Day 178 - 21 Charms & 9 Spacers (on Flylady)

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Next Charm 84.9 lbs

Arlene commented on my yesterday post, and I wrote an answer in my comment. But it got to be so extensive. *grins and nudges the woman for starting this* Thanks Arlene!

I decided to post it as my entry for the day.

Flylady, a way of living....

About 2 years ago I stumbled on the website of FlyLady. It was very enlightning, dealing with the age old problem how to juggle all the things a woman is supposed to be and do, it is about housekeeping, selfrespect and procrastination.

Christmas maddness organised

You can register and get an e-mail once a day, or several spread over the day with tips, hits, testimonial etc. At the moment they are dealing with the gruelling race towards christmas. How to survive as a mom, a wife, an organiser, a professional. In short how NOT to go mental with so many things to do.

An example how Flylady helped me? This year january, I sat down with all the christmas cards (snail mail and e-mail) and prepared two lists to use in 4 weeks time. This week I will get the envelopes ready for snail mails and write the cards. Taking time for each individually. That way it will be fun, and I CAN take time, and the cards will actually mean something. I for one know how much I appreciate an card that say more than just a name. Writing them will not be a drudgery and stress me silly.

Additionally I have prepared a draft e-card e-mail through one of the many free e-card sites to be sent out on 14th december to all on the e-mail list *grins and strikes one chore of my christmas list*

Another example? I am already making my christmas grocery list as I go along. Buying those items that will keep or freeze well. Those things that have to be ordered or delivered I take care of now.

Taking the stress out of being fantastic

Yet another example? I have made lists throughout the year (on my cell phone note pad and then on my computer) whenever I think of a gift I could buy for someone at christmas time, or they mention something themselves, I put it on the list. Which I use for birthdays as well incidentially.

I buy it when I have time, sticking to a budget, and saving up for those things which are mor expensive. Usually I also wait for the autumn sale as well.

LISTS, lists, lists....

On the subject of birthdays, I have jotted them all down in the calender on my cell phone WITH additionally an alert one week earlier, AND even more so, every month at the start a small list telling me what gifts I have to buy, so I can buy them all in one go. Instead of making three or four trips.

Babysteps in organising my life.

Please don't get discouraged. I did all this in little steps a time over a period of two years, and have it down to a science as well. I have adopted many little and large things from their programme, but also choose to leave some be. That is the beauty of it. You pick out what suits you best.

Come to think of it I think that being as organised as I am now in my house has probably left room to be organised within myself. Organised enough to clean my body up! *smiles as that realisation dawns on me*

Another example, which shows a chain of events that keeps my house cleaner?

1. Shine my sink
I "shine my sink", that way I never wake up to a cluttered and dirty sink - it means all dishes are done, the worksurface and sink clean, dry and shining, and --->

2. Kitchen hygiene
I hang a clean tea towel and towel up every day after I have done that. As I now feel I should, especially tea towels get extremly filthy after a day of use. The dirty ones I throw in the washbasket which -->

3. Do the washing when needed
if needed I put in the wsshing machine starting the programme as I go to bed, using "cheap" energy rates. In the morning -->

4. Wake up call
When I wake I put everything in the dryer, which means -->

5. Take care of my clothes
I can fold, iron if need be, and hang my clothes BEFORE I leave for work.

All of this in total takes about 20 minutes divided in portions of 2 to maximum 5 minutes. And when I leave, my kitchen, my washing, my clothes are done, and I need not worry about it when I come home.

Hotspots

During my mornings, before I go to work, I take care of my "hotspots", you know the spaces on top of the fridge, on the halway table, the diningroom table, my desk, and keep them free of clutter. clutter collect clutter, so I make sure there is none. If I do this regularly, it is again a matter of minutes. Let's face it look around you and count the hotspots you can see around you. I am betting your desk is one of them! *grins*

Clutterfree house

I also do the 15 items clutter boogy once in a while, lifting 15 items I have standing/laying around in my house, like magazine, little trinkets, jewellery, old candles, drawings, stuffed animals etc, all kinds of items I was given, and I decide then and there to sell it, donate it or throw it away. If you do it often enough your house gets to be clutter free.

When people ask me what I want for my birthday I never ever say "think of something yourself". I have alist of small and big things I like which I make up as the year passes, and two items are always on it; candles as I love them and they actually get used and disappear, so the are useful temporary clutter, and money. The latter seems impolite and not done. But for me it is, that way I can buy what I wish, and it will not be clutter. But I always give people a choice of things I really really want.

And be reasonable, when I give someone something I would much ratehr give them something they really want, then something I think they want. That way I run the risk they accept it but really haven't got the foggiest what the heck they are supposed to do with "this lovely wooden fertility symbol" that I just had to buy them.

I am a FlyLady

I have decided to put a permanent link for Flylady.net on my blog. I hope many benefit from it!

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Tomorrow's post

Tomorrow I will write my post on Dr. Phil's book as I have reread parts of it and have come to some surprising insights and made some decisions

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Breakfast

8,5 points
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2,0 p - 1 egg

2,0 p - 2 rye bread

0,5 p - 5 gr. butter (on bread)

1, 0 p - very lean sandwhich meat

1, 0 p - 20 gr. all bran

2,0 p - 2 dl semi skimmed milk

2 mugs of tea

Lunch
0,0 points
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1 water

Diner

9,0 points

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3,5 p - 8o gr. risotto

0,0 p - 300 gr. mushrooms
1,0 p - 1 cs olive oil

1,5 p - 3 pieces of surimi fish

2,5 p - 2,5 dl caramel custard

1,5 p - chocolate bar (WW)

Diversen

8,5 points
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8,5 p - 5 chocolate bar (WW)

0,0 p - 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 kiwi
1 tea
4 water

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Day maximum: 28,0 points
8 water/tea (11:00 PM), 3 vegetable, 3 fruit, 2 fat, 2 calcium
1. Total bonuspoints used/saved: 26,0/2,0
2. Bonuspoints needed/saved: 6,0/3,0
Exercise total: 1177 minutes/- (next spacer 1220 minutes)
***SUMMARY: water OK; Points needed 3,0; Extra excercise: 0 ***