Friday, September 30, 2011

Housework - Gag!

I was recently directed here from a comment thread on another blog, I read the post I'd been directed to; it's great, I highly recommend it. Then, I skimmed the side bar for anything of interest.

This popped out at me. Gag, is certainly one of the first reactions that comes to mind when I think of housework. That or cringe.

Then I conveniently think of something I need at the store, and while I'm at the store I decide we should go to Salt Lake and watch a movie or go to dinner. And I end up eating too much, including dessert. So when I get home, I'm a little fatter and my house is still dirty.

I don't know that I'll even go to the website she suggests in this post (if it still exists), but I really loved the suggestions she listed. Here they are for those of you who either don't want to go to the other site, or don't know how. (Don't be offended, I'm totally talking to my mom and she knows it!)

"You can't organize clutter; you have to get rid of it! In order to find peace in your home the clutter has to find a new place to reside.

Release your clutter. Spend just 15 minutes a day de-cluttering. When you bring home something new; get rid of something old."


Another thing she says is keep your kitchen sink clean ALL THE TIME. And it's amazing what a difference this one chore makes.


Her basic mantra is that we have to have routines/habits in place. If we don't, we can spend all day cleaning then the place just gets messy again immediately. But if we've developed routines/habits that we do almost automatically, we can keep the mess at bay.


Here is my daily schedule (to quote from an article I once wrote): think of it as B,B,C,D,F, which sounds like a poor report card but which stands for: Bed (make it), Bathroom (a quick swish and swipe while you're in there getting ready), Clutter (quick pick-up, especially working on the "hot spots" that gather stuff to them--I do this pretty much all day), Dishes (keeping the sink clean and empty), and Floors (sweep daily). There are many other chores we have to do of course (for example, she also talks about conquering Mount Washmore), but even if I do only these five things every day, I can keep the appearance of a tidy home and not panic if someone comes over unexpectedly.


Housework is a huge obstacle in my life, it's gotten to the point where I've quit even trying to stay afloat and just let myself sink below the surface. I'm hoping that this gem of a discovery will help me find a place to start.





Monday, September 26, 2011

... eat drink and be merry ...

... for tomorrow I start the Weight Watchers online program!

This is yet another step in my journey toward a happier, healthier me.

A friend of the furry persuasion.

I came back from my break to find that we had a new friend in dispatch. Wish I could keep him. He's super cute and (although also very high energy) very well behaved.



Look at that face!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, September 5, 2011

Back on the wagon again!

Confession...

Several months ago I made a couple of goals, kick the caffeine and run on the treadmill. I don't think I made it a week. Weak, right? I know.

I've decided (and this has been coming for quite a long time) that something drastic has got to change. In my experience, for anything drastic to change, I have to be held accountable, to myself at the very least. So, I'll be checking in here at least once a month, but hopefully more like once a week. I'll list how I've done on my goals and track the progress I'm making.

I've acquired a couple of things to help me on my way. First, I bought these...


from Strive Running Co. My dad found a jogging stroller for us at a killer price... $5, killer! And since Heavenly is in the academy he needs to be running more than the 10+ miles/week he's already been running, I've got myself a running partner.


One of my co-workers made the decision to quit drinking soda pop starting today and I decided that'd be a great time for me to do the same. He bought us these...


Today I'm getting back on the wagon.