Category: Cleaning

The 7 Minute Home Maintenance Plan (That Works)

The 7 Minute Maintenance Plan That Works

A few weeks ago, I shared how a 3-layer chocolate cake changed my view on life and “clutter”.  I wasn’t sure that I should be so open and honest in a post about my home, family and shortcomings, but it was a hit with the people who needed it.  Over 50% of those who read it, went on to share it and many contacted me to let me know just how much it struck a chord with them.

That is what I pray for when I create a blog post, not to go viral, but to inspire others to be uplifted or aided by my post.  (Not that I would mind going viral.)

Today I want to share how I have been maintaining the house now that it has been “de-cluttered” and is much, much easier to maintain.

I call it “zoning” or “maintenance” rather than cleaning.

It just makes it sound so much easier and less stressful.

Don’t you think?


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20 Tips and Tricks for Cleaning The Inside Of Your Vehicle on a Budget

I am sure we all know how to clean out our vehicles, but here are a few tips to hopefully make the job easier.

20 Easy Tips & Tricks to Clean Your Vehicle on a Budget

20 Tips and Tricks For Cleaning Your Vehicle on a Budget

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Controlling the Chaos-Day 1-“Zoning”

This is it!Controlling the Clutter Day Recovering From the Holidays

The first day of our journey to Controlling the Chaos.

I imagine many of you are still tired and worn down from last night’s celebrating and the long holiday.  (I am still recovering from a biopsy two days ago and a nasty bug for weeks before that).

If you are like me, you may still need to put away some of the holiday decor or clean up after house guests and THAT, my dears, is what we are going to focus on today.

I mean why try to “organize” when the laundry, dishes and stuff are piled up?

It is kind of like trying to put out a fire consuming your kitchen by working in the garage.

Am I right?

Today we are going to start the year off right and declutter, straighten or as we call it “zone” our homes.

What does this mean?

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“Just Make Do” January

What is “Just Make Do January”?

Just Make Do January Button

Just Make Do January” is the perfect opportunity to use up all the food, chemicals, health and beauty supplies in your home AND kick start an emergency fund in 2016.

Just Make Do” means instead of running out and purchasing new we will be creative, be building new food combinations and using up any “leftover” bottles, supplies and groceries we have on hand.

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Decluttering Your Mind & Life a.k.a Controlling the Chaos

no-chaos-sign-hi

 

Why did we choose the title “Controlling the Chaos” and not a series on decluttering?

Because my hopes for this series include so much more than just decluttering and organizing.  I hope it will help me and others like me make lifestyle changes to reduce the chaos and clutter in our lives and minds.  I know the steps I have taken so far have worked wonderfully.

I hope this series will help guide you into making better choices and decisions about how you address everything that enters your life and mind every, single day From how and when you wake up to how you prepare for bed, from how you address incoming mail to how and when you pay your bills, create your budget and build your menu, etc… as well as removing and organizing the physical clutter in your life.

“Clutter” isn’t only something you can see but it is something you feel.

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Master Bedroom/Closet Makeover for Less Than $100 Update #3

Master Bedroom Makeover

Update #2

New curtains, Clean blinds, DIY tie-backs & a fresh Bulletin Board

Just let me say in advance our room is in no way finished but as I have mentioned before I am sharing the updates within my blog to keep myself motivated and because as much as I like seeing a “Before and After” post where the room was remarkably changed in one day it simply isn’t possible for plain folks like me.

In all honesty I have not been able to complete as much as I would like due to my limitations but I am proud of the progress we have made.

This is where I owe a HUGE thanks to my hubby and daughters.

That being said, let’s check out this week’s progress!

Shall we?

This first thing I did was makeover my bulletin board from drab brown to coordinating grey and blue.

Check out the details here.

Bulletin Board Makeover Pinterest Photo

Then we stripped the curtains and blinds (remember I cleaned the windows in Bedroom Makeover Update #1.)

Open window Master Bedroom After

Today I tackled the dreaded task of the enormous (or so it seems) blinds.

They were not pretty.

  I do dust them each week or so but I have gotten out of the habit of wiping each individual slat.

Thankfully, it was only dust and not more than a few specks of dirt.

I will be including a “How I Cleaned My Blinds” post in the next few days with pictures and details but here is a before and after photo to give you a hint of the “fun” we had.

(Actually it wasn’t as bad as I expected.)

After battling, the removal, cleaning, drying and hanging I admit looking at the shiny clean blinds feels pretty good.

Why New Curtains?

I was unable to find a bedspread I wanted that met all my criteria.

Pet hair, lightweight, easy to clean, matching my bedroom and in my price range.

This would be why I have had this comforter set for over 5 years and it took me several years to settle on this one.

So what is a girl to do?

Change the curtains!

I resorted to ordering the navy blue curtains I had used before but had removed due to damage prior to the cat declawing.

I spent several hours online looking for curtains after I gave up on bedding and still wasn’t sure what I wanted because the colors all seemed wrong and the prices were too high and honestly, I was just plain frustrated so I quit looking.

Then….

Yesterday morning I woke up to an EPIPHANY.  The curtains I wanted to match were already hanging in my living room (DUH!).

I simply went in and checked the label.

Then logged on-line looking for the brand.

BINGO!

Target had them and I could have it arranged for my husband to pick them up on his lunch hour THAT day.

BONUS

They were Buy One Get One 30% OFF.

Curtains for Master Bedroom Makeover

I got the set of lined, light blocking curtains for less than $18.00 (tax included).

I was so excited since I had expected to spend upwards of $40 or more.

I love the solid colors curtains but after making the mini flowers for the bulletin board I decided it would be fun to make material flower rosettes for tie-backs as well.

It was so easy!

I whipped up these two tie-backs and rosettes from the $1.99 Goodwill find I stumbled on last week.

It took me less than 30 minutes (while watching TV on the sofa) to create the flowers and just 10 more minutes to create the tie-backs.

I love the way they look and hope they will help bring the room together when I complete the additional accents.

The “Handmade Tie-back how-to” will be our next  “Workshop Wednesday” post.

It was not on my original plan but they were just too simple to pass up doing a demo.

One last look at the (almost) completed area.

Master Bedroom Makeover Left Wall After

New curtains up, tie-backs created, windows, blinds and desk scrubbed clean, bulletin board recovered and wall clean.

Now to find a solution to storing the cricut, printer and modem.

I am also trying to convince my hubby to build me a beautiful window cornice even though it’s freezing outside.

What do you think?

Wouldn’t this me the perfect touch?

Window Cornice

Photo and instructions found from the Family Handyman here.

Of course, I am not sure it is in the current budget and that we can build it in this beautiful bi-polar Illinois weather so I will stick it in my Pinterest file for “Hope to Do this Spring” and imagine it’s up there until then.

Master Bedroom Makeover Budget Check-In

Here is a breakdown of the $100 Budget so far.

Please remember this includes the closet and organizing items.

Lowes Metal 8 ‘ Shelf and Braces                $27.77

Goodwill King Size Grey Sheet                     $2.12

TARGET 42 X 84 IN Curtains (2)                $17.46

Ribbon for Bulleting Board (I had on hand)  $2.12

Current TOTAL:                                     $49.47

Do you want to follow our progress as we purge, clean, organize and “makeover” one room on a budget?

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Email followers will ONLY receive updates as new posts are sent while Facebook may or may not notify you of new posts but will also offer things I find on-line I think readers might enjoy and quick little updates as I work throughout my days.

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Thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to share you thoughts and ideas!

If you are another blogger feel free to share your master bedroom posts links in the comments below.

Master Bedroom Makeover Update #2

Today’s “makeover”  is once again not anything visually exciting.

I haven’t bought new bedding or curtains, painted the walls or created a masterpiece.

I cleaned, scrubbed, polished, purged and reorganized instead.

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Master Bedroom Makeover Update #1-Windows & Desk

Today was not a very exciting day for the cosmetic/visual changes in our master bedroom but it was a very productive day.

I considered skipping this post because who wants to see what I cleaned and purged again?  BUT the goal is for me to post daily AND stick to the posting schedule so I am going to torture you with the boring details.

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Master Closet Makeover- We’re Half Way There!!!

I know.  I know.  You expected a bedroom update this week, and you are getting a master closet makeover instead.  I am just too excited to keep it to myself any longer.  Huge smile here.

If you follow our FB page or had time to read our “Sharing Sunday” post then you had a peek of my master closet at the end of last week.  If not, then THIS is your chance.

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Planning Our Master Bedroom & Closet Makeover for $100 or Less

 Planning Our Master Bedroom Makeover

Planning Our $100 Master Bedroom and Closet Makeover FB

I decided to to start 2015 right by reorganizing my master bedroom and closet.  We took a running, jumping leap and buried ourselves today.  I am not going to lie, we did a “dash and grab” to have clear photos.  “Dash and Grab” means we removed clutter and straightened shelves to make it “presentable” for these pictures.

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