Flying ~ Day Two

Apologies but I was getting so into this cleaning lark that I completely forgot to update my blog yesterday.......so this was um.........Friday 20th's efforts. This is my bathroom and yes we have a walk in shower cubicle which is a bit awkward with an 8 year old who doesn't like water on his head and a 2 year old little girl, hence me still having the baby bath!

So here goes, These are the before pictures.......

(notice I couldnt open the door fully?     ^^^) 

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and these are the after pictures..............

vastly improved and  I am happy to say still clean :-) 

I am finding it very therapeutic, also the kitchen is still as tidy as it was in the previous pictures which is nice and I'm finding now that I've done it once and am keeping it maintained it is much easier to stay on top of. 

Unlike my insomnia which saw me awake at 5.40 this morning which is a lay in for me! 

If anyone is interested in FlyLady and taking the first baby steps then please feel free to stop in and look over on 

www.flylady.net

Fly Lady Day One Results

Well as promised, here are pictures of my first day on the FlyLady regime! Bare with me! 

 Above: Underneath the kitchen sink before I had even started yesterday

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Above: Under the sink afterwards

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Above : Sink area before

Below : Sink area after

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 Above: Shine your sink.

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 Above: Cereal Corner before I started

 Below : Cereal Corner afterwards

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Below : Owens side with all his protein powders etc

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Above : Toaster side before

Below : Toaster side after

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 Above: Microwave Side Before

 Below: Microwave Side After

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 Below : Windowsill before

 Below : Windowsill after

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Below : HOTSPOT! To be tackled next.......

So as you can see I had a nice productive today - hopefully today will be as productive.

The kitchen was cleaned, I briefly spent my 5 minutes in the bathroom cleaning and I did the 27 things throw out so in total had about 3 black bags full of rubbish to get rid of.

Have also noticed that another hotspot of mine that tends to collect rubbish and junk is the stairs so this will be tackled soon too.

My sink is still shining and Im seemed to have gotten some overnight OCD about my sink staying clean!. the kitchen is still clean so today I am hoping to move to the bedrooms in 15 minute bursts today.

Note to self, must buy a binder. 

xxxx 

Fly lady - Day 1

So I have just joined Fly Lady, and the first two jobs I have been set are

#1 ~ shine my sink

#2 ~ dressed to the shoes (in the morning) 

I think that seems pretty manageable for day 1. I will make sure to send you a picture of the sink before and after. 

x

Time To Fly......

I literally am getting bogged down and there seems to be cr*p everywhere

Whether it is the mountain of washing that seems to be resembling Ben Nevis that seems to follow me from room to room, the sink that always looks dirty, forever sweeping the floors, de cluttering the stairs every five minutes, the piece of lego that I have inevitably missed for the last 3 weeks that I find at 11pm when I check my son before going to bed or that one funny smell that I can smell but cant find the cause of! 

I've had enough!

So I have decided to join Fly Lady. 

Now I was always a bit auntie fly lady in the beginning as I dint quite get it and part of me thought well I can do that myself if I get in a routine but yes you guessed it, the routine started on day one and by day two I gave up.....and the house remained the same, me and my partner had the same old argument and things never got anywhere so I'm hoping the organisational skills of fly lady will help

I mean I brought a kitchen table and chairs last year and I think we ate Christmas dinner on it and that was it - it is now buried under a mountain of junk and by junk I mean junk so it is time for a change.

Tomorrow I will indeed take photos of the devastation that is my house and post them as my starting point - shocking I know and I promise to not clean before hand! 

Another of my main issues is I don't seem to have many cleaning things - although in fairness with two small kids and not much cupboard space I tend to keep the minimum but I realise I need things to help with this.

Another thing for me is drying clothes. I don't have much space on this front either but have been shown a nifty invention that hangs in the airing cupboard so might try that as well as buying a new airer. I have two at present and whilst they do get the job done I am really snowed under with washing being that high speed winds not so long ago broke and I mean clean snapped in half my wirrlygig airer so I have had no washing line for the last 6 months and my boyfriend has two speeds ~ slow and stop, unless its motorbike related and then hes full speed.

(Case and point the curtain pole in the living room ~ bearing in mind we have been here over a year ~ was never put up so three months ago I had had enough and decided to put the bleeding thing up myself - which I managed successfully and it hasn't fallen down yet - the same day he came home with wraul plugs and said he was going to do it - TYPICAL!)

so needless to say if I want something done in my house I'm better off doing it myself, by myself, for myself.

My friends always refer to me as a single mum anyway so it makes sense to have that mind set and if you want something doing then your better off doing it yourself. 

Besides as far as cleaning is concerned me and my boyfriend have the same cycle every month as regularly as the other month cycle and it ALWAYS goes the same way

and it goes on,...and on,....and on,....and on.....,and on.........and its been doing that the last 8 years and I think he has ever helped me..............um................twice maybe....................other times he whinges complains and bitches until I do it. So I'm not giving him an excuse now and if he insists on being the dirty messy pig then I will show him this blog and prove to him it is not me!

Right Im off to sign up to fly lady! Wish me luck! 

Would you believe of all things today I have been Christmas Planning!

I belong to a particularly lovely and festive little group called 'Organised Christmas Elves' 

Their aim is to help you organise yourself through the year so that come the time you can sit back and relax rather than worry about what you have and haven’t done!

They cover everything from organising your home to sorting out your christmas card list. As well as sharing with you some of our family traditions, likes, makes and bakes.

Anyway they are a lovely little UK based site but do have several overseas members too and all new members are very welcome to drop by and share ideas.

All new members are welcome if you fancy a bit of festive nostalgia all year through. 

x

Pay It Forward

So recently I have been hearing from all my friends who are struggling, stressed, in financial difficulty and I've been sat wondering how on earth I can help them out in any little way.....

I'm not a financially rich person at all but I do know my ability to save money, craft and make the most of what I have to the point I am happy with my lot, what I own and know the only way I could ever improve on anything is through my own sheer stubbornness, drive and determination. 

I have been a keen believer of paying it forward for several years and have helped people, individuals, family etc in my own little ways as and when I can. Even if comes down to putting 40p in my till at work myself because an OAP doesn't quite have enough for that reduced loaf of bread and his milk. I'm happy to do it to help them. 

Recently though there are several people in my life who really need help and I have been trying my best to think of ways to help and support them with the notion that they Pay It Forward afterwards but it really is down to their character that I have chosen my two who I think really need it as the others are 'takers' and not 'givers'. 

My Best Friend 'R' has been struggling to support her mother, since we left school she has worked a full time job, paid all the bills, ran the household etc and is currently in so much debt that her wages barely cover their living cost and her credit card is almost maxed out despite her working all the over time she can get and she's not the type to slack off. Her mum however has been out of work for 10 years and has had no luck getting another job. I know her and her mum struggle to feed themselves and they do a small £20 shop a week and stretch food out so I'm wondering if I did them a small shop and got it delivered to them and then printed off a load of coupons for things like cereal, cleaning products etc that that would help them a little bit financially. 

The second person I want to help is my auntie 'M'. Her husband has just left her with two young children, shes runs a house by herself, has set up her own small cleaning business through her own hard work and dedication but she struggles to make ends meet with the two youngest kids and her eldest daughter has just moved into her first house and is seeking financial help from her. I'm wondering if printing coupons for them both would be a way of helping them both out a bit financially as well as helping my auntie with supplies.

These are my ideas for the two people I intend to pay it forward to. Fingers crossed I can help them both slightly with little things that will make a difference to them. 

x 

Well I have really taken to the good life and have had a productive few days

I have mown the lawn which was a feet in itself as I've never done it before having lived in flats most of my life! But needless to say I am rather impressed with myself - although hitting the red ants nest certainly wasn't pleasant!

I have also planted up four bags of potatoes although later realised I mixed up Charlotte and King Edward potatoes when I chitted them so god knows what's in what bag but we will see and hopefully they will produce nicely

This is my first plot. It has onions, brocolli and lettuce in it. The two pots are Rhubarb at the front and then a tub of blueberries at the back which I will be replanting today.

These are in the greenhouse. So far I have leeks, pumpkins, cucumbers and two types of tomatoes and swede to go in later.

The rest of today will now consist of

• getting plot two up next to plot one and planting in beetroot, spring onions and peas.
• Constructing a few obelisks from bamboo canes and wire for the peas to grow up eventually.
• Planting a big bag to fill with carrots,
• planting blackberries and raspberries
• planting sunflowers for the kids
• repotting blueberries

So I had better get myself sorted and off into the garden

I think I may also change my name to Barbara!

(although the boyfriend wont let me have chickens yet!)