It’s Friday!!!

Happy Friday and Happy End of the Month.  Is it me or is the year flying by?  During this September we have been trying to give you tips to help you simplify your daily grind and save labor (cause you know…it was Labor Day this month) so you can enjoy the important things in your part of the world.

This month we will be tackling the fears that many of us hold onto that keep us from having the simple, organized home we crave.  What is holding us back?  Afraid to get rid of something you might need?  Afraid that by letting go of THINGS you might be letting go of MEMORIES?  Afraid of finding creepy dust bunnies that have grown and multiplied in the dark corners of your home?

What ever those fears maybe, let OOCTB banish them!!!!  Let nothing hold you back.

Enjoy the cooler temperatures enjoy some QT with your family!

Holly

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Wonderful Wednesday: The Sickness Comes!!!

I have a list of blog topics that I follow for each week.  The discussion scheduled for today was about how to save labor by not having to search the couch cushions for the remote, but I am going to be a little more spontaneous today and deviate from the schedule.  I want to address the Medicine Cabinet area of your home.

Why?  Well it seems that the Sickness is creeping into the homes of many of my friends…well before the traditional cold and flu season.  The symptoms range from general headache and snotty-ness to full on strep and croup.  Fortunately the Sickness is passing over our house so far.  We seem to be blessed with super strength immunity…knock on wood, carry a rabbit’s foot and above all Thanks Be to God!!!

I want to encourage you all to spend 5 minutes in your medicine cabinet today.  I did last weekend and OH THE HORROR!!!  I am ashamed by how much expired medicine I had in there.  Tylenol from 2005!  Cough Syrup from 2007!  Crumpled band aids that had seen better days…they were in the packaging, but that even looked a little suspect.

If you have to deal with the Sickness more often than you’d like, your medicines might be in better shape than mine, but check anyway.  I am vowing to have a fresh stash of basic OTC medicines on hand so I won’t have to make an unscheduled CVS visit at 2 am.

Plus…getting rid of all the old junk will make it easier to get to the medicine your family needs quickly and efficiently.  Cause that’s what we are all about around here…quick and efficient.

Oh…just wait til we talk about one step movements in the bathroom.  Talk about a quick and efficient!

See you Friday!  Go Forth and Simplify!

Holly

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Beat the Bathroom Blues

In the spirit of simplicity and learning to save time as we organize and clean, I want to I just want to ask one question.  When is it going to cool off already?

Ok, Ok….so that statement and that question my not seem to go together, but just go with me.  When it is hot and muggy I find that it is nearly impossible for me to have a coherent thought, much less pick up a dust rag.  That’s why I’m so happy to be a part of the Out of the Crayon Box experience because the tools and philosophy designed to be so simple and to save time.

I’m tackling bathroom issues this week.  The grumble on the street is that the bathroom is the least favorite room of the house to clean.  Is it the gross out factor?  Is it because it’s not one of the most visible?  Maybe, but I’m learning that it is one of the easiest to maintain and keep clean with just a few easy tips.

The one that I find the most helpful is this…I simply spray the sinks and counters everyday with window cleaner or other bathroom cleaner and give it a quick wipe down everyday (OOTCB p. 101).  It keeps the counter from building up clutter because I’m always giving it a wipe down and I never have to give it a massive cleaning because the gunk never gets a chance to build up.  I do the same thing in the shower/tub about once a week…I spray it down after a shower and come back and wipe it down after I’ve gotten dressed.

I never have to set aside time to “clean the bathroom” because the best news of all is that the regular maintenance takes less than 5 minutes to do and I usually do it while I’m in the middle of my regular get ready routine for the day or bedtime.  It’s just something that has become as routine as brushing my teeth….In fact, I often do this WHILE I brush my teeth.

Now….save some time and Go Forth and Simplify!

Holly

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Back to Basics

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

I know it’s been a week or 10 days, but the news about the wildfires, the tropical storms, the 9/11 remembrances got me really thinking about simplifying my life.  I listened to a report on NPR about disaster preparedness and the host urged listeners to call in and talk about what was in their disaster kit.  It ranged from the serious to the hysterical, but it was all poignant and relevant.  My friends and I even joked that this would be a good time for Jesus to come again….Well, maybe that wasn’t much of a joke 🙂

This week I want to get to the heart of my home and strip it down to the very basics. Monday we talked closets.  Today, the dishes!  Oh the excitement!!

I mentioned I was going to talk about the fact that it only takes 5 minutes to empty the dishwasher so hop to it!  Well….lets talk about it now.  What are you waiting for?  The dishes in the sink and on the counter beside my sink is probably my biggest eyesore and, thankfully, the thing that has the easiest fix.  I have found that the best time for me to unload the dishes is right after the kids are all bedded down and dinner is done.  The clean dishes get put up and the icky ones go in and the washer can run while we are all asleep.  If I’m REALLY good, I’ll empty the washer in the morning and then add dishes throughout the day and then the evening routine is even easier.  But that’s only if I’m REALLY good.

Wow…this blog is a good accountability tool.  I’m off to put up the dishes!

What works best for you?  Are dishes as big a deal for you as they are for me?  Anyone? Anyone?

Go forth and simplify!!!

Holly

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The Fall Winds Are Blowing…Through My Closet!

I can’t believe it…I just can’t believe it.  Wet stuff actually fell from the sky this weekend!!  I think it rained a little bit each day for 3 days!  There was thunder!  There was lightning!  Can you tell I’m a bit excited about it?

With the rain came some cooler temperatures and the hope that I might actually be able to wear some Fall clothes.  Now that I’m not in the classroom teaching, I am looking forward to mixing up the old wardrobe.  And by old, I do mean old.

One of the biggest time wasters a gal has is trying to figure out what to wear everyday.  I find myself standing in front of my closet wishing for the perfect outfit to leap off the hanger and on to my body.  I know some of you struggle with this, too.

As you start to change your closet from the lighter clothes of Summer to the clothes of Fall, be sure to only put in your closet those items that are definite “Yes’s” for you (Out of the Crayon Box p. 16).  Don’t put back things you never wore last season…unless you have certain plans for them.  Before you go shopping for new items, shop your closet and put together some outfits. Consider blessing someone else with those items that don’t seem to work with anything or that you just don’t know what to do with.

If you need some help, invite a friend (ME! ME! ME!) to come over and help you put together outfits and provide a little extra inspiration.

I hope theses cooler temperatures are inspiring you get busy implementing some of the tips we’ve talked about these last few weeks.  There are more to come….stay tuned!

Go forth and simplify!!!

Holly

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