So haven't posted since October... 8 months.... Like a lot of things posting tomorrow became, one week, two weeks, a month...... In the last 8 months I have made quite a few changes, and have fallen behind in quite a few too. Got busy with Christmas, then cleaning up from Christmas, then recovering from cleaning up from Christmas, then getting ready for annual daycare inspection, then family life started having some pretty big distractions (everyone’s ok), crazy things with daycare (needing more kids, badly), stress....... BUT I'm not giving up!  (so here goes a rambling post, that's what happens when i'm writing instead of going to bed!)
 

Doing a lot better with keeping the main part of the house picked up all the time (easier said than done with up to 10 kids running around all day, thankfully they are also getting better about picking up toys etc too, easier to teach them to help when I’m doing better at keeping the clutter etc taken care of). However while I’ve been keeping the main house clean other areas are still behind the 3rd itty bitty bedroom that I would like to be more than a storage area, (like many things started with one box then quickly became a room filled with boxes, and while I need lots of storage space-all those toys and activities take lots of room! I at least want the room to be a functional storage space-i.e. be able to find things and actually walk more than a few steps in the room, and would love for it to become a craft/sewing/office room for me); my bedroom is more picked up then it used to be, but not as much as I would like it to be.

I'm keeping up on some of the other habits (most days I'm still drinking quite a bit of water, trying to plan ahead for non-daycare hour meals to make them healthier not just whatever is easy, I’m also using my time somewhat better, but not as good as I should be)

           I've been wanting to get back to blogging to help me keep up on things (easier to make changes when I have clear goals, and easier to have clear goals when put them somewhere!) I'm going to change how I was doing things (setting the goals for each area inc a room etc) as that didn't really work that well and now many of the rooms only need upkeep.  So here it goes.... Again....

My main goal is this weekend to work on the 'classroom' also known as the 3rd bedroom. (that I mentioned earlier) This room is itty bitty, basically a big walk in closet with a closet in it. Right now it has 2 tables (one kid one and another really small one from my apartment way back when), 3 book shelves, and a ton of junk, most in boxes or bins (everything from papers to go through, to toys that need sorted or repaired, random things that need to go to the attic and things that just need to be put away).  It's a very ambitious project, in the very least (if I don't get all the sorting and putting away and end up having to put stuff back in the room I will have gotten it condensed and the get rid off or trash-not like ewwww trash just broken toys etc- taken care of and can finish it over the next few weeks). Right now it's so buried that nothing can really be done without emptying it first, while emptying it seems kinda crazy, it is needed. In order to focus on the room this weekend I need to do different things over the week that I typically do over the weekend (like getting caught up on dishes etc) and some prep work done (like organizing the attic a little bit more to make room for some of the toys etc I know will end up in there), getting empty boxes down from the attic for get rid of etc. I'm also going to make signs of the different categories of all the junk so I can sort quickly without really having to think about it, the initial sort needs to be quick!

So my goals are more daily goals then a big overall one:


Wednesday:

• Get all the little clutter in kitchen and living room dealt with
• Get all of the mid week cleaning down (main bathroom, floors etc)
• Do a few loads of laundry (usually do most on weekend)
• Finalize Wed night lesson (have had the bones of it done for a few weeks, just need to do the last few details)
• Go to Safeway (before church if possible)
• Try to be able to go to bed when get home from church/dropping off the siblings (have them late as my mom has a college class)
• Drink at least 3 bottles of water
• Only 2 treats (have been eating way too many sugary things- for sure the area I’m doingthe worst in is my health- physical and emotional)
• Spend at least 20 min doing devotions, praying, drawing, listening to worship music... (WITHOUT the distraction of HULU or TV etc.)
• If sunny go outside with kids and play soccer or something active with them, go on walk 

Thursday:

• Make the signs/labels for the sort
• Organize the attic and get empty boxes down (put in laundry room for out of the way easy access)
• Get all dishes done (so less to do on Friday)
• Any Friday food prep
• Same water, treats, devos and active as other days (although since not late day with kids can take Char on walk after kids leave)
• Vacuum every room really well (have to almost daily between kids, dog, and wood floors)
• Water flower beds if no real rain

Friday:

• Get all the chores done throughout the day (and have activities for kids, since it always seems that if I’m trying to be productive they will act up)
• Get all the toy bins out of living room (one change has been to keep very few in living room, but still a few there)
• Around 4 start hanging up signs/organizing areas.
• Make some snacks/easy meals for the weekend (would be tempting to order delivery since busy, bad for wallet and health!)
• As soon as kids leave haul junk out! Take a before pic! (will likely take a few hours.....)
• Sort through all the boxes of mixed junk
• Sort out any obvious get rid of/trash (good thing this was garbage week!)
• Don't stay up later than needed (so easy on Friday nights to stay up until wee hours of the morn!)
• Same water etc goals as other days 

Saturday:

• Sort, sort, purge junk, sort, sort......
• About half way through day put stuff that is ready for attic in attic (to clear space)
• Don't forget to eat and drink water (and take Advil too!) hard to keep moving if hungry/sore!
• When becoming unmotivated take a quick walk, vacuum room, put a few things away in my room.... take a short break, don't have time to waste!
• Get the big stuff put back into room! 

Sunday:

• Get up early enough to take walk before church (will be tired and a great way to wake up!)
• Get all the attic stuff into attic
• Get all the boxes put neatly into room
• Keep the inevitable boxes of papers handy to sort throughout the week)
• Sweep LR (living room) It's going to need it!
• Try to get to bed at decent hour!

So lots to do in the next few days,  lots, but doable!

Week 5 (week 4)

Week 4: recap
Room: Living Room: was more on top of it then usual, still have a ways to go!
Health: Eat 2 fruit and/or veggie servings at dinner, definately way better! almost everytime.
Time Management: Keep track of how spend time for a week, whoops.
Budget: Only buy what's on shopping list, or an unknown sale, did  better than usual, but did get a few fall decor (well that was 50% so a sale....)

Week 5: was supposed to start last week.... but crazy busy and while i've worked on getting cupboards organized, and cut down on sweetened drinks, but still keeping this week for another week lol.
Room: Kitchen-unseen

• Clean cupboards (inside)
• go through and get rid of dishes never use, move seldom used to cupboard above fridge
• go through pantry, get rid of any old/won't use
• scrub fridge and freezer

Health:  Only one drink with added sweetener (not counting juice etc with natural sugar)

Time Management:  Only 3 hours of sit down media (before was only TV)

Budget:  turn off lights, and unplug things when not being used

The kitchen is one of the rooms i'm always behind on, and have to start in the cupboards 1st!  have been cutting down on candy etc.  but somedays way too much pop or sweetened coffee drinks, and those add up!  have been more concious of my media time, but still waste too much time on it.  Turning off lights etc, isn't too hard, and I do most of the time, but need to all of the time, electricity is my most expensive utility by far, and while I can't stop heating my house, or other necessities, I can use it more wisely!

Week 4 (Week 3 recap)

Week 3 recap- this week went pretty well, still haven't been walking charlie very much... last weeks room was playroom- didn't get it clean everyday, but did get one super good cleaning, kept the bathroom clean, hallways too for the most part.   Have been at least thinking about the 'treats' i've been eating, maybe more then 2 a day, but i'm at least paying attention to what i'm eating.  I have been paying more attention to the ammount of time i'm just sitting and watching tv and trying to be me productive while i'm sitting there (like entering reciepts, paperwork, making things for craft sale).  and for the eating out budget, i def have been way too much this week, it's been a crazy busy one, so i'll have to pay attention the next week and try to only eat at home (I did get some $1 tv dinners for those nights i'm tempted to order in, i have a super quick and easy dinner).  I have been doing better at devos, although it's been at night, but still it's better than nothing!



Room:  Living Room

• Pick up everyday
• Declutter 1x a week (saturdays)
• Sweep Daily
• Swiffer/Mop every Sunday, more if needed

Health:  Eat 2 fruit and/or veggie servings at dinner (eat a lot with kids but usually skip at dinner)

Time Management: Keep track of how spend time for a week

Budget:  Only buy what's on shopping list, or an unknown sale (only things I actually need/use!)

This week the room will defiently be the hardest yet, the LR gets trashed almost everyday from toys etc.  so it's going to take lots of discipline and time management!  I typicaly don't eat very many fruit and veggies when the kids aren't here, I tend to save them for daycare time, but eating healthy is imporant for me too!  I did get some fruit and veg (that I like) at safeway not even thinking about this weeks goals.
I'm also going to post the goals (from all weeks) on fridge, I did that the first week and it helped with motivation a lot, and after a crazy few weeks, i've definately been lacking the needed motivation!  I have also got caught up on some accounting for the year, and i'm determined to keep up with that too (will be so much easier for taxes next year!!!)

End of week 2 and start of 3!

Week 2 goals:
Chore: Main Bathroom
Health: Walk Charlie
Time Management:  No going back to sleep after get up in morning
Budget: Run dishwasher fuller/better

I did fairly well this week, didn't walk charlie at all, have to figure out how to fit in schedule, after the kids leave (which was my plan) just doesn't work, i'm tired, some days it's almost dark, and the last few days it was so muggy i had zero ambition to do anything by then...  Once a few of the kids start 'school' this week i'm thinking i'm going to try to take the few that are here with and go for a walk.   I cleaned the bathroom most days, and swiffered it half way through the week, need to do it a little more, but did better this week then others!  I don't think I went back to sleep any days, but did sit down on couch after kids get there, but didn't go back to sleep!   I hadn't been running the dishwasher horibly before, but a few times i would just go 'oh well, it's almost full' but this week i made the concious decission each time whether or not it was completely full or not.

Week 3:
Room: Play Room
           Pick up and Vacuum every night

Health:  Only 2 'treats' a day
              inc. pop, candy, cookies, cake.... (not reasonably sweetened tea or coffee)

Time Management: 3 hours or less of 'sit down' TV watching (doesn't include when actively doing something
                                             else)
                            Do something while watching too
Budget: Cut monthly eating out budget to $40 (inc fast food, delivery, real restaurants, deli food etc.)

The play room can get behind quickly so keeping up on it daily will help a lot! (and of course try to have kids do most of pick up before they leave).  Only 2 treats a day is actually a lot so even less would be better, but it's a very doable number and a stepping stone.  3 hours of sit down TV is more than enough, doesn't include things like watching hulu when doing dishes, or when picking up living room.  While I don't spend a ton of money eating out, if I go out etc once a week it really adds up!

Week 3

Room: Play Room
           Pick up and Vacuum every night

Health:  Only 2 'treats' a day
              inc. pop, candy, cookies, cake.... (not reasonably sweetened tea or coffee)

Time Management: 3 hours or less of 'sit down' TV watching (doesn't include when actively doing something else)
                            Do something while watching too
Budget: Cut monthly eating out budget to $40 (inc fast food, delivery, real restaurants, deli food etc.)

The play room can get behind quickly so keeping up on it daily will help a lot! (and of course try to have kids do most of pick up before they leave).  Only 2 treats a day is actually a lot so even less would be better, but it's a very doable number and a stepping stone.  3 hours of sit down TV is more than enough, doesn't include things like watching hulu when doing dishes, or when picking up living room.  While I don't spend a ton of money eating out, if I go out etc once a week it really adds up!

Week 2.... redo!

This week has been one crazy week.  From major family drama Sunday night, that quickly turned into Monday morning (everything’s going ok now) to my living room light shorting out, thankfully when I was at home so it didn't result in a fire!  Since this week was so crazy I basically didn't get any of the goals done, I cleaned the bathroom, but not as often as I wanted, I did drink lots of water, although primarily trying to get rid of the migraine I had for a few days (with a houseful of boys it was difficult to beat!), I did call and lower my TV etc bill (goal from week one), and even saved more by finding a brand new answering machine at a resale shop!  Going to bed early just didn't happen, after getting off schedule Sunday night (family stuff) just wasn't disciplined.... and basically all the goals were like that, so instead of starting week 3's goals, I'm taking a week to get week 2's done and part of my routine before I get farther behind!  My goal for this adventure was not to feel guilty about not doing what I planned but to slowly make changes, so I am going to forget this last week even happened, and restart week 2!

So here are week 2's goals:
Chore: Main Bathroom
           Keep picked up
           Daily Wipe down
           Mop Sunday and Thursday

Health: Walk Charlie
              At least one square block daily

Time Management:  No going back to sleep after get up in morning
                                     No even sitting until load of dishes done, inc. any needing away

Budget: Run dishwasher fuller/better
                Less loads equals less soap, power, and water

I am going to add to it one thing, to make at least 3 things for the craft fair I'm hoping to be involved in, if I'm even going to be close to having enough things to sell by the time it comes, I need to get into hyper drive! 

So here goes week 2 (again!)

Week 1 recap- Week 2 Beginning...

Overall last week went ok... Of the 4 goals, I did ok, great on going to bed earlier, (well except for thurs night, but that wasn't without reason), decent on drinking more water, devos not so great...  and really didn't look at the tv etc bill, other than knowing need to get a cheap phone with an answering machine to cut costs.

Week 2 goals are easy-  keep bathroom clean (not a big deal-just more consistant), walk charlie everyday, don't go back to sleep in the morning (often i'll get up and get ready then have 20ish min til kids come so I'll go back to sleep), and to load dishwasher better.  Not huge goals, but one more step in the overall big changes of the next year!