Detailing Under Your Bed – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

Today’s mission is hopefully quick for you today. I want you to detail clean under your bed. It’s time to evict the dust bunnies. If you don’t keep much under your bed, this should be a quick task. It helps if you don’t keep a lot of stuff under your bed to make this fast and easy each month. Evicting the dust bunnies monthly will make your air quality better, and who doesn’t need that at night when they go to bed! Tell me how you did with the Zone Missions this week!

Have a great week-end!
If you have any questions or tips, please email me. I enjoy hearing from my readers.
Zone Mission: Evict the dust bunnies under your bed. 
 
Menu Mission: My menu plan for today is eating at the baseball game. We have a company picnic!

 

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:

  • Check around for homeschool groups if you do not belong to one.
 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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Decluttering Folded Clothes – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Folded clothes are one of the biggest battles in putting away laundry. That is usually because we have too many folded clothes for our space. Many years ago, I set up a walk-in closet for my 5 sons to share. On one wall, I used storage bins for their folded clothes. This gave more floor space in their bedroom without using 5 dressers. I set up a bin for each for their underclothes, socks, and undershirts. Then I set up a second bin for each with jeans (or shorts) and t-shirts. I labeled the bins and used shelving to make it easy to access. They were able to basically toss folded clothes in the bins. This worked to an extent. Because they were quite young, I had to deal with combined bins at times. But overall, it worked really well. I also set up sections in the closet for their hanging clothes, and each boy had a place for his hanging clothes. As they grew, we moved their clothes to better suit their spaces, and now I just have 2 boys sharing that closet that was once shared by 5 boys. Currently, I have 4 boys still at home, and each one has a dresser. The rule is that their drawers must open and close freely, and they must be able to put their folded laundry away easily each day. I hardly ever check their drawers now. Once a season, we will go through their drawers and purge seasonal clothes. For general purposes, we declutter their folded clothes that don’t fit as we are folding laundry in the laundry room. If I see a t-shirt or underwear come through the laundry with lots of holes, I make it disappear, As I mentioned yesterday about decluttering in my closet, I also declutter my dresser drawers monthly as well. Tell me how you are doing with clothes maintenance in your home.

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Zone Mission – Declutter some of your folded clothes.
 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Chicken and 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:

  • 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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Decluttering the Closet – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

One key to keeping your laundry from being a beast in your home is to have less clothing in your closet. If we are honest with ourselves, there are clothes in our closet that have been there for years ans not been worn. We have guilt that we spent money on these clothes or that someone gave them to us. Let go of that guilt. Spend 15 minutes today pulling stuff out of your closet that does not fit. Immediately put it in your bad or box to donate. Get rid of those clothes that don’t fit — both the too small clothes and the too big clothes. If you have not worn it in the last 6 months, decide if you still want to give it valuable space in your closet. I declutter in my closet every single month. I may only get rid of 4 or 5 things at a time since I do this regularly, but I still do it. If I get something new, I get rid of something. This principle can be used for children’s clothing, too. As we start toward the cooler months, spend a little time each month decluttering clothes. It will make the seasonal change over easier and faster. God will provide for your needs. Don’t hoard clothes because you think you won’t get more to replace them. So go ahead and set the timer for 15 minutes and start decluttering those clothes!

Enjoy your day!

Zone Mission: Declutter Your Closet for 15 minutes.

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: Are you ready for the school year? Have you started already? We are on week 4 in my house.

 

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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Declutter Flat Surfaces in the Bedroom – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool
Today, let’s spend 15 minutes decluttering the flat surfaces in our bedrooms. This can mean that you are decluttering anything that is stacked or piled where it does not belong. Clean off that chair in the corner. Clear off your treadmill. Deal with the tops of dressers. Deal with the piles on your floor. Take a look around and get started. You only have to do this for 15 minutes. I know you can do it!

 

Zone Mission: Declutter the flat surfaces in your bedroom.

 

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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Peaceful Bedrooms – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

If you have been reading my emails or blog posts for long, you have probably realized that I like a peaceful home. There are many facets to having a peaceful home. One of the big ones for me is to have a decluttered home. That gives a sense of peace when other things seem to go awry. We all have outside things that we have to deal with, so when we go into our bedrooms at night, it should be peaceful and relaxing. It is not peaceful and relaxing if you have things piled everywhere in your bedroom. This week, let’s spend 15 minutes a day making our bedrooms peaceful. Remember that your children can do the same thing in their bedrooms this week. Everyone can work on these missions.

You can have a clean home and homeschool, too.
Zone Missions: Master Bedroom
Monday – Detail Dust the Master Bedroom
Tuesday – Declutter Flat Surfaces
Wednesday – Declutter in Your Closet
Thursday – Declutter 1 Drawer
Friday – Detail Vacuum Under Your Bed

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: Are you starting school this week? Tell me what you are doing.


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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Decluttering the Laundry Room – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

 

How does your laundry room look? Is is a catch all for clothes, shoes, blankets, and more? Let’s spend 15 minutes today decluttering the laundry room. In my house, it is a well-used room. I do 2 to 3 loads of laundry a day. I like to keep it decluttered, so it is easy to do my laundry. We put our clothes away daily, so the piles do not grow continually. The boys are so used to this routine that I don’t have to remind them often to put their laundry away. I do not have space to store many items other than the washer and dryer, so I don’t have a lot of extra stuff in my laundry room. I have a high shelf for cleaning supplies, and I have a low shelf for fabric softener and detergent and a box of light bulbs. I am pretty minimalist in the laundry room because I want it functional. I do have one laundry basket in there for my husband’s clothes, and I have a bin in there for the boys’ socks. Go ahead and set your timer for 15 minutes. You can do this!

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 the laundry room. 
 
Menu Mission: My menu plan for today is Rotisserie Chicken because it’s grocery shopping day. I will serve it with a salad and fresh veggies. 

 

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:

  • Check around for homeschool groups if you do not belong to one.
 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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That one thing that bothers you – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Today I want you to get out your notepad and pencil. Take a walk through your home and pretend you are a real estate agent. Make a list of the things that you would change if you were selling your home. After you make the list, give each thing a number of how important it is to you to change those things. Mark ONE thing as the thing that would give you the most peace if you changed it. Now, set your timer for 15 minutes and work on that ONE thing. I love the zone missions for this week because we can focus on the things that we have been putting off and deal with them one step at a time. I am not asking you to tear apart a room or a closet. I am just asking you to do one thing to bring you peace in your home.

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Zone Mission – Work on that one thing in your home that will help bring you peace.
 
Menu Plan for Thursday: Chicken and 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:

  • 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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Cleaning Out the Garage – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Most of us have a place in our homes that is overlooked, ignored, and procrastinated. For many, it is the garage. For others it is the basement or family room. I used “garage” in the title, but it really about the room you have been ignoring. You can tame the CHAOS in that area a little at a time. It is much like walking up a mountain. You do it one small step at a time. With consistency, it will get better. Use your timer for this. Set it for 5 minutes. Go into that area and grab one thing. Come out of the area if you are overwhelmed and decide if the item needs to be thrown away or given away. In rare cases, you will put it away, but you will need a place to put it and not just dump it again. Keep doing this for 15 minutes every day for 5 days. At the end of 5 days, take a little break. Then start back again. If you do this every day Monday through Friday for 5 to 15 minutes, you will get it done. It will be slow, but it will be progress. Today is anti-procrastination day. Get busy!

Enjoy your day!

Zone Mission: Declutter the Junk Drawer

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: Work on your lesson plans.

 

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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Zone Cleaning the Bathroom – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Because I spend two minutes a day cleaning my bathroom, I don’t have a lot of detail cleaning to do each month in my bathroom, but I still check the drawers and cabinet to declutter items. The bathroom is a very used room in most homes, and it takes a little effort to keep it tidy. Once you are in the habit of wiping down the tub/shower, sinks, and toilet daily, you will see how a little effort goes a long way to keep you from needing to deep clean the bathroom. If you have developed this habit, please email me.

We are in our third week of the homeschool year, and I will say it has been an adjustment in many ways as we have moved up a level in our work and in my expectations. Enjoy your year!

 

Zone Mission: Declutter the bathroom cabinet or shelf.

 

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: Work on your lesson plans..

 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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Books, Books, Books – Getting Organized

Getting Organized:
In your home and homeschool

Since it’s the beginning of the school year, many of you are looking at books right now and ordering them. Remember that no matter how many books you buy, it is not insurance that your children will learn everything there is to know. We can provide them with the best books, but if we buy too many, it is hard to use them all. Buying lots of books and curriculum can lead to being overwhelmed. Then very little gets accomplished. So keep your book buying list simple. Don’t buy then all at once. Read reviews if you are looking at new books/curriculum. Ask questions. Take your time making a selection. Talk to your husband. Pray about it. Review your family mission statement. Since I have been homeschooling for more than 16 years, I have collected a lot of books. I have also let go of a lot of books and blessed others. I teach my children how to research and find the answers to their questions. With access to the Internet, we don’t need a whole library of books in our home. We can use the Internet. We can go to the public library. There are ways to find answers without blowing the budget on more books that we can use in a school.

You can have a clean home and homeschool, too.
Zone Missions: Main Bathroom & One Extra Room
Monday – Clear off bathroom counters and wipe down
Tuesday – Declutter bathroom cabinet or drawer
Wednesday – Detail clean shower/tub OR Declutter in Garage/Basement
Thursday – Declutter 1 area in the house of your choice
Friday – Declutter the Laundry 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: Pick your start date for school and check on school supply sales.


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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