Organizing Challenge: Automatic Bill Payment & Electronic Bills

Sorry the challenge is late for today!  It's been a busy week and I sort of fell asleep before I got around to writing this .  Let's just say my organizing and cleaning skills have been put to the test this week! 

My significant other is currently on deployment so I had to move all of his stuff to our new place on my own.  Pro tip:  When you pack your storage unit do it in the reverse of how you'd want to take the stuff out.  I brought home all the boxes and little things first just to get to the furniture at the bottom and then had to shuffle around mounds of stuff so I could get the furniture in place. 

In the midst of all the chaos I got two emails on my phone: An electronic statement for my power bill and an email saying I'd automagically paid it.  I have everything I possibly can set up on auto pay for just this reason. Sometimes life is busy and I probably would've forgotten to pay the bill on time and then got slapped with a fee.  I also love the electronic statements because they don't take up any extra physical space and it's less stuff in the mail.

Here's the challenge for this week: Proactively reduce clutter and make your life easier by signing up for automatic payments and electronic bills.  Spend ten minutes and go through all of the bills you normally receive.  Look for their website and, if you haven't already, create an account.  Look for an option for "paperless billing" and also for paying your bills automatically.  Viola!  Never have to worry about whether you remembered to pay that bill on time again.  It will also save you money on checks and stamps.

You do still need to check the statements you receive electronically each month.  I'm a bit paranoid and I don't do automatic payments on my credit cards as I like to check all the charges before they're paid, but I've never had a problem.

Know Thy Self

A friend recently said of me:

"You are totally the next domestic goddess just waiting to happen. Like Martha Stewart, but without the air of smug superiority, smarminess, or felony fraud conviction."

While I'm totally flattered (and also maybe a little curious why she assumes my criminal record is clean) one of my big character flaws is honesty, even when it's not to my benefit.  Yes, I've got a good mind for organizing and cleaning but it's part practice and part masterful illusion.  I like things to be neat and my concept is clean is a few notches above the average, but I don't really like to clean.  I like the results of cleaning.  I also like pie but you're not going to catch me making pie every day.

The truth is some parts of my home are currently a disaster (there will photographic proof next week).  When my life is busy the dishes pile up and I will sometimes only do laundry when I have worn even the ugly shirts that I tell myself I will only wear in a laundry emergency.  I also know that at some point a clean home isn't as important as the rest of life.  When I was studying for my finals  in Anatomy & Physiology II, my boyfriend came to do dishes and cook for me because I had not had a real meal or a clean kitchen in weeks. It's bad when your man will drive 1.5 hours on a week night to come clean your kitchen for you so you can keep studying.

That's kind of the whole point behind 7 Days to Clean.  As much as I like the idea of having an army of cleaning minions out there making their beds every morning (go you, by the way!), what I really want is for you to understand your limits and be okay with them.  There is such thing as an acceptable level of clean and it's not only good enough for yourself and your family, but for visitors as well. It doesn't take 4 hours of cleaning every day.  It doesn't mean that there aren't crumbs under the edge of the kitchen counters some days or finger prints on the windows. It does mean that you did just what you needed to make your home a place where the rest of your life can go on.

There was a study published a few years ago that showed that human beings have a limited capacity for willpower. I think organization is really the capacity to exercise willpower in a specific way.  A good bench mark for me is whether I made the bed that day. If I didn't it means that the balance of fun in my life is off kilter. If I can't even do the 2 minute, practically free, self-loving cleaning of making a bed then how can I hope to do any of the other cleaning and organizing that makes my life more pleasant?  Usually when I find myself in this situation it's because I've totally overloaded myself with projects and commitments.

Don't be afraid to do a job 1/10th of the way if that's how much you can get through that day.  If it's a 3 hour job and you want to set a timer for 15 minutes ever day and only do what you can in 15 minutes that's perfect.  You are a domestic goddess (or god) and you did a minor miracle by moving whatever that mountain is, even if it's going to be a two week journey to the finish line.  This cleaning and organizing stuff, it's what you do to make your life better. The second it's not improving your life is when you need to drop the duster, whip off the rubber gloves and go have fun*. 

* This is a direct order from the Domestic Goddess of the Organizationally Challenged.  I will totally smite you** if I catch you cleaning while thinking "this sucks, I want to watch Glee and eat chocolate chip cookies." 
** I may possibly not really be able to smite people, but I will go all brutally honest on you about your need for priorities.  There could even be finger wagging.  I'm fierce like that.

Organizing Challenge: Your virtual inbox

I have something like 7 email addresses.  I have two that I actively use and a bunch of random ones that I either had no choice about having (such as my student email address) or set up for the express purpose of collecting junk mail, like the one I created for use when applying for scholarships.  I'm the kind of person who prefers to communicate via email so I end up with quite a number of random things in my inbox.  About every two weeks I like to go through and clean out the flotsam that has collected in there.

Today's challenge is to clean up and consolidate your email inboxes.

• If you have email addresses you no longer use, cancel them.  
• If you receive automatic emails that you never look at, open one up and look toward the bottom for the unsubscribe link so that you'll no longer receive them.
• Create sub folders for various emails that you keep, for example I have one for all things related to college, another for correspondences about my current job search, another for emails that are personal that I want to keep for sentimental reason, and additional folders for information about bills or accounts I keep.
• Lastly, take the time to set up message rules to automatically sort your email.  If you don't know how to do this, do an internet search for your particular mail program. 

Everday Cleaning Tools Essentials

Part 1: Everyday Cleaning Supply Essentials

If you've been in to the cleaning supplies aisle of any store lately, you'll see a dazzling array of cleaning tools to go along with your cleaning products.  If you're like me, you'll probably feel like a kid in a candy store, but beware, not all tools are created equal.  Read on to learn which tools you need and how to find the best of each type for the job.

Mops

When looking for a mop, stay away from sponge mops. While you can slop water on the floor with them, they don't pick it back up very well and once you get dirt in a sponge it's hard to wash out.  Cleaning should make things cleaner, right? Look for a mop with a removable head that is designed to be cleaned in a clothes washer --I prefer the kind with wide cloth ribbons.  Not only will this make using your mop more sanitary, it'll increase the longevity of the mop head.  I am not a fan of disposable products in general.  It's not good for the environment or the pocket book. 

That being said, a Swiffer is not a mop.  It's not even a good broom. It's a dust mop at best.  My experience is that the wet cloths will do okay on a smooth surface, but if it has any kind of texture it won't be wet enough to loosen the dirt from the surface. 

Brooms

Natural bristle brooms are best left to riding around under the pale moon.  Go with a sturdy synthetic bristle broom with an aluminum handle and it might be a couple of decades before you're buying a new broom.

Look for a dust pan designed to clip on to the broom handle so they're always put away together. My grandmother had an awesome vintage metal dust pan that I really loved, but a rubbery plastic will be more flexible and you can always throw it in the dishwasher to clean it.

Again, a Swiffer is not a broom.  It works well on fine particles, making it more of a dust mop, but doesn't do well to pick up crumbs are large pieces of dirt.  The flexible bristle of a broom make it easy to sweep dirt out from under the edges of counters that a Swiffer will leave behind..  A broom also doesn't need special cleaning clothes that you have to purchase again and again.  If you're really stuck on your Swiffer, at least consider purchasing or making reusable Swiffer clothes. If you do want a dust mop, look for one with a removable cover that can be washed.


Cleaning Cloths

I don't use sponges.  If you've ever smelled a dirty kitchen sponge, you'll understand why.  No matter how much you rinse it, it will still be dirty.  Keeping yourself in clean sponges could break the bank.  If you find you can't imagine giving up your sponges, you can sanitize a wet sponge by putting it in the microwave for 45-60 seconds.  It won't get out the dirt but it will kill the bacteria.

Instead of using disposable products like paper towels, cleaning wipes, or sponges, consider using cloth rags.  You can use old towels or t shirts.  It's not only cheaper but more environmentally friendly.  I keep a plastic tub on the dryer where I deposit the soiled clothes, then I wash them in hot water and borax once a week.

You can also use newspaper to replace paper towels.  It is good for cleaning glass, but I also use it for catching bacon grease by putting it beneath a cooling rack and laying the bacon over the top.

Scrubbing Brushes

I use a scrub brush on my dishes, another for the shower, and of course a toilet scrubber.  I recommend having a toilet scrubber that has its own holder for each toilet in your home.  It'll make it more likely that you'll clean it when it's dirty and the thought of carrying a used toilet brush around the house makes me squick.

For dishes I like a long handled scrubber that has a sharp edge for scraping.  If you have non-stick cookware you shouldn't use anything but plastic on it anyway.  I also like that you can throw it in the dishwasher to clean it.  I don't feel strongly either way about whether it's a replaceable head or all one piece, but if you buy one from a brand name you'll be more likely to find replacements in the future.

Vacuums

If you have several hundred dollars to blow, I would recommend a Dyson.  It works better than anything I've ever used and they sell replacement parts for nearly the whole unit.  If, like me, you don't have that kind of money for a vacuum, make yourself a wish list.  I got a perfectly good vacuum for $35 on sale and I like it better than other vacuums I've used for twice the price because it has a powerful motor, goes automatically from carpet to floors, and is bagless. It's also light weight which is important when you're small like I am.

Pay attention to how it is emptied because some designs are messy to empty.  If you have pets or allergies you should choose a vacuum that includes a HEPA filter as it will prevent allergens from reentering the air and you can dispose of them.  Some vacuums come with filters that are also made to be washed and reused which can reduce the cost of using it.  If you have long hair you might also consider models where it's easy to remove and clean the roller brush.

Cleaning Challenge: Expiration Expulsion

When I was helping my beloved clean out his apartment and put everything in storage, we ended up throwing out two 13 gallon bags of expired food from the pantry and fridge.  In his defense, being in the Navy means not always being around to eat things before they go bad.  I have no excuse for my own fridge except that I hate cleaning out the fridge.  I ended up cleaning out his fridge in stages over a period of about a month because in addition to the expired food there were dozens of plastic containers; I swear they were breeding because every time I thought I'd got the last of them I'd find another one.

Throwing out expired stuff can give you more room in your fridge/pantry and it's not as scary as tackling the mystery foods in plastic containers, so this is the assignment for the week!  Go through your fridge, freezer, and pantry and toss out anything that's past its expiration date.  You might be tempted to keep food that's expired but I would caution you not to.  There's actually no such thing as "stomach flu".  If you've ever been sick to your stomach you've probably had a case of food poisoning.  It can be dangerous for adults but deadly for children or the elderly so it's not worth keeping food around if it's suspect.

You might be tempted to keep around stuff in the pantry like baking mixes, but those use chemical leaveners which lose their effectiveness over time and you could fail to rise.  While things that are kept in a perfect sub freezing environment will last indefinitely, your freezer is not a perfect sub freezing environment.  For one thing, you open and close the door almost every day.  For another, your freezer uses a thermostat similar to the one for your heat or a/c.  It goes off and on as the temperature rises and falls which causes food to freeze and thaw repeatedly.

Some day I'll get around to writing an article about how to prevent yourself from wasting food, but for now let's just get rid of anything that's not good.  While you're at it, if you have any boxed or canned goods that are still good but you know you'll never eat, put them in a bag and drop them off at the food bank.  Your grocery store might even have a collection bin to save you a trip.

Everyday Cleaning Supply Essentials

One thing I've learned from cleaning other people's homes is that it is difficult to clean when you don't have the right stuff, or the stuff you have isn't organized well.  If you have to go hunting for toilet bowl cleaner you will turn a 30 second job in to a 10 minute job.  Conversely, you don't need a giant stash of cleaning supplies in every room.

I clean most of my house with a 1:5 parts mixture of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  Vinegar is cheap and can be used for more than cleaning hard surfaces.  In the wash it'll act as a fabric softener and deodorizer. If you ever forget a load in the wash and it smells musty or sour, run it again with a cup of white vinegar and dry as usual. You can also use vinegar in place of more expensive rinsing agents in the dish washer.  It's also non-toxic and fairly environmentally friendly.  If you're worried about the smell, it dissipates quickly and it is a lot healthier to breath than bleach or ammonia.

I have powdered scrubbing cleanser that I use for cleaning sinks, tubs, and toilets or I can mix it with a small amount of water to make a soft scrub for stubborn kitchen messes.  I also keep a bottle of multi surface floor cleaner /polish; I prefer the kind that is sprayed directly on the floor so I don't have to drag a bucket around with me.  I don't have any wood furniture that would warrant it but if you do you might want to add furniture wax to your caddy as well.  I also keep dish washing detergent under the kitchen sink, and laundry detergent along with a stain stick in the laundry area. 

In order to keep your supplies handy but organized, look for a cleaning supply caddy like the one pictured here.  It will allow you to carry the supplies around from room to room, then put it back in one spot so you know where to find it when you're ready to clean again.  You should use this for the supplies you use on daily basis, but not things like oven cleaner which you might use only ever few months.

Everday Cleaning Shopping List

• Combination glass and surface cleaner (or a vinegar water solution)
• Powdered scrubbing cleanser
• Hand dish washing soap
• Laundry and dish washing detergent
• A stain stick for stubborn laundry stains
• Multi-surface floor cleaner/polish
• A caddy for your supplies

Stay tuned next week for essential cleaning tools and how to choose the right tools for the job.

Cleaning Challenge: The Microwave

Hi all!  The cleaning challenge for this week is your microwave.  I don't use mine much so I'm a bit lackadaisical about cleaning it right after making a mess. Then a few days later I'll open the door and notice how it looks like a food murdering B horror flick occurred inside.

Grab your multipurpose cleaner of choice and pop open the door.  Spray the glass tray and then move it to the sink to soak while you work.  If the plastic ring the tray rides on is removable, spray it and take it out as well.  Spray the ceiling, sides and bottom of the inside of the microwave as well as the inside of the door thoroughly and let set for 2-3 minutes.  If your microwave is especially dirty, soak a rag in a mixture of vinegar and water and nuke it in the microwave for 60 seconds before spraying the inside with cleaner.  The steam will help the food release from the walls.

While you're waiting for the inside to soak, spray some cleaner on your rag and wipe down the outside of the microwave.  Mine sits right next to the stove so I make sure to get all the grease cleaned off the outside.  Don't shy away from using your nail to press the cleaning rag in to cracks and crevices.  I've been known to bust out a qtip to clean tight spots.

Next, wipe down the inside.  Start with the ceiling first, you might want to crouch down so you can see it because they are usually contoured and you'll miss dirt if you try to do it by feel.  I usually fail at this and clean the walls first, then have to clean them again when I wipe off the ceiling.  Continue wiping down the walls then the floor and sweep any chunks in to your hand.  Do the same with the inside of the door.

If your microwave sits on the counter top, take a moment to move it and clean underneath.  Dirt is tricksie and loves to hide in dark places.  Wash and dry the glass plate and plastic ring.  Place them back in the microwave and you're done!  Back pats for everyone.

If you don't own a microwave, take a moment to feel smugly superior and then go clean another kitchen appliance.

So, did anyone do the Hump Day Half Hour of Housework this week?

I do To Do

I am a list maker.  When my mind feels like it is stuck on loop and I can't sleep I like to make a list of all the stuff I need to do the next day to settle my mind.  I keep a yellow legal pad on my desk at work and every morning I write out my new list for the day and then cross things off as I complete them.  Lists make me feel like I know everything I need to do and I don't have to worry about forgetting something.

The problem with list making is if I really think about everything I have to do I get overwhelmed.  Aside from things like errands, cleaning, and organizing, I usually have more than one project going on at a time.  A couple of years ago I came up with a system to deal with the problem.

First, I found  a good to do list manager that allowed me to create multiple lists and move items between them.  Then I created several lists.  I made a list for life maintenance items such as renewing my license or making an appointment with my dentist.  Then I added a list for errands I need to run such as "go grocery shopping" or "buy a new vacuum filter".  After that I created a list of any home maintenance I needed to do such as mopping the floors or cleaning out the coat closet.  I also made lists for any long-term projects I had going on.

Next, I made a master list for the items I planned to do each day.  I took one item from each list and moved it to the master list.  Most importantly, I gave myself permission to not do any more than that.  Even if all together I've got hundreds of items to do, finishing a few items every day is enough.  This allowed me to stay organized without getting overwhelmed or trying to do so much that I stress myself out.

I am still a happy list maker, but now I don't get mind boggled by everything I've got to do.  I feel productive even only doing a few things each day.  I don't spend the time I should be relaxing thinking about what I have to do. 

7 Days to Clean: Day 7 - The Full Routine

Welcome to the last day, or more appropriately to every day.  Stick to this routine and feel free to smirk when people tell you that you shouldn't have cleaned just for them and they wish their home could look as nice as yours.  Or you could always tell them how you learned to be a "neat freak".

In the morning:

• Make your bed
• Swift swipe the bathroom
• Throw a load of laundry in the wash
• Put away the clean dishes

In the evening:

• Check the mail
• Dry and fold the laundry
• Spend five minutes decluttering
• Wash the dishes after dinner.

Don't forget to do your Hump Day Half Hour and that's it! 30 minutes of cleaning once a week and a few minutes of cleaning here and there.  The best thing about habits is the more you do them, the more efficient you get at doing them.  

You can think of cleaning as something that's a drag or you can think of it as something nice you're doing for yourself. It might not be as relaxing as getting a massage, but you'll enjoy living in a clean home none the less.  Going to sleep in a bed with tidy sheets and waking up to a clean bathroom and kitchen with plenty of clean clothes is going to start to feel like a treat. 

7 Days to Clean: Day 6 - Do the Dishes

We're almost there!  By now you've probably gotten used to making your bed every day and things are starting to look nicer.  We only have one new habit to start and tomorrow we'll put it all together.

• Make your bed!
• Swift swipe the bathroom
• Throw a load of laundry in the wash

Head out and be a happy, productive busy bee. When you get home:

• Get and sort the mail
• Dry and fold the laundry
• Spend 5 minutes decluttering

Relax and enjoy your dinner, then afterward wash the dishes and wipe down the kitchen.  Dishes are much easier to clean when they're still fresh and nothing says  "ugh" in the morning like trying to make breakfast around a sink full of dirty dishes.

When I'm doing dishes every day, I like to wash them by hand, but that might not be practical for a big family.  Remember that the system has to work for you.  All told you might have spent 20 minutes today cleaning but in no more than 5 minute increments. 

7 Days to Clean: Day 5 - Laundry Patrol

You may have been raised with the concept of a laundry day, but by the time that day rolls around you might have heaps of laundry and no clean socks.  My maximum capacity is to wash, dry and fold about 2.5 loads of laundry in any given day which means I end up with a pile of laundry left that I don't feel like folding.  Let's fix that!

First thing in the morning:

• Make your bed!
• Swift swipe the bathroom.
• Throw a load of laundry in the wash

When you get home:

• Get your mail
• Throw the clothes in the dryer and while they're drying...
• Sort your mail
• Spend 5 minutes clearing a clutter pile
• Then fold the load of laundry and put it away

If you live alone, doing a load of laundry every day might not be necessary but you could try washing your bedding, rugs, or curtains on a day when you don't have a load of clothes to wash, or just give yourself a day off.  If you have a family you might need to do a little more, but start with one load a day and see how far that gets you. 

7 Days to Clean: Day 4 - Clutter Control

I love Thursdays.  You get to feel like the week is almost over, but you're not yet rushing around to tie things up before the weekend.  Let's get started!

• Make your bed
• Do a swift swipe of the bathroom 

When you get home, sort your mail then grab your kitchen timer and set it for five minutes.  Now it's time to start doing the thing that is going to make the biggest difference in the long run.  Everyday dirt is easy to clean up, even if you skip a few days, but clutter is what we see when we look at a room.  It's what we dread having to clean up.

So we're going hunting!  Look for a pile of clutter, and start the timer.  Spend five minutes throwing out the trash and putting things away.  Today your clutter pile might be a basket of laundry you washed a week ago, or it might be the top of that end table that you haven't seen since Christmas.  Maybe it's the top of your desk or that pile by the front door.  Stick with one clutter magnet until you've eliminated it and move on to the next.  At first, finding visible clutter might be easy but eventually you might start looking out in the garage or in the pantry.

The saying "A place for everything, and everything in its place" applies here.  Think about what belongs in the space you are cleaning and what doesn't.  Move things that don't belong to a place that makes more sense for them.  Hats and scarves should be in a coat closet or hung on a rack.  Maybe it makes more sense to have mail on your desk where you pay your bills than on the table in the dining room.

When the timer goes off, give yourself a pat on the back and put your feet up.  You're done for the day!  At this point you will have spent less than 15 minutes cleaning each day and you should be noticing a difference.  Only a few more days to go and you'll have all the habits you need to keep a happy home without making yourself neurotic.

7 Days to Clean: Hump Day Half Hour of Housework

It's Wednesday, aka Hump Day.  Doing a few minutes of cleaning here and there throughout the day will keep most of your home clean, but some cleaning either doesn't need to be done every day or isn't time efficient to do in small chunks.  Today we're going to do the Hump Day Half Hour of Housework. Use a kitchen timer to time yourself so you don't go over the limit.

1. Dump cleaner in the toilets of each bathroom
2. Spend 10 minutes vacuuming.
3. Spend 10 minutes sweeping or dusting
4. Take the trash out, this should take no more than 5 minutes
5. Scrub the toilets and flush

That's it!  Depending on how messy your house gets you can play around with what you do each week.  Maybe you want to scrub the shower instead of toilets or maybe you don't have any vacuuming to do so you might sweep and mop.  The important thing is not to spend too much time on anyone one thing.

Again, the point isn't to clean everything.  We're not going for floors you can eat off, just hit whatever looks dirtiest.  Chances are you're not doing this stuff every week right now so you'll start to see after a couple of weeks that everything looks cleaner and eventually you'll only be cleaning up last week's dirt.

7 Days to Clean: Day 3 - Get the Mail

So far we've only been doing stuff in the morning.  Now we're going to start doing things in the afternoon as well, to spread out the effort throughout the day.  This morning:

• Make your bed!
• Spend two minutes doing a swift swipe of the bathroom.

When you get back home, check your mail.  You might not be in the habit of doing this every day and usually that means you have a huge pile to sort with when you get around to it.  Not anymore!

Start by sorting the mail in to recycling and things that need to be dealt with.  When it comes to the recycle pile, be cutthroat.  You don't need store fliers for stores you don't go to, you don't need return envelopes for bills you pay online, you don't even need the envelopes the mail came in.  All that should be left is stuff that you need to either file or deal with in some way.  Spend a few minutes to file or respond to the mail you kept as needed. If it's more than you can manage in 5 minutes, feel free to put the rest of the mail aside in a designated spot to handle the next day..  It might take you a few days to get caught up but eventually you'll be able to deal with it all as it comes in.

Don't forget to check for the Hump Day post later today...

7 Days to Clean: Day 2 - Swift Swipe

Making habits is pretty easy.  You just keep doing the same thing over and over until it becomes automatic.  So every day we're going to do what we already did, then build from there.  That way you'll get new habits over time without feeling overloaded.

Day one was pretty easy, and day two isn't going to get much harder.  First, make your bed.  Even if you have a day where you can't manage to do anything else, keep making your bed.  It'll help you keep the habit and might even jump start you on doing the rest of the cleaning.

Next, while you're getting ready in the bathroom, do a swift swipe.  Grab a cleaning rag and spend about two minutes wiping down the sink and other surfaces of the bathroom, no longer.  Your goal isn't to clean the whole bathroom, just to catch some of the mess you make when you're using the bathroom.  Today you might wipe down the sink but the next time you might hit the toilet or the edge of the tub.  You might even get crazy and clean up the toothpaste splatters on the mirror.  Just wipe up whatever dirt you see.  It should take about the same length of time as brushing your teeth.

After awhile of following this cleaning process, you'll start to see that your bathroom looks presentably clean every day and all you've done is clean for two minutes.  That's the whole point, minimal effort every day so you don't have to fire bomb the bathroom to get it clean again.

CAUTION: You might be feeling excited about your new cleaning habits, but don't get carried away.  Now is not the time to go rogue and try to clean your whole home at once.  The cleaning time limits are intended to keep your sanity.  It'll all get cleaned, I promise.  See you tomorrow!

7 Days to Clean: Day 1 - Make Your Bed

I am not a morning person.  I am not a Monday person, either. That's okay!  The idea behind 7 Day to Clean is that you won't have to do a whole lot to have a clean house every day.  It's about creating habits that will let you easily maintain or gradually improve how clean your home is without feeling like you need to go on a quasi-meth addled cleaning binge.  So let's get started!

Today, make your bed when you get up.  That's it!

Your bed is most likely the largest piece of furniture in your bedroom.  It only takes a couple of minutes to make a bed, but it has a huge impact on how clean a room looks. I think of this as "freebie" cleaning.  Your bedroom will look almost clean and you will have spent all of two minutes today cleaning.

Think of making your bed when you get up in the morning like a gift to your future self, that person who is going to drag through the door at the end of a long day.  You won't have to deal with scattered pillows, skewed covers, or sheets that are wadded up at the foot of the bed (if you sleep anything like I do).  After dinner you can jump in your pjs, slide under the covers and be rested for tomorrow!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog!  I am one of those people whose friends describe them as a "neat freak" (not sure why that's a bad thing).  I have what I call my aura of organization.  Things magically get cleaner and more organized the longer I'm around them.  I wouldn't say I like cleaning, but I like things to be clean.  I also have the memory of a gold fish so being organized keeps me from losing my car keys or forgetting important appointments.

I realize not everyone has the same organized mind as me, so I'm starting this blog in order to share with the chronically disorganized how I keep my life from exploding.  I'll be kicking it off tomorrow with a solid week of posts called 7 Days to Clean which is a way I've learned to keep my home clean without having to be June Cleaver on meth.  After that, I'll be posting weekly about cleaning and organizing as well as smaller posts with weekly challenges, tips or tricks.

If you'd like to follow along for the first week, the first post for 7 Day to Clean will be up at 3:00 am PST tomorrow morning (No, I won't be up posting at 3 am, thank Blogger for post scheduling).