August 25, 2006
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Flat Surface Queen!
Well, I’m NOT a flat surface queen yet but that’s my goal.
This week my goal has been to streamline the ‘flat surfaces’ in my house so that my dusting time is reduced. Most of my rooms are not cluttered (except my office/sewing room) but they’ve been collecting little extra items which has slowed down my dusting time.
So, I took one room at a time and starting clearing off items that were not absolutely necessary. I’m either throwing STUFF away, giving STUFF away or stashing STUFF away. My next project is to work on the floor surfaces so that my vacuuming time will be reduced. Then, I’ll tackle my closets!
I wrote in my last two posts about the ‘tweaking’ I’ve been doing on my daily schedule. I have been deliberately WATCHING for ministry opportunities (and making them a priority) instead of trying to squeeze them into an already full schedule. After two weeks of doing so my housework was lagging behind in a few areas. So, I decided that I need to find a way to simplify that area of my life. I want to be able to breeze through my cleaning in no time so I can spend more time ministering to my family and people the Lord sends my way.
I have one day that I set aside for major cleaning. If it’s a busy week I’ll split it up into two days. I try to follow FLYLADY’S idea of a Monday morning HOUSE BLESSING. She says it only takes her one hour (my cleaning takes most of the day) so my goal is to try and do it exactly like she does. I normally add my deep cleaning to that day, also.
So, that’s what I’m up to this week. How about you?
Comments (18)
Hi, I just came across your site for the first time. What a great site with lots of encouragement! I’ve been doing a lot of clearing of “stuff” around my house lately, too. It is amazing how much time our “stuff” can take away from the things we ‘should’ be doing, not to mention it’s hard to stay focused with so much stuff around us.
God bless!
Amy
Yes, i’ve been in a year-long de-cluttering of my house. It’s amazing how things just multiply when you’re not looking.
i have such a difficult time getting into a cleaning routine. i have tried several different ideas on the subject but seem to lack the discipline to make any of them a habit. i keep trying tho. 
Thanks for the encouragement.
I always “feel” better when there is less clutter and some of the stuff I really don’t need is gone..
Thanks for the encouragement! Today is suppose to be a “cleaning day” for me. Now I need to go get busy again…=)
Thanks for the inspiring post!
I don’t know if I never have a cleaning day or if I’m always having a cleaning day. A little of both, I suspect. Nothing routine. Just clean as it needs it. And oh, too much stuff on the flat surfaces, that’s for sure. Thanks for the encouragment.
You dust? HA! Just kidding!!
I use a feather duster most of the time, and I don’t have to move very many things. I have some old glass and tea things I display (that, and lots of pictures of my family), and I would rather take the time to move them all, (if I had to) than to get rid of them. Most of the glasswear is from my folks, who died last year, so it’s pretty special to me, and I haven’t had it displayed for very long. I try to keep only those things I absolutely love. The rest I can declutter.
I’m the kind of person who hates walls that aren’t decorated. My father in law teases me, that if I have any empty space on my walls, I have to run and put something up! But to me, it feels sterile and un-homey. And I know everyone’s “style” is different. I spend so much time at home, that it has to feel truly peaceful to me.
Fly lady is great, I hear! I have a friend who just got rid of over 100 pounds of “stuff”, weighing it per the Fly ladies suggestion.
Hi
Our mission doesn’t really have the resources to “take in” Jacquelda. We do have an orphanage, but we don’t usually take children who still have both parents around….and I know that her family would not be ok with putting her in the orphanage anyway. The thing is, that kind of abuse is really common here, and it’s not even considered abuse– it’s “discipline.” It is widely accepted here, and if we tried to take in all the kids whose parents beat them, there wouldn’t be many children left with their families. This is an aspect of their culture that has been really difficult for me to deal with. In the case of Jacquelda, though, it looks like God is answering our prayers, at least for her to go home. I am going to start giving her family a weekly allowance so that they are able to feed all the kids and Jacquelda will be able to stay there. And hopefully in removing the “not being able to provide for her” factor, there will be less reason/motivation for her father to beat her. She is very happy to be going home, and I pray that God will continue to watch over her and take care of her.
I appreciate your posts very much and your occasional comments on my site – you are truly a blessing! This year has been one of cleaning and decluttering for me as I am finally back to “normal” (physically) after hip replacement surgery and about 18 months prior to it of having no cartilage in the hip. What a blessing the Lord has bestowed on me to be able to have that done! God is good – ALL the time!
the movie that you posted about is actually one that was recommended to me……….and I don’t know where my friend got it. but I’ll find out. I did a search on Amazon, and they had it. I’m sure Netflix has it as well, if you use it.
hugs!
Oh, don’t get me started on those flat surfaces! I struggle with those daily. There are a few places that just seem to have a life of their own!
RYC: Don’t mind the questions at all =) No, my mom does not have a site, she’s not into computors at all. But she would have a lot of interesting things to write about as she’s always busy with something. She has done a lot of canning, cleaning, quilting in her day. As to the chicken, I do have a pressure canner, and I cook the meat first by putting 20 lbs.of leg quarters in the canner with some water added and bringing it to 15 lbs pressure for about 10 minutes. It’s very tender and the meat comes right off Then I pick the meat off and can it in jars with broth added. You could freeze the meat also, but in the “unlikely” event of having the electric off for awhile, you could lose the food in your freezer. Last year when Katrina came through here, we were without electric for several days. We did borrow a generator to help keep the food from spoiling. And canning probably keeps the food longer than freezing, it can start to get freezer burnt after awhile. Hope that answered your questions. ~t
Hi Georgen,
Here are a couple of things I do so that I don’t get overwhelmed with cleaning.
1. A couple times a week I clean my bathroom, I weave it in with my daily shower. As soon as I get out of the shower I grab my spray Clorox bleach (in my bathroom cabinet) and spray down the shower and toilet while I am at it. I get dressed and then grab a cleaning cloth to wipe them down. Now that the cleaning cloth is wet I use it to wipe down the floor.
2. Since I have the Clorox out, I go to my other upstairs bathroom and spray the shower and toilet, go back and blow dry my hair and go back to wipe down that bathroom (with a new cleaning cloth) and then wipe down that floor.
3. I keep garbage bags in my bathroom, so when I am ready and heading downstairs, I grab a garbage bag, empty all upstairs garbages and throw it in the trash as I get in my car to leave, if I’m leaving.
3. I do all of my daily laundry in the morning. As the clothes comes out of the dryer I pile them up. When it is all done, I pull up one of my favorite Bible teachers online, grab my Bible and open it up to the passage and fold and follow along.
4. When I do my dinner dishes I make it a point to use the dish towels that I’ve wiped down the counters with and dryed any dishes that didn’t go in the dishwasher and I get on my hands and knees and wipe down my floor, then throw it in the washer with any other towels that have been used that day. It may sound gross, but if I do it every night, my floor never gets that dirty! I’m sort of a “clean freak” (I’m working on it!) so I actually keep going into my dining, family and living since they are all laminated wood!
5. When I do my weekly shopping. It is also “clean out the refrig day”. I pull up the garbage can and start dumping all the left overs I was sure I was going to re-use and wipe down the shelves before I put in and organize all the new food.
6. Those dish towels I use to wipe my floor; before I clean the floor I wipe down all my appliances. I love waking up to a clean kitchen with the coffee brewing (I make it the night before using the timer).
Those are a few of my tricks, I’d love to learn more!
Thanks for your website sister! See you Sunday
Terri
Hi Georgene…I broke down and got a xanga account!! Just love so many sites here. This post resonates with so many of us. Thanks! Elly
Hi Georgene,
Wow, now I’m in the mood to clean!
About the diet my husbands doctor put him on: spices are to an infection like lighter fluid is to a fire. Spices FEEDS an infection, causing it to grow out of control. Kind of like when you are sick with the flu or something you are to eat a bland diet, soup and jello. Since he has chronic prostatitis he has chronic bacteria living in his prostate, thus the need for a bland diet.
I’m going to have to start visiting your site more often; I luv it!
~Deb †
Hi Georgene! Thanks for your comments on my blog. Some things that I think would be good for grandkids include Lessons from the Farmyard from Christian Liberty and anything from Brite Music (click the Standin’ Tall Character Training Series link on my blog to get to their website). God bless you and your family! Andrea
At first glance, I thought perhaps a flat surface queen had to do with dieting! lol
I will have to definitely check out the Flylady’s site. I sometimes get behind and then tire myself out trying to do it all in one day.
Flylady !! all the way, I have been using her for several year, I love my control journal and my routine keep me tow.
I also enjoy the flylady drill groups that chat and drill together on the computer, it is like cleaning with frined,Iwas amazed how much I get done… and now I must get moving ..LOL my 15 minutes are up
)