Week 1

The first week of 2012 is in the can. I was out of the gate like a shot, but then laziness and other things got away from me and no real change or progress has been made. It's early yet, I still have hope. I've tried to think of at least one thing I did accomplish this week, and I truly can't. Rather a waste of 7 days.

January PCCX

I'm using the room-by-room track.  This month I'm doing the kitchen and dining room.

Challenges:

• The giant hole in the ceiling.  It's something I'd like to see repaired by the end of the month but I don't know if that's likely.
• Really bad linoleum, coming up in pieces in several places.  There's no hope of repairing that this month and probably not this year.  I should be able to trim back the loose places and at least make it look a little better.
• Difficult to work with cabinets.
• A whole lot of extraneous china and crystal that is never used and much of it isn't even mine.  There is no flinging allowed, so it's just a matter of cleaning it all and reorganizing so it hopefully takes up less space.

I'll spend this week catching up on basics and then head into deep-cleaning and organizing.

Is anyone else working PCCX at all this year?

Kicking off the new year

There's been a significant lack of posting around here, and I have a very good reason.  I've been burning the midnight oil getting a whole new plan ready to go for 2011, and I came in just under the wire.

The biggest part of this change is that PCCX as we knew it is now spread over 11 months instead of intense bursts 4 times a year.  The theory is that with more time per room at one time we'll be more likely to get things done.  Just to put it out there FYI, here's the breakdown:

January: playroom/office/den
February: bathrooms/laundry room
March: dungeon
April: attic/basement/storage
May: outside
June: porch/entry/halls/stairs
July: bedrooms
August: living room/family room
September: garage/workshop/autos
October: kitchen
November: dining room
December: nothing scheduled due to holidays

There's also a plan for similar tasks to be done together rather than a whole room at a time.  I don't know how many people will be using that one, but I wrote it anyway, just in case.

So this is the new schedule I'll be using, and I'm hopeful for this year.  How are your plans coming?

What is wrong with me?

You know how "they" are always telling people who are trying to reach a goal or change something that the first step (or one of them) is to visualize themselves doing whatever it is they're trying to do?  I guess for some people who don't have confidence or faith or whatever this would be difficult.  I have no problem with that.  I can - and frequently do - picture myself with great clarity in the act of really getting down and dirty as it were, cleaning everything in sight.  It seems so easy, at least one bit at a time it is.  And yet I can't seem to get up and actually do it.  What's wrong with me?

I also really need to get over my aversion to using water to clean things.  I know, weird.  I tend to go out of my way to clean things with wipes or sprays or dusters or dry cloths instead of a good, old-fashioned bucket o' water and rags or sponges.  I think it has something to do with the thought of getting something clean only to have to deal with the puddles or drips or spills or whatever.  Dumb.

A slow start

Here's a shocker: I haven't really started yet.  That's right, you heard me.  7 days of PCCX behind us, and I've cleaned nothing.  I did - finally - get my general set of before pictures done last night.  If you go look let me just say that no rumbles were done in advance of those shots (as if that weren't patently obvious), so on a day when rumbles are done it doesn't look quite that bad.  The really surprising bit is that B's room seems to be the cleanest one in the house.  Or at least the most picked-up room.  I assure you, it still needs to be sandblasted and scoured.

In better news, I have done all but one of week one's holiday tasks.  Yay me!

One way or another this place will look better than those pictures by Thanksgiving.  It may require a flamethrower or a bulldozer, but it will be better.

Anyone else have progress to report? *coughcelestecough*

Getting the ball rolling

I've done all the administrative voodoo - ok, most of it - and I'm halfway through preparing my own files.  I still have to take, edit, upload, and link a full set of pictures (my last "befores" are from, I think, 2008?) before I even get started.

I hope some of you have been a little more on-track than I have in starting this challenge.   My dh is currently out of work and has been informed that he will be assisting this time around.  I hope (plan) to get my pictures done tomorrow so we can start working on the living room.  I've decided to work more or less in order as written this time.  You know me, every round I have to change something and it never works...but I keep trying. :)

I just realized, this is our 20th PCCX!  Um, 20th time's the charm?

Day 2: stopped before I started

I intended to work in my room today. I went in there, I took pictures of the hideous before, and I was all ready to start digging in when my computer battery was near empty and I got sleepy. I never quite made it back in there. Let's see if we can get a look at the before:

Ok, I guess we can't. I can't get any more pictures to upload for some reason. That's Sharla there, lying where she always does. She'll have to do for a before, unless I can get it to work when I have afters.

Day 1: not even home

I spent the first day of PCCX out doing the shopping I should have done Sunday. The only cleaning I got done was getting the groceries put away. But hey, I'll take any accomplishment I can get. I did stock up on a couple of cleaning supplies, so I've got that going for me too.

Confessions

I sorta bailed on the whole cleaning concept there. I did get a few things accomplished, notably: E's room cleared out (see previous post), the girls' room rearranged and C's dresser *finally* in her own room, many carloads of trash (mostly empty boxes) taken to the dump, and clothing gone through and thinned out in a major way. But the place remains a sty, laundry remains a mountain, and there's more furniture issues than I care to count. And that's just inside the house; let's not get started on outside.

I would go to bed with the best of intentions for the following day, and then I would either wake up sick or Chris would take the day off and kill my plans. And then before I knew it it was the last week and I was out of time. Oh well. *fingers crossed* It's possible that the chronic nausea and heartburn that were making life miserable have been removed from the equation, or at the very least watered down significantly with last week's gallbladder surgery.

I'm thinking what I need right now is a back-to-basics movement. Something sort of opposite of the PCCX plan. One small, basic thing at a time, building one upon another until a bare bones routine is once again in place. I think I'll run that up the PCC flagpole and see if anybody salutes.

And so it begins

Whose brilliant idea was it to start PCCX during Spring Break? Perhaps some people can leverage their kids' extra presence into help in cleaning, but apparently I'm not that adept at that beyond getting a few things picked up. It's now Thursday and I can't even say I'm all that caught up on basics right now. We've had extra kids over playing, I opened the Wii Fit and now *everyone* has to take their turn all the time, there's more mess than usual if that's even possible, and I haven't gotten started on a single project. Unless you count planting an Aero Garden and adopting a new virtual Touch Pets puppy. Yeah, that's productive. Fun though. :)

Excuses, Excuses~!!!

For me it is one excuse after the other so that I do not have to clean this house. I don't know if it is because I don't get to leave the house very much or if its just laziness. But nonetheless, I hate to move off the couch most days. It seems like the morning is horrible for me in the energy area. But yet in the evening when I "Feel" like cleaning, I can't because the kids are home and we are doing homework, dinner, baths...etc. to keep me from working. I also feel guilty when I do not clean because I AM here all day and I shouldn't have an excuse for not cleaning. Yet, when my wonderful, hard working husband comes home to this nasty house, I have to make up a reason why I didn't move off my lazy tail all day long. It seems like the more I try the worse I get.

My house is not in shambles by any means...but I DO need to clean daily and I can't seem to ever get there. I may do the same stuff almost daily, but not everything I need to do. I know it is possible because I used to do it 2 yrs ago. I got up and drilled with you all and my house stayed clean, and that was with kids home. So not doing it now with no kids home, makes no sense to me. It is like I have gotten selfish of my alone time. I am not a selfish person normally. But yet it seems I cannot get past this. Does anyone else experience this?

If it wasn't for you ladies and our drilling, I would never do anything...EVER!

For some reason when we make lists, play "games" or something of the kind...I am able to actually move. I guess it just motivates me somehow.

I am hoping to get into a better routine. I plan on making a list at night...I have never understood the points keeping and POA and PODA thing. But I am thinking it might help me get motivated and help me move at least some daily.

I am asking if anyone would be willing to invest time in showing me how to use it and help me understand it? If so, let me know. If not, then I will figure another way out. Thanks!!

This blogging thing could become addicting...:)

Part 1 of my dungeon

Before & After Photos of the Coupons - Part of my dungeon

The first photo is of all the MONTHS, yes months of inserts that I had accumulated as well as coupons I picked up along the way or received in trains or from other group members. There was NOT semblance of organization, they were scattered everywhere and I had no idea where in the heck the ones were that I actually needed to use. My daughter went to her dad's this weekend and I spent a total of 13 hours on organizing the heaps of the mess. (4 hours on Thursday night, 6 hours on Friday and 3 hours on Sunday)

First, I had to go thru all the uncut inserts and determine which were expired (sadly, that was alot). This was approximately 9 1/2 " of inserts to go thru and does not include the enormous stack that was already clipped. Then I clipped all the good dated coupons. After getting them all clipped, I sorted them into stacks of coupons I need/use and ones that I will send to friends and members of my coupon groups that can use them. I tackled the "other" coupons for the groups first and grouped all like coupons together. I keep these in a bin with cards labeled by month. I chose to do this by month because when we send out coupon trains in the group, we must make sure that the coupons aren't short dated to go around to 4 people. I keep the current month first and then in month order work back. The coupons photo'd in the very back of the bin are either NON expiring or expire 12/2010 or LATER. Yes, I grabbed an entire stack of organic coupons. I don't see them often, use them when I can and I experience NO SHAME in helping myself and my friends :D

Once that was accomplished, I did the happy dance, not only for completing 1/2 of that task, but also because I got to take fling points for all those wasted coupons :) I "auctioned" off several stacks of the unwanted coupons to the girls (the collaborators of this blog) and I think we all thoroughly enjoyed it...we kinda felt like we were at an auction, lol. Next began the task of organizing all my personal coupons. I do the organizing for those a little differently. I organize my personal coupons by "type" of coupon. For example....beverages, breakfast items, bread, ice cream, frozen, frozen veggies, medicine, deoderant, paper products...you get the idea I hope. I shop the sales and I stockpile, so I often times have multiples of coupons and actually welcome them from friends, neighbors, family and fellow couponers. :) If I can get items for free or close to free that we won't personally use, I donate them to women's shelters, pet shelters, churches and even victims of wild fires, tornadoes and hurricanes. I paperclip all like coupons together, with the earliest expiration date first. I also like to have each variety of coupon clipped together, meaning.....I have a section for soups, but I have all the chunky campbell's coupons together, all healthy choice campbell's coupons together, all cream soup campbell's coupons together, etc. That's probably a bit anal, but if I see a sale, I can grab the coupons quickly and take them with me.

The final step in completing the coupon organizing is to organize my bin by ailes in the store. I have not done that yet and am waiting when I can leave my daughter at home to walk the aisle at kroger. I do shop at other stores, but mainly kroger, and I could actually probably just do this at home since I am smart enough to figure out that all cheeses, milk, yogurt, butter, cookie dough, etc are all in the same section, same with all the frozens, canned goods, etc. :)

I think I mentioned I have several BIG issues with my dungeons in trying to get unpacked, but I am happy that I was able to get this large task completed although it was only a VERY VERY small, minute dent in the big picture. I went shopping Saturday afternoon and it was so nice to look at the ads, make my list and pull my coupons....took me 30 minutes tops for this weeks shopping at 5 stores. YAY me!

I LOVE Fall!

I never realized that I loved fall until I spent time in Tennessee the past two years. I lived in Florida the past 14 years and our fall's consisted of 80 degree days instead of 95. ;) I always did my "major" clean every January. I had renewed energy after the holidays and hope to continue that, but I really want to be prepared and organized for the holidays this year. The air is dryer and cooler and days of windows open are just around the corner. With the start of PCCX each time, I am optimistic I'll get EVERYTHING done, and it never happens. I will take what I can however; because I do get MORE done when PCCX is in the midst. I make my daily points and stay active, but just can't get quite to PCCX, lol. For now, I am ok with that. Maybe if I can get all this other "stuff" done, I will be successful at PCCX the next time.

I have made goal each day this week; however I haven't completed all I wanted on my list. Things come up like middle of the night upset stomach's and laying wide awake when I am supposed to be sleeping...not condusive to a 5:30 alarm sounding off. This morning I got to add two extra loads of laundry to my list as my daughter didn't quite make it to the bathroom early this morning....fun, fun. I have had emergency client deadlines come up and dishwashers go out....but I am plugging along.Today, we managed to get two days of math done and I reorganized the stockpile of food in our stairwell closet. We have more we are gathering to put in there, but for now it's organized should we need it. :) The photos are above....

The remainder of the day will be spent whittling away my 48 item list, errands and client work....another day with no PCCX items completed, but I'm ok with that. :)

Jamie's Befores

Jamie's Day 1

My computer is EXTREMELY slow and photobucket was extremely uncooperative this evening. :( I made my daily goal and am pleased with my overall day, although I did not get any PCCX done, so to speak. I got somewhat of a gameplan together and will only be able to work on PCCX two full days a week. I am going to have to stay on task and make sure I am following the schedule that I have set up to keep my work, homeschool, dailies and pccx done. I am pleased that I kept up with my POA, I worked steadily, I got my water in, we completed school and I got all my rumbles done.

Off to bed....tomorrow will be full with school activities for dd, so I will have to work after dinner.....toodles.

The Day Before Hell...I Mean PCCX

So, yesterday I spent 8 hours of cleaning so I could take pics today. Don't judge me when you see the pictures! I'm a very busy person!!!

I've already warned Jordan (my 15 year old son) that he WILL be helping. I figure 30 minutes a day after school should suffice. This way, if I'm too busy, at least something will get done!

Here's my plan:
Finish a room every week...ROFL...I kill me. No seriously, I'm going to finish a room weekly and add the pics every Sunday night of the room that is completed.

I do have "kinks" in my cleaning. This is my father's house. We moved in with him last year to prevent him from losing the house. So there will be some things that I just can't do anything about. But, I will try...

My dungeon this time will be my bathroom. Yes, my bathroom. A huge assortment of bar soaps that nobody uses, shampoos, towels, lotions, etc need to be weeded out. I'm hoping to take anything unopened to the local battered woman's shelter.

Let's talk strategy

The way PCCX is written allows for a lot of flexibility in accomplishing the gargantuan list of tasks. This is great for different people who work in different ways and have different schedules and circumstances. Not so great for just me, when I try to figure out how I want to tackle the project *this time*.

Originally it was structured around the Flylady way of doing things. So even though every section is virtually identical (with minor variations and different examples to reflect the space), it's split up into the 5 "zones": dining room/entry, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room. That accounts for 5 of the 8 weeks, and then we have a week dedicated to the dungeon (more on that in a later post), a week for extra rooms (laundry, office, play, craft, etc.), and a week for seasonal and outside chores. As an aside, the Spring PCCX is organized the same way, while Winter and Summer are just the 5 weeks, lacking the seasonal/outside section and incorporating bonus rooms and dungeons into the base period. Anyway, this one section a week plan works fine for monthly tasks, or maybe for PCCX if one has a smaller house. But for those of us with many bedrooms or other things to throw off the balance I think it's better to take a different approach. For example, in my "main house", i.e. not including mom's rooms, I have 3 bedrooms and 1 small bathroom. I can finish my bathroom (if I really work at it) in a single day, but each bedroom takes a minimum of several days.

Another tactic is to do all "like tasks" at the same time for the whole house. Wash *all* the windows at once. Scrub *all* the hard floors at once. Sometimes I find this makes sense; dealing with everyone's wardrobes changing from hot to cool weather at once for instance. Other things, like the floors, I think are too big a job to do all at once for every room. That's just me though, I do see the potential benefits of it for other people.

I'm often tempted by the thought of picking a corner - any corner - and starting there, washing, scrubbing, polishing, dusting, moving everything in a 3' square before moving on. But then I think that's too much changing tasks and thus inefficient in the long run.

So where does that leave me? I think what I'll do this time is take room at a time but without regard to order or how long it takes me to finish. Start at the top of the room, dusting cobwebs off the ceiling and washing walls, and moving down and out from there. If a room like the bathroom gets done in a day that's great, but if a room takes me a week I'm not going to fuss. I'm hoping it evens out in the end. I have 12 areas (1 of which is my dungeon) not including outside. Obviously I can't spend a week on each one, but at least 3 of them should be 1-day projects.

That decided, where to begin? As each room/area is completed it will have to be maintained while at the same time moving on to the next room. So do I start with the harder/longer rooms so that there's fewer areas to maintain while I'm working on the big ones? Or do I start with those little 1-day rooms so I have that many areas to check off the list? I think I'll just wait until Monday and see which room is bugging me the most. Not the most logical method, but it has potential. :)

So do you have any thoughts as to how you'll tackle your home? Any of these ideas strike your fancy, or do you have a method I haven't thought of?

Oh brother

Well, there's nothing quite like a surprise visit from CPS to break one out of a housework malaise. Oh yeah, you read that right. A couple of hours ago a very nice lady (I can be objective) knocked on my door in response to an anonymous call about the state of my home. My home, which no one but family and Teresa have set foot in in months. Months. So...old call? Someone who's never seen the place? Who knows, who cares. She really was very nice and didn't go poking around at all, just said she'd come back Monday afternoon to make sure she could talk to all three of the older kids (since the girls are at school) and to give me a chance to pick up some before she took a look around. So we'll be "pre-cleaning" this weekend, which is good, will make it easier to do PCCX tasks with all the junk picked up. Still...it had to be *this* week? Sigh.

Champing at the bit

(Because I'm the insecure perfectionist that I am, I first Googled that phrase to make double-dog sure I was right (I was).)

In a perverse sort of way I wish it were next week, or that PCCX started today. I look around the house and SO much needs to be done, desperately. Part of me wants to dive in and start somewhere - anywhere - and move on from that spot only after it is DONE. But DONE involves tasks only found on the PCCX list. I don't want to start early; that's cheating. And I don't want to just do a half-assed swipe of the problem areas (as in, every square inch of the place) and face the same thing tomorrow. So, in a quandary I sit, and do nothing. Yeah, yeah, every little bit helps. And yeah, yeah, something has to be done even if it has to be redone. I just can't wrap my overwhelmed little brain around either option at the moment. Perhaps tomorrow will be better, after 4 hours of premiere television and some medication.

Oh, I posted a series of "before" pictures in the links list at the right. In the interest of full disclosure, these are actually pictures taken immediately prior to LAST Fall's PCCX. Aside from some minor furniture placement changes, it is all, sadly, about the same.