joined a challenge to help keep me motivated

I have been cleaning and cleaning and organizing and purging. I found this challenge and decided to join so I can have others to work with too and keep motivated.

So they want us to post our goal for this week and mine is the master bedroom. I will post pics as I go along.

We move on to another room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well your bathroom , living room and kitchen must be all nice
and organized. Yes they might not be spotless but that was not the
idea. We just did deep cleaning as we went along and organized.
So today we go on to the Master Bedroom.
I did a load of laundry and that is all that really got done today because
it was a beautiful summer sunny day here so I went out with my daughter
to a market and had lunch together too. We really havent had too many nice
sunny days here lots and lots of rain so we took advantage of it. Also we went
to an opera production tonight too very interesting!!!!!!!
So for today and tomorrow we will work on our clothing. For me that means
I need to hang a lot up , do laundry , organize and purge.
I am a little embarrassed to say that I cant see the top of my dresser for
clothes. I have a really really bad habit of piling my clothing.
I need to really work on breaking that habit!!!!!!!!!!!! I tried once this spring
but then one day it was busy put a dress up there and then jeans and then..
well I am sure you get the picture. I have to keep everything off the top
if I want it to stay clean.

inexpensive skin care

Todays work for me Wednesday is about inexpensive skin care.
By using these two specific products you dont need to use
mositurizers, cleansers, exfolicants or any acne cream.
What is you ask ???????????? It is norwex face clothes and
tea tree oil. If you have any breakouts at all dab on some tea
tree oil and you will notice it dries up the blemish and then it
quickly disappears. Try it you wont be sorry !!!!!!! Plus you
will save sooooo much money !!!!!!!! Oh and you wont need
to buy make up remover either.

last day in the kitchen

Wow we are really doing great almost 3 rooms done. I sure hope you have
followed along and are noticing big changes in your house and the way you
feel.
So today is the last day we will spend in the kitchen time to really move
on . So today is go through your pots and pans and see if you can get rid
of some.
Also we are going to sweep and scrub our floor and wipe down the outside
of the cupboards.

For me I have one more spot to declutter which will then help me to
declutter another cupboard. If you have any areas you have missed
decluttering then take the time today to finish that up so we can move
on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come back to tomorrow to see which room is next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????

more decluttering

So today we move on to our utensils. Take them all out and decide which ones
you will get rid of. As you do this sort them into like piles to actually see how many
you have of each thing. Toss what you truly dont use or need. Clean out drawer and then
place them back into a spot we will call home.
The second task which might take a little longer is to go through your food cupboards
and check for old food or food you could donate to the food bank. So here we go take
out all the food and sort into like piles. Clean the cupboard or pantry and then place
like items back into the spot you will call home.

Here are some to help you videos to help
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vDLEn7zVUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvouB-X0GCs

For me I have to buy a basket for my baking goods. I am also trying to re-arrange a
few things and the utensil drawer cant be done till tomorrow till I have space. I am going
to have two utensil drawers one for the big stuff and one for the silverware. I have to clean
out another area tomorrow which will then give me room to move around a few things to
free up the other drawer I will be using for the big utensils. Then I will buy a basket or two
to store my tea towels and dish clothes too . So for me personally it will be a work in progress.

Organizing

I am continually reading blogs and many many blogs. I came across this one today
that put it the best way on how to organize. Go and check it out
http://stuff2borganized.blogspot.com/2009/07/want-to-get-organized-here-are-steps.html

decluttering !!!!!!!!!!!

Today we declutter our glasses, cups , bowls and dishes.
So same thing take it all out and hopefully put only 1/2 or 3/4 back.
Wipe down the shelves and then put back less.
That is all for today tomorrow we go through our food cupboards to organize.

start decluttering

Okay so today find a spot you want to start decluttering. We will be doing food and dishes soon.
Then remove all the stuff from that spot. Clean that spot and place back only what you love.
Today I picked the microwave cart and still having a hard time letting go. I took everything out of the cart and then wiped it all down . Then I looked at the stuff that was going back and in and thought I wont use some of this stuff I should get rid of them. I didnt I neatly put them back but I am going to get rid of the fondue pot that has never been used. The other thing that I thought I should get rid of is a blender now that I have the magic bullet. But what happens if the magic bullet breaks I need that blender is my thought. Now that I have looked back I will be getting rid of the blender because truthfully if the magic bullet breaks I will be going out to buy another right away.
So I have a bit of empty space to fill with other stuff.
I have to wait till I declutter one cupboard area where I am literally tossing everything already decided. It will give me room to move around things then.
Well go and purge and declutter. Come back tomorrow when we start with our purging our dishes.

continue on

Today is the freezer you need to defrost the freezer and organize it.
Tomorrow we start decluttering. Okay lets start today go through all your glasses and cups and purge some. It will be easier to have less and most times we keep them for sentimental reasons not out of need. Go ahead take the big leap and try to get rid of some.

Stove and Microwave today

First put your dish clothes into the laundry.
Second wipe down your stove top and front.
Third clean out the inside of your oven with whatever cleaner you see fit to use. Again do what works for you .
Next wipe down your microwave and then clean the inside.
All done for today.

I finally tried the trick to clean your microwave that has been posted on a bijillion blogs and it works. So here is the trick I am sure you already know but I will repeat it put a bowl of water with a little lemon juice into your microwave. Microwave it for 1 minute and then take a cloth and wipe it all clean. The steam has loosened all the dirt in the microwave. It works like a charm maybe one minute to wipe hard stuck on food off !!!! I will definitely try this again.

So now I am off to relax in the backyard by the pool for the afternoon. We finally have sunshine !!!!!!!!!
Enjoy your day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is are my pics of my clean kitchen

Here are some pics of my kitchen all clean!!!!!!!!!!!!
Each shelf has a purpose. The top one is hubbie's shelf to store things which is most of the mail.
Then my shelf so I tuck things in there and sometimes mail too. The next shelf is my daughter's shelf and she puts phonenumbers, girlguide forms and whatever else she wants to put there. Last shelf is for coupons and program guides.
I think for my shelf and possible Angel's we might start using file folders too .

More Kitchen

Lets continue working on our kitchens. So now that your fridge is all shiny clean lets work on a different area. Today will be counter tops. What you need to do is put away everything that does not belong on your counter tops. Then move all the stuff to one side of your counter and clean all of that area. Then move it all back or give it a new home.
Then clean another part of the counter top . Keep going till you get that ahhhhhhh.. feeling!!!
I have a mail sorter too which is overflowing that sits on my counter top so that will have to be purged and re-organized. I am trying to think of new ways to make it more organized.
While you are at it add your sink . So you need to put the dishes in the dishwasher or wash what is in your sink. Then it is time to shine your sink.
Here is a link to the steps to shine your sink up

http://www.flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Shine.asp

I bet your kitchen is starting to look so shiny and clean tomorrow is stove and microwave.
I am sorry I post in the afternoon but that is usually when I can get on to the computer. Again I need to share with my family.

I have had a question if I do the task first or post ??Usually I post first and then go and do the task at hand.

Today we move on to the Kitchen

How awesome you are all doing 2 rooms down!!!!!!!!!

Today we are going to clean the fridge inside and outside.
I have found two you tube videos for you to watch to give you
some ideas. I will post pics too of my fridge to show you . I use
baskets everywhere they are really what helps me to organize
and contain clutter. Sometimes it does not help but the one spot
that I have found it really helps is the fridge. I have been thinking of
getting some more too .
I have one for veggies we use to cut up for lunches and I have one for
fruit we use for lunches too. The last one holds all the smaller containers
of yogurt, pudding and the likes that get lost are too hard to get out for
lunch or a snack. I find foods in these baskets get eaten more than the
foods stored in the bottom drawers.
I take two minutes no more when the food comes in to get rid of the packages
and now they are just grab and go. I also use the green bags to keep my veggies
and fruits to last longer too.
So here are the videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gI6c_WR3Fw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvIEoG_ET8o&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRNOn57sdu0&feature=channel

The other tip I learned which I will pass on is to put a couple pieces of paper towel in bottom
of all the baskets or drawers. It is so easy if it spills just then to toss the paper towel and keeps
the drawers clean.
I have tried the green mats you can buy at dollerama and they are useless they dont make
produce last longer and if anything gets spilled on them they are sticky and a mess.
Paper towels are the way to go!!!!!!!!!
So go and clean and then pour yourself a nice summer drink and go out in the sunshine!!!!!!

finishing the livingroom

So if you have been following along with the clean and clear it challenge you will have almost 2 rooms done. WEll after todays decluttering you will have two rooms done! How good does that feel??
So today we are decluttering once again. You are to declutter anything bookshelves, drawers, cabinets whatever you have left.
Probably wouldnt hurt again to vacuum the livingroom again too . I know mine needs it.
I have some clutter to put away from my small couch too which seems to be the dumping ground when you walk in the front door.

Here is a great article on decluttering you should read.

http://simplenest.net/10-questions-to-help-you-declutter/

So go and finish up what you have left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

more in the livingroom

Sorry for posting so late but you can either do it today or tomorrow.
We are cleaning our windows inside and out. The second thing to do
is go through and organize and purge and cds you have. I am feeling a bit
under the weather today so it will be short and sweet.
Come back Monday for more .

more on the livingroom

This is a picture of what my coffee table has looked like in the past and will after I am done with it today .

Today we concentrate on the tables in your livingroom. I have two end tables
and a coffee table that is what I have to today.
So whatever tables you have concentrate on them.
1) clean everything off
2) declutter and find homes for things that dont belong on those tables
3) put stuff in the garbage that is garbage
4) put back the stuff you love
5) stand back and admire

day 2 on the livingroom!!!!!!!

For today we are continuing to work on the livingroom. Two tasks today to complete.

First off did you dust the tv off yesterday ????? If you didnt then do it today so it is nice and clean and fingerprint free.
Okay so on to todays tasks :

1) We will declutter our dvds and movies of any sort. Try to go through and give them a home and organize them for what makes sense to you . Also try to purge a couple that you dont even know why you have them or havent watched them in so long why do you have them.

To declutter my way is to make piles after it is all taken out. I have the I keep pile and the maybe pile, get rid of and the garbage bag to put any that are broken .


2) Clean off whatever is housing your tv . For me it is a cabinet . So go and take everything out and clean it all and then only put back what you love . Again try to purge some things. It will make it easier next time to dust if there are less things to go around or take out!


A little side note I got all my norwex stuff yesterday so I will be trying them out over the next couple of days and I will let you know how I like my new products.

I will be using my new microfiber cleaning cloth and the polishing cloth too as I go around today !

So go and get busy and dont forget to have a bottle of water or some kind of liquid drink with you as you declutter. I have read it dehydrates you and takes a lot out of you to do this so you need to replenish yourself.

When you are done purging get rid of the stuff as soon as you can out of sight or better yet out of your house.


OKay now you are done reading go and get working !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dont forget to post your links showing us your work.

we go on !!!!!!!!!!

First off I say do what works for you right. Well that is basically why
I didnt post anything on Monday or Tues. Monday I couldnt have gotten on
my com[puter to post anything till 12:30 am Tues technically. Have to share
the computer with hubbie and daughter and then had a few plans that took me
out of the house that day.
Tuesday I did what worked for me and that was celebrating my daughter's birthday
at Canada's Wonderland. We had such a great time and I was gone from 8am till
10 pm last night. Too tired to post any ideas last night.

Okay so now I am back on track ! We are starting the living room which will take more than a week but we will see once we get going.
First off we are going to dust everything !! Next we are going to vacuum up all the dust and vacuum our rugs.
That is all for today.
Easy really I will use my dust cloth and possibly my micro cloth and go and dust all pictures, tv, shelves, cabinets. Dont move anything yet though on the bookshelves that is a whole other day. Just dust around them.
I have a huge ceiling fan too that I am sure needs dusting.

So go and get started!!!!!!!!!!!

The end is in sight!!

Two more things to do in the bathroom then room 1 is done.
Wash the floor and if you want or didnt do spring cleaning wipe down the walls.

Now you are all done stand back and admire your work this week.

Take Sunday off or get caught up.

Monday we start a new room and suggestions????

Here is a question I get asked quite often why are you taking so long to do the bathroom I usually do this cleaning all together at once???????

Yes I do too but we are taking baby steps really just to get going. From here on out you will go back to regularly cleaning the bathroom all at once.
The big thing for me is once a year I find time to declutter.
We are trying to develop habits of cleaning and organizing and not overwhelming anyone. It takes 21 days to develop a habit.

Go out in the sunshine with your family !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come back on Monday though!!!!!!!!!!!

More pics for you to see

Sorry I dont have befores for these hubbie had the camera in the car when
I was really in the mood to declutter.
Here are the afters of my shelf and medicine cabinet.

Before and After Pics

The weird thing is I always miscalculate how much time it will take to declutter and organize.
Today it took me the same amount of time to declutter all three areas seen above as it did to
clean out the bathtub yesterday. Sometimes we put off something because we think it will take
too long but then once we dig in it doesnt take that long.
So here are the befores and afters of my pics. I got rid of a garbage bag of junk.
I want to buy a basket the size that I have the bath stuff in maybe two might fit and
change out my hair stuff and then have a home for the curling irons too which for now are on a shelf in the linen closet because we dont use them.
Tomorrow is the last day for the bathroom.

On We Go!!!!!!! Decluttering Day!!!!!!!!!!

Today we are decluttering. I am so excited for this part of the challenge because my main goal this summer is to declutter every single room!!!!!!!

So the spaces I have to declutter in my bathroom are under the sink ((really really needs it), the medicine cabinet( just a bit of rearranging), and the shelves above the toilet. You may have drawers too so today is the day for them too. My are all organized I did it last year and kept them this way. (see pic above)

I am not sure what you have but declutter everything and everywhere in the bathroom area.
If you havent used it in a year toss it !!!!!!!!

1) take everything out from under the sink (move)
2) place into piles or groups ( sort)
3)then toss all the stuff you dont need, dont use or wonder why it is even there
4) then wipe clean which I will do with my microfiber cloth and water
5) place back in organized. I use baskets which I purchased last year when I did this.
So figure out what works for you to place everything back in again.
6) move on to medicine cabinet and repeat
7) then lastly shelves take everything off
8) dust
9) decide what goes back on
10) Stand back and admire your work you are almost finished the bathroom!!!!!!!!!
11) Treat yourself!!!!!!!! Great work!!!!!!!!!!!

I will post before and afters here on this site so check back and feel free to share yours too or links to your blogs in the comment section.

Here are so link ups for your look at .

http://ezinearticles.com/?Declutter-Your-Bathroom-in-8-Easy-Steps&id=2211440

http://organizedhome.com/master-bathroom-declutter

Challenge continues

Okay so on we go ! Hope everyone enjoyed their break yesterday. So today we have two things to do . One is cleaning our bathtub and second is washing all your towels.
Again you do it your way but this is how I will do it.

1) Spray the tub with water and wall.
2) I will then use my microfibre cloth to wipe down the tub, walls and shelves.
3) Rinse again .
4) Put all towels in the wash.
5) Put out all fresh towels.

Now we are almost done the bathroom just a few more things to do. Tomorrow is declutter day so be prepared!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For me I am looking forward to this part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a break today - for the holiday

Okay because today is Canada Day we are going to rest today. Just make sure that you are ready for tomorrow!!!!! We can take a rest because we will finish the bathroom in a week because it is so small.
Just make sure your sink is still clean and if not give it a wipe . Make sure nothing has ended up on the counter that shouldnt be there or remove it !!!!!!!!!

Happy Canada Day to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!