New efficiences

Well, in keeping with resolutions for the new year and all that, I've taken myself in hand to clean out, clean up, and generally deal with the piled-up disorganization of my home.

Due to some health issues this past year, I just did not do a good job of keeping up.  Know what I mean?  Drawers, closets, shelves, cabinets, basements, all in desperate need of some serious attention.  As I've decided that a fundamental truth of a homeschooling mom's life is "Ten Minutes at a Time," I need to tackle this mammoth job in bite-sized pieces.  FlyLady would be proud of me (a.k.a. "baby steps")!

Today it was washing and sterilizing the kitchen trash can between bag changes.  Yesterday it was the pegboard of miscellaneous stuff in the basement stairs.  Saturday it was bathroom blinds, screens, windows, curtain, and rugs (yes, more than ten minutes!).  But it's been very encouraging to see that it's working.  I can point to Progress.

Here are some changes that I've added this month to help streamline and simplify:

- I bought a microphone/headset for our telephone so I can cook, fold clothes, or iron while chatting.  This solution is stellar!  Gone is the guilt that I'm Wasting Time talking on the phone when I could be doing something toward my to-do list. 

- Hubby spent Saturday mounting two 8' poles in our unfinished basement for extended closet space.  We hung zip garment bags, and now I have a wonderful place for the overflow of winter coats and off-season clothing.  I've realized that we are not using our vertical space in the basement well--lots of lost storage space, so we need to think more shelving.

- As much as I love a decorator look in my kitchen, the fact is, mine is a high-use facility and not that big.  So I've opted for efficiency and redone my counters with appliances, cutting boards, etc., right where I need them instead of buried in a cupboard for visual appeal.  It's a cluttered view now, but I'm loving it and prefer to call it The Cottage Look.

- My latest efficiency is our school schedule.  We had gotten rather lax, but for us that translates into a dragged-out school day with little free time and frustrated gals all over the place.  So I set up a reasonable schedule and let SweetPea know that her privileges for the coming day are tied to her honoring the schedule and personal responsibilities today.  It's been a peaceful, good solution, and I think we're both happier campers.

My next goal is to (groan) clean out books.  They're everywhere.  We love them.  But since we've taken to stacking them two-deep on the shelves, I think something needs to be done.  Maybe I'll make a rule for myself that I have to pick one or two a day to bless Goodwill with...