re-entry- flylady update

Returning from the 5 day weekend (and the impromptu road trip)  has been more than a little difficult.

The trip did not come at the right time. In fact, it came at a really bad time.  We've both been busy at work, and in the middle of selling his house, and combining it into this house and the list just goes on and on, and coming back to it all has been difficult. 

Is there ever really a perfect time? No, but this is a particularly chaotic time to add a little extra mess to the mix.

The kitchen has been overwhelmed with sudden unexpected large dinners needed with little advanced warning. The husband and the men in the family are moving stuff over which means they show up at dark, hungry, grumpy and looking to me for a solution. I'm pretty darn proud of myself for getting a full dinner cranked out three times so far (thanks to white beans in the freezer, chicken sausage from Sam's club and one night of breakfast for dinner.)


But the kitchen, already a daily challenge to stay on top of,  took a hard hit.  Not to mention the rest of the house. The guest room furniture is currently sitting in the entry way, and that is just the half of it.

I am pretty sure the flylady has no system for this particular situation. My system thus far has been go until you have to stop, take a hot salt bath and hide in bed.

But I am happy to report, I keep at it, and plug along and almost each day I get my 15 minutes of zone cleaning in, one load of laundry and at least part of the evening routine (which I am still working on... more on this later).

I've also been decluttering/cleaning/rearranging upstairs and I've been pretty ruthless. Old pillows  that have seen there better days- gone. Old sheet sets with bleach spots- gone. The dining room chandelier that I was never in love with and had to be taken down for the rebuilding- not going back up and gone.  Clothes that were expensive but don't fit quite right- gone. Fluffy pink bathrobe that is just too hot to wear- gone. If I stop and think about any of it, I can easily talk myself into keeping all of it. (Its still good! What if I need it?! it doesn't take up much space1 You cant have too many pillows!) But, the truth is, we just don't have the room, physically or mentally, for 2 households of stuff to live in one household.

And what is probably the real real truth is I am tired of living in upheaval and disorganization and I am willing to do radical things to get my house back to where it once was, calm and clean.  The flylady system is one of those things, ruthlessly tossing out some pillows is another. And I just joined an online organizational group called get your life totally organized. Doesn't that sound like exactly what I need.  I have also scheduled a pick up of items to donate to the Vietnam Veterans Association. All I have to do is drag it to the front porch and they will do the rest.  

Perhaps the combination of the fly lady and the Organizational group is what is going to propel me to see some real results and ease some of the re-entry. That and making some realistic to do lists.