Flying and Starting a Business

Flying has done wonderful things for me and my house. One of the most exciting is the time I have found to put into starting and running my very first home based business!

I wasn't looking for a business venture, it just sort of arrived on my doorstep in the form of a close friend. She was introduced to an amazing health product called MonaVie. This healthful blend contains of some of the earth's most powerful "superfoods." Its main ingredient is the Brazilian rain forest's acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee). This premier formula delivers powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients to help fight free radicals and maintain your body's overall health.

A few months ago, I would never have been able to take on a project such as launching a new career. But now that my routines are in place and I am finally loving myself, I can start on the road to becoming an entrepreneur. Let's just see where that road takes me!

To find out more about MonaVie's products or business, visit my website at
mymonavie.com/shanay or their home site at monavie.com.

Monday Morning Pick Me Up

Monday morning is just one of those days. The weekend is over. You are back to work or school, and your normal routine is back in place. We all need a Monday morning pick me up: and this includes your house!

If you are anything like me (and I'm sure at least one of you are) I don't do a whole lot of domestic duties on the weekends. I try to save those two days for family and friends. So come Monday morning, my house is looking a little bit "unloved." How to counteract those Monday blues AND get your house smiling again? A Monday Morning Pick Me Up.

Every Monday morning, I spend about an hour doing what is called a PUPA: Pick Up Put Away. I also incorporate my regular morning routine into that time. I start by getting dressed to the shoes. I make my bed and swish and swipe my bathroom. I try to drink at least one glass of water to get hydrated. Then, starting with one room in the house, I pick up and put away everything that is out of place. I wipe down anything that needs a little TLC. When that room is finished, I move on to the next room. By the time I have rotated through all the rooms in my house, everything looks better and amazingly, I feel better as well.

Today is Monday. Why don't you give it a try?

Neeeeext!

Here is my next project.

I don't know why anyone in their right mind would have a closet built this small. It has always been a challenge to get everything in there. I want to go through toys and games and declutter those that are ready to move on. I'll be sure to post the "afters" when I get around to it.

Celebrating an Accomplishment

DS12's room is the hardest to keep up. It looks good...then whamo - it's a mess. I'm not really sure what happens between those stages. But since our zone this week was the bedroom and mine is in pretty decent shape, I decided to give him a hand and get that room in shape.

We started at the doorway and moved clockwise. Working in just 20 minute increments, we dusted, decluttered, scrubbed, shampooed the carpets...and even cleaned one set of blinds and the window! Bedding was laundered and bed remade. Cleaned under the bed too! I can honestly say there are no monsters in there...not even dust bunnies now!

Here are the "after" pictures.

I'm sooo excited!

After months of not having a dishwasher, I am so excited to hear the hummm of my GE as I blog!

At first I didn't really mind hand washing dishes. I have an amazing view out of my kitchen window. I can enjoy the scenery as I scrub dishes. But after a few months, even the awesome view loses it's appeal.

I figured that hand washing dishes for my family of five takes around an hour a day. Of course, that includes drying and putting away. So my dishwasher won't actually save an hour, because I will still have to load and unload. But it will save at least 30 minutes as day. That's 3 1/2 hours a week. Enough time for something really fun. Maybe instead of enjoying the scenery out my kitchen window, I can use that time to be IN the scenery!

This is the other side of the entry closet. I can't decide if it's organized or not! At first glance I think "wow, what a wreck!" Then on second thought, I'm like "hmm...everything has a place and is neatly arranged." What do you think? What was your first impression of this space?

I'm working on decluttering. It's a process for me. I thought it would be helpful to chart my progress and be able to look back at what I have accomplished with my "hidden clutter." I'm starting in the entry closet.