I was doing really well there for a while. I had a great group on FB, where most but not all of the ladies were fellow flybabies. We had daily accountability threads, posted before & after pics, all posted encouraged each other throughout the day. Facebook and I have pretty much broken up though, and I've come running back to the arms of my true love, LJ. Or maybe we're FWB. We've never really had the talk, tbh. Anyway, since quitting FB in a firey rage, my house has also become a firey rage. Not literally, thank goodness. We've been spared the fires going around *knock wood*, but the house is full of raging hot spots. And I have a daughter who's recently begun walking and tearing the house apart for me. Oh, and no dryer, the washing machine is slow and messing up (leaks if you don't do the cold water manually), and the DW just broke. I was sick for about two weeks, maybe even more, and then we left town at the last minute for my uncle's memorial (may he rest in peace).

So. I need to get this place back together. I've been plucking away at it for the last couple of days. My husband has started going to work an hour earlier, has to be there at 6 am now, because it's been so hot that the machines stop working in the afternoon when they overheat. I've been getting up early with him, trying to get things done. The girls are off of their summer day camp this week, so not having to drive them & pick them up every afternoon has been a big help. But I still get way too hot by afternoon and have to basically stop everything and either sit in front of a fan or go lay in the pool. It's crazy hot here. I got either sun sickness or my BP went wonky yesterday, and I had to lay around with ice packs on me. Not good. So I'm trying to do a lot more before the sun gets too high, and I'm going to try to start posting around LJ a bit more for accountability. If anyone wants any flybuddy friends, I am game! I also have a friend who I check in with on Windows Live sometimes and do rounds with, so I'd be glad to have more accountability buddies.

I did the official intro years ago (as ahavah_ehyeh), but here's a quick updated refresher. About me: Home/unschooling momma of 3 beautiful daughters, ages 9, nearly 7, and 10 months. We moved from WNC to SE MO at the end of 2009, having bought 40 (mostly wooded) acres and wanting to realize our homesteading dreams. We call our little place The Grateful Stead. So far we have goats and chickens in addition to the usual dogs and cats. No garden this year, I'm sad to say, but I have a couple of little plants here and there. I'm just trying to get the house mostly under control and baby proofed for right now. I'm also trying to get better at menu planning (love the mealplanning community!), budgeting, and consistently making healthier foods. I barely cook at all when it gets this hot. We have no AC. I started having blood pressure issues after having the last kiddo, so I really need to get back on the ball with working towards a healthier menu to help me get that under control. My new (to me) house used to be lovely, but it's starting to look like the old place, and here I thought that had been mainly a lack of storage issue. Alas. Just not keeping up with my good habits. Time to start again!

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I...am a little shocked.

Why in the name of Hestia do I own SIX BOXES of SALT?
Am I expecting to have to purify a few acres or something?
I condensed the open boxes into one tupperware container and tucked the unopened one to the back. I made sure the salt shaker was full too.

I have more colored sugar than I know what to do with. Mostly from my mother.

And THREE jars of pumpkin pie spice.

*headdesk*

I took out one bag of trash I filled and will dragoon a child who is lower to the floor to get the next one full.

At the moment getting dressed is still optional.  Shoes are out!  Feels like if I go outside at all, the most my feet will tolerate is croc-a-likes.  There will be no shifting of delicate objects until and unless my hands improve.  Right now they feel like sausages with claws and I keep hitting several keys at once.

There are two Three main things I really want to get sorted today:
I want to put away the chutney and the cranberry sauce I made yesterday.
I want to get all the Christmas presents wrapped and labeled.  In order to do this second thing, a certain amount of minor clearing will need to be done...
Ice the Christmas cakes!  Two need to be delivered tomorrow...  How could I forget that?  All to easily, I'm afraid.

And there are three lesser things:
Put the spare bedding in the sewing room back in the box in the loft.
Get sewing dummy Fred and his legs reunited, and get HIM back in the loft out of the way...
Put away the remaining vegetables in the box on the cutting table.

And there are things I Need the men to do for me:
Make a space in the shed for the LARP kit.
Put the LARP kit in the shed.
Put the GMNT's Bergens, webbing, and other cadet stuff out of the way in the loft/bootrack/on the hooks behind his door.

We may also get some washing done and the ironing pile sorted.  Himself may then do some ironing tonight...

Comment: Slow, but not looking too bad right now.

Well, I just got my gall bladder out and being sick (and then on recovery) put me out of the house keeping business for a good 2 and a half months.  Oh the joys of being sick.  My boyfriend was a huge help, but I know he definitely got a huge appreciation for all I do as he was not able to keep up as good as I normally do.

So here I am, starting from scratch to hopefully build up again to where I was.  So tonight, I start by clearing out my sink and shining up nice with bleach and the entire ordeal.  Oh, I am so excited.

Also, putting away yesterday's load of laundry (better late than never, right?), doing a load of dishes, and spending 15 minutes in the living room.

I'm going to start spending 15 minutes a day decluttering and packing every day for the next four months so that by the time that the move comes it's a complete breeze.  Some days I might put in a bit more time, but this is my new goal.  I will get there!! :D

Riz
 

Here's a confession-- I have completely fallen off the wagon. So today I decided to start over-- and I mean start over the right way. I want to go through the Baby steps the way I'm supposed to, and not try to take it all on at once. That never works! When will I learn?

So I'm going to try to keep myself accountable by posting each Baby step every day on my journal. If any of you are in the same boat I am, I'd welcome the company! Just think, by the second week of December we will be through all 31 Baby steps-- just in time for Christmas!

Link to FLYLady's Beginner Baby steps

So, going out and buying the ingredients, and then cooking them, that didn't work. On the other hand, this morning, the ingredients for sweet chilli beef were in the house and lo! There is now a huge casserole full of said beef in the oven. I took this to mean that planning a day ahead and getting tomorrow's ingredients today does work, except obviously for things like fresh bread. I know most people plan weekly, but most people don't have a butcher/greengrocer 200 yards away and doing a weekly shop feels like I am wasting the privilege of having someone who will cut the beef just how I like it and order things in.

Tonight's meal is sweet chilli beef. Tomorrow's meal is chicken supreme (chicken, mushrooms, leeks and sweetcorn in a delicately flavoured white sauce). What's yours?

x-posted to mission101 and flylady

mission101 [25. FLY consistently for 28 Days] Started – again – September 22, 2008. If I can do it this time, I will have cultivated my habit by October 20. (Hm, that's our next court date. Is there some unconscious symbolism/drive at work here getting my house in order by then?)

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Edit- if you want these, post a comment with your e-mail address and I will forward them to you.

Sorry for the mistake :/