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Thanks OTG and Inks - I love bedtime stories!
I just finished Flossing, and now saying good night to the internet - Yippee!
Grins

OK - I choose 10:15 for schoolnight 'PJs on/Internet off'

Today is day 18.
the babystep is to read a Flylady essays.
Here's the link:

http://www.flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_11commandments.asp

Gave a great day,
Grinity

Maybe it is a combination of routine and clutter for me. It's so easy to get out of routine for us, and I was REALLY out of routine. Getting up, getting dressed and all that really set the tone for the day. My children need a fair bit of structure, and organised activities. I was starting to get quite slack with that.

In addition, between the layout of my house and two home educated very young children, it can get very messy very quickly. Trying to cut down on the clutter really helps that. I find that there is a strong inverse correlation between the clutter and the amount of tolerance I have!

And yes, there are few things more frustraiting than trying to do an activity and not being able to find something, while the whole time my children are destroying something/ whining they are bored/
fighting... you get the picture.

Having said that, decluttering is the hardest thing for me. I really struggle with that. I struggle to get started, I struggle to get rid of much. And when I do, DH wants to rescue it half the time. I suppose there is probably some reason for it, but I'm not sure what it is.

I'm still working on some clutter issues but one thing has made a big difference for me.

I started this with the kids toys. I had 9 bins in the basement that I would take toys out of and bring upstairs into the playroom. One day, I decide this was too crazy.I decided to put their toys in an upstairs closet, which was a smaller storage space next to the playroom. I will only keep what will fit in this space. It was so hard but I put aside my feeling of how useful or special something was for how it fit into the amount of space assigned.

I took this same principal with the linen closet. If it doesn't fit into the closet or my life it has got to go.

My kids do art in the kitchen. They each have a drawer for on going projects. If the drawer is too full they need to make it reasonable. It helps to set limits and learn to let go. I wish I learned this earlier.

PAPER CLUTTER,
I really need help with organizing files, school papers, things I want to read, things I need to take care of, catalogues, magazines, ect. How can I keep track of it all. I do keep a calendar on a mommy central bullentin board. This helps some. I tend to have applications/enrollment forms that I can't get done quickly then I need to get back too. How can I do this better? I have 2 laundry basket filled with "I never got around to it and needed it out of sight. What drives me crazy is stuff like school sends home a request for something like papertowel rolls but they don't want them until the next week. HElP me please.

Flylady has some good essays, but also read David Allen's 'Making it all work.'

A good first step is the 'do it now' principle - if it takes less than 3 mintues to do it, just do it.

OTG - Set the timer for 15 minutes once in the AM and once in the PM and attack those laundry baskets. You will get through them!

Love and More Love,
Grinity

I feel you here! Glad to know that you are taking the lead. As for parting with those objects, just know that you are getting to tell the Universe who you are and who you aren't at this moment in time. That is very powerful - but it is hard. It does get easier as you get more peace with what you life is right now.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Great idea. It reminded me that we have a 'staging area' where backpacks and various items that need to leave the house within one week are stored. It's near the exit to the house, so there is a visual cue. Sometimes I put things in the car, with a sticky note on the steering wheel about what needs to go where tomorrow.

The items for school that have to sit more than 2 days get a prominent sticky note telling who has to take them on which day - maybe a calendar note also. My rule is to assume: If I can forget it, I will forget it.

As a 9-5 job- mom, I always liked having at least one weekend to round up exotic school supplies.

Grinity

Day 19! Go Me! I'm more than halfway through - Yippee!

another essay to read

http://flylady.net/pages/TimeFLYs.asp#thing1

I just read it. One of my favorite FLY-images:
The bed and breakfast essay.

Dear Ones, your are in for a treat.

Oh I just got a great big smile from scrolling all the way down and reading:

What's Your "FLY - Q"?

I guess I still miss those Cosmo Quizzes I used to read as a teenager.
Love and More Love,
Grinity