!

As far as taking time for myself this week, I took a "day off" from cleaning on Thursday, mostly because I didn't feel good. But the extra sleep sure was nice!! And on Friday, while Daddy & Princess A were at the movies, I gave myself a Reading. I think it really helped me put some things in perspective, gave me some great insights into my personal development at this time, and seemed to have a positive outlook for my future!! You can read it (and see the spread I used) here Tarot Spread - Leo ~ I Want ~

How's it going with Quitting Smoking you ask? Well, other than my drunken smoking binge on Sunday, I have done great!! It's officially day 16!! And while I still am struggling with some of the physical cravings, I feel like the habitual part is starting to fade away!! There are some times of day I struggle more than others, mostly at night, when I used to smoke the most, but for the most part I am doing great! When I have faltered and smoked, it has seemed like more of an indulgence than a habit or an addiction. But I am working on controlling that need for indulgence as well - or at least directing it elsewhere!!

Okay! On to the next week!

Anti-Procrastination Day

With the FlyLady cleaning & decluttering program, you have much more than just daily routines, you have daily and weekly themes as well!!


Wednesdays are "Anti-Procrastination Day", and whenever I finish the daily chores, it's time to pick a project or two that I have been putting off and get it done!! Whether it be a chore that I missed during the week, a trip to the store, phone calls or bill paying, or a decluttering or organizing project that always seems to get put off, today is the day I should try to get some of it done!


I LOVE how I feel when I get stuff done that I have been putting off! It makes me feel so.... LIBERATED!! It really takes a weight off my back, puts some skip in my step, and just makes me feel happy and proud! I can be a really bad procrastinator! (Enter my Personality Card; 0 The Fool) I often can get swept up in the moment, forget things, and then not get back to them later. Sometimes I get so exited about whatever adventure I'm currently on, that I neglect to take care of the details. Or I will feel like it's "too big a job", get overwhelmed and frustrated an not do it at all!!


So, I'm making a List (yes, I LOVE making lists, LOL!) of the possible projects I can undertake on Anti-Procrastination Day from now on, and hope that this blog will be here to remind me that getting this stuff done not only blesses my home & family, but gives me some inner peace!! As I get stuff done I'll even come back and edit this post to mark stuff off so I can see my progress!




ANTI-PROCRASTINATION DAY IDEAS

• Catch up on Zone Work; Decluttering, Missions, or Detailing for the week
• Do any chores I might have missed thru the week
• Work on my Control Journal
• Pay Bills / Banking
• work on my Budget
• Pick up necessities at the store
• Declutter Paper Work - Go thru the bag of papers & mail in the bedroom
• Declutter the File Cabinet
• Declutter / organize the "Junk Drawer" in my dresser
• Go thru my clothes in the Dresser, organize, fling, etc.
• Go thru my clothes in the Closet, organize, fling, etc.
• Declutter / Clean under the bed
• Declutter / Organize the Kid's Clothes (Dressers)
• Organize the stuff in the hide-away under my Altar
• Organize / declutter the small wire shelf in Bedroom
• Organize the Closet (my side)
• Organize the Closet (hubby's side)
• Clean & Declutter bedside table (hubby's side of bed)
• Paper Clutter & organizing the Computer Desk
• Decluttering / Organizing the Patio
• Wash Crayon off a wall (pick a wall - any wall!)
• Empty e-mail (delete old e-mails
• Empty Voice Mail (listen to & delete old e-mails
• Make important phone calls

P.S. - For today's Anti-Procrastination Day, I finished my Zone Work for the week (Front Entrance/Dining Room), AND I went thru the Girl's Sock & Underwear drawers, which had become a huge mess - this involved getting rid of 16 pairs of old underwear, 40 old socks, and separating the girl's socks & panties into their own separate dressers! Whew! I feel so accomplished!

This week's Flightplan

Just planning ahead a bit to try and keep myself on task!

Of course, I'll be trying to stick to my daily routine, as outlined in my Control Journal.

Each week with FlyLady we have a different Zone to focus on decluttering or detailing. This week's Zone is the Master Bedroom, and my bedroom always needs help!

I think it's just that room where I throw everything and think I'll deal with it later. But it never gets dealt with. I should just re-name this room my Procrastination Room!!

In order to have time to do my daily routines and still have the time I want to focus on organizing this room, I have realized I need to tweak my schedule a little bit! Right now, with summer break and the girls out of school, mornings have been lazy. I've been staying up late, sleeping in, and not getting moving very well in the mornings! I'm lucky to be starting my Morning Routine by 9:30! School will be starting again in about a month, I need to change my habits NOW unless I want mornings to be stressful and chaotic!!

So here's my Flightplan for the week, including my new habit!


Go to bed at 10:00 pm - no excuses!! I do not allow my children to stay up all night, so why don't I take care of myself in the same way? (Actually, that's a lie... I've been letting Miss Zee stay up till 11:00 watching Nick At Nite or Disney Channel! This is gonna stop too... for her own good as well as mine!!)
This means starting my Evening Routine earlier, and restructuring my time before bed so that I still take care of the kids, the house, and myself all by 10:00. I am gonna have to practice some real self-discipline!!

Get up at 7:00 am - UHG! This is going to be so hard!! But I know I can do it!! Once again - Self-Discpline!! This means setting my alarm and actually getting UP!! Before 8:00!! Because once school starts again I will need this time to get the girls ready for school, and if I'm not in the habit before school starts; well it's last year's Morning Chaos all over again!!
This is going to mean really embracing my morning routine. Get Dressed To Shoes. Brush Teeth & Hair. Get Kids Dressed. Breakfast. Vitamins. Coffee. Water. Feed The cats. Check My Hot Spots. Make The Bed. Check the Calander / Control Journal. Plan for Dinner.
See, I didn't even have to look at my Control Journal, I know my Morning Routine by heart. But I just have to make myself DO it. ALL OF IT!! If I get up by 7 am, I can have my morning routine done by 8:30!! Which is the time I will be taking the girls to school once it starts again. And look, I'll already be ahead of myself by a whole hour!


7:00 - 8:30; Morning Routine / Kids & Self ready for Day!
8:30 - 11:00; Daily Cleaning. Doing the usual stuff on my list. Two and a half Hours should be plenty of time, if I stay focused and don't get distracted. 30 minutes at a time with short breaks in between.
11:00 - 12:00; Break for lunch, rest, etc.
12:00 - 1:15; Zone Work, Decluttering, Organizing. This leaves an hour for this stuff, 30 minutes at a time with a 15 minute break in the middle.
1:15 - 2:45; More cleaning IF I'm motivated and have more to do. Otherwise, this can be time for Blogging, FaceBook, games, reading, studying, Tarot, etc. Whatever I want.
Once school starts again, at 2:45 I will be going to pick up the girls from school. So I want to have all housework and stuff done BEFORE this time. Plus, in the fall, if all goes as planned, I will get my hours back at work, which means that I'll be working in the evenings again.
3:00 - 4:00; Homework and studying, Arts & Crafts with the kids. I've been awful about this. It's time to get the kids, and myself, back into the habit of studying, doing homework, reading, etc. Even if it just means coloring or painting.
5:00 - cook Dinner, eat dinner, family time. However long it takes.
7:30 - Evening Routine!! Kids Baths or Showers, Clean up from dinner, Shine the sink, rescue the livingroom, and start winding down for the day. Put the kids to bed, take a shower or bath, yoga, meditation, etc.
10:00 - BED!!


Link to this week's Zone Plan @ FlyLady; http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlightPlan.asp

Goals in the Master Bedroom;
Organize the bookshelf
Declutter the wire shelf by the door
Declutter top of bookshelf #2
Top of Dresser
Vaccuum, Dust

Monday; Weekly Home Blessing Hour / Livingroom Blessing / Monday's Oracle
Tuesday; Weekly Kitchen Blessing Day / Pampering Day / Tarot Tuesday
Wednesday; Weekly Bathroom Blessing Day / Anti-Procrastination Day / Wordless Wednesday
Thursday; Weekly Kid's Room Blessing Day / 27 Thing Fling Day / Thursday's 13
Friday; Weekly Master Bedroom Blessing Day / Hot Spot Day / Weekly Houswife's Report

MENU PLANNING
Monday - Sour Cream Enchiladas
Tuesday - Chicken, Veggies
Wednesday - Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon
Thursday - Chicken Veggie Stir Fry, Salad, Garlic Bread
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday - Spaghetti, Salad
Sunday - Hubby's BBQ nite

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/17/09

My Weekly Housewife's Report for the week of July 12 - 18, 2009

At the beginning of the week I was off to a rough start. Sorry if this is TMI, but my monthly gift from Mother Nature does not make for a pleasant or happy Housewife. Monday and Tuesday I was pretty down in the dumps and feeling awful, and didn't really get any cleaning done. Remember my Tarot Reading for the week? The High Priestess and The Moon reminded me to look within, and take time to slow down. A little break was much needed. By Thursday I was ready to get back into my routines full swing.... and I really feel like I have once again learned the lesson of The Chariot this week....

This one is from "The Fey Tarot" by Mara Aghem. The Chariot is all about knowing where you want to go, embracing your inner power, accepting your mission. Once I gave myself some time off, I had to really DECIDE to get moving again. I was so tempted to just give up, but I knew that I wouldn't feel good about that choice. I had to really reach inside to find my inner Magician, recognize my true strengths, and just hop back up on the wagon and keep moving!!!

This week's Zone was the bathroom. Although I didn't get all the missions for the week done, I did some decluttering and cleaning and I am loving my bathroom again!! Check out these before & after pics of my decluttering;

This little drawer set really comes in handy in a small bathroom, but everything was just jumbled together!!
Oh, look! Now I know where things are because they are all separated into separate drawers!!

Under the sink was a bit jumbled too......

But now it's much more organized! I can find what I'm looking for without digging!!

Actually, organizing the bathroom seems like it was a perfect zone for me this week. I was learning a lesson about self-care, and now that my bathroom is a bit more organized and clean, I am much more motivated to spend some time in there for pampering! I was reminded that I do have the tools to take care of myself; vitamins and medicine, bubble bath, nail polish, facial cream, oh my - I'm sounding awfully girly!!

I was also reminded that sometimes the little things, like making my bed, feeding the cats, and wiping down the countertops can be much more than "Chores". This was something I hav known and practiced, but had temporarily lost sight of. I was reminded of this by Thorne's wonderful blog yesterday, check it out!

I think, most importantly, I learned that I can't be so hard on myself ALL the time. I am allowed to give myself a break, especially during a certain time of the month!! Actually I am thinking of making up a special daily routine just to use during this time each month - or for those days when I am sick or feeling worn down. And I will put a reminder about "The Chariot" on that page of my control journal, reminding me that it's okay to take time for myself to find my strength again, but once I find it I need to grab those reigns and get moving again - I just might suprise myself!!

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Join me in sharing something Positive every Friday with the "Only The Good Friday" meme!

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/10/09

It's time for the Weekly Housewife's Report!! Sooo.... what did I do this week?

Well, I am proud to say that I have done a pretty good job with my routines this week. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this!! I managed to stay on top of the little things and keep the clutter to a minimum, plus I woke up to a SHINY SINK every morning!! (Do you know what that means? It means I did the dishes every night before bed!!) No more procrastinatoritis for me!! I even managed to get the kids to help me in picking up their room, a little at a time, each day. Miracle of Holy Miracles - it's Friday night and the kid's bedroom isn't trashed!! I mean, it's not spotless and tidy, but I can see the floor!!

This week's 'Zone' was the Kitchen. (It's a FlyLady thing.. look it up) So other than my normal dishes and laundry and clutter controlling, I was giving some extra attention to the room that used to be the bane of my existance; The Kitchen. I mean, I don't like to cook, I hate washing dishes, I used to avoid this room like the plague! So anyways, it's looking pretty good now. I re-organized the bookshelf, scrubbed down the countertops, cleaned out both refridgerators, and organized the tops of the refridgerators too!! Plus, since earlier this week I actually made a menu plan and had a grocery list for responsible shopping, I had every days' meals planned out and we made it thru the week and still have food left!

So, here's some evidence of this week's Zone work; my Before & After pics of my refridgerator. Look if you dare, just don't show my mother the "Before" picture, it's rather embarrasing!

BEFORE

AFTER

Uhhh... where did all the food go? Turns out my fridge wasn't full at all... not with food anyways. Remember the Weird Al Yancovich song "Livin' In The Fridge"? 'nuff said....

Anyways, the thing I am most proud of is that even though my house is clean, I DIDN'T spend my entire week cleaning!! Nope, not I!! I still had plenty of time for blogging, social networking, Tarot stuff, playing with the kids, watching a movie, being crafty ----


and even some refreshing silliness in the sun and water!

** Contented Sigh **

I love my Housewife's Life!!!

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/03/09

I meant to make this post on Friday, but I forgot, so I went ahead and dated it for last Friday (July 3)

I did pretty good last week in sticking to my routines, but I also had to stop and remind myself to spend time doing fun things with the family as well, and to take time to meditate and take time for myself. I am sure I would have found myself burned out if I hadn't meditated, ran in the sprinklers with the kids, made brownies, read a book, and gone to the movie with some friends (Although that is another story, I'll make a new post with my thoughts on that movie later.

Anyways, last week's FlyLady Zone was the Livingroom, so I did some decluttering and my livingroom is looking and feeling much better. Here's a picture of one part of the livingroom that needed my attention, this is the BEFORE pic;
And here's the AFTER pic;

WOW!! What a difference!! It took alot of flinging, filled up a bag of trash, and had to organize things. But now the kid's coloring books, books, workbooks, and art supplies are much more organized, which should help motivate us all do do some more summer studying, reading, and art!

I had to take another pic with a wider view. This is how my livingroom looks when it is organized and decluttered, and I will try to keep it this way!!

Once again, a round of applause and patting myself on the back, hoping to keep myself motivated, and possibly helping to motivate other mommies who may read my blog! A big thanks again to FlyLady and my online cleaning buddies at Fluttering Flybabies on CafeMom!!

my FlyLady Control Journal - Daily

Okay, I'm a Capricorn, but no, I wasn't born organized. Actually I'm quite domestically disabled. So after years of living in C.H.A.O.S. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) I am trying to pull myself together, get decluttered, and find a system that works for me. I found FlyLady.net a couple years ago, and I love it!! It's a motivational system where you build routines to keep up with the Daily Cleaning, and work on decluttering as you go. I also found a group on CafeMom - Fluttering Flybabies, which helps keep me motivated and stay on track with my routines; or get back on track when I fall off.
FlyLady suggests that you make a "Control Journal"; a book where you keep track of your routines, among other things, to keep you motivated. I've been working on re-vamping my routines and making my new Control Journal, and thought I'd share it with you. Also, if I have it online or on my computer, I can easily access it and see what I should be doing rather than chatting or blogging. So this is the first 3 pages of my Control Journal, the section which holds my daily routines. Some terms may be unknown to those who aren't familiar with FlyLady... such as "Hot Spots"... check out the website if you're curious! It may look like a lot, but if I keep moving and stick with it, I can have all this main stuff done and out of the way by lunch time, leaving the rest of my day for whatever I want. I have learned that it's when I don't do these things daily, the mess and clutter gets out of control, and unorganized Capricorn though I am, I simply don't like it when things are out of control!!

Date;
Events / Plans;
Room of the Day;
Zone of the Week;
Mission of the Day;
Habit of the Month;

Morning Routine
Get Dressed To Shoes
Make Bed (Master Bedroom)
Feed The Cat
Breakfast
Take Vitamins / Drink Water
Brush Teeth and Hair
Swish and Swipe Bathroom
Check Hot Spots
Check Calendar / Schedule / Control Journal
What's For Dinner? (plan ahead)

School Days - Getting the kids ready;
Make sure the kids are dressedto shoes
Help kids brush teeth and Hair
Check thier backpacks
out the door @ 8:30 am (Walking to school)

Daily Home Blessings
Clean up from Breakfast
Hot Spots - Livingroom & Kitchen
Hot Spots - Bathoom & Master Bedroom
Unload Dishwasher / Reload
Wipe Table & Countertops
Shine Kitchen Sink
5 minute Room Rescues (15 minutes total)
* Livingroom
* Master Bedroom
* Kid's Room
Sweep Kitchen Floor
Take Out Trash
Clean up from Lunch

Laundry - Try to do one load a day!
* Sort
* Wash / Dry
* Fold & Put away

Zone Cleaning
* Zone Mission of the Day
* 15 minutes Decluttering Zone

Daily Project / Theme
* Each Day of the week has a different Theme for cleaning, and each day I have a different room of the house that I give a little extra attention to cleaning * see comments below for Daily Themes*


Evening Routine
Wash Dishes / Run Dishwasher
Wipe Table & Countertops
Sweep Kitchen Floor
Shine The Sink
5 minute room rescue livingroom
Put Out Clothes for tomorrow
Check / Set Alarm Clock
Shower / Brush Teeth & Hair
Yoga / Meditation