Merry Christmas Eve

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today’s email is short and sweet. Enjoy your family. Make memories. If you can’t see your family today, call them. Be thankful for another day with them. As much loss as my family has suffered in the past 10 years, I am very appreciative of the family I still have.

Do your routines quickly today. Make it a game with your children.

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 Christmas break!
 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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WOW! Wednesday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Today I want you to clean out under you bed, and you might go, “WOW!” when you find something you forgot about. I saved this task for today in case you hid some Christmas presents under there. Most of us also have dust bunnies building a colony under there, so it’s time to get rid of the colony before Christmas. My husband bought us a new bed in the Fall, and I cleaned thoroughly then. But I am still going to clean under there tomorrow and get rid of the dust and dirt that end up under there. I don’t store a lot under our bed, so it is easy to use the Rubba Sweepa under there and pull out the dust bunnies. If you have a Roomba you can pull out the stuff under there and send him under your bed to vacuum. Whatever method you use, it’s a gift to your breathing to clean regularly under your bed.

Holiday Mission – Finish wrapping gifts and do any food prep that you can do today for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Zone Mission – Get the dust bunnies from under your bed. Have your children do the same thing.

Grocery Shopping and Errand Day
– Take your list, pack snacks, and water bottles.

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: Is your paperwork caught up? Do you need to update lesson plans or attendance sheets?


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
  • Errand day: Make your plan for grocery shopping and errands. Pack water bottles and snacks for everyone. Pack up your library books that need to be turned in.
Family Fun: Plan a fun activity while you are out. I am in the habit of checking for free activities that are going on while we are out doing errands.
When you get home from doing errands, have everyone work together to unload and put away everything.

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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Timer Tuesday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

The best thing you can use in your home to tame the CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) is to use a timer. The timer is not to make you go as fast as possible, but it helps you manage your time and complete tasks. It also gives you freedom to take a 15-minute break after your tasks and routines. A timer can be a tool of freedom. Many times the tasks you avoid can be done in less than 15 minutes. If the task is larger than that, steps to complete the task can be broken down and completed in 15 minutes or less. A timer can help your children, too. Often, I will work in a Zone and set the timer, and I will also assign the children a similar task to work on at the same time. When the timer goes off, we celebrate our accomplishment. I use The FlyLady timer for most of our projects, but the timer on my phone works, too. I have used them both when I needed to hear the timer go off in one part of the house, and the boys were in a different part of the house on a mission. It’s a tool I use more than once a day, and it has helped me manage my time more efficiently and given me freedom, too.

For our Zone Mission today, we are in our Master Bedroom (children work in their rooms), and we are going to detail dust in our bedrooms. Set the timer, and dust the window ledges, blinds, baseboards, ceiling fan, flat surfaces, etc. If you have too much stuff on your flat surfaces, you need to have a decluttering session first. You can detail dust your bedroom very quickly if you have decluttered the flat surfaces.

Holiday Mission: Make your Christmas desserts today. Watch a Christmas movie as a family. Make memories!

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:

  • Are you taking time to enjoy the fall weather as a part of your school day? Take some books outside and enjoy doing some school work outside 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
  • 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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Making Memories Monday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
This week I want you to take time to make memories and enjoy the moments with your children. If your children are grown and you have grandchildren, make memories with them. If they don’t live close to you, use technology and Skype with them. When they are adults, they will remember different things about their childhood, help them make memories this week that will come back to them later.

We had a Christmas celebration today with my husband’s family. Both of his parents have passed away, so I do what I can to celebrate the things that his mother did for the grandchildren when they were little. I make her recipes in many cases. I typed up a story she wrote one Christmas and gave everyone a copy of it. I passed along her Christmas apron. We all had fond memories and stories to share today. I want my children, nieces, and nephews to have a part in this legacy. Celebrate and love your family. You don’t know that you will have another Christmas with them.

There are activities that I do with my children in December that I will continue if I am blessed with grandchildren. We make corn starch ornaments and paint them. We make cookies. We make pies. We make bath salts. While we are making memories, we are also making things to give to others. My grown children remember doing these things with me, and they ask every year if I am still doing the activities with their younger siblings.

Celebrating Christmas does not have to be a commercialized event. We see it as a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, make memories, and do for others. Enjoy your week! I will still have missions for you this week, but they will be short.

Here are your Zone Missions for the week for Zone 4 – The Master Bedroom (Kids’ Bedrooms)

Monday – 15-minute Room Rescue in the Master Bedroom (Have your children do the same in their bedrooms.)
Tuesday – Detail dust in your bedroom — ceiling fan, blinds, flat surfaces, etc.
Wednesday – Clean out under your bed
Thursday – Christmas Eve
Friday – Christmas Day

Holiday Missions:

Monday – Do some of your Christmas baking
Tuesday – Make your Christmas desserts, watch a Christmas movie as a family
Wednesday – Do food prep and veggie chopping
Thursday – Christmas Eve – enjoy your day! Make memories
Friday – Christmas Day – enjoy your family

If you have not downloaded my Holiday e-book, it is not too late. You can still use the full calendar plans for January to help you clean up after the Holidays.

It has helpful pages for you to do your menu planning, grocery lists, gift lists, and a daily calendar for January. I will also put the daily tips in my newsletter and on the blog. The e-book will just help you see the whole picture and give you forms to use.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
Weekly Home Blessing Hour:
Spread these out over the course of the week. Put a note on each day of the week with one or two of these per day.

7 Parts of the Weekly Home Blessing Hour from The FlyLady:

  • Quick Dust
  • Sweep/Mop
  • Purge Magazines or Paper Clutter
  • Change Bedding
  • Empty Trash
  • Clean Windows/Mirrors
  • Vacuum
 School:
  • Do you have some hands-on activities planned for the week? Look for a Thanksgiving Unit Study to work on this month.
 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: Have some outdoor time with your children today. Play. Do some nature journaling. The point is to add some movement to your day.
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.)
  • Lay anything out 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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On running and daily exercise. . .

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably know that I run, walk, or exercise in some manner every day of the year. Last year on December 19, 2014, I had a run streak anniversary of 365 days. I continued on that running streak until day 406, when injury to my foot and shin ended my running streak. It did not end my exercise, and after a short break for healing, I was back to running. I did change some of my running strategies. I listened to my body and took off from running for a total of 29 days in the past 365 days. That means I ran at least 1 mile for 336 days out of 365 days. On some of the non-running days, I walked. On other days, I did strength training or weight lifting.

One year later, I am a stronger and faster runner. My short distance running is the fastest it has ever been, and I know I am still improving. I am working on my long distance running in preparation for my second marathon next month. I am seeing it get faster as well. I have learned a lot about myself and my strength. I had to overcome obstacles to achieve my fitness goals. I have ran outside in all kinds of weather conditions from the heat and humidity of summer to below zero windchill factors in the winter. I ran in 16 races in the past year. That includes one marathon, three half marathons, one 10 mile, four 10Ks (6.2 mile), one 8K, and six 5Ks. It’s been a hard year with the injury, and it’s been a great year after the healing.

I would not change anything about the experiences I have had this year. I am a stronger, faster, and smarter runner because of the injuries. I have made some incredible running friends online and in real life who inspire and encourage me daily. I hope in some small way that I encourage others with my posts about running and staying active. I plan on staying active and listening to my body. Will I do another long-term running streak? I have not decided. I am currently doing a streak where I run or walk at least one mile per day. I am currently on day 33.

My word for 2015 has been “endurance.” Looking back at my journey this past year, that is a great word for me. I am looking at my goals for 2016, and I am thinking about what my word for 2016 will be. Stay tuned for those announcements around the New Year.

 

Here’s a picture from Run Day 400 on January 23, 2015, and from my run this morning.

rsd400 run-day-12-18-15

 

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Uncovering Clutter – Getting Organized

Getting Organized
in Your Home and Homeschool  
 

 

Even when you deal with removing declutter and paper from your home, you will still find papers and files that have been buried under something. Yesterday, I was sorting through an office tray at my son’s computer desk. In the tray were his books, notebooks, and DVDs for his math lessons. Underneath these, I found two of my file folders from 2004. After a quick review, I found that it could just be tossed in the trash. There was nothing of enough importance to keep or even shred with my shredder. It’s very freeing to get rid of clutter, and I am pretty efficient at getting rid of junk mail and papers were don’t need any more. It’s humorous to find something as old as these old folders. They were left from when I used that desktop computer and desk for my work area. It’s been a while since it was my work area.

Sometime today I want you to go to an area of your house that needs some decluttering. Set a timer for 15 minutes and purge! Email me if you find something older than 2004 to throw out.

Holiday Mission: Check your grocery list for any additional food items or ingredients you need for next week.



Zone Mission: Take a look at your home. Pick one area that needs some attention. Use my challenge above and purge something that is older than my files from 2004.

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:
  • Time for FUN FRIDAY!
 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:

Play a game with your children 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 your launch pad
  • Shine Your Sink
  • Clean Off a Hot Spot
  • Go to Bed at Decent Hour

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15 Minutes Thursday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Do you use your timer regularly to keep you from spending too much time on a project? Before I used The FlyLady system, I would do projects and spend hours on them. I would finish the project tired and burned out. I would let things pile up before tackling them again. Then I would find myself in the same boat of having a large project to clean or declutter. It was a vicious cycle. By using my timer and setting it for 15 minutes at a a time, I work on a project and switch to something else or take a 15 minute break. Not all projects can be completed in 15 minutes, but you can break down the steps of the project and just work on certain steps for 15 minutes. This has been a much better way for me to handle decluttering or switching out closets for the different seasons or even Christmas decorating. Using The FlyLady’s Weekly Home Blessings and Zone Missions, I do not have to do big cleaning projects. No more spring cleaning for me! I have also found that I am not crisis cleaning this week before a family Christmas party in our home this weekend. I am able to do my Weekly Home Blessings, Zone Missions, and cleaned out my refrigerator to prepare for the party. I did a sign up sheet for items for the family meal, so I am not responsible for cooking everything. It has been a wonderful week with no stress for me. This is what I want for you, too. I post these daily notes and missions to help you find peace like I have found peace.
Holiday Mission: Thursday

Add items to your shopping list for your table service for holiday meals next week.

Zone Focus: Any Room in the House – Do a 15-minute Room Rescue.

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:

  • Have you done some hands on learning with your children this week? Plan something for tomorrow! Make tomorrow a Fun Friday for school!
 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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Joyful Wednesday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Throughout this year a word has popped up in many places for me. The word is “joy.” There are many ways to have joy in your life. There are days when joy is not your first reaction. This time of year finds many people who seem to have lost their joy. As you are out driving or shopping, I am sure you have seen a few of these people. These are the people who need you to share joy with them. Smile and wish them a Merry Christmas if possible. Remind your children to smile and wish people they encounter a Merry Christmas, too. You and your children might be the only pleasant people they will speak to that day. Many times the most gruff looking people are the people who hurt the most on the inside. Spreading a joyful spirit this time of year will bless you as much as it blesses others. I am currently writing a devotional book about joy that I started in the spring.

Living abundantly with love. Live joyfully.

Zone Mission – Main Bathroom – Wipe down the fixtures and baseboards. If this does not take long, do a quick room rescue in another room in your home.

Holiday Mission – If you made cookies for someone yesterday, deliver them today while you are out running errands.

Grocery Shopping and Errand Day – Take your list, pack snacks, and water bottles.
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: Is your paperwork caught up? Do you need to update lesson plans or attendance sheets?


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
  • Errand day: Make your plan for grocery shopping and errands. Pack water bottles and snacks for everyone. Pack up your library books that need to be turned in.
Family Fun: Plan a fun activity while you are out. I am in the habit of checking for free activities that are going on while we are out doing errands.
When you get home from doing errands, have everyone work together to unload and put away everything.

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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Do Something for Others Tuesday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Do you know someone who will be alone for the Holidays? Do something for them today. Bake them some cookies or other treats. Have your children make a card or picture to go with it. When you are out running errands and grocery shopping this week, you can deliver these. We try to do this several times a year for people we know we have lost family members or who live alone. It really brightens their day to have a visit. If you schedule allows, you should consider regular visits with elderly family or friends.

For our Zone Mission today, let’s declutter the bathroom counter top, cabinets, and drawers. With regular Zone work, you will find that it takes less and less time each month to do the Zone Missions. If you do not need to do a lot of decluttering maintenance in your main bathroom, check your other bathrooms. My main bathroom looks good this week, so I am concentrating on decluttering in the boys’ downstairs bathroom.

Holiday Mission: Your Holiday Mission is listed at the top of this. Make something for someone else and plan on delivering it this week.

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:

  • Are you taking time to enjoy the fall weather as a part of your school day? Take some books outside and enjoy doing some school work outside 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
  • 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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Mighty Monday – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

What do you see in your mind’s eye when you read the phrase, “Mighty Monday.” I want you to have a Mighty Monday by getting ready for the week today. Christmas is less than two weeks away. We also have homes that need attention. Husbands and children who need attention. So today I want you to be a Mighty Mom. Make a short list of no more than 6 things that you need to do today. Number them. Write the numbers 1-6 on 6 pieces of paper. Put them in a bowl and draw a number one at a time. Use your timer for each task. Keep it under 15 minutes at a time. If it’s a project with several steps, allow for that, too. As you check these off your list, you will feel like a Mighty Mom. I know you can do this! I want you to have less stress next week leading into Christmas, so try to hit those Zone and Holiday Missions each day this week.

Here are your Zone Missions for the week for Zone 3 – The Main Bathroom and 1 Extra Room:

Monday – Deep Clean the Tub/Shower
Tuesday – Declutter counter tops/drawers/under cabinets in Main Bathroom
Wednesday – Wipe fixtures and Baseboards in Main Bathroom
Thursday – Do a 15-minute Room Rescue in the Room of Your Choice
Friday – Do a 15-minute Room Rescue in the Room of Your Choice

Holiday Missions:

Monday – Put out your Holiday towels and candles in the Main Bathroom
Tuesday – Bake Cookies for Someone
Wednesday – Make your New Year’s Eve Menu; Deliver the cookies that you made
Thursday – Add items to your shopping list for items needed for Christmas Meal Table Service
Friday – Add any other food items you need for Christmas to your shopping list

If you have not downloaded my Holiday e-book, it is not too late. You can still use the full calendar plans for January.

It has helpful pages for you to do your menu planning, grocery lists, gift lists, and a daily calendar for January. I will also put the daily tips in my newsletter and on the blog. The e-book will just help you see the whole picture and give you forms to use.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
Weekly Home Blessing Hour:
Spread these out over the course of the week. Put a note on each day of the week with one or two of these per day.

7 Parts of the Weekly Home Blessing Hour from The FlyLady:

  • Quick Dust
  • Sweep/Mop
  • Purge Magazines or Paper Clutter
  • Change Bedding
  • Empty Trash
  • Clean Windows/Mirrors
  • Vacuum
 School:
  • Do you have some hands-on activities planned for the week? Look for a Thanksgiving Unit Study to work on this month.
 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: Have some outdoor time with your children today. Play. Do some nature journaling. The point is to add some movement to your day.
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.)
  • Lay anything out 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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