31 Days and I am happy :)

I did it,

I completed my 31 baby steps on FlyLady.net!  Yeah, I am happy.

My home feels much less chaotic and messy.  I also can just relax and enjoy it from time to time, and that is nice.

After the end of the Baby steps you progress into zones, you can check all that out here...

FLYlady Zone Work

I am going to work on de-cluttering my zones for a month or two before I get into heavy duty cleaning.

So here is the plan now...

I will continue the habits I have created during the baby step month, and I will de-clutter the zone I am in 15 minutes a day until I am satisfied that it is ready, then I will start "detail" cleaning.  This is the strategy that they suggest on the site.  I must say I am so proud of my home right now.  It isn't perfect, but it is WAY better.  The mountains of junk that I used to accumulate are much smaller, my laundry is being done consistently, and it makes me very happy.

Now I will move into a de-cluttering phase and make sure my home is only full of things I absolutely love and need.  After my place is de-cluttered to my satisfaction, I will begin slowly decorating it in a way that makes me love it even more.

I have an idea for a decor thing, just need to gather supplies, working on that as we speak, hopefully it will be up soon, I will post an update on that when I can : )

FlyLady Update, Day 27

As my adventures with the Flylady's 31 baby steps nears it's end, I am excited to move on, after the babysteps, there is Zones, and other stuff.

One key thing that is emphasized A LOT is that it didn't get dirty in a day, and it won't get clean in one either.  Since the last update, I have included a few things into the routine, such as laundry, and an afternoon routine.

As far as laundry, I do one load a day as she instructs.  I have a set schedule that helps me make sure everything gets done.  It goes a little like this:

Monday - Sheets, separate laundry
Tuesday - Whites
Wednesday - Light colors
Thursday - Dark colors
Friday - Towels (Kitchen and Bath)

It seems like a lot of organization but it helps me stay on track... I wake up, make my bed, swish and swipe and then grab the appropriate basket.  On days when I don't have enough to justify doing it, I skip it.  Knowing that I will have to wait a week to wear whatever is in there at the time.  I have hand washed a few things that I knew I would want.  It is all working out well so far.

I am about halfway through the book I mentioned last update.  It is AMAZING you all should check it out.  When we get into zones, it is suggested that instead of a thorough cleaning the current zone everyday, you lightly clean it one or two days and declutter it for about 15 minutes a day until you are satisfied the zone is decluttered enough.  I plan to use the books advice then.  Now that I am pretty solid in the routines.  After you declutter, you spend about 15 minutes a day cleaning the zone we are in.  I will talk more about it when we get there.

I have been taking pictures of my "clutter" corners so when they are declutteres I can put up before and afters.  Exciting huh?  It is to me : )

Until next time, please check out The FLYlady's Site

FlyLady update, Day 18

Hello friends!

Sorry it has been so long!  I am still working my way threw the flylady's 31 babysteps.  Today's step was to read the FlyLady's 11 Commandments, you can read them too, just click
right here.  The commandment sort of summarize what we have done, up until this day.  I am going to post them in my home, and eventually in my control journal.

I would like to say, I am in love with this program!  You should see my place.  I still have lots of areas that need work, but my kitchen, and bathroom always feel clean and inviting.  My bed is made, which really makes the room feel nice.  I have never been a bed "maker"  No, I always lobbied for the "I am just gonna mess it up again" party :)

I put my trust in flyLadys hands and when she told me to make my bed, I did.  I feel much better.  She told me to shine my sink and now my whole home is starting to shine.  It barely feels like I am doing anything yet the house is getting better and better.

Another thing I noticed, I actually notice messes.  Today I woke up and saw that I left a glass on my table, picked it up and washed it.  Before, that glass would have been stuck to the table by the time I even noticed it.

FlyLady suggests a book called Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui.  I checked it out from the library yesterday.  I am hoping it will help me clear out even more things I don't need anymore.  Soon my house will be filled, only with the things I actually love.  What a great feeling that will be : )

Flylady Update Day 6

So... today is my 6th day doing the flyLady baby steps and I must say, the cleanliness spreads like an infection.  A glorious infection I hope has no cure.

So far I have kept my kitchen and, bathroom and entrance clean.

I have cleared off 3 places that were over run with paper and crap.  I have been making my bed, and getting dressed, and organizing.

Most importantly, in this sixth day I am happy to say I can feel my home getting lighter as I toss out things I no longer need or use.  I can see that this system helps in a lot of ways.  It helps you take a breath and realize that it didn't get dirty in a day, it won't be clean in a day.

The system of establishing routines, also gets you out of the cycle I found myself  in, which was...

Going on a spree and cleaning everything in sight in a wild weekend where I never came up for air.  Then, justifying not cleaning again until the house was so horribly dirty I would break down in tears and have to will myself to do it all over.

Most importantly, I admit, that I have some hoarding tendencies.  I don't like to throw stuff away, but this makes the aura of the home so heavy and weighed down.  Now that I am de-cluttering using the flyLady system I must say that I am looking into donating most of my books to the library, or to goodwill, and tossing all my old cds and anything I dont "love".

I can see that the junk is not necessary and that a clean, light home feels amazing.

Please consider trying at least the first 31 baby steps.  All you have to lose is 31 days, 15 minutes a day tops.  You will see the value of the program within days, I know it.

Click Here to Check it Out

So tomorrow is day 7 and I will be adding one thing to my routines.  That's it, one thing at a time.  I love it.  It isn't all perfect, and I will post on the downfalls, sometime, but it is making me take pride in my home, and the clean is spreading :)

FlyLady Day 1

So, the first day's task is to shine your kitchen sink.  You can read her philosophy behind it here...

Day 1 information

Here are her detailed instructions for actually shining your sink...

How to shine a sink : )

I didn't realize such an easy thing could change my mood, but as you see the pictures, realize that with every step I felt more and more accomplished!

First some dreadful before pictures

My sink "before" a sad state!

Another before, all dull and lifeless : (

Then I followed step 1 in her plan, I soaked my sink for an hour with bleach water...

After a one hour bleachy water soak

 Then I scrubbed it with something else... I used baking soda

Baking soda and water time...

Then I rinsed it out well... almost there

After the baking soda scrub down 

 Then I continued using her steps and ended up here...

Man it looks brand new!  The pictures don't so it justice!

I have to say that it looks even better then the pictures look.  Also the total time invested... not including the one hour soak was tops 20 minutes.

Make sure you check out the links above and jump in!  The thing I like about this program or whatever it is, is that it doesn't feel like cleaning use to.  I HATE cleaning.  It is more of a way to keep your house that helps you feel proud about your house and yourself and makes your house "take care of itself".  That is the one line that people always use about FLYlady.

I urge everyone to at least try the 31 day babystep program.  Then decide how you feel.  I know that you will fall in love with the philosophy.

So get to it!  Also, after your sink looks amazing, make sure you check out what you are going to be doing tomorrow.  Alwyas think ahead!  Even if it is just one day ahead.  Ok, ok I will make it super easy, click here!

Your House Will Thank You!

Here is the plan...

Ok, so I have been hard at work trying to figure out how to get my house in order.  Really in order, like a Martha house!

I have decided that the first thing I should do is go through and de-clutter and clean up.  A clean house is easier to decorate, and a de-cluttered house feels lighter...I am told :)

So what I am going to do is restart my FLYlady journey.  What I mean by that is I am going to go through the baby steps again and hopefully get the house back in order.

What is FLYlady you ask?  It is a site that helps you get your house in order and helps you gain control of your life really.  I have been doing it on and off for a while but now it is serious!!

Want to join me??  Out of respect for her and her hard work, I wont be posting what she actually says and stuff.  Just updates once a week on how I am doing with it.  You can check out the 31 day baby steps that get you into a good routine of keeping your house, then you keep "flying" and your house becomes a lighter, cleaner place.  I can tell you that from the last time I did the 31 baby steps I still do some of them.  I want to get better at all the routines.  So check out the baby steps here:

FlyLady 31 Days babySteps...

Check back in and I will post some updates so that you can see how the steps are helping me.  Also, join in!  Let's get our houses in order together... whose with me?

I am going to take some before pictures and that way it can become obvious how much she helps me : )

A little craft for the LR

I know I don't post here often.  Elegant sunshine is sort of the ball that gets dropped when I am juggling to many.  Much like my house gets pushed aside for other things.  I did manage to do a small craft project that really added something to my Living room.

I found this at Goodwill on one of my many "I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!!" trips.

I like the detail...

Corner "before"

 It had some issues sure, it was scratched and had some wax on it, but I liked it for the person it could be.

The "issues" before :)

 Ok, Ok I liked the price, and I knew I had some spray paint at home!

The best prices are under 5 bucks!

 So now it is aqua... of course!

Details, details!

 And quite stunning I think!

Scrollies... FTW

 There is is, bringing some niceness to my coffee table that WILL be white... someday!

And that is all, a little 3 dollar fix up that adds some much needed character to my LR.  It feels like I accomplished something! Yay!

This is what I mean!

sunshine through trees, originally uploaded by gone_to_glacier.

This isn't the way the sunshines on my inspiring morning runs, but this is an excellent example of how that sun full a space. It is everywhere and no where, and you can just tell this is a cool day with streaks of warmth through out the trees. I hope this picture helps you see what I mean : )

Welcome to the blog!

This blog was inspired by this post on my other blog:

Sometimes we are brave and don't even know it

It helped me realize that I want to bring more of that elegance, love and sunshine into my home.  I live in a little one bedroom apartment, and I have NO money to spend on it.  So the things I do will be cheap updates that slowly improve the house.  I have a whole bunch of ideas, just need to get them together.  This will be a picture rich blog and I will work to make sure to link to awesome blogs and inspirations as often as possible.

Every piece of furniture was given to my by one of my loving family or friends.  All of it is begging to be personalized and made into what I think is beautiful.  So it should be a fun adventure.

The title of the blog is what I consider a perfect inspiration, the elegance of the sun shining threw the trees or the clouds or the windows, improving everything it touches : )