Pantry Organization – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

How does your kitchen pantry look? Do you know what is in there? Do you have expired foods in there? Let’s spend 15 minutes decluttering and organizing the kitchen pantry. I have a born-organized child who likes to do this for me. I do go through it regularly to check labels for expiration dates. I also look for items we may not be using any longer and donate them to a food pantry, if they have not expired. I check my spices, too. Sometimes, we buy a spice for a specific recipe, and then we don’t use it again. I keep most of my spices in a two basket holder. I keep the most-used spices out with my salt and pepper. I use a lot of garlic. If your pantry is very disorganized, you might want to spend a few minutes each work working on it when you are making out your grocery list. Sometimes, I pull items from the pantry as I am making the grocery list. I call this “pantry shopping.” This helps me use the assets I have on hand before they expire. Yes, I think food in the pantry and in the freezer are assets.

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Zone Mission – Spend 15 minutes decluttering the kitchen pantry.

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Declutter Paper, Magazines, or Newspapers for 10 minutes anywhere in the house.

 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Chicken and Salad (Low carb Green Chile Chicken)

(Here is a link to my easy menu planning post from earlier this year.)


Routines:
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Do a fun hands on science experiment today.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Toss those science experiments – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
Do you have some science experiments growing in your refrigerator? Spend 15 minutes today tossing the science experiments. Do this before you make your grocery list, so you know what you are out of. I typically clean my fridge out on Friday mornings before I make my grocery list, but if we have had a busy week, I will also have a quick toss on a different day of the week. For instance, we had a busy weekend and had some take out food. So I made sure we either ate the leftovers, or I tossed them today. This helps me to know what is actually in my refrigerator. I will say that with 3 teenage boys in my house, we do not toss a lot of food. They are pretty good at keeping the food eaten in the house. Some weeks, I am using freezer meals and canned vegetables because they have eaten through the fresh veggies before grocery day. Set your timer and start tossing!
Enjoy your day!

Zone Mission: Clean out the refrigerator

Weekly Home Blessing Task: Windows and Mirrors (I use my FlyLady purple cloths for this and no chemicals.)

Menu Plan for Wednesday: Spaghetti (regular pasta for boys and spaghetti squash for me) and Salad
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.

School: Don’t forget to do the fun stuff in your school day. Get out the crafts!

 

Errand Day: Do your errands and grocery shopping this afternoon.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Bless Yourself and Bless Your Family – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
Most of us grew up with the attitude that cleaning our house was a chore. It was not fun, but I have learned differently from The FlyLady. Cleaning my home blesses me, and it blesses my family. Cleaning my home brings peace. It puts an end to CHAOS. I have passed this shift in thinking to my children. We work together to bless the family. We play music while we do our missions. We use the timer, so we don’t feel like we have to work all the time. We balance our work time with family play time. Over the weekend, we went on a family picnic, and we had a family fantasy football draft. Taking time to play makes it easier to encourage your children to pick up behind themselves and help with the missions around the house. Try it and let me know how it works for you.

Here is your September Mission Calendar:
You can download the PDF HERE.

 

Zone Mission: Wipe the Kitchen Counters.

Weekly Home Blessings of the Day: Quick Dust and Vacuum

Menu Plan for Tuesday: Taco Tuesday and Salad

 

If you need more help with organizing your home and homeschool, you can download  The FlyLady’s Homeschool Teacher and Homeschool Student Control Journals for free.

Set your timer for 15 minutes for the Home Assignment and 15 minutes for the School Assignment
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.

School: Plan a fun field trip to kick off your school year.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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The Heart of Your Home – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Happy Labor Day! I will make this short and sweet today because I want you to have fun with your family today. Over the summer I have added different elements to this daily posting as you have made requests for things. This week I am going to list my Weekly Home Blessings by the day because that is how I do them. I don’t do them all in one day. My hope is that this will help you divide your Home Blessings up, too.

We are going to have some detail missions in our kitchens this week. The kitchen is the heart of our homes. Let’s declutter it and make it easy to prepare meals that will bless our families.

September also brings us a new routine to practice. If you do not have a solid before bed routine, use the list below to help you get started. I start mine right after dinner each night.

You can have a clean home and homeschool, too. Have a wonderful day!
Zone Missions: Kitchen
Monday-Declutter the counters
Tuesday-Wipe kitchen counters and cabinet fronts
Wednesday-Clean out the fridge

Thursday-Declutter the pantry
Friday-Wipe down the microwave and stove top/vent

Menu Plan for Monday – Grilled Hamburgers and Side Salad (buns for the boys, and lettuce bun for mom)

Weekly Home Blessing – Wash the Sheets

 

Daily Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School: Enjoy your Labor Day Holiday!


Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
Family Fun: Take a nature walk today.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Why Running

Why Running

Why did I choose running later in life for physical activity when I have never been a runner before?

When I was in my mid-40’s, I needed to make some changes for my health. I had high blood pressure and needed to lose weight. In the past, I had tried going to the gym. It just did not work with my schedule and having six children. For many years, I used exercise DVD’s in the living room, but I was ready for a change. I also wanted to get outside more. So I decided to start running. I found an app for my smartphone called, Couch to 5K (C25K). I figured that was a good place to start. I talked to my family, and when I started out the boys would go with me and ride their bikes while I alternated running and walking. Mostly, I was walking. I enjoyed my time outside in the evenings with the boys. There are so many options for exercise, but once I started running, I was hooked. I have been running for more than three years now, and I have no plans to stop.

Benefits of Running

In the past three years, I have seen many health benefits from running. My blood pressure is lower. I have lost weight. My cardiovascular system is in better condition. I can tell this with my lowered resting heart rate. My asthma and allergies have not been as troublesome since I started running outside in every different kind of weather you can imagine. (With suffering from asthma symptoms, I had to learn to breathe properly.) My endurance in doing everyday tasks is better. I have more energy. I sleep better at night. My children are active with me, so I am passing on a legacy of healthy habits. My diet is healthier, since my body requires proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates to fuel my level of activity.

Another benefit of running has been the friends I have made around the world who are also runners. I have made running friends online, and I have made many running friends in person at group running sessions and races. There is something special about the racing community. They are a friendly bunch for the most part. When I have participated in races, I am always encouraged when someone shouts a word of encouragement to me. By the same token, I shout words of encouragement to runners along the way, too. I have heard it said that even when you first meet another runner, you are already friends. I have found this to be true. Runners share a bond.

Running has allowed me to challenge myself mentally and physically. Running is hard and fun all in one. I don’t allow myself to set limits on what I can accomplish. I have run in races from a 5K to a marathon. There is a lot of training of the mind and body to progress from running 3.1 miles to running 26.2 miles. Three years ago, I could not imagine that I would run a marathon, and now that I have run two marathons; I know that it is possible. If you asked me how I trained for a marathon, I would tell you that I did it one step at a time. I trained over many months. I ran on days when the weather was not optimal. I ran on days when I did not feel optimal. You never know on race day what the weather will be or how you will feel. This fall I ran a half marathon in very windy and rainy conditions. That was what the weather was on race day. I could not change it, but I could go out prepared for it and give it my best. That is exactly what I did. It was a rolling hill course, and every time I was going up a hill, it was blowing rain in my face. Those conditions made me stronger mentally and physically.

 

Got my Finisher Medal!

Marathon #2 Complete!

 

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Declutter the Dining Room – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Happy Friday! Do you have plans for the Labor day weekend? We have a family picnic planned. You can plan one, too. You don’t even have to go anywhere. You can have a family picnic at home, or you can go somewhere. Our favorite place to go on a picnic is in the mountains of NC. It’s been a long, hot summer, and it is always refreshing to go up to a higher elevation and enjoy cooler temperatures and a mountain creek.

Today’s mission is up to you on what you need to do. Let’s declutter in the dining room. It does not have to be a big mission. Just set the timer and go in there quickly. If you don’t have a dining room, pick another room and do a 15-minute room rescue. I hope you are seeing that it is easier and faster to do these missions as you keep working your way around the house each month. If you keep things put away, and everyone puts things up as they use them, these missions will go faster and faster each month. !

Have a great week-end!
If you have any questions or tips, please email me. I enjoy hearing from my readers.
Zone Mission: Declutter in your dining room. 
 
Menu Mission: Chicken and a salad.

 

Routines:

 

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Round up this week’s paper. File what needs to be file. Purge what needs to go away.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Sweep the Front Porch – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Your front porch is like your smile. It can be inviting, or it can not inspire joy. As we welcome a new month today, let’s sweep the front porch and spruce up our decorations. It’s officially September, so go ahead and get out those fall decorations. Walk into your home through your main entry, and do a quick decluttering session there as well. Doing this regularly will make your home look better, and it should take less and less time each month.

In September, The FlyLady also has us work on practicing the habit of doing our before bed routine. This sets us up to have a peaceful morning. I start my before bed routine right after dinner, and I do most of the things on this list well before I am ready to go to bed. The last things I do every night before I go to bed are to take my vitamins, shine the sink, wash my face, and brush my teeth. I have already done the other things on my list. If you do not have a good bedtime routine, look at my list below and practice this habit.

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Zone Mission – Sweep the front porch and declutter the main entry into your home. Put out some fall decorations.
 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Chicken and Salad

(Here is a link to my easy menu planning post from earlier this year.)


Routines:
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School:

  • Look at back to school sales for needed school supplies.
 Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water

Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.)

  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Moving Around – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Today is our last day in the Living Room, so let’s move the furniture and clean under it. I am blessed that I have a son who particularly enjoys doing this for me. He will also go sofa diving and clean out between the cushions. I know that I am blessed by him. Please enlist help on moving your furniture around to clean under it. You might consider a different arrangement of your furniture while you are at it. My grandmother moved her living room furniture around regularly. We never quite knew where we would be sitting! Check your baseboards while you have the furniture out away from the wall. Use your feather duster to clean them. If you have fall throw pillows or flowers, go ahead and put them out. Make your living room a peaceful place for your family.

Enjoy your day!

Zone Mission: Clean under the living room furniture.

Menu Plan for Wednesday: Tacos and Salad
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.

School: Don’t forget to do the fun stuff in your school day. Get out the crafts!

 

Errand Day: Do your errands and grocery shopping this afternoon.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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Detail Dust the Living Room

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
There are two different methods for how I dust my house. During the Weekly Home Blessing Hour, I quick dust the house. This includes the living room, bedrooms, and bookshelves. I don’t move things around. I dust around them. When I am working in a Zone, then I do the detail dusting. I move things around, and I dust the ceiling, fan, baseboard, etc. This way, everything is quick dusted weekly, and once a month, it is detail dusted. This works well in my house. We do not have indoor pets, and we don’t seem to accumulate a lot of dust weekly. The key is being consistent in dusting. This is one of those tasks that gets put off easily by many people. So start today if you have been procrastinating. You can do it!

 

Zone Mission: Detail dust the living room.

 

If you need more help with organizing your home and homeschool, you can download  The FlyLady’s Homeschool Teacher and Homeschool Student Control Journals for free.

Set your timer for 15 minutes for the Home Assignment and 15 minutes for the School Assignment
Menu Plan for Tuesday: Spaghetti (low carb version with spaghetti squash) and Salad
 
Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.
  • Clean out your refrigerator. Toss the science experiments.

School: Pick a read aloud book to read as a family.

 Afternoon Routine: 
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
  • Write up a menu plan for the next 7 days. Check your pantry and freezer and make a grocery list. This habit will save you time and money. Try out some new recipes with the slow cooker. It will save you time once you start back to your school schedule.
Family Fun: Take your children for a walk.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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The Entry to Our Homes – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

This is one of my favorite weeks, as we work in making our living rooms and front of our homes peaceful and inviting. The missions this week are short. I know you can do them in less than 15 minutes. On Wednesday, get your family to help you move the furniture and clean under it. We are approaching fall, so think about changing some of your decorations around. Just making small changes can freshen up the look of a room.

We are starting week 4 of homeschool. Have you started your year yet? We have been using some different books this year, and we are getting the hang of our schedule. I know it is hard coming off summer break, but just take it slow and steady. You will get it done!

You can have a clean home and homeschool, too.
Zone Missions: Living Room, Front Porch, Entryway, and Dining Room
Monday

- Declutter Flat Surfaces in the Living Room
Tuesday

- Detail Dust the Living Room
Wednesday – Move Furniture and Vacuum or Sweep
Thursday – Sweep Front Porch and Declutter Entry
Friday – Declutter Dining Room

Menu Plan for Monday – Grilled Hamburgers and Side Salad (buns for the boys, and lettuce bun for mom)

 

Daily Routines:

Home:
  • Make Your Bed (Do this as soon as you get up.)
  • Get Dressed Down to Your Shoes
  • Swish and Swipe
  • Start Your Laundry
  • Decide on Dinner
  • Check Your Calendar
  • Start the Day off with a Shiny Sink. Don’t leave the breakfast dishes sitting.

School: Tell me what you are doing with your school year.


Afternoon Routine:
  • Eat Lunch
  • Clear off One Hot Spot
  • Reboot the Laundry
  • Declutter for 15 Minutes (Be sure to have your children declutter, too.)
  • Drink Your Water
Family Fun: Take a nature walk today.
Before Bed: (This starts right after dinner.) 
  • Check the Calendar for Tomorrow
  • Lay out Your Clothes for Tomorrow (Have your children lay their clothes out, too.)
  • Put things at the Launch Pad that you will need first thing in the morning
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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