For the ladies:
Sometimes I have a hard time keeping house like my mama and mamaw did.
This helps.
Warning, she does go multicult at times but I think she is a white christian lady. Looking at a pic, she maybe a half white, half asian, she is kinda overweight so her eyes look funky. (In case anyone wanted to know fly lady's back ground. Some folks find that important) She give good info.

http://www.flylady.net/index.asp

I got scared while scrolling through that site!! Decluttering? Making the bed in the morning? Before bed routine? Ya....decluttering for me is finding all the little legos and putting them back in my little man's lego box....making the bed in the morning is picking up the extra blankets on the floor and throwing them back on the bed.....before the bed routine....fixing nachos and checking email. I am not the housewife I thought I would be.

Her thing is baby steps.
She starts you off by keeping your sink clean. Believes it takes about 27 days to learn a habit. It is all about learning good housekeeping. My mom made it seem easy. It ain't.

The decluttering is the hardest thing for me. I am a total pack rat.

Just read though it a little. It talks about falling off the fly lady wagon. It isn't intended to be the instant cure. I wish it was. Don't we always want it that way? I find it helpful with getting me started on a totally messy house.
Crisis cleaning 101. 15 minute in the kitchen, 15 minute in living room, 15 minute kitchen, then 15 minute break. Stuff like that keeps me interested in the site.

The decluttering is the hardest thing for me. I am a total pack rat.
I'm one of those too, but that isn't something I actually want to change. At least, not right now I don't. I have books and notebooks going back to elementary school, and my place usually looks like a used computer parts store threw up in here. http://vnnforum.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

I have to admit, that I have an obsessive compulsive nature about cleaning. I clean (tidy up) everyday. I vacuume at least 2 times a week. I think vacuume marks on carpet are what really makes it "feel" clean. My husband isn't the neatest person, so everyday I come home and clean house so then he gets to come home to a clean house. I do get upset now and then, but I (in a sick way) enjoy cleaning. I like everything to have a place and be in it's place. I am not a pack rat at all. If I don't use it, it either goes to goodwill or in the trash. I was a slob when I was little, so I have no idea where this behavior came from. :D

Her thing is baby steps.
She starts you off by keeping your sink clean. Believes it takes about 27 days to learn a habit. It is all about learning good housekeeping. My mom made it seem easy. It ain't.

The decluttering is the hardest thing for me. I am a total pack rat.

Just read though it a little. It talks about falling off the fly lady wagon. It isn't intended to be the instant cure. I wish it was. Don't we always want it that way? I find it helpful with getting me started on a totally messy house.
Crisis cleaning 101. 15 minute in the kitchen, 15 minute in living room, 15 minute kitchen, then 15 minute break. Stuff like that keeps me interested in the site.

I do appreicate you posting that link. I did bookmark and came back to it and read a little. Got me motivated. 15 min here or there I can do. I don't think I can be a Fly lady in one day but I was able to declutter a coffee table full of office supplies (we were changing around rooms). Our house just don't have the storage space and we are outgrowing this home. I have a list in my head the things I want to get done but get so overwhelmed and throw my hands up in the air and say, "forget about it". I know my husband enjoys a tidy house (his mother is a domestic goddess) but he has never chided me about the house being a mess or out of whack on occasions. I know it starts getting to him when he says, "We need to clean the house". I very well know what "we" means LOL - I just feel he brings home the money and we live in a relatively nice home away from the rift raft and we have safe cars to drive, etc. etc. the least I can do is to have dinner on the table for him (which isn't all that hard for me) and the house cleaned.

I do appreicate you posting that link. I did bookmark and came back to it and read a little. Got me motivated. 15 min here or there I can do. I don't think I can be a Fly lady in one day but I was able to declutter a coffee table full of office supplies (we were changing around rooms). Our house just don't have the storage space and we are outgrowing this home. I have a list in my head the things I want to get done but get so overwhelmed and throw my hands up in the air and say, "forget about it". I know my husband enjoys a tidy house (his mother is a domestic goddess) but he has never chided me about the house being a mess or out of whack on occasions. I know it starts getting to him when he says, "We need to clean the house". I very well know what "we" means LOL - I just feel he brings home the money and we live in a relatively nice home away from the rift raft and we have safe cars to drive, etc. etc. the least I can do is to have dinner on the table for him (which isn't all that hard for me) and the house cleaned.

I hear you sister. It is that overwhelming feeling that will keep you down. Flylady talks a lot about that 'overwhelming' feeling and tries to 'inspire' ya to focus on just one thing.
From your post I can see you have the typical 'hot spot' of the cluttered coffee table. One good thing I read is you have an easy time with dinner. That is my sore spot. Flylady says if you know what you are going to prepare for dinner, that is half the days battle. The key one is having a clean kitchen to prepare it in. That is where I have to put all my focus, the clean kitchen. I have been a flybaby for a few years now and still have problems with the kitchen sink always shiny.

Flylady helps me a lot during the holiday season. She has a plan that helps you spread the work out so that you can be a little more relaxed to enjoy the holidays. I love thanksgiving and xmas season, but man, all the work to prepare. She gets you on a game plan.

I found she helps me start thinking what is clutter and what is useful. I am a pack rat. It is hard to break away from items. She at least gets me thinking about it.

Flylady has that book sink reflections, check it out of the lib. or look for it in the used book section of thrift store. I find they have the cheapest books.

I hear you sister. It is that overwhelming feeling that will keep you down. Flylady talks a lot about that 'overwhelming' feeling and tries to 'inspire' ya to focus on just one thing.
From your post I can see you have the typical 'hot spot' of the cluttered coffee table. One good thing I read is you have an easy time with dinner. That is my sore spot. Flylady says if you know what you are going to prepare for dinner, that is half the days battle. The key one is having a clean kitchen to prepare it in. That is where I have to put all my focus, the clean kitchen. I have been a flybaby for a few years now and still have problems with the kitchen sink always shiny.

Hey thanks for the encouragement, I don't get near enough as I would like around here but I guess I'm learning to get over it, so to speak. I have to attend to the kitchen at least three times a day, even I only cook one meal in the day. In the morning, before dinner and after dinner. I have to have a clean (or semi-moderate) kitchen to work in. Actually some of my cabinets - one with the plastic storage containers and the other with stuff I don't use needs to be cleaned out and I made a mental note that this week I'm getting it done with bleach and and some scrubbing power.

Flylady helps me a lot during the holiday season. She has a plan that helps you spread the work out so that you can be a little more relaxed to enjoy the holidays. I love thanksgiving and xmas season, but man, all the work to prepare. She gets you on a game plan.
Sounds like you do a lot of the cooking and hosting for holidays. I do not envy you at all..... we travel and visit family during the holidays. Some last few thanksgivings we stay around the home and my dh prepares smoked turkey breast and sausauges on the grill. He likes to grill so that helps me out and I have been known to make one to many pumpkin pies when it just the four of us here. Christmas is a given, visit the dh's family far away and his domestic goddess mother is more than ready to do all the cooking. I sneak in and help - such as cooking a nice breakfast or desserts, but she usually has it all done and planned out. I can't complain though.

One of things that helped me with cooking and figuring out dinner is pampered chef cookbooks, I found one at a garage sale. They are expensive brand new but if you look for them at thrift stores or whereever you may be able to pick one up for 5.00 or so.



I found she helps me start thinking what is clutter and what is useful. I am a pack rat. It is hard to break away from items. She at least gets me thinking about it.

Flylady has that book sink reflections, check it out of the lib. or look for it in the used book section of thrift store. I find they have the cheapest books.

Thanks for the tip about the book. I think if anything I need to organize my day, plan out a schedule, I am so nonchalant about planning out my day, I think those Blackberries are evil things. :)