Fly Lady Babysteps Day 3

Today's Fly Lady babystep instruction is:

I didn't do the first one first thing this morning. I didn't have time for a shower so just threw on yesterday's tracky bottoms and the first vest I could get my hands on before I had to get the kids dressed and head to drop my son at nursery. When I got back after I had a friend come round to visit, I managed to steal 15 minutes to have a shower. I did a proper clean up job - shaved legs, washed and conditioned hair.... brushed teeth and got dressed - in jeans and a top. I felt SO much better.

Number two I've just made a start on. My kitchen had become a tip again so I've cleared surfaces, filled dishwasher up (after emptying it), washed up. I have yet to put washing up away and empty and clean and shine my sink. But I'll get to it.

Fly Lady Babysteps Day 2

Today's FlyLady babystep was "get up and get dressed to lace-up shoes".

I was a bit confused because a) it was a work day so I had to get dressed up and b) I don't have any lace up shoes. Not that I wear for work anyway.

I understand the point of it. Its so that you feel ready for the day. I often feel rather sluggish (at the moment) because I need to lose at least half a stone (a stone if I'm being optimistic) and so when I'm not at work I am living out of tracky bottoms and baggy t-shirts. I don't feel like I can get dressed up in nice (if practical) clothes because I'd be uncomfortable and I HATE being uncomfortable.

I need to shine my sink before I go to bed. My dinner isn't ready and I'm shattered after driving to Heathrow to pick up my in-laws. I'm not 100% sure that that sink is going to be shined before I go to bed.

This is last night's shined sink - I was so pleased with it I put a picture up on my Facebook page:

Here is the FlyLady's instructions on How to Shine Your Sink.

Really its not JUST to shine your sink. You have to empty it of dirty dishes first. So you have to do the washing up and then dry up the washed dishes. And then clean the sink and then dry it with a tea towel.

It really does leave you feeling like you achieved something good once its done. Having said that, its 10.07pm and the worksurfaces are covered with clutter (only yesterday they were clear - this still amazes me: that I can spend so much time and effort tidying up and so quickly it all becomes messy again). Honestly, I don't think I'm going to get to it today. I'll do it in the morning (I'm thinking maybe this is my problem...). 

Help arrived

Since we returned from holiday (and indeed before we went) I had been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by all the clutter and mess and housework that needs doing in my house. It felt like everywhere I went I had to step over something in order to get to where I needed to go. OK, it didn't just FEEL that way, it WAS that way. It wasn't quite like one of those houses you see on Hoarder programmes but to me it felt that way because I just didn't know where to start and the feeling has been growing and growing and making me feel more and more overwhelmed - particularly since we got back from holiday (because of the unpacked suitcases and the pile of laundry that just keeps growing.

But today I was visited by 3 angels. OK, I haven't fallen over and hit my head. A friend and her 2 daughters came to visit me and help me clean and tidy my entire house. They arrived around 11am and didn't leave until nearly 3pm I think. They were like a 3 person hurricane (the kind that cleans up mess, instead of making it). They started with the kitchen, then the sitting room and dining room, then the hall and outside the front of the house and the downstairs loo, then upstairs to the hall, kids bathroom, spare room, kids room (after Lala woke up from her nap), then finally our bedroom, ensuite bathroom and Ben's office. Oh and my office. I'm so impressed. I helped too obviously. I didn't just sit and drink coffee while they did it all. I'm absolutely stunned, incredibly grateful. Speechless really. Well, not really speechless as I'm still talking/typing.

The thing that is wonderful is that now, all I need to do is try to keep up with it. I'm having a look at a site called FlyLady which is a site aimed at people (like me) struggling to keep on top of the chaos. She has a page called BabySteps which is a set of 31 instructions that you follow each day (a different one each day). I'm only just looking at it right now myself so I'll write more if and when I get to grips with it. There is also an iphone/ipad app that I have called HomeRoutines which has an instruction on its website for integrating the Flylady Babysteps into its app.

My friend has also texted me with a routine that will help me keep on top of it:

Monday - clean and tidy downstairs (put clutter away and clean kitchen)
Tuesday - vacuum and mop downstairs
Wednesday - clean and tidy upstairs (put clutter away, wipe surfaces and clean bathrooms)
Thursday - vac and mop upstairs
Friday - laundry (wash, dry & put all away)
Saturday - outside jobs
Sunday - chill out day

I may have to change things around to fit in with the days I'm at home. But I think this is a good structure to work around.

Sarah if you are reading this, I love you and I want to marry you and your kids!!!

Laundry

What is on my mind at the moment is laundry. 

My entire laundry system is in a total mess at the moment. Having just got back from two week's holiday in turkey we're not yet back in the swing of things (if we ever were). This is our current situation with regards to laundry:

As we are a family of four (two small children, one of which is only just toilet trained and the other who has just about (ish) got the hang of using a fork/spoon. So suffice to say that we get through quite a lot of laundry. 

Our washing machine is in the utility room/dog room downstairs just off the kitchen. We have a large laundry basket upstairs in the hall, but for convenience I also have a small basket in the kids room so that dirty clothes can be immediately separated from possible clean clothes that might have been got out of the drawers by the smallest child or just left on the floor by one of the boys (my son or hubby). I also DID have a cheap ikea laundry basket in the kitchen (sometimes it lived in the sitting room) and a basket in our ensuite bathroom, but the one in the kitchen got sat on by the dog (don't know how she managed that) and the one that I had in the bathroom was moved downstairs for something else - I think its now our shoe basket. Another challenge I have is that our plastic laundry baskets have both been chewed by the dog. 

I am dying to put in place a new shiny system to help me keep on top of the laundry which always seems to get me down. This is my plan:

1. Replace ensuite bathroom laundry basket with a nice wicker type one
2. Replace broken kitchen laundry basket
3. By replacement plastic laundry baskets (3 or even 4) - if they stack they would not get in the way
4. Convert area of spare room into laundry processing area
   • This would involve some kind of unit with spaces for drawers or baskets
   • The unit would also preferably have a flat surface where I can fold clothes

Here are some things I found on the internet that caught my eye and got my inspiration juices flowing! 

Source: houzz.com via Casey on Pinterest

Source: thebestpictureontheinternet.blogspot.com via Lilly on Pinterest

Source: nestegg.typepad.com via Antonietta on Pinterest

New look for the blog

I've had a bit of a play with the blog and made it a bit prettier. I felt it needed a bit of a facelift. I do have plans for a whole new purpose designed website/blog but that is going to take a while and then once the graphics are done I'll have to either figure out the new wordpress site out or rely on a very kind friend to put it all together and tweak it for me. So for now, this will give me the fresh start that I feel I need right now.

I felt a bit like I needed a fresh start too. I've been off work for a month with depression on my doctor's orders. I'm back at work as of this week but I'm still struggling somewhat with day to day tasks and my emotions but I'm definitely better than I was.

I haven't had the energy to focus on my blog / business plans at all in the last month as I spent most of it either sleeping or just trying to relax (and stay somewhat in control of the housework). But I'm starting to think about it again. I did do a few little relaxing bits of organising and creating while I was off and have gathered together the photos in folders so I hope to put them into blog posts in the next few days.

I hope you like the new blog look. Please do leave a comment if you would like to. I'd love to hear from you.

Organising my card and paper stocks

Who knew I had so much card.

As I was getting back into card making and I am getting a Sizzix Big Shot for my birthday I decided that I needed a more organised way of getting to my card and paper stocks than before....

Yikes.

So I went on a hunt to the Range in Aldershot (my latest den of all things crafty) and while perusing the craft section (one bit of it anyway), I found this:

Perfect. Absolutely bloody perfect. Its actually by Papermania (a supplier of many very pretty cards/papers, toppers etc) and is 12x12 inches (well, thats the size paper/card that it fits in the pockets anyway). The folder itself is probably bigger than that. I bought that and an extra wallet of folders. Going through all my card, I decided that I'd like it in the order of the rainbow. I mean, why not? If you're gonna organise colours, what better way to do it. I had to go on Google to check what order that actually was!!! This is the picture I worked from:

source

So here are my organised pages. I love it. It made me feel all happy inside (sad, I know)!!!

How to get organised when you're depressed

I'm writing this as a kind of reminder to myself as I'm suffering slightly at the moment. I'm not going to pretend to be a doctor or to know what anyone else is going through or should do when they are depressed. I can only speak from my own experience.

Sometimes when you are depressed its hard enough to get up let alone get things done. However, if you really feel like you need to do some things for your own peace of mind (lets face it there is only so long that you can go without clean clothes or dishes before something needs to be done). My advise would be:

• be selective. only do what really needs doing
• do a little at a time
• focus on one thing at a time
• take regular breaks. Do 2-5 minutes of organising/housework/whatever, at a time and then rest for as long as you need to. 
• be proud of what you accomplish. Even if its a tiny fraction of what you would be able to accomplish if you were well. 

I'm gonna end this post here as I'm tired just from writing this! Take it easy!