luri, switch to vinegar, soooo much cheaper and works like mad. And peroxide instead of bleach. No fumes. Plus it's fun...it bubbles on the gross.

Once you really get in the swing of it, you stop shopping as much and that saves $$$. This week, I purposely didn't go to the market because I wanted to clean out my fridge and use some stuff out of the pantry that was getting forgotten. I try to do this at least once a month. I have cloth shopping bags and I try not to buy more than what will fit in my bags too. I hate throwing out food! It is so easy to overshop.

In the bathroom, I wipe it down while I'm in the shower with a little shampoo on a washcloth and then throw the washcloth in my daily load of laundry. I wipe the mirrors and sink down with a hand towel every morning. The toilet gets a clorox wipe and I swish the bowl daily so it never gets bad. This all takes just a coupld of minutes. Shower door gets squeegeed and I'm done. Weekly mopping and my bathroom is always clean.

In the kitchen, I keep a sink full of soapy water when I'm cooking so I can clean dishes as I prepare meals. I wipe down the counters and stove after every meal. I don't keep appliances out so there isn't as much to wipe down. I wipe the counters with a little hot water and dish soap while I'm washing dishes.

I have a hard time doing the decluttering challenges because I just don't have the clutter anymore. I really look at things differently. When I put stuff away, if my cabinets seems full, I naturally look for stuff I'm not using as much and they are outta there. I like the breathing room and empty spaces.

Be careful with the cloth bags. I never put meat in them (I never allowed them to mix my meat and other groceries before I started bringing my own bag). I have them put the meat in plastic and I reuse the plastic bags to empty out the kitty litter and I reuse the kitty litter to sprinkle around the foundation of the house to deter mice from setting up housekeeping in the garage.

Living in Seattle during the 1990's made green Kings and Queens out of us. No other city in the US does it better than Seattle. WAAAY ahead of the curve.

Thanks for the reminder about meat. I have been remembering something else about the Flylady routines: they really come in handy when you are faced with turmoil or depression. Last year was a very hard year. My routines that had been ingrained in me from previous years of "flying" got me up every morning, got me dressed, and kept me moving - even if it was just 15 minutes here and there. The constant reminder to love myself and accept myself helped too. These seemingly simple routines can be a mental health lifesaver when things get really rough. They kept me moving - one babystep at a time. The routines gave me a sense of normalcy and momentum that was very needed during my recovery. Now, they keep me on track. I like the routines, the order, and the peace that comes from a well-organized life.