Give some time to paying bills, checking on progress with issues from your current file, sending cards or notes, and filing only those papers you will need to refer to again.
Put Your Name on the Do Not Call List
To reduce or eliminate the number of nuisance calls, put your name on the Do Not Call list by calling 888-382-1222 or go to donotcall.gov When I receive a call on my cell phone from Jennifer about my credit card (not specific) or my car warranty, I block the number. I only say Hello once–if there is no response I hang up. I do not say yes. They can use a recording of your voice saying yes to indicate agreement with things you have not agreed to.
Tuesday is Duster Dance Day–The Area of Focus Is Your Welcoming Areas–Your Front Porch, Entry, and Dining Room
Just a little effort each day makes so much difference.
What are your basics?
For me it’s
- Everything in good general order
- Dishes done
- Nutritional meals served regularly
- Laundry up to date
Write down your basics
My China Cabinet
The Coat Closet
Keep those flat surfaces clear or put lovely things on them to discourage the dumping of stuff there.
In January –my computer died!
I have not been here for a while. In January my brand new computer–the hard drive–died! It took several weeks to get it fixed and I was behind, far behind in my posting, in taking care of my finances, and in all kinds of ways. I am back and hope to be consistent. One principle I live by is that I will not be here talking about how you can bring things into order when things get challenging in my own life. I understand how it happens and I know how to get out of it.
Monday is Launch Your Week Day-The Area of Focus is Your Family Bathrooms
Good Morning, Lovely!
My computer is not working!
I have given you the tools for days like this—
There is a calendar for each month in the Files Area.
There is a set of cleaning checklists in the Files section.
If you print, use a three hole punch to punch holes in the margin, and keep them together in your household management notebook, you won’t need me. In fact my ultimate goal is to bring each person to the place where they don’t need me in their challenges.
Monday is Launch Your Week Day
Put your home in order after the weekend
Clean your toilets
Check your bathrooms for any needed supplies.
The Area of Focus from today through Wednesday is your Family Bathrooms.
On Thursday, February 1, the Area of Focus will be the Gathering Spaces.
In the next couple of days, I will be trying to get my computer up and running again.
Love, love, love,
Mary
Thursday is Floor Day–If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
Thursday, January 25, 2015
Hello, Lovely!
Thursday is Floor Day—Sweep and mop or vacuum your floors. Give special attention to the floors and other surfaces in your Area of Focus.
The Area of Focus is the Welcoming Area—your Front Porch, Entry, and Dining Room.
Limit the amount of time you spend decluttering each day. When you become tired, you lose focus. When you lose focus, you become careless and do not do your best work. If you do not have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
Friday is Wrap Up the Week Day—
Clean out your purse,
Clean out your car,
Put your home in order for the weekend.
Love, love, love,
Mary
Wednesday is Desk Day–Do you have an action file?
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Hello, Lovely!
Wednesday is Desk Day! Each Wednesday take time to go through your Action File and:
· Pay your bills (To Pay File)
· Make sure that all To Do events are on your calendar and that you have RSVP’d (To Do File)
· Are the items in your To Read File things you really want to take the time to Read—Take a durable file of To Read items with you to read while you are waiting in your car– for a child you are waiting to pick up, in a waiting room, or whenever you find yourself with empty (rare) moments
· Review your Current File and take any needed actions
· File the items in your To File folder IF you will need to refer to them again in the future, if not, file them in your waste basket
The Area of Focus this week is the Welcoming Area –your Front Porch, Entry, and Dining Room.
· Declutter
· Put in Order (organize)
· Clean
· Make lovely or fun—depending on the space.
Thursday is Floor Day
Have a wonderful day!
Love, love, love,
Mary
Dusting Hacks
Hello, Lovely!
Some dusting hacks:
Use a lint roller to take lint or dog hair off furniture, or a lamp shade, as well as your clothes
Use a dryer sheet to dust the tops of things in your laundry room and well as to grab the cobwebs from the corner
While you have your damp rubber gloves on after doing the dishes, run your hands over upholstered surfaces to gather dog or cat hair.
While my hands are clean I will occasionally finger dust small areas that it is difficult to get a large dusted into. Cotton swabs are also great solutions.
And never forget the wonder of paint brushes for lampshades, blinds, knick knacks—use different sizes for different areas.
Love, love, love,
Mary
Tuesday is Duster Dance Day–The Area of Focus–The Welcoming Area–The Front Porch, Entry, and Dining Rooms
My stair step basket collects the items that need to go upstairs. Each time I go upstairs I automatically check the basket, take anything in the basket upstairs and put it away.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Hello, Lovely!
Tuesday is Duster Dance Day! Yesterday I noticed some dust when I had company. They asked if I was going to go grab a duster! Nope! Tuesday is Duster Dance Day and I will get it then but if I just can’t bear it, I can grab a duster when my friends and family are not here. That is one of the graces of doing a little work each day—having an assigned task—when the work is complete you can stop. If you care to continue decluttering beyond the amount of time you have committed to do each day—you can!
It is actually early Monday morning, I am preparing this for tomorrow. Each day I am committed to:
• Make my bed
• Brush my teeth, clean my face and moisturize, and fix my hair
• Get dressed
• Move the clothes from the washer to the dryer, fold the clothes in the dryer, and put another load in the washer.
• If for some unknown reason, I did not do the before bedtime walk through of my home, I do it first thing in the morning.
• My task for the day—Monday—clean the toilets
• Quiet Time
• Blog
• 15 minutes in the area I am decluttering—just now the front guest bedroom which is staying a guest room but is also becoming my office—I am getting my desk and computer out of my bedroom.
It is before 7 am and I now have the day free to do special projects in my home, take part in activities outside my home, or, like today, play with my grandson.
In the course of the day, I will prepare meals, and pick up after myself.
The Area of Focus this week is the Welcoming Areas—The Front Porch, The Entry, and The Dining Room.
Watch for little add-ons on the page. I am trying to keep each day’s regular post short for your convenience.
Love, love, love,
Mary
Skin Care and Makeup–Cosmetic Shelf Life
Skin Care and Makeup
One of my lovely, intelligent friends recently commented that she was saving the pricey skin care line she had purchased for special occasions—don’t do that! Skin care has a cumulative effect. It is important that you use it daily as directed by its maker. Use up what you have and buy your new product when you are down to a few days product. I occasionally have to make myself gather similar product and use up what I have before I buy new product. Use it or lose it, friends! If you will never use something—return it, pass it on to someone who will use it, or toss it.
I use a cleanser, sometimes a toner, moisturizer, an eye cream, and a neck cream. My favorite skin care line is Exuviance or Rodan and Fields—both pricey. Alternately, I use Olay’s Regenerist.
For daily makeup I use a BB or CC cream, cream blush, and mascara
For out and around I add an eyebrow cream in a tube similar to mascara, brush it on, and then use an eyebrow brush to blend it in.
I use a very thin line of eyeliner
I also use a bronzer on my temples, nose, and along my jaw line
For evenings out I use eye shadow, and shimmer
I use lip gloss or chapstick routinely. When I want more color I use lipstick and then go over it with lip gloss.
I try to have a manicure every few weeks and a pedicure every 4 to 6 weeks. I also like to have my eyebrows waxed about once a month and tweeze any brow hairs that appear in the wrong places in between waxings. I keep a small flash light in my drawer in the bathroom and check for rogue hairs on my chin, neck, and upper lip.
I have my hair cut and colored every 6 weeks. I do not use a solid color but hat highlights and lowlights to my natural color.
I spend minimum time and moderate money on my personal care but it makes me feel more pulled together and ready to get to work or to life each day.
Cosmetic Shelf List
Cosmetics have not been required to carry an expiration date but they do spoil and/or lose their effectiveness over time. At the really bad end of the spectrum they may cause infection or skin irritation. Creams, gels, lotions or other water-based cosmetics are more likely than powders to foster moisture-loving bacteria. Whenever any cosmetic product is opened and exposed to air and light it begins to degrade. To extend your cosmetic’s shelf life, keep tightly capped and store containers away from heat and sunlight. For safety sake, follow the “toss by” tips below.
- Mascara—Use within 3 months. Do not add water or pump the wand into the tube. That can introduce microbes that make mascara spoil faster and irritate eyes. I know it is no longer good when it becomes clumpy; brush does not evenly transfer mascara onto lashes
- Lipstick—Good for 1-2 years. I know it is no longer good when oils in formula turn rancid; color fades; oil droplets form; once-shiny lipstick looks dull or matte
- Foundation – Bottle. Use within 3-6 months. Wide-mouthed jars can expose more product to air, making it break down more rapidly. It is no longer good when ingredients begin to settle or separate; texture thins or thickens; odor seems off.
- Foundation – Pressed Powder—Good for 1+ years. It is no longer good when glaze forms on top; odor seems off.
- Foundation – Loose Powder—Good for 1+ years. It is no longer good when odor seems off.
- Powder, Eye Shadow, and Blush—Good for 1+ years. It is no longer good when glaze forms on top; powder cracks or crumbles.
- Eye & Lip Pencils—Good for 1+ years. Sharpen eye pencils weekly to prevent bacteria from being transferred to your eye area. It is no longer good when product dries or crumbles.
Your nose is a beautifully designed safety feature. If food or cosmetics or any product that you eat or touch smells off, it’s a good rule of thumb to not put it on your skin or in your mouth.
My Heart is at Home 