So its after midnight...12:06 to be exact. Nate asks me if I'm ready for bed. I look over at the clock...the clock on the microwave...the clock ABOVE the stove...the stove that is COVERED with dirty dishes from where I cleaned out the fridge.
Ugh.
I just realized it NEVER even occurred to me to do the dishes tonight, or any of my other chores. I came home from work at almost 9, heated up some dinner, watched some "Once Upon a Time " on netflix (Love that show), and vegged out on the couch. I tell the hubs that it hadn't even occurred to me to do the dishes or my chores...to which he barks about it and how I need to more aware then quickly changes his response to "or maybe I can help you out on the nights you close." I like that answer better because I'm exhausted on those nights. He said he would need a gentle reminder until it became a habit for him. The sad thing is, once HE establishes a habit, he keeps it :/. Oh. Fail.
So today I...
did nothing. (except for the laundry I did earlier!! That's still on our bed! ugh.)
Wanda
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The Smell of Clean
What does "clean" smell like to you?
It seems like an odd question but many people have a different opinion of what clean truly smells like. To some, things aren't clean until the scent of Clorox Bleach is wafting out of every room. Some like the smell of Lemon Lysol and don't just mop with it, but they wipe all the counters and wooden furniture with it so that the smell is in every room.
Nate has a family member who has a scented plug-in in EVERY ROOM OF HER HOUSE. (The living room and kitchen have two each.) She says she enjoys the scent but it seems as though they are there to cover up any other scents that should be lingering. These plug-ins reek havoc on people like me with bad allergies and asthma. Her house is very tidy, which leads me to wonder what she is covering up.
What does clean smell like to me?
Nothing.
I think true clean doesn't have a smell. There shouldn't be any bad odors, but also no "perfum-y" odors.
So how do you keep your home clean and also smelling like NOTHING? Well this is something I'm still working on, but here are some tips I have for letting your house smell like "nothing."
1.) Vacuum.
Regularly vacuuming is actually really good for your carpet. Another plus is asking guests to remove their shoes as they enter your home. To some people this seems rude, but carpets are like a sponge. Shoes and feet are typically carriers of unpleasant odors and germs.
2.) Become best friends with baking soda.
This can go along with vacuuming. If you have some carpet odors, sprinkle baking soda and let it sit for a few hours if you possibly can, then vacuum it up. It helps remove odors from your carpet and your vacuum. It also has many cleaning uses, and can help remove smells from a drain by sprinkling it in and letting it sit, and by keeping a box in your fridge and freezer. To learn about baking soda visit "Clean My Space" on YouTube. You'll be happy you did. I've learned so much from expert cleaner, Melissa Maker and her cleaning videos.
3.) Switch to all natural cleaning products.
About a year ago, I was introduced to Shaklee cleaning products. They are all-natural cleaning products with re-usable containers. They work better than almost any cleaner I've ever used, and also have very little scent. It is one of my goals to be a Shaklee distributor one day, but I have a long way to go in becoming a keeper of the home before I can honestly give the proper cleaning demonstrations that a company like Shaklee deserves. Note, I am not being paid by Shaklee to write this, I am just a happy customer of their product. Their product is a little pricey, but I try to order it when I can get free shipping. They have everything from a basic all-purpose cleaner called Basic H, dishwashing liquid, hand soap, laundry detergent, and more. For someone like me with asthma, using Shaklee cleaners has been a huge help in the breathing department.
4.) Regularly clean out your fridge.
I *try* to check my fridge every evening to see if anything needs to be thrown away while I'm doing the dishes. This way I can wash the tupperware. This helps me keep science experiments out of the fridge.
5.) Use a trashcan with a lid.
I've seen many people have a trash can without a lid and a horrible odor lingers into other rooms of the house. Nate and I don't accumulate enough food trash to take it out every day and we also don't have a garbage disposal. We have a garbage with a lid that LOCKS. This helps keep the garbage smell inside the garbage, where it belongs.
6.) When you remove the trash, spray the trashcan with a germ-killing spray. The one I use is a mixture of alcohol and water. The alcohol kills germs and dries quickly. It also takes care of any smells in the trashcan.
Doing the dishes every night has also helped remove unwanted scents from our home. What do you do in your home to keep it scent-free??
Wanda
It seems like an odd question but many people have a different opinion of what clean truly smells like. To some, things aren't clean until the scent of Clorox Bleach is wafting out of every room. Some like the smell of Lemon Lysol and don't just mop with it, but they wipe all the counters and wooden furniture with it so that the smell is in every room.
Nate has a family member who has a scented plug-in in EVERY ROOM OF HER HOUSE. (The living room and kitchen have two each.) She says she enjoys the scent but it seems as though they are there to cover up any other scents that should be lingering. These plug-ins reek havoc on people like me with bad allergies and asthma. Her house is very tidy, which leads me to wonder what she is covering up.
What does clean smell like to me?
Nothing.
I think true clean doesn't have a smell. There shouldn't be any bad odors, but also no "perfum-y" odors.
So how do you keep your home clean and also smelling like NOTHING? Well this is something I'm still working on, but here are some tips I have for letting your house smell like "nothing."
1.) Vacuum.
Regularly vacuuming is actually really good for your carpet. Another plus is asking guests to remove their shoes as they enter your home. To some people this seems rude, but carpets are like a sponge. Shoes and feet are typically carriers of unpleasant odors and germs.
2.) Become best friends with baking soda.
This can go along with vacuuming. If you have some carpet odors, sprinkle baking soda and let it sit for a few hours if you possibly can, then vacuum it up. It helps remove odors from your carpet and your vacuum. It also has many cleaning uses, and can help remove smells from a drain by sprinkling it in and letting it sit, and by keeping a box in your fridge and freezer. To learn about baking soda visit "Clean My Space" on YouTube. You'll be happy you did. I've learned so much from expert cleaner, Melissa Maker and her cleaning videos.
3.) Switch to all natural cleaning products.
About a year ago, I was introduced to Shaklee cleaning products. They are all-natural cleaning products with re-usable containers. They work better than almost any cleaner I've ever used, and also have very little scent. It is one of my goals to be a Shaklee distributor one day, but I have a long way to go in becoming a keeper of the home before I can honestly give the proper cleaning demonstrations that a company like Shaklee deserves. Note, I am not being paid by Shaklee to write this, I am just a happy customer of their product. Their product is a little pricey, but I try to order it when I can get free shipping. They have everything from a basic all-purpose cleaner called Basic H, dishwashing liquid, hand soap, laundry detergent, and more. For someone like me with asthma, using Shaklee cleaners has been a huge help in the breathing department.
4.) Regularly clean out your fridge.
I *try* to check my fridge every evening to see if anything needs to be thrown away while I'm doing the dishes. This way I can wash the tupperware. This helps me keep science experiments out of the fridge.
5.) Use a trashcan with a lid.
I've seen many people have a trash can without a lid and a horrible odor lingers into other rooms of the house. Nate and I don't accumulate enough food trash to take it out every day and we also don't have a garbage disposal. We have a garbage with a lid that LOCKS. This helps keep the garbage smell inside the garbage, where it belongs.
6.) When you remove the trash, spray the trashcan with a germ-killing spray. The one I use is a mixture of alcohol and water. The alcohol kills germs and dries quickly. It also takes care of any smells in the trashcan.
Doing the dishes every night has also helped remove unwanted scents from our home. What do you do in your home to keep it scent-free??
Wanda
So Many Thoughts...Scatterbrainedness Keeps You From Getting Tasks Done.
I'm noticing a pattern: My ability to forget my blog exists until its time to post for Menu Plan Monday. Okay. I don't forget that it exists, but I also don't always know what to blog about. (For the record I didn't post this week for Menu Plan Monday, as our meals are VERY basic while we're continuing to clean out the fridge and pantry to prepare for our move.)
As far as my tasks go, my week last week started out fabulously, getting the basics done as well as some Flylady challenges - things I've always wanted to do but hadn't tried yet. As with anything else in my life though, it went downhill. I am easily overwhelmed. This is why I'm in this situation to begin with. I find myself not able to post my daily checklist unless I accomplished every little task and this blog is supposed to be about HONESTY. I can't even be honest with myself! Well..no longer! I will try to give an honest update each day. As you've probably noticed I am attempting to use Flylady's system again. I am trying to not be overwhelmed by everything she offers. I am using "Flylady Lite" which means only one email a day. I am definitely only "fluttering." I look forward to a day I can "Fly."
I do have to wonder, why this keeps happening to me. I feel as though I need to examine my life. I do know, as I'm reading A Slob Comes Clean that I definitely have what Nony refers to as "slob vision." It is almost impossible for me to see a mess until its taken over my coffee table, or dining room table, or kitchen counters, or bathroom floor...the list goes on. I also have a tendency to "get things out" and have papers and things everywhere and get overwhelmed to the point I don't think I can put them away. At my age this sounds ridiculous to me. I am also having trouble with consistency. Some days I am gung-ho and want to clean all day while others I can barely get out of bed.
On a side note, I am a very scatterbrained person. My thoughts bounce around a lot from what I should be working on. Just working on this post, my brain is bouncing around with all of the different things I want to say. Perhaps if I post more often, I won't have so many different things I want to talk about...
I do know that part of the problem with my inconsistency is back pain and swollen ankles. I have the type of job where you stand for your whole shift and I can barely stand any longer by the time I get home. I try to trudge on long enough to make dinner and get the dishes done (at least since I've started this blog) but I don't always do much else. My schedule is also wompy. Different every week. Open some days, close others, never have the same day off. It makes it hard to have a consistent bed time as well. Some days I decide that my bed time will be 10:30. However, on days when I don't get home until 9, that means I only get an hour and a half to myself which would mostly be spent feeding Nate (he waits until I get home to eat dinner), doing the dishes, and my before bed routine. This is why I usually end up in bed at midnight. I also lay there for an hour before falling asleep.
I would be curious to know how any readers...if there are any readers...balance your schedule when it is inconsistent...the only thing I've tried to do is get tasks done before I go to work on days I close so that I don't have to do them when I get home. I am also trying to be more aware of my messes and not get them out if I don't have sufficient time to put them away. For instance, today I have to be at work at 2 so I haven't gotten any materials out. I am just relaxing before doing some tasks. I have a load of laundry going, so as long as I get it folded and put away I should be in fairly good shape.
I just still have this nagging fear that when we move in a few weeks my bad habits will follow me! I really hope this isn't the case. Nate and I have decided we are going to unpack one box at a time and put everything in its place, and if we're not sure where that thing should go, we have to strongly consider not keeping the item. We are also going to do our daily tasks from day one. Yes it may take us a little longer to get our boxes unpacked, but in the long run we'll be much better off. If I can only learn some consistency. Having a checklist by my side at all times is a MUST.
In the future, I do have some things to share with you (beyond my daily tasks) which I'm excited about. Some examples are the app I've found that helps me keep my tasks in check, a full review of Pepperplate.com, and more information about "Flylady."
Stay Tuned!
Wanda
As far as my tasks go, my week last week started out fabulously, getting the basics done as well as some Flylady challenges - things I've always wanted to do but hadn't tried yet. As with anything else in my life though, it went downhill. I am easily overwhelmed. This is why I'm in this situation to begin with. I find myself not able to post my daily checklist unless I accomplished every little task and this blog is supposed to be about HONESTY. I can't even be honest with myself! Well..no longer! I will try to give an honest update each day. As you've probably noticed I am attempting to use Flylady's system again. I am trying to not be overwhelmed by everything she offers. I am using "Flylady Lite" which means only one email a day. I am definitely only "fluttering." I look forward to a day I can "Fly."
I do have to wonder, why this keeps happening to me. I feel as though I need to examine my life. I do know, as I'm reading A Slob Comes Clean that I definitely have what Nony refers to as "slob vision." It is almost impossible for me to see a mess until its taken over my coffee table, or dining room table, or kitchen counters, or bathroom floor...the list goes on. I also have a tendency to "get things out" and have papers and things everywhere and get overwhelmed to the point I don't think I can put them away. At my age this sounds ridiculous to me. I am also having trouble with consistency. Some days I am gung-ho and want to clean all day while others I can barely get out of bed.
On a side note, I am a very scatterbrained person. My thoughts bounce around a lot from what I should be working on. Just working on this post, my brain is bouncing around with all of the different things I want to say. Perhaps if I post more often, I won't have so many different things I want to talk about...
I do know that part of the problem with my inconsistency is back pain and swollen ankles. I have the type of job where you stand for your whole shift and I can barely stand any longer by the time I get home. I try to trudge on long enough to make dinner and get the dishes done (at least since I've started this blog) but I don't always do much else. My schedule is also wompy. Different every week. Open some days, close others, never have the same day off. It makes it hard to have a consistent bed time as well. Some days I decide that my bed time will be 10:30. However, on days when I don't get home until 9, that means I only get an hour and a half to myself which would mostly be spent feeding Nate (he waits until I get home to eat dinner), doing the dishes, and my before bed routine. This is why I usually end up in bed at midnight. I also lay there for an hour before falling asleep.
I would be curious to know how any readers...if there are any readers...balance your schedule when it is inconsistent...the only thing I've tried to do is get tasks done before I go to work on days I close so that I don't have to do them when I get home. I am also trying to be more aware of my messes and not get them out if I don't have sufficient time to put them away. For instance, today I have to be at work at 2 so I haven't gotten any materials out. I am just relaxing before doing some tasks. I have a load of laundry going, so as long as I get it folded and put away I should be in fairly good shape.
I just still have this nagging fear that when we move in a few weeks my bad habits will follow me! I really hope this isn't the case. Nate and I have decided we are going to unpack one box at a time and put everything in its place, and if we're not sure where that thing should go, we have to strongly consider not keeping the item. We are also going to do our daily tasks from day one. Yes it may take us a little longer to get our boxes unpacked, but in the long run we'll be much better off. If I can only learn some consistency. Having a checklist by my side at all times is a MUST.
In the future, I do have some things to share with you (beyond my daily tasks) which I'm excited about. Some examples are the app I've found that helps me keep my tasks in check, a full review of Pepperplate.com, and more information about "Flylady."
Stay Tuned!
Wanda
Monday, September 9, 2013
Menu Plan Monday!!!
So I think its safe to say that my weekly link up with Laura at orgjunkie.com for Menu Plan Monday is my favorite bloggy day of the week, because its when I'm most consistent at blogging. I've had a pretty good week as far as keeping up with the tasks and it is really starting to show. We are becoming more organized, I'm finding more time in the day including time for myself, I'm happier, Nate and I are working together on tasks, and our 5-minute pickups are usually spent decluttering other areas of our living space as the main ones are picked up consistently now!!! I wake up happier. I got to bed with less stress. This month at flylady, they are working on the before bed routine and I've been doing really well with that and it is paying off for sure. Knowing my morning coffee is just a switch away makes me smile EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING.
On to the menu!! As usual life happened last week so our menu plan got pushed up by one day.
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Its a pretty simple plan this week, but we will be working majorly to pack and de-clutter as we finally know we're moving before the month is over!!!! We are also doggy-sitting this week. I know some people think simple is boring but it keeps me sane on weeks like this.
If you need some menu inspiration, be sure to visit orgjunkie.com for Menu Plan Monday to see what these brilliant bloggers are cooking up this week!!
On to the menu!! As usual life happened last week so our menu plan got pushed up by one day.
Menu
Monday
- Chicken Parmesan (using sauteed chicken breast from yesterday and "Pizza" flavored macaroni and cheese)
- Salad
- Garlic Bread
Tuesday
- Chicken Patty Sandwiches
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Brussels Sprouts sauteed with onion and bacon (dinner diva recipe)
- Leftovers
Thursday
- Rigatoni with Meatballs and Marinara Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese
- Garlic Bread
- Pizza
- Leftover Pizza
- Tilapia Packets
- Roasted Potatoes
- Chopped Broccoli
Its a pretty simple plan this week, but we will be working majorly to pack and de-clutter as we finally know we're moving before the month is over!!!! We are also doggy-sitting this week. I know some people think simple is boring but it keeps me sane on weeks like this.
If you need some menu inspiration, be sure to visit orgjunkie.com for Menu Plan Monday to see what these brilliant bloggers are cooking up this week!!
Friday, September 6, 2013
Excellent Day (For a Slob)
So today was one of those days that is rare for a slob like me. I accomplished a lot. I made the trip to the post office to return something to amazon that I had been putting off, had lunch with my husband on his lunch break, and got the car detailed after first cleaning it out and removing a stain I had been staring at for months. It came out immediately. Later, I did the dishes, made dinner, did the dishes again, shined my sink, swept the kitchen, did a focused 5 minute pickup, did a swish and swipe, did a load of laundry including hanging it all up, laid out clothes for tomorrow, wiped down the coffee table where we had dinner, de cluttered a chair, filed some receipts, had some "me" time, snuggled with one awfully cute pup, and just now got the coffee pot ready for the morning, refilled h Brita pitcher, took the shrimp and chicken out of the freezer for tomorrow to thaw (in fridge), brushed my teeth and hair and I'm ready for bed...before 11....I never get in bed before 12:30....and I don't feel worn out. I feel fantastic. I also feel like I really tried to "fly" today. Friday is the day to clean out your car...did that. September is when you work on the habit of your before bed routine...I did that. Including checking the calendar, locating my keys, and thinking if I needed anything else at my launch pad. This is the most successful day I've had in a long time. I'm going to celebrate by going to bed and getting up early.
What do I do on days like this...?
So last night was one of those nights where I closed at work. I came home and my feet and back were killing me. I didn't want to stand too long. Did I do any of my cleaning "routines"? No. I am off work today and last night I was totally justified (to myself) in the fact that I would just clean up today. This morning waking up to dirty dishes did not feel good ad I felt angry with myself for not just sticking it out and doing the dishes. It reminds me of my former self. The former self who justified not doing the dishes every night. I am curious what other people do when they have those nights when they're worn out. Do you (people whose houses are consistently tidy) ever have nights where you just can't do it? What about all of those couples who also have children?? Nate and I have no children. How tired and full of excuses will be then?!?
I have some errands to run today but I am determined to get things cleaned up as soon as I get home. I'll blog if I make progress. On a different note. The crescent pizza roll-ups from plainchicken.com were super easy, very easy to make ahead, and delicious. I would recommend them. The chicken Alfredo shells were only okay. I think I just needed a little more salt in the Alfredo sauce. On. Night number two, however, from being in the oven, they didn't reheat well. *Sigh.* I hope I get over this feeling soon. I need to just persevere.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Menu Plan Monday...on Tuesday again! Oh Labor Day...
So yesterday was a busy day...working (yes on Labor Day), grocery shopping, Labor Day-ing... Hubby and I got home late hence the lack of post for Menu Plan Monday. But here it is today.
I am extremely excited to link up my menu this week with Orgjunkie.com for this particular Menu Plan Monday because I'm making some actual recipes this week that involve actual real cooking and not just making things out of a box. Don't get me wrong, I'm still making some things from a box, but not ALL of them are from a box. Okay rambling over.
This Week's Menu:
Monday
(Labor Day Cookout)
Tuesday
Chicken Broccoli Shells with homemade Alfredo Sauce, Brussels Sprouts with Compound Butter, and Garlic Bread. For the Alfredo Sauce, I'm going to make the sauce that Betty from bettyskitchen made on her "Chicken and Proscuitto Tortelloni Alfredo" video. If you haven't seen her videos, you must. She makes everything so simple. Every recipe of hers I've ever made has been delicious. The alfredo sauce in this video is the best I've ever had.
Wednesday
Leftovers
Thursday
Friday
Leftovers
Saturday
BBQ Shrimp using a shrimp I froze a while ago. Nate doesn't like shrimp so I'm sautéing up chicken breasts for him and I'm going to use some of the leftover chicken for tomorrow's dinner, alfredo noodles (from a packet oh well), salad, and garlic bread.
Sunday
Today is an experiment. A little while ago I accidentally purchased Pizza flavored mac 'n' cheese and we didn't know what to do with it. We're going to try an experiment and make a chicken parmesan of sorts. I'm adding the extra sauteed chicken breast from Saturday night and covering it with mozzarella cheese. We'll be having salad and garlic bread with this and I'll let you know how it turns out (hopefully if I remember.)
So that's it! This week's menu plan. I'm more than a little excited. Menu planning has saved our life and our budgets!
Do YOU want to post YOUR menu plan for this week?? Well you should! Lots of great people link their menu plans up every week with Laura at orgjunkie.com and that's exactly what I'm doing!! Go over and visit NOW!! :) If you click "now" it will take you to this week's edition of Menu Plan Monday! Cheers!!
This Week's Menu:
Monday
(Labor Day Cookout)
Tuesday
Chicken Broccoli Shells with homemade Alfredo Sauce, Brussels Sprouts with Compound Butter, and Garlic Bread. For the Alfredo Sauce, I'm going to make the sauce that Betty from bettyskitchen made on her "Chicken and Proscuitto Tortelloni Alfredo" video. If you haven't seen her videos, you must. She makes everything so simple. Every recipe of hers I've ever made has been delicious. The alfredo sauce in this video is the best I've ever had.
Wednesday
Leftovers
Thursday
Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups and roasted broccolini. I've never made either of these things before but I'm super excited to try them out!!! I'm going to attempt to make the marinara dipping sauce myself being as I had an extra can of tomato sauce laying around. Our budget was tight this week.
Friday
Leftovers
Saturday
BBQ Shrimp using a shrimp I froze a while ago. Nate doesn't like shrimp so I'm sautéing up chicken breasts for him and I'm going to use some of the leftover chicken for tomorrow's dinner, alfredo noodles (from a packet oh well), salad, and garlic bread.
Sunday
Today is an experiment. A little while ago I accidentally purchased Pizza flavored mac 'n' cheese and we didn't know what to do with it. We're going to try an experiment and make a chicken parmesan of sorts. I'm adding the extra sauteed chicken breast from Saturday night and covering it with mozzarella cheese. We'll be having salad and garlic bread with this and I'll let you know how it turns out (hopefully if I remember.)
So that's it! This week's menu plan. I'm more than a little excited. Menu planning has saved our life and our budgets!
Do YOU want to post YOUR menu plan for this week?? Well you should! Lots of great people link their menu plans up every week with Laura at orgjunkie.com and that's exactly what I'm doing!! Go over and visit NOW!! :) If you click "now" it will take you to this week's edition of Menu Plan Monday! Cheers!!
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