August Challenge Update

The August challenge is going well. I have been using all cash except for gas stations. I did go on a vacation that required some rentals on credit, but there is not much I can do about that. But I did manage to do the trip with cash only and that took some thinking ahead and on the spot priority making. It also went with my cleaning and organizing because I didn't want to bring back too many souvenirs that I will have to move later.

I have made an executive decision to move to North Carolina in the next month or so (just waiting for the job transfers to go through). So my cleaning and organizing is centered around being prepared to move at any time. So each day, I get a little closer to that goal. Hopefully this will make it so I don't have quite as stressful of a time getting packed and moved in in North Carolina.

I have been making more meals at home and taking my lunch with me to work, so that has helped with the cash and the not shopping at the same place 2 times this month. 

So far the challenge is going well. Just mopped the floor so I am on to baseboards! Until next time...

July Challenge Wrap Up/August Challenge

In July, I made it a challenge to clean for 15 min each day. This was actually kind of difficult to discipline myself. I am more of a 1 hour cleaner and take a few days off. Once I start a project, I like to see it get done.

Fortunately, this challenge came in quite handy because I had unexpected guests at the house this month. Relatives came to town and I gave up my room so they could be comfortable. Fortunately, the late notice was not met with a mad dash to clean because I had already cleaned up the vast majority of areas. So it was much more relaxing.

Reorganizing has helped me prepare for a possible move coming up. So I have been going through my belongings and weeding out the unwanted items. Moving is a good way to go through things and prioritize. There is always that moment in every move that you wonder why you decided to keep something. After lifting all of the boxes and rearranging items, the poundage starts to wear on everyone. No matter how much it seems I get rid of in trash, donation, or selling, it seems my packing heart doesn't match up with my will to move one more box or my head trying to reorganize it in the new space.

August Challenge

August's challenge is to put it all together from the last 3 months. So I will not shop at the same place twice (and if I do, I won't get the same thing), I will use cash only (but I will allow the atm this time and the credit card for gas because it is on bonus rewards this month), and I will continue to organize and clean for an average of 15 min per day (being that I am taking a vacation this weekend, everyday is not going to happen). So there you have it. This challenge started Aug 3. 

Pest Control: Ant killer

In Florida, we seem to have a higher than normal ant issue. Little bitty sugar ants invade the houses. No matter how clean you keep the place, they still use the house as a little ant highway. 

I came up with this method by accident one day. I was cleaning the bathroom a few months ago and saw an ant highway traveling up and down the side of my mirror. I decided I couldn't let that continue so I grabbed the first thing I could find to kill the exposed ants until I could get to the store the next day to get proper ant traps. I grabbed glass cleaner and sprayed the wall with it where the ants were. The ants died on contact. Then I just wiped them off. The few staggering remnants where left alone. The next few days I checked and they were still gone. They never came back.

Today I found a mass of them marching under a hole in my outside door molding...glass cleaner again, same result! Dead on contact! 

Just thought I would pass along the information. Maybe it will help someone else with an ant problem.