am curious where folks are planning to display their flower bouquets? I usually go for the dining room table, but what are some other ideas?

Cleaning will also help you value the new space/reduced clutter. My goal is to be able to dust any surface by picking up the single item and swiping the cloth. A couple of places (my desk for example) are not in compliance (bad desk!) but the goal helps a lot in keeping it under control.

Also, simplifying the number of cleaning products helps with clutter (still working on that) - how did I get so many?

I put flowers in my bathroom, because I spend a lot of time in there and they make me happy in the morning.

Besides, my dining room table is covered with piles of crap. I seriously need this Cure.

My local corner store always has reasonably priced flowers available. Makes a nice little walk when I need a break. Our seed catalog arrived yesterday too so we definitely have flowers on our minds around here.

I have found it really nice to walk in to my apartment and have flowers be the first thing I see. Instant smile on my face! That being said, my perfect place is the landing strip in the entryway. It especially gives me an opportunity to enjoy my flowers throughout the week.

The Environmental Working Group put together a guide that gives cleaning supplies a grade based on their health effects and environmental effects. I was surprised at how awful some of my standard cleaning supplies are for my health and the environment. The guide is here: http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners.

My problem isn't putting stuff in the outbox -- the outbox is already full. I get stuck when I think about disposing of the items. I don't want to throw out perfectly good dishes/curtains/etc. But I don't have a car to haul items to a donation center either. And some of the items seem like things that could be sold. But where? And how? And who has the time? Sigh.

I love flowers next to my bed. Lovely to go to bed and wake up next to.

Dry mop?

I had put off buying flowers for the longest time because I assumed they would die quickly. Finally, before the holiday weekend I picked some up to add some extra cheer to our little apartment. Amazingly, they are still going strong! I am thrilled keeping flowers around is part of the Cure. It will motivate me to keep it up rather than let it fall by the wayside!

Thank you so much for posting this early! Off to the nursery to buy some flowers to plant on our deck.

Oh, and we use Method cleaners. Most are refillable, and Target has them for pretty cheap if your budget is a deciding factor. Plus they smell amazing, which is much nicer than the typical bleachy smell!

I envy you, Virginia! I don't know how I could give up all my little treasures everywhere. Though lots have gone...sometimes when I dust I think, "I could live without this", and post it online or give it to Goodwill. I would love to catch minimalism!!

Which leads me to the question of where I would even sit a bouquet of flowers in this house?!?!

I LOVE flowers. I might keep them in the nook in the Extra Long Hallway, which I pass about 100 times a day, and make a smaller bouquet or even just a couple blooms in the bathroom to cheer it up.

Side note: my dad always has flowers at home, and did even when he was a single man for 10+ years, and I always found it really cheerful and sweet.

Cleaning, yes. Ok!

Is there a secondary option for the flowers? I have two cats who insist on sampling all plant life that enters the house. Due to them, I have not had flowers in my place in years. I would buy them more often, but a $6.00 bouquet from the deli could easily become a $450.00 emergency trip to the vet if I buy the wrong thing.

How do other pet owners work around this hurdle?

@Jessalyn My apartment is tiny & I don't have a dining room (thus no dining room table) so I put my flowers on my coffee table. For NYE I used a tequila bottle with white gerbera daisies. My friends got a kick out of that. I also you mason jars, square vases, old bottles; they make for great conversations & people tend to like them.

My mom got me flowers ten days ago and the peonies are still going strong (not somuch the callah lilies, which didn't last a day). I love the idea of getting flowers for the apartment instead of for myself, because I always feel so guilty admiring flower stands when I pass them. It's nice to think of them not as a throw-away luxury but a healthy addition to my home.

I put the flowers on my desk, so I can always turn to see them.

Janel, thanks so much for all you're doing in appeasing your cure-needy audience!

Ideas for cat owners: bowl of fruit? cat grass?

Ooh, I'll put our flowers in the kitchen! We have a nice wooden bowl in the center of our dining room table, but our kitchen is part of an open floor plan and the flowers will make that space look so nice.

As for cleaning the floors... *sigh* you're lucky I'm 9 months pregnant and nesting, otherwise I'd laugh in your face ;)

I usually put the flowers on my bed stand, so that I see them when I wake up and go to sleep.

hmr -

A lovely non-floral option is a bowl of fresh fruit - it adds color and life to your space and you can snack on it throughout the week!

@Urban Cholita How about posting some stuff on Craig's List? I sell a lot of stuff that way or sometimes I post it on the Free section of CL (you'll get lots of responses). You can also do a "curb alert" on CL or just put it by the curb. If it's not total junk, people will pick it up.

I like to put flowers on the fireplace mantle if I'm feeling fancy. Or the kitchen sink is always a good go-to spot for me.

Love the instruction to buy flowers! I did this last week, after not bothering for ages and put them in the hallway - the make me feel good every time I walk past them :)
I also put flowers in the bathroom too. These cure posts are actually making me feel positive about cleaning the apartment...not sure how long it will last!

@ hmr: I feel your pain! There are some safe ones -- roses and sunflowers are ok. Here's a link: http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/04/flowers-for-cat-lovers%E2%80%94finally-some-cat-safe-choices/

Besides tasting, my cats also enjoy knocking flowers over, so I'm in the market for some sort of wide-based or heavy container/vase -- anyone have any ideas?

When I'm ready to get rid of something I don't want to just throw out I just set it out in front of my house with a 'free' sign, it's always gone in a day or two!

I might get a new beautiful houseplant instead of flowers, something small...

Flowers - I have a cheap but lovely option for flowers. I buy grocery store flowers that appeal to me and put one or two flowers a collection of clear or greenish glass bottles. These are all different sizes and some of them are not particularly lovely bottles - I'm working on my collection. I just line them up in a row. I add whatever greens came with the flowers and pick extra greens outside. Right now, I've got red carnations with holly, several sprigs of different evergreens and the ferny greens that came with the carnations.

Done this way, the flowers make a big statement with little effort or cost.

Flowers I'm good at, but vacuuming is my most HATED household chore. So I'm thinking I'll get my husband to vacuum and I'll do the wood floors. I love doing wood floors.

Does it count if I cut some holly berry branches from my holly berry bush, or do I have to purchase flowers from the shop?

LOVING the January Cure - it's only been a few days and I feel inspired and ready to tackle my house projects! :)

Why not try some artificial flowers. Will your cats leave them alone? Generally, I'm opposed to artificial plants/flowers, but given the right setting they can look nice.

Check with your local Salvation Army or Big Brothers/Big Sisters chapter - they might offer free pick-up of your unwanted items (I know they do where I live). You may have to make time and borrow/rent a car to do it, but it is very cathartic to get rid of the clutter. If you want to sell items, I've had good luck with Craigslist (for large items like furniture, I specify that they must be able to pick up the item). The one downside is you have people that reply to your posting and flake out. And if you live in the US and itemize your taxes, the receipt could be very helpful next year. eBay might also be a good option, but you'll have shipping costs.

So I started the cure a bit late, as in today but I already have my list of jobs and outbox(outbag). Tomorrow off to buy some flowers I usually put them in the kitchen counter or dresser depending on how many I get I put them on both places!
I do need to get my vacuum from my old house I recently move to this place and the dust bunnies are everywhere.

For people with allergies and pets - a beautiful low, broad bowl with moss in it is lovely. Also air plants or just mixed greenery.

Put the flowers where you will see them a lot. Kitchen, living room, bedroom--any place that you spend a lot of time in.

As for clearing the Outbox, see if any charities (try local churches as well) in your area will pick things up, try Craigslist and Freecycle, check out consignment stores, see if it is possible to put them out on the curb with a "Free!" sign on them, barter with a friend who has a car--they take you and the stuff to Goodwill; you bake their favorite cookies or help paint a room or babysit their kid for a couple of hours. In some apartment complexes, you can put things neatly by the dumpsters and people will take them off your hands.

Also, check to see if your area has a "Bulky Waste Pickup Day," or something similar. Many cities have them once or twice a year. Trash pickers know about them and will cruise the streets looking for things to take home. The only thing I've put out on Bulky Waste Day that wasn't gone long before the trash trucks arrived was a broken ironing board. Everything else--stained area rugs, broken vacuums, lamps, furniture with broken drawers--all scavenged within hours of hitting the curb.

Its great to have flowers in the home. I am starting to see tulips and daffodils in the local shops so I plan to bring home an early spring. I use Method products- so I'm good there, but I do have a dilemma. I have two lovely dogs, my small space doesn't smell like dog until I vacuum! I have a great vacuum with filters, but the doggy smell still comes through. I leave the windows wide open when I vacuum, which isn't that pleasant in the winter! I change the vacuum bag way before its full, which is really wasteful. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Get silk flowers... they're still "flowers" - it doesn't say they have to be real!

Buying flowers for the house, love it! I was already planning a trip to my local farmers market tomorrow & it's a great place to pick up flowers at a reasonable price.

From past experience, flowers in a heated apartment don't last more than one day ... so I'm taking a pass on that. I'm good to go on the other items.

I'm skipping flowers because every New Year's I buy some paperwhite (narcissus) bulbs and force them in vases. I use the plain glass vases that have a neck, fill the base to the widest point with glass pebbles, set the bulbs in and pour more pebbles up to almost cover them. Add water and watch them take off. The neck of the vase helps support them as they grow, and they take the place of cut flowers for a couple of weeks at least. And my two young cats leave them alone.

I read the calendar yesterday, so I could get started right after taking the kids to school. I have dusted the downstairs in preparation of vacuuming/ mopping, added another outbox (both are filled now, yippee!) and swept the stairs. Now I'm about to vacuum! I actually love vacuuming, thanks to our Dyson Animal. I vacuum every other day & am thrilled/ horrified by the amount it picks up. Well, we have a cat, 2 kids & live on a busy street, so we are constantly bringing dirt into the house, despite taking our shoes off.

As soon as I vacuum, I'm headed to the little grocery store to get some flowers. I re-arranged our indoor plants earlier today so we could have some more life in the living room. Since our cat likes to sample the flowers (and then promptly puke them right back up), I enjoy keeping a tiny bouquet right behind the sink.

Happy weekend, everyone! Let's get some of those goals crossed off our lists! Purge, purge, purge! (Ok, so maybe I had too much coffee this am, too)

I don't have a good place to display a big bouquet of flowers either, so I like to break up deli bouquets into small jars and tuck them around the house (and I second the bathroom comment.) I actually prefer little flower displays with only one or max two types of flowers to a mega-display, at least at home. And bodegas will often sell big bouquets of assorted flowers for cheap - perfect for separating into little vases, because they often are the random things that haven't sold and don't go together very well.

@urbancholita, is there freecycle where you live? I've used it to give stuff away, and people come to pick your stuff up. I've found people on there to be less flakey than Craigslist (I hate it when I'm trying to GIVE something away for FREE and people can't be bothered to keep the appointments *they have made* to pick it up. Come on, nobody's forcing you to respond to my ad for free crap.)

I am loving these small, discrete, accomplish-able assignments. I'm working crazy hours and designating an outbox took literally all the free time I had last night. I was just thinking how bad I need to vacuum this weekend, so this is perfect.

ennyjay -

Cut holly branches totally count - no purchase necessary! (and I'm jealous - I love those)

Green household cleaners: I've been through a lot of different ones over 20 years and at this point I mostly use Bon Ami powder, and spray bottles filled with a mix of half water, half white vinegar, and a squirt of dish detergent. Plus lots of rags and a couple of scrub brushes.

just a note the link to the January Cure Main Page is broken ;(

sogalitno - link is fixed - thanks!

I had all the intention to get flowers from the farmer's market yesterday. Then I remember I was supposed to meet a client and went to my studio. The client was a no show. I did not get the flowers. Today, I'm going straight to get flowers.

Do flowering plants count?

I put the orchids on the mantel to keep them safe from the cat. When I lived in NYC, no mantel, but 11 orchids w no flowers left after she played with them to death. I'm persistent and so was she, but she won that round.

I love the "Cure"! I will be putting a vase of flowers on our landing strip, taking the 2 bags sitting in the "outbox" to the Salvation Army (luckily there is a SA right around the corner) and doing a deep vacuum, moving furniture to get those dust bunnies under the bureaus and bed. Those dust rabbits do proliferate!
Washing the floors with a vinegar/eco dishsoap/lavender oil solution. Need help finding an option for bleach to clean the cat box.

What is dry mopping?

I am enjoying this fresh start to the new year! My Outbox has a few things in it and I am moving furniture around for a really good vacuum/mopping session tomorrow!
Will be picking some lovely blooms from the grocers today and thinking about where to place them.....

@everyone who can't do real flowers: what about making some paper flowers? or felted bachelor buttons? as a crafty reward for vacuuming and mopping?

If you are having trouble getting rid of stuff...I just read this on the California Closets website and attacked my closet. But you could do this to every part of your home! Goes along with the CURE:

1. Take everything out of your closets and create four distinct piles: Now (the clothes you wear regularly), Someday (the clothes you will fit into again or finally find an occasion to wear), Never (the clothes you never wear), and Seasonal (swim suits, ski jackets, etc.). Be honest with yourself. If it will help, invite a friend over to lend a hand.

2. Take a deep breath and move everything in the Someday pile to the Never pile. It’s bold, but necessary. You wake up and get dressed today, not someday. Needing to pick through clothes you can’t use is a daily drain. Your mind catalogs everything it sees and working past all of the garments cluttering your closet every day takes its toll over time. This is the hardest step, but you can do it!

It was hard but now my closet is so much more inspiring and filled with everything I LOVE! Feels great!

I feel like everything is going well so far. I already had the outbox set up in the spare room. That is a practice my daughter and I have been on for years. When it's full it goes to charity. Otherwise this weekend should be a fun bit of cleaning.

As far as the flowers go I too have cats. I have some live plants they don't bother. I may go about getting a small plant in lieu of flowers. I have also used artificial flowers. I cut the stems and placed the buds in antique medicine bottles.

And we come to the first scheduling hurdle. I had expected this. I work weekends. And to have a little rant - no one in my family works Mon - Fri. My kids are all cooks, my husband has always worked shift work and I work at a library which is open 7 days a week. Why do people not get this? They want to live in a 24/7 world but seem to forget the folks that bring them that lifestyle. - rant over. I signed up for this cure hoping it would keep me on track but as I will have to spend a bit of time adjusting things (aside from working on weekends, I can't do any noising cleaning, etc when DH is night shift) I'm not sure it will work for me.

Check out this website that lists safe flower choices for cats:

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/04/flowers-for-cat-lovers%E2%80%94finally-some-cat-safe-choices/

I have two cats too, but they usually leave flowers alone...however, my peace lily is just a bunch of stems thanks to one of the cats!

seawallrunner - Dry mopping is dusting/swiffering your (usually) wood floors - you use a similar method as wet mopping, but generally no liquid is involved and there usually is a (washable or disposable) fabric pad to catch the dirt and dust attached to the mop head, rather than the normal sponge or string head..

Bathroom! People spend a lot of time in there, getting ready for the day, getting ready to sleep and rest, and other regular intervals throughout the day...! It's wonderful to have that space as a private sanctuary that is safe and peaceful and beautiful.

I have this same problem. I've found bout 3 safe spaces where I know grocery store bouquets and questionable centerpiece giveaways will be safe, but I manage to keep a surprising number of houseplants around. Anything living and green will help brighten and warm up your home.

The ASPCA in America has a great website that is a resource for toxic and non-toxic plant listings - http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/

Some safe pants to start with are African violets, spider plants, daisies, most succulents/cacti, and any true palms. There are also a number of ferns and common houseplants on the safe list so it doesn't have to be difficult or expensive to keep pets and plants safely in the same home.

Ha! i bought some planted tulip bulbs at the grocery store yesterday to put on the coffee table. Things were looking a little bare after the Christmas decorations came down. It feels great to have completed one part of the assignment early!

By the kitchen sink. I HATE doing the dishes, so I put the flowers where I can smell them and enjoy them while I complete an unpleasant task.

I am thinking I will opt for plants rather than flowers. Feels like such a waste to buy and throw out cut flowers all the time.

@stellabystarlight I hate when the vacuum picks up odors. I have a Miele with HEPA filter installed and I still can have this problem. If you groom your dogs every couple days with a scented spray it cuts down on the doggy smell and shedding, plus they love it! Also spritzing their favorite areas with enzyme spray right before you vacuum can help.

I love these assignments - I am in the UK and get the email in the afternoon - I have done a deep clean on my home before - many years ago - and the clutter that surfaced was frightening. I started decluttering again last june and Ebaying/Freecycle/Charity Shop - ing the items, but the outbox pile grows the more I rummage around the house !
The January Cure is a succinct way to focus the chaos of sorting and cleaning and making me focus on the task in hand and not get distracted - Easily done :)
Thank you Janel :)

I am going to BUY CUT FLOWERS because as long as I'm doing this cure thing, I'm going to follow the instructions as exactly as possible. Changing the water every day and trimming the ends every couple days usually gets them to keep for more than a week.

@ urban cholita - I make frequent use of www.freecycle.org. It is like Craigslist but everything is free (it is a yahoo group so you will need a yahoo email). Sometime I give up the idea of making money because I was able to pass along the item to a family/person in need.

A vase of Fresh Herbs is useful, smell nice and you can also eat them too :)

i either put them on a small table right across from the front door, or get big blooms and put them in a bowl on the coffee table. I think it helps to put them where you see them the most, especially if it's while unwinding and reading or right when i get home from a stressful day ay work (and is there any othe kind?). In the winter I like to do white roses and holly or eucalyptus and white carnations if i'm feeling poor. they each have their own amazing smell, and eucalyptus is especially good in the winter, helps you clear your nose and mind:)

@Parnassus - Thank you ... I will stop by the green cleaning store for the enzyme spray and the pet shop to see what scented sprays they have. Great suggestions and I have the day off!

Loving this cure! I'm keeping a list for each day on Instagram (@robogirl) - plenty of accomplishable chores for this weekend on the list already :)

Two things from me - I pick whatever happens to be in the garden at the time. At Xmas I put xmas tree branches in vases and then just take whatever happens to be around the rest of the year - even fennel fronds and artichokes.

Secondly - if you're having trouble getting rid of something, take a picture of it. It is usually the memory we're scared of getting rid of but if you know you'll be reminded of that little detail with a photo it makes it really easy to get rid of physically.

My cat is obsessed with plants and flowers and will go after anything live. I'll get him some more cat grass and see if he prefers that to a safe plant or flower. Re green cleaners: most Method products are fine but their bathroom cleaner in the blue bottle should come with a skull and cross-bones. Geez, that stuff sent me to the hospital with a BAD asthma attack. Be careful using that product.

Also - Lilies are extremely poisonous to cats (maybe dogs too). Mine doesn't eat them or anything so I can keep them in the house but I must be vigilant about cleaning the pollen when it falls.

Hi stellabystarlight,

When my vacuum starts to smell funky, I sprinkle about 1/3 C baking soda on the floor and vacuum it up and let it sit in the bag for a few minutes. Then, I sprinkle some essential oil - peppermint, lavender or tea tree work well - into a couple of cotton balls and suck those up. Usually that takes care of the problem, and it smells nice the next few times I vacuum. Also, make sure not to run the vacuum over puddles - moisture plus dirt make for a nasty wet-dog smell. Might also help to take apart and wash your vacuum (let dry thoroughly) and put a new, clean filter in it. Happy cleaning - the daffodils will smell wonderful!

I usually go for the dining room table as well and/or our entry table. I love the flowers to be one of the first things I see when I walk in. Or I was just thinking that it might be nice to put some in our bedroom.

I love to display flowers next to my bed, especially if they are a gift from someone special. Just something very lovely to wake up to.

One of the best presents I ever received was a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner. Sure it was a gift for the "house" but we bought it on Mother's Day and I'm the vacuumer of the house hold. Maybe it's an exaggeration to say vacuuming is a joy but I do kind of love it.

AUSTRALIAN NATURAL CLEANING GURU
Last year I caught a couple seasons of Lush House on Hulu. Shannon Lush is an Australian cleaning/organizing/life-improvement guru and she's deeply committed to diy natural cleansers. The January Cure is inspiring me to finally pull together a version of Shannon's Cleaning Kit. She also has video clips demonstrating how to use the kit. (Everybody needs a shoe fru, right?)

QUESTIONS: NEED TIPS/IDEAS FOR KEEPING FLOORS GRIT FREE
We've been trying to be a no-shoes household with mixed success. We don't have a real mudroom but we do have floor mats. Our ancient pit bull crossed the rainbow bridge in September so the house is considerably cleaner now but that leaves three humans dragging in grit ...

1) Floor mats: Can you suggest alternatives to the American Floor Mat? We currently use these commercial grade mats and they're super for keeping mud/snow in check but they're nearly impossible for residential vacuums to keep clean. And dog hair remains stuck in the deep crevices.

2) Shoes: How can we corral shoes when we don't really have much floor space?

3) Mops: I hate the conventional disposable mop heads. Are there any washable types? I bought microfiber covers for my mom's Swiffer and they work really well. My husband prefers mopping so I'm looking for a washable mop head.

Shiny floors here I come!

While decluttering the other day I found a little pack of mixed flower seeds given to me ages ago. I planted it in a pot I found outside without much hope. In fact it started growing and I can't wait to see what will come out of it. I love the anticipation.

This is an awesome task combo! I used 'go to florist' as the incentive to clean the floors! thank you!!

Was there no e-mail sent out today? I was waiting for it, and decided to just check the site instead, and day 3 was posted.

Here's some plant-related ideas if you want to get more crafty or don't want just flowers:
http://www.refinery29.com/vertical-garden

Also, Martha's got some good tips for arranging. For those concerned about small children or pets knocking over taller vases, you can use a bowl a la tip #6
http://www.marthastewart.com/274335/marthas-flower-arranging-secrets/@center/867185/flower-arranging#231667

florist stores, pottery barn type stores have wide glass cylinder vases. you could add 2-3 inches of marbles/pebbles/etc in it to weigh it down further.

I'll be buying an orchid--they don't cost much more than cut flowers and last a whole lot longer. Then when they inevitably stop blooming and look really pathetic, I don't feel so bad about trashing them because I got a lot more enjoyment than I would've from a bouquet of cut flowers.

2) We use the bottom shelf of an IKEA Billy bookshelf next to our front door for shoes, though I have to admit the only time all the shoes are all picked up off the floor is the morning before the housecleaner comes.

3) We use Bona wood floor cleaning supplies, which includes a mop "stick" with a permanent plastic "head" to which you attach a washable poly material thing. I think it attaches with velcro. The housecleaner uses it every week.

Last night I informed the hubby that I'd be setting up an outbox and what that was. No griping from him, which was amazing.

This morning, on the way to work, I stopped at the Friday farmers market near my office and bought lovely pink tulips...and 30 organic pasture-raised eggs for $6--!!--couldn't believe the deal!

Have a great, productive weekend, everyone!

urban cholita -

you can post on Craigslist if you want to sell something and stipulate that the buyer pick it up, or usually you can call the Salvation Army and they will pick things up. There's also Freecycle for things you want to give away. CL also has a 'free' section.

It might seem selfish...but I put mine next to my bed. It makes me feel loved to have flowers first thing in the morning and flowers to wish me good night. I get a big bouquet and snatch the first and best for the bedside table. Then I use small vases in the bathroom and on the coffee table.

bimbi284 -

It was sent this morning - email me (janel@apartmenttherapy.com) if you still haven't received it and would like me to check on it for you.

Can't wait to go get some flowers. I am sticking with the whole "prescription" even when it doesn't fully apply. I have a lady who cleans once a week, but even if not absolutely necessary cleaning the floors will help me get in touch with the house, and have that great feeling of accomplishment once I am done. Debating on whether using my Libman Freedom (the earth friendly version of a Swiffer) or the real mop. I use Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products, they smell delicious!

Janel... Just noticed that the day 3 posting doesn't show up if you look at today's postings from the main page, www.apartmenttherapy.com. I can only get to from the email link or the 'The January Cure' link. Is that intentional?

i am thinking one big hydranga stem in the flower vase on my mantle! or the small table i have by the front door

Ha - It just showed up on the main page. Did you give it a time stamp in the future? It says 1:30pm, but it was really out there earlier. Can you tell I debug stuff for a living!

sarajanie - I'm not sure I'm 100% following your question, so correct me if this doesn't answer your question.

The actual Day 3 post went "live" on the Main page at 130 eastern today - before that time it was only available through the email link, the "January Cure" link on the sidebar and the Top Posts sections.

Now that it's after 130, it is also viewable/available on the Main page...hope that makes sense!

I love the vase of herbs idea...I'm doing this in my kitchen. Usually, herbs rot in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Everyone's enthusiasm is contagious. Thanks for the great ideas.

What is a good alternate task if you don't need to clean the floors? I have a house cleaner who comes 2xs a month and she's coming on Monday, so it seems a bit silly to do the floors right before she comes?

I was thinking of maybe washing the windows--or is this a task we'll be doing later in the month?

So far this has been really helpful for me. I've been working on a house refresh / decorating project for the past few months, and this has been helping me feel motivated and on task to finish up the final projects.

Does anyone have any ideas about how to best clean VINYL windows? The vinegar and water glass cleaner doesn't really seem to work on them on account of them not actually being glass. As a result, I avoid it like the plague. An 8 year plague.

(Yeah, I know - vinyl windows. My house is an otherwise lovely 1930 bungalow. I never had to choose airtight or attractive because they were here when I bought the place, and my house heats and cools like a dream...)

@urban cholita, I sometimes receive bags in my mail from charities with information on how to schedule a pickup. You call them and tell them where the bag will be, and they will pick it up at the specified time.

I love buying flowers, but definitely don't do it enough. I had my three year old help me pick out flowers today at the store. We placed them on our mantle.

As for cleaners we had been using method free and clear spray which they no longer make. We are down to our last bottle and are now looking for an alternative. We need to find a new brand as the scented cleaners bother my husbands asthma. I'm thinking of trying seventh generation next.

Erika, check out the Norwex mop system. Washable, velcro base, and just uses water. I love it! kateleen.norwex.biz

We also have a really cramped entrance, no entry way closet and four people in our house. We utlilized the wall at the entrance behind the door and put in a four-tiered shoe rack (one for each person - if more shoes accumulate than fit, we weed out and put some shoes that are not used as often back in the closet) and got a bunch of hooks and hanging pockets that are at kid and adult level for coats.

Day 3: Estefania's List
Yesterday the kids picked up the paint colors they wanted at the hardware store: purple and blue. I got 7.75 FL OZ container of each that will be enough for parts of a bookshelf and desk. I also got six light bulbs and spend less than $10.
I usually have little "out boxes" and when they are full I'll take them to the car. I'm constantly taking things to any donation center when I pass by going somewhere else, I don't make special trips or I most likely will be complaining about it. I had give away things on Craigslist and FreeCycle or companies that will pick up from your house (even big items), good options for when you don't have a car. You can always sell the expensive items if you want to take the time.
Today I started The Cure by cleaning out a closet that is under construction since two months ago when we removed an old heater. We fixed the hole in the wall and temporally we are going to use it to store some books, musical instruments and a surf board until we decided how is going to be utilized. I vacuum and mop the living room moving everything around, he will have to rearrange the drums. I still don't know where I am going to move the doll house, the wooden suitcase and the chair. I removed stuff from the shelves I cleaned yesterday and place there two old radios. In the "imaginary out box", the porch, I took a little kid bed and the mattress that nobody is using, or will. When I go shopping this afternoon, I will look for potted plants with flowers. For cleaning I mostly use white vinegar, dish detergent, baking soda, brush and elbow grease, I'll skip that part. This has been overwhelming for the most part when I look around and see things everywhere. But I am not giving up just yet. Tomorrow will be another day, now is time to relax.

I just tossed the tulips I bought on New Years Eve, so that I could start the year with fresh flowers...so this is good timing. Although I think I will alternate the weeks between fresh flowers and other plants I've been wanting to purchase for some time... some bamboo and an air plant or succulent.
And yes, the deep clean, sounds like fun, ha!

I think it means using a dust mop..

Oh and I like the ideas on placement you all have, so as the weeks progress, the bamboo will go in the bathroom, the airplant or succulent will go at the entry door. Cut flowers always live on my dining room table.

For those of us that are on a budget, a bowl of fresh pears that may be eaten later, or greenery cut from pots or the backyard can be a substitute. Right now there are gorgeous berries on my neighbor's nandina, and she doesn't mind me cutting them.

@ Jessalyn: I also mainly display flowers on the dining table as it is where we spend most of our time. However, when some of them start to wilt I like to do smaller bouquets or tiny flower arrangements with the remaining flowers in pretty bottles or jars that I display throughout my home. In this way I get a lot more enjoyment out of them before they are gone.

On the cleaning products, does anyone know how to dispose of the non-green products that won't be used anymore?

I'm in the same boat! No flowers in this cat-friendly house. I've been thinking of trying a cactus or succulent as an alternate, or perhaps a terrarium. Not sure I'll find budget-friendly options in January in Chicago for those though...

Funny I just came across two tiny pots of bulbs just about to bloom while grocery shopping yesterday. One is sitting on my dining room table in a recycled pickle jar with some soft felt wool wrapped around, and the other one came with a tiny pail and sits in front of my kitchen window. My cats throw over every vase but they're not interested in the bulbs at all (they also don't eat orchids btw).

Also did quite some cleaning today, including floors (three cats and two small kids - I could deep clean my floors daily and they'd still be sticky. Sigh.)

Since I'm a little bit ahead here being in Europe I don't always catch the daily assignments before the kids are in bed and I'm too tired to get much done... I didn't yet set up an outbox for the cure, but I'll do that over the weekend and also try to get quite some things added to it.

I forgot to add that orchids are a great long lasting plant - mine last at least a month, maybe longer. The kitchen island used to always have one. Time to get another!

honeybun, your dad sounds charming! :)

I didn't get my email today either (neither did my spouse) and I nearly had a freak out! I can't do this alone Apartment Therapy! But I used my noggin and just checked out the site, so it's ok....I survived. ;)

Off to buy some flowers and even a quart of paint or 2 to do some early swatch testing :)

Thanks to everyone who commented on flowers and cats (janel, stacey, janie02, marieroxanne, nicolemari, roseslaw, bibliovore and mamakate (sorry if I missed anyone)).

While I clean the floors this weekend I can review some of the options and links and decide what will work best for me and buds.

I'd hate to have so say goodbye to flowers forever just because of Nosey and Nosier, so thanks again for all your help and encouragement!

Urban Cholita: you can list those usable items on Craigslist or Freecycle and people can come pick them up!

I put flowers on my nightstand (I get to enjoy them that way), on end tables, and occasionally the coffee table. I've thought about putting them in the kitchen window but I have roommate-related issues with that.

Big Brother/Big Sister and the Epilepsy Foundation both pick up household stuff in my area. They even call me on occasion when they are doing a pick-up in my neighborhood to see if I have anything ready to go. A great motivator!

I am so inspired by how many people are following this Cure! So fun.

Ok, so you caught me since I vacuumed this week- but honestly did a poor job. ;) Will get into those corners and move some furniture. AFTER we move out the Christmas tree, which of course, will drop needles everywhere.

Cleaners- check. Flowers....this evening. Plan to break a nice bunch into a few small ones and spread them out in the house.

nrp, it's highly unlikely that the glass part of your windows are vinyl. The term vinyl windows refers to the sash and frame, not the glass. If they look perpetually dirty, the seal (in between the two layers of glass) may be broken, causing dust and condensation to collect inside. If this is the case, you can have just the glass replaced.

I have to admit that I do skip the flowers. I love the flowers lining (and overflowing!) my sidewalk outside but I hate when they are brought in and die. I have never liked flowers in vases and so forth because I don't like the idea of flowers being disposable. Silly, I know! It is just my thing. I never put real flowers on our daughter's grave either. I prefer to replace the silk ones I put out there periodically.

I have a friend who is a florist and I love the beautiful arrangements she creates. And I love seeing flowers in weddings and so forth. But they are just not my thing.

@ hmr: Thanks for the laugh re: "Nosey and Nosier"! So true!

@Swisscheese, there should be a hazardous waste drop-off in your community. In Seattle, we have a couple in different neighborhoods and it's free. I just threw everything in a box and dropped it by!

I'm doing this challenge from Australia so I love that you are posting your entries nice and early - we are some hours ahead of you. We are in the middle of summer and I am so happy for a break in the weather this weekend so I can do the floors without potentially ending up with heat stroke LOL.

One option for pet parents may be to take the flowers to work. I will buy flowers for my desk during high stress periods and they cheer me up. Plus, I see them for 8 hours a day, my co-workers seem to enjoy them, and they do not become some sort of salad bar like they would at home.

I think I'll put our flowers on the dining table, since we're having belated Christmas tomorrow with my family. I actually need to buy a new vacuum cleaner, though. Any recommendations?

Here in Chicago I tend to do flowers inside in the winter and outside in the summer. I live in a bungalow and have a garden in the backyard so I do containers outside in the summer. So, tomorrow when I go to Trader Joes I'm going to pick up a bunch of lilies. I love lilies because they smell sooooo good. I usually put them in the middle of the coffee table in the living room and a single in a little flower frog in the bathroom. I've got my cleaners, but discovered at the site someone listed above that they don't rate as high as I would like. When they are gone I will have to research better ones.
Outbox no prob-just need to dive in. The hardest thing is we have limited space for books and I have a hard time giving them up.

Where is that table and chairs from?

Cay, we have four giant furs in the house but still have plenty of flowers in glass vases. The flowers occasionally get turfed so someone can stick their head in the vase to drink but they're otherwise absolutely fine.

I definitely agree about a bowl of fruit being a good alternative to flowers, whether you are a pet owner or not. I love fresh flowers, but I usually have them around in the spring/summer/fall when I can cut them from my own garden. In the winter, I usually put a cheery bowl of bright clementines (or whatever fruit is on sale) on our dining room table (which I pass by often). It serves as both decoration and sustenance!

Thank you for all the inspiration, everyone!

Dr Bronners Pure Castille Soap in Lavender - best environmentally cleaner ever!

I'm enthusiastic about most of the suggestions so far, but buying cut flowers every week is not for me. They don't clean the air because they're dead. Plus you have to remember to throw away the dying flowers and clean the vase. And it's definitely not in my budget.

So instead, I bought a potted houseplant. Most of my houseplants died last summer following a move and months of extreme heat. I spent less than $5, and I get to use a favorite decorative planter that's been sitting idle. I feel a lot better about the swap!

I was extremely excited to participate in The Cure but sadly I'm already off track. I did, however, buy flowers today and I have my housekeepers coming on Monday (is that cheating?) This weekend I'll get on track with day 1 & 2 assignments. The daily tasks are doable and the community forum is motivational - so time for me to get on board!

I agree about using a potted house plant as an alternative to cut flowers, too. We've had the same little African violet for nearly a decade. It's easy to care for and the blooms are a beautiful magenta color and last for a LONG time. I think we paid $3.

Holly branches are a great option. Last weekend I went to toss some I had on my coffee table as the leaves were beginning to dry & curl. The clusters of berries still looked great so I picked the leaves off, lol. A quick trip to the yard & a couple snips of evergreen branches later my berries are on round 2 with a new look..

Loving the Cure.

As if buying flowers could ever be a chore. =)

Appreciate the notion of getting to know your home. We down-sized last year, did some major (necessary) renovations which helped make it 'ours', but even my husband commented the other day, that it's the puttering he's done about the house in the past month or so that's made him fill like it's more intimately ours.

Am doing the Cure on my business FB page - helps me stay committed.

Thanks so much! Keep up the good work!

The mopping, hoovering task is well timed. My son was diagnosed with asthma today and from here on in it's daily floor cleaning. Glad to be doing the first day in company - sort of. Good to find out about green cleaners too. Hate it when the house feels like the aftermath of a chemical bomb x

Bev, of course it will work for you! Just post the month-at-a-glance schedule & *do the next thing* as your schedule allows. Then mark it off & move on the the next. Plus you have the added benefit of reading about others' victories over tasks you are about to begin. SO WHAT if your victory dance is on a Thursday instead of a Monday. So adjust the old 'tude and get busy woman! Post whatever you accomplished on the current days thread & I'll dance the jig with ya a few days late!!

Hey, hey, where there's a will there's a way. The important thing here to to keep moving:)

I was going to dust/wipe my baseboards as my housecleaner doesn't get to that.

I never had problems with cats and flowers before but our two manx go crazy for them. I bought the largest pillar glass vase I could find (cheap at Michael's though) and put stems of leaves or flowers in it. If it's leaves I cover them with water---they look really beautiful and last longer than you'd think....or just a few inches of water and the flowers don't extend over the top of the vase so the cats don't bother them.

I have a potted catnip that I keep inside (I take it outside every week or so for a day to give it some outdoor sunlight)

I find that this keeps the furry companion animal happy and away from any other flowers that might be in the house

Hi Futopiaco

I use a 'green' dishwashing detergent to wash out the cat box and then I pour in about a tablespoon or so of ordinary white vinegar, swirl that about and then rinse and dry the box

No bleach involved!

Hi Futopiaco

I use a 'green' dishwashing detergent to wash out the cat box and then I pour in about a tablespoon or so of ordinary white vinegar, swirl that about and then rinse and dry the box

No bleach involved!

Day 3 - 119lbs in the outbox

Hi Stellabystarlight. I put in a new bag after wiping the bag space out with a damp cloth moistened with a few drops of lavender oil. While waiting for it to dry, I deodorised my matress by shaking some bicarb/lavender oil on it. Since vacuuming the matress and doing my floors twice the smell seems to have improved. I smell lavender now when I clean, not 'old dog'.

I have an ever-shedding darling little Chihuahua so I am feeling your pain. I read somewhere it is almost impossible to get rid of the smell completely out of your vacuum cleaner but so far the bicarb/lavender in the bag helped keep the smell tolerable. Hope this helps! On that note, I am off to do my rugs!

A bit late in participating in the forum. Since we are planning to move in a few months, my list is mainly about purging. Just gave away a big Ikea bag full of stuff to goodwill so nothing in my outbox right now.
I love flowers but feel guilty of spending over them. Definitely going to get them tomorrow. We already use green cleaners. Looking forward to the great feeling after the cleaning is done.
I usually don' t participate in the forum discussions, but realize that it is a great way to connect and stick to the commitment. Thanks a lot for the inspiration everyone :)

Regarding how to keep cats from knocking over vases, which mine love to do also: I was talking to a coworker about what she used to glue down accessories to tables in hotels, and she said she used hot glue. Which made me think, I have small, but very heavy bottomed decorative plate I had just purchased from Anthropologie, and so I took a glass carafe for water I had, and hot glued it to the plate. The flowers go in the carage, and the carage stays glued to the plate. It would be extremely hard to tip the carafe over now, even with my fast-running, unruly cats.

I have that problem with my kitties, too! I've learned to float blooms in water or buy flowers with textures the kitties don't like. They're not big fans of asters, but LOVE carnations and roses. I'm also considering buying a small plant (the cost can be on par with fresh!) and housing it in a terrarium to cat-proof it. Just sharing some thoughts from my end.

@ urban cholita

Thanks for that list of safe cleaners. For both safety and cost-effectiveness, I'm a big fan of white vinegar (which I buy very inexpensively by the gallon) and baking soda (the off-brands, less than a dollar, work just as good as the name brand we all know). Cleans drains, stainless steel, countertops, stoves, etc., etc. Used as a paste, it has great scrubbing ability.

I also put lemon juice on cotton packing (such as that used by hair salons) and put it on top of moldy grout and places where minerals have built up white stuff on faucets, etc.

I use Mrs. Meyer's line of home cleaners. I especially love the scent of their basil line. So calming on the nerves. However, I'm still trying to look for a green substitute for my laminate floor cleaner. Any suggestions out there?
I bought some orange fresh-cut orchids from the neighborhood gardening store. I love how they just brightened up my entire house.

Love, love, love the flower part of today's assignment and will enjoy deciding on which ones to buy tomorrow- too late today. Like the herb suggestion too. In the meantime I tackled the floors today. Major task but satisfying -took a couple of playlists to get through it but I wanted to do it before the weekend not during :}. Lovin' the cure.

I may have a solution for you, hmr.
I live in a very rural place so it's takes a long time for me to drive to the nearest shop that sells flowers. If I can't make it to the store, I have planned to make my own flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Maybe even spritz them with a little perfume for added ambiance. It's a fun and easy craft project and it will utilize the left over tissue from the holiday season. Hopefully your cats aren't drawn to tissue paper.

Another idea would be to get a glass cloche to place over a live plant or bouquet. That would be lovely.

I buy a couple of bunches of flowers at the grocery store and then separate them into smaller arrangements for the coffee table, guest bathroom, entry, etc. Then I have little bursts of color all over my house.

I had a lot of time on my hands during the holidays and gave 5 "out" boxes to Goodwill last week, but I'm actually looking forward to deep cleaning and flowers...great way to start the new year...

Check and see if your city has free cycle..... it is run by Yahoo. I know all cities/towns from my area have it. Post what you don't need, an email is sent to the inbox of all the people part of the group. You'll also get people posting wanted: adds. Interested people will pick up what your offering (you can leave it on your porch!) and give it a new home :) I am in Canada, not sure if it is as common in the States?

My cat goes for the flowers too so I never buy them for my self. But I did for the Cure :-) I have a typical apt. main room that is kitchen, dining and living room/salon. I have the flowers in a gorgeous vase a friend made for me on the top of my fridge and I can enjoy them from anywhere in my main public space.

I love reading these January Cure posts! Question - how do the posts here differ from the "Liveblogging the January Cure" posts? They seem to have the same daily topic, right? So what's the distinction? The "Liveblogging..." photos are awesome, by the way. Thanks.

I completely missed the first few days! Ahhhh.. better get my butt in gear this weekend! I think a little ol' Twisted Sister will help with this!

Notes:
"I also put lemon juice on cotton packing (such as that used by hair salons) and put it on top of moldy grout and places where minerals have built up white stuff on faucets, etc.
Jukesgrrl"
Note: The guy who did our tile said not to use vinegar or acids (lemon juice) on tile because the acid dissolves the grout, which is why I said to do this with bleach (yeah, I know) for the caulking around tubs etc., so you don't make it worse by dissolving grout and getting mold in there.I have 3 lemon trees, so no offense lemon lovers.

"I use Mrs. Meyer's line of home cleaners. I especially love the scent of their basil line. So calming on the nerves. However, I'm still trying to look for a green substitute for my laminate floor cleaner. Any suggestions out there?"
Note: A spray bottle of water and the microfiber pad will get A LOT of stuff off the floor. A LOT.

Thank you, Melbourne Girl for the suggestion to use vinegar and dish soap instead of bleach.

Cleaned the greenhouse window in the utility room: removed all plants, pots, etc. and washed everything, tossed some stuff, then reorganized;
Cleaned and organized two kitchen drawers;
Gathered blank books, journals, and prints in need of framing from various stacks in the study, and put them in one wooden box;
Continued to unsubscribe to various emails and to delete old emails;
Bought three chrysanthemums and one hydrangea blossom, put in vase wrapped in "brown paper...tied up with string";
Pruned the small bushes in the front yard and pulled some oxalis.

Love doing this. Just the intention makes the energy bounce. The clean greenhouse window really makes a HUGE difference. When I wrote my list, I was really under-reporting. I think there's a certain amount of shame that I have this paper addiction.

@cathy l., keep your orchids after they are done blooming, they will bloom again. I always transplant the orchid (after all flowers are gone) into the proper orchid planting mix and a clay pot. I water them very little 1x a week. One of my orchids is now blooming for the 5x time.

I am very excited about this cure. I love my apartment and will enjoy giving it some needed attention this month. I don't usually buy flowers, but it's a nice idea. Good luck this weekend everyone!

Hodgepodgetown - love the idea that you would"Kiki" your way through cure this weekend.

Ha! Way to 'nuse yer noggin' *ab ab*! I use similar tricks. It all boils down to, "Who's more clever, you or the cat?" Yup, been outsmarted more than a few times....but that just makes victory all the sweeter. Darn lil furry monsters. Gotta love 'em.

Ohhh nooo. Are we doin this by weight?
Hmm, that sounds like a challenge to me.
Bet I can beatcha!

(great comment FionaB...still chuckling here)

I bought a thick-based glass salad serving bowl at a garage sale, and when it's not serving salad or heaps of pasta, I will it with tiny lemons or multicolored chrysanthemum blooms and bay tree boughs with the stems cut short.

@Ginkgoglass: Fruit? I love it! An edible ornament.

Kate,

Thanks for the heads up regarding Norwex. I'll check out the site tonight. Am also scanning walls for more vertical storage!

Moving to greener products or just water and microfiber requires undoing decades of brainwashing. You know - cleansers have to stink and bubble to prove that they're working.

Looked under beds and sofa in preparation for tomorrow's Big Clean. Yes, there are dust bunnies but they're very small. Yay?

I successfully converted two small outboxes into eight Ziploc bags organized by type of jewellery - to give away. This cleared up 2 sq ft. 2 down 1,158 to go!
For those of you who can't comprehend the significance of this achievement, consider that I am in a fight to the death with the Queen of Procrastination - those two boxes were there for over a year.
One box at a time, I shall overcome and be cured!

Ok, this is a general 'thumbs up' for the now 'stuck in my brain' motivation to really cure my small space. The LR has been the main 'wow' by most people, but the rest; kitchen, BR, bath, & den/library more 'meh'. They'll get in line with the LR in (soon) due time. The two closets are getting the main 'outbox' treatment; stuff that seems to have no purpose other than to be in a closet. Empty space in a closet (or drawer) isn't a bad thing; it means I'm in control. I'm motivated that this small place, while it hasn't looked really bad, can still look even better.

Will I follow everything assigned; already it's a no. Personally, I'd say 'use up any cleaning products you have before going out and buying more'. But, the mindset for a cure, challenge, reinvigorating my space is more alive (and kicking) than before. I have to credit AT for this.

I'm working on it. The project list is longer than Santa's, I'm highly motivated, but severely constrained by my back as I wait for my surgeon to return from his holiday to sort out the two rods in my back that have snapped! (gruesome image, I know!! Imagine how it feels!!) No housework allowed, no lifting etc. I'm bringing in the reinforcements to do what I cannot. Maybe this will mean I get to sit in my study and get it organised while my angelic, karma believing friends bust-a-move with the vacuum and mop.

Deep cleaning the floors would be easier in an apartment, but I have half of the house done. After sweeping, I mopped the hardwoods with water and vinegar and they are gleaming! I have been doing house projects all Fall, so this is the perfect kick in the pants to finish and get the detail work done. Thanks AT!

My favorite selfmade bath- and kitchencleaner is a mixture of one tablespoon citric-acid-powder stirred in 3/4 l hot water, mixed with two or three tablespoons white vinegar plus a few drops dishwashing detergent (for better wetting ability).
Spray, let it sit for a moment, clean and rinse.
Its better than anything else I tried before.

Another happy freecycle user here! Already got rid of an extra shower caddy I had lying around and have an interested "customer" for a butterfly chair I'm finally parting with. Glad to know someone else is going to find a use for the things I've been hiding in my spare closet!

3 days late to the cure! Just made my list. Wow that long for a 700 sq. ft. house! My husband and I have a huge Outbox in our basement right now so that's a step in the right direction. Looking forward to the daily tasks and love reading all the comments! Good luck everyone.

For the cat folks, although not an instant plant/flower solution, you could try growing these cat-safe grasses: http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/bonuspacks.html#cat_treats (scroll to bottom of page). I think I am going to start growing these in pretty pots for my cat friends. :) I still have several of the small potted poinsettias from Trader Joe's -- I usually buy the white ones or the multi-colored -- I definitely get 2-3 months out of them and they are pretty and practical ($2.99 each). They have lots of little flowering plants throughout the year, and I often choose those rather than buying cut flowers (although I can't resist their $4.99 tulips (10!) starting in early Spring.

Have two bags of clothes and one box bound for Goodwill. Cleared three shelves in the storage room--hubby wants to keep some things he hasn't looked at in the 17 years we've lived here, but I'm doing well will the my/our stuff purging. Will do floors this weekend but I need to be careful--tiny diamond stud came out this week and I hope it was at home! Flowers and cleaners are on tomorrow's grocery list.

Nice idea. Maybe also a bowl of nuts, or an herb garden. (my cat won't eat herbs, but he will eat anything else)

FYI kitties that eat the kitty grass do throw up eventually. I stopped using kitty grass because of this.

I love having fresh flowers in the home but I need to go out of my way to buy them so it's nice to have the Cure to tell me to treat myself. The flower links above are helpful. I'm going to get some orchids - the only cut flowers that will survive the Aussie summer (probably until next month!) without making me sneeze.

I have bottles of (green) cleaning products that have been sitting under my sink for years. I'm hoping to use some of them up during the Cure.

I empathize completely. I'm reluctant to give away several lovely pieces of clothing, shoes, jewelry etc. that I imagine I could sell if only I had the patience. The thought of opening an ebay account photographing, posting, etc. seems draining. What are the chances that they will sell with so many other items competing for attention? Ugh. I live about five blocks from a Good Will, and the only time I've really been able get stuff there was with the help of my mom, several large travel bags and a grocery cart. I think I may need her help again.

@swisscheese: To be honest, I always have a problem with people throwing out cleaners unused - I think using things up is one of the greenest things you can do!

So if I were you, I'd use them up and after that use greener products. Of course this doesn't apply to any cleaner that might be hazardous to your health or to litres of bleach or other chemicals, but merely to cleaners that maybe have more added chemicals (fragrance, etc) than necessary.

(On a sidenote: forcing myself to actually use what I had bought has made me consider much more what I spend my money on!)

Day 4: Estefania's List

Is this considered Day 4 or we are taking a break? Does it matter? I keep doing things that "I do not want to do". Mopping the floors? I rather be gardening. Dusting shelves? I prefer sit at the beach. Being overwhelm with the outbox assignment? I would like to be baking a chocolate tart instead. See, it's not that I want to do nothing, except on beach example, I want to be-doing-something-else but when I finish with the stuff-I-am-supposed-to-do I am too tired to do-something-else. If I make the supposed-to-do efficient then I'll be able to have a life. Working on it with The January Cure.
I had other plans for today, but somebody may come to fix the dryer which I have not used it for almost 1 year, which is fine, but I can take a break by now. On my own assignment I moved things from the laundry room to other parts of the house or to the car that will be handy to have when we need it it: battery booster cable, fishing poles or beach chair. Considering that three days ago the only possible solution for the laundry room was to be "eliminated" what I did today was quite an accomplishment. Off to make myself look like a person to be able to step outside my front door to look for flowers for the house and myself.

Thanks to whoever commented to put flowers behind the kitchen sink (was it on this post or the live blogging post?). I never thought of that before. I split my flowers into 3, and put them in 3 drinking glasses lined up in front of the window behind the sink. The cats shouldn't be able to eat them/knock them over there. I've got about a third of the living/dining room floor swiffered and mopped, and am about ready to get up from my break and move the sofa and get another section cleaned.

This is true and happens when my cats gorge on the grass. I used to grow and tend the grass for 2 - 3 weeks and the pot is ruined in less than five minutes. Now I just buy fresh cut wheat grass from my supermarket and my four furry housemates are crazy over it! But I ration the treat to a small bundle (usually about 10 - 15 blades) each time. i sometimes snip some of it up and mix into their wet cat food. I can sometimes spot it in their poo too! (Sorry for the distressing over-share).

The rest I make wheat grass shots for myself - not the easiest shots to swallow but for health ... I will try to! Now no more waiting for grass to grow and definitely fewer messy clean ups.

Just a thought - I house my cacti collection in an IKEA Socker greenhouse - it has clean lines but a tad flimsy - however I think it will keep the flowers safe from curious paws!

Cats eat grass to help them throw up furballs. Yes, there are moments of mess, but cats need it.

Picking up a few cleansers and flowers after work yesterday was easy. Plus, the Trader Joe's near my place was way less hectic during Friday rush hour, an unexpected pleasant discovery from this exercise, now I'll always swing by TJ for weekly shopping on Friday nights. Seeing fresh flower arrangements around the house on a Saturday morning is really great.

The floors are taking up most of my Saturday, but it's gray outside here anyway. As the AT Jan Cure plan promised, I'm seeing a lot of things that can be quickly put away, repairs/renovations added to my "to do" list, or items to be returned/donated/sold/recycled/tossed, and I'm using my outbox (corner of a room) successfully, very successfully, excited to see that stuff gone by the end of the month.

Not flowers, I know, but I have 2 large, viciously spiked cacti in heavy pots. Both cats & dogs treat them with great respect. I shall go to the greenhouse tomorrow (or Monday, when they're actually open) & treat myself to a 3rd. Only need to be watered about every 6 weeks, too, which is great for the serial plant-killers amng us.

Living room cleaned - top to bottom including the walls and uber dusty books from living in the desert southwest. Wow! It's like shedding skin!

First floor wood floors complete. Took most of the day. Wood floors vacuumed and then hand washed with vinegar/warm water socked rag. Wiped them down as I went. Vacuumed each wool area rug on both sides. Beat the small ones outside. I own an old shop vac, so vacuuming is somewhat of a pain. Wish I had time to dust all the surfaces as I went, but didn't. Feeling lazy to attack the 2nd floor tonight, leaving that for tomorrow. Off to TraderJoes for flowers.

Anyone have any ideas on removing some scuff marks off my wood floor. Should I try a magic eraser?

We have recently moved from 1600 sq feet to 600 sq feet (in-law apt) and I still have boxes. This was the first Saturday in many months that I did not leave the house the first thing in the morning. I first worked in the kitchen. With a smaller kitchen, I want to reduce my utensils to the basic necessities. I still cook a lot. I then hit the bedroom where there are boxes stashed in the corner making the bedroom unrestful. I need to whittle down to a basic wardrobe (5-day work wardrobe & 2-day and a few hours/wk hang out wardrobe.) I went through 3 boxes made one an out box and the other clothing that we have not and will not wear anymore. (I'll wash and give to my SIL at the charity guild.) I have a pile of trash in the hallway. Tomorrow I will take down the Christmas tree. It's only 4 ft and I enjoy looking over my collection of decorations on it.

I do have a question. While I think it's great to vacuum or mop the floor, it always seem to me like it should be the last thing I do. Shouldn't we dust and organize before ? The dust settles down slowly, and that's when I vacuum.

Anyway, I did a very, very deep cleaning of my bedroom, including a small decluttering (I'm doing it all the time, I just had to toss worn underwear); then I did the same in the home office, and only then did I vacuum. I'm really happy I cleaned my home office, it really needed it. I even cleaned the windows, which I hate to do and usually leave to my husband (meaning he did three windows in two years).

Tomorrow I plan to finish the home office and do a quick cleaning of the ground floor (kitchen, living and dining room). While I do not follow the Cure program, I find the motivation helpful !

Exhausted from the mopping but worth it when I stepped out of he shower to a beautiful floor. Did some minor rearranging we had identified in our list since I was already moving stuff around to clean the floors. Having just the floors on the cleaning list kept me from getting off track and overwhelmed. Flowers are a stress to me but I did get them (while getting some wine) and have them set in a window between our entryway and kitchen. Outbox is temporarily in the closet as I have guests tomorrow for brunch.

Okay, the floors are all clean and I can definitely understand the method behind the madness. It did make me Seriously look at and assess all the things that need attention, and I even got some things done that were on my list in the midst of cleaning.

I think I will find an alternative to fresh flowers, such as repotting my houseplants into something pretty and maybe even getting a new plant or two, or moving around the ones that I have. It's hard to explain briefly, but let's just say I am philosophically opposed to fresh flowers.

Oh, by the way, my house is a disaster right now, with all the stuff pulled out from under mine and my daughter's beds, waiting to be dealt with, a load of laundry on my bed, and a pile of freshly washed sheets that need to be put on my daughter's bed/put away. Oh and numerous other little things all around that need to be done. Good thing it's only Saturday.

Just at Target--most Method and Seventh Generation products on sale three for $8.

One of my cats is a determined salad eater, and I have yet to find a good floral workaround. Right now, there's not a surface in the house that he can't get to (okay, there is one tall cabinet, but I wouldn't see flowers if I put them up there), and after a near-death experience with him a few years back, I will not take chances. I think I will focus on safe house plants instead. I bought a ficus right before Christmas and I'm gonna count that for my first week. I may opt for some (safe) potted herbs later in the month -- I've been wanting to experiment with them inside, anyway.

I'm getting a late start and will be playing catch-up through next weekend... but as I keep an eye on the assignments whizzing by, I can at least start prepping for them. Does anyone have a good suggestion for a green cleaner for painted wood floors? I haven't ever found even a conventional cleaner that I really care for; I've been sticking to Swiffer Wet pads and the like, but I've never been quite pleased with the results.

I hate to break it to you, but floors are last on my list. I actually have to find them first.

Mr. erikakn and I scrubbed kitchen, dining room, and bathroom floors. Pulled out fridge and scrubbed behind that too. (Reunited missing Lego bits with the rest of our son's toys.)

Husband found Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena cleaner a bit overwhelming. Perhaps he used too much in the mop water? He'd eyeballed it instead of measuring.

Took down the Christmas tree and, while putting ornaments away, finally got rid of bunch of empty boxes we were hoarding in the attic. (Why on earth was did I keep a box for a pizza stone we've had for two years? Sheesh.)

Thrilled to finally tear out the fugly staircase runner I've hated since we bought the house 12 years ago! (We were keeping it for our young son and geriatric dog.) I've been dreaming of painting our stairs for years and think that could be one of the Fun Projects for 2013. Inspiration includes Horst Gläsker's Scala stairs (AT); Love Mother's yellow painted runner; and, from Houzz, these painted risers: here and .

Who knew grocery store flowers could be so sweet? I usually get cut flowers twice a year, on my b-day and Mother's Day so it's a treat to have flowers "just because."

All in all, it was a lovely, bright winter day. We cleaned and still made time for good food and some sledding.

Oops. I forgot to close my tag for the second link. Wish we could edit our comments.

-E

Suggestions for outbox items I'm not sure what to do with...?
Special/clever/pretty Christmas cards from close friends or family? I think I'd enjoy looking back at some of them. Does anyone else hang on to old cards? What do you do with them?

Thanks :)

@hmr and others - a few people have mentioned the ASPA site, but you should know they also have a handy app. Just type in the name of what you find while you're out, and it will tell you if it's toxic.

One thing on my trouble spot list was that one of my windowsills has some ugly dead plants, so I think I'll combine tasks and replace them this weekend!

Of course I meant ASPCA...

@semisweet - I've got a box full of Christmas and birthday cards, but I'm wondering if that is something I should put in my Outbox after all. One thing I've done in the past to weed through them is to get rid of any where the sender just signed their name, and keep only the ones with thought-out, personally written messages in them.

Me too!!! I just can't imagine taking the time to pack, tape, address, haul to p.o., stand in line, pay for postage for every single item that I want to get rid of. I'd rather give it away and know that the universe will return favor in some unexpected way.

My main inspiration for this thinking (other than being lazy) is the Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance book that Oprah introduced to the world quite a few years ago. Everyday is a reading and exercise. Its alot but even one day can be transforming.

Several months back I went through my keepsakes in an effort to weed out unnecessary stuff. One bin was mostly cards from many years ago from family and friends. I have done this exercise several times before, so it wasn't every card I ever received. I went through every card though in the bin, and I felt so loved after reading them again, because even though they did not all have personal notes in them, I knew they had hand picked the card and meant what it said. It was really an unexpected result for me. Some cards are from family members that are no longer living and helped to bring back memories and feelings that I really cherish, and helped me realize how fortunate I am. It was really wonderful. I threw out none of them. I also wished I had looked at them more often. I'd love to combine them with photos to make a great memory book.

Just to give you an idea, the bin is a sterilite 18 qt size from target. I separated them into groups of before college, college, after college in bags.

I think if they are from family, keep a few from each member for special occasions. My appreciation for my ancestry has skyrocketed as I have aged. For stuff from friends, I would keep them based on how significant they have been in your life. Or maybe one card from each friend. It's obviously totally personal.

As for keeping cards just for the beauty of them, I think that could lead to future cleaning sessions where you wonder why you kept them. I have the same dilemma. It seems like a such a waste to throw them out. Possible options:
- I know some schools or art classes/programs appreciate such donations, but I don't have any that I know of. Maybe hospitals that have rehab programs where the patients use art for therapy.
- Also, places that take care of elderly like nursing homes or independent care homes might want the cards for decorating or art work. I don't know of a website that would help here, so it might take a couple phone calls to find one that has an art program and the person responsible for it.
- I have never used it, but Freecycle might be an option.
- Scanning them for the art, however that doesn't reuse the paper

I wish I had a better answer for how to reuse those that you don't need to hang on to. If anyone does, please respond.

(Sorry this is too long)

Good to have company, Rheaper.

@Pyecat
there are a few theories - but all of them say that cats do need some grass!
Yes, most of them throw up after a little mouthful grass - but I was told by my alternative practitioner (does someone understand me ? ; ) they do need the bittern (for better digestion or against nausea).
The old story goes like they need to throw up the hairballs - but my cats never did that, they just immedeately throw the plants up again... : /

I'm new to AT--and really like the January Cure. But for me, a few changes to the website would make it better.
1. I'd love to be able to edit my comments.
2. I like the Live Blogging section--but would prefer it not <\b> to be a link--because then there are two threads of comments--and the subject is essentially the same.
3. Also I got confused and posted my own comment under Live Blog instead of the main assignment for the day. No biggie--but I thought my comment had been deleted.

I apologize for the all bold. I made a mistake the "unbold" tag should have been . I'd edit my comment if I could. I meant to click the Preview button not the Submit. Again my apologies. I'm new to this, obviously.

I suppose the logic of starting with the floors works for me (versus focusing on single room first). this has forced me to move everything in each room. as i'm tripping over the stuff, some of the overflow has made it's way to my new outbox. (my dining room as it's center of traffic. it's getting pretty full quickly though, but now it's in a single location.)

looks like my major single project for the month will be 'deal with all the stuff in the outbox'. (So far, pair of norway lounge chairs, 70s cork shelving unit, pair of thonet footstools, lucite side table, knoll tulip side table...just for starters). oy. i suppose i need plan a big tag sale come spring.

off to finish the floors in my bedroom, office & bath.

I'm madly in love with J.R. Watkins room spray & all purpose cleaner. It smells like a lemony dessert. I've also found that baby wipes are great for spot cleaning fabric as well as a no-smudge computer screen.

I've noticed standard grocery store flowers don't last long, but when I purchase my flowers from a local market/florist & add a bit of sugar, they can last up to 3 weeks!

For those who are allergic to flowers, maybe try a floating candle vase/drinking glass with some fruit added for color. I'd try cranberries, cherries or citrus slices.

I did it! Floors-check! Flowers-check! Green cleaner - had it, check! All my floors have not been clean within the span of 24 hours in years. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and a spouse out of town so this was sort of a miracle. I would've never done this without the January Cure. Barely a week and I already feel great.

This was the task I was putting off; however, I tackled it and am so pleased with the result! I know others have commented how the "cure" is a great incentive to reorganize/declutter/... and I agree entirely with them!
Just out of curiosity, As i live in London, I wondered if there are links on the website to UK based companies/organsations that I could follow up, to see what's available nearby.

In the 3 years I have lived in my apartment, I have never cleaned all of my floors at the same time. Cleaning both the tile and wood floors all in the same day was hard, but oh-so-worth it. I feel very fancy and my little home smells so good! Like many of you, though, I'm getting scared of how large the outbox is getting. Thank goodness many charities do pick-ups throughout NYC!

Do you have a freecycle group in your area? If so, you can list something and ask interested folks to pick it up from you. It's awesome!

I moved in three months ago and while there are many things wrong with my place, cleanliness has never been one of them, thanks to my anal tendencies. I was shocked and appalled at the fact my canister vacuum went from empty to two third full today!

What are people doing about dust? I have carpets and wood floor and wood furniture. I was doing the vacuuming and dry/wet mop and the dust is just moving around and flying everywhere. I have a vaporizer and an air purifier running but during the winter months dust in my condo is just unmoveable! Does anyone else have this problem? Can you advise me?

Happily tired to report that all of my weekend tasks have been completed! Although I did not purchase fresh flowers, I did purchase a plant for the office and a rosemary plant for my table. Both look very nice and definitely add to the look/feel of our home.

I am also giving myself, and DH, a pat on the back for taking items to the frame shop, picking them up and then hanging them. I feel like such an adult because I have real art now!

Because I am at home with a 2 and 1 year old during the day, I am trying to get a jump on things and get as much accomplished during their nap time as possible. This weekend's nap times allowed me the abilty to clean/organize the office and I "discovered" that the table we were using in the office would make a better dining table. DH and I moved it and are thrilled with the results. Suddenly, our apartment is feeling and looking quite stylish.

Thank you AT and thanks to everyone for all of the encouragement and advice!

Stepmother brought a bunch of tulips, boyfriend vacuumed and mopped, and we've been using green cleaning products for years. So I was able to concentrate on my kitchen decluttering and cleaning project this week-end. Almost there...

I reuse the pictures on Christmas cards as gift tags the following year. Cut out a strip or a picture, punch a hole in one end and thread through some ribbon. Attach to present with message on the back.

haha! thanks! it has done me well! Though my husband took a bit too much liberty with the outbox and placed my entire typewriter collection there! The nerve!!!! :)

I'm not sure if we are getting bogged down in semantics and legalistic terms, here.

I see the inclusion of fresh flowers as a way to bring interest into the home, interest that will require some upkeep but isn't permanent.

So, if you have bundles of herbs as bouquets, that is fantastic, and likely cat friendly. Same with a pile of fruit.

But, let's say you don't. What about a stack of balanced stones that you change each day? I have stones and pebbles that stack, gathered from walks- I happened to discover stacking superpowers on a drizzly sick day.

So what we are doing is creating an altar of sorts to our home, to encourage attention and some devotion. Show your home, your sacred space, some love.

Flowers purchased, green cleaning products procured, and you could eat off my floors—even the one behind the sofa! This has been such an invigorating project so far. I was remarking to my husband that (so far) this could also be something we do every month: take inventory of house projects, keep an outbox, and do a thorough cleaning. Will be interested to see what's coming next.

I missed last year's cure and was so disappointed! i'm glad to be here!

I have to admit--I wasn't too sure about this weekend's assignment. vacuuming and mopping the floors--no problem, it's a "weekly" chore for me due to my two kitties and chocolate lab and their collective hair tumbleweeds (although admittedly, I get lazy and it gets horrible...). I wasn't so sure about the flowers or green cleaners. I'm on a bit of a tight budget and flowers seemed extravagant. I had to go grocery shopping and picked up a small bouquet of periwinkle blue hydrangeas. I hemmed and hawed over the green cleaners--I had just stocked up a few weeks ago on non-green but lovely smelling cleaners for the floors and the bathroom. I ended up grabbing Hannaford's green brand multi-purpose cleaner. Of course, I'm so glad I did! The flowers look adorable on my kitchen table (I can't stop glancing over at them, they seem so special!) and the green cleaner smelled like lemon grass and worked amazingly well. My whole apartment is clean, looks fantastic and smells wonderful. Thanks!

Sitting on the couch, looking at my shiny floors and pretty flowers. My place only looks like this when I'm having company, so it's nice to do it for just me. I really appreciate this structure to help me make my home more loveable. Thank you!!!

My home is always relatively decluttered and orderly but I'm hoping to take it to the next level with this cure. Made my list, have my outbox (need to empty it!), bought flowers...and gonna work on the floors now.

People, all of my floors are clean! They are! They really are!

Hello! Jumping into the conversation a little late, though I've been chugging along on this Cure. I did the Kitchen Cure a few years back but this is my first for the whole house. My situation is a bit unique (or, maybe not) in that I got divorced this past year and my ex didn't take much, and I wish he had! While I've always kept the common areas, and my closet, pretty organized, this past year was full of so much upheaval that I didn't do any purging or organizing.

I've got my list outlined in a Google doc, and I keep adding to it! My floors had just been cleaned so I'm focusing this weekend on purging junk from the kitchen. I can't believe how much has accumulated.

As far as getting rid of things: I've blocked out a weekend this month to just spend the morning doing that. And then get my car detailed as a reward! I've also made a deal with my neighbor who has 2 little girls several years younger than my own to come and take first dibs on stuff we're purging from their room. That chore is proving to be really difficult. They are little packrats.

I know from experience that I won't be able to sustain a weekly bouquet habit so I plan to choose flowers and greenery from my yard and buy potted plants.

For those worried about pets: One option is to get a terrarium and decorate it with air plants and pretty rocks. I also plan to get one of those for my office desk.

Back to purging cookbooks!

I have cats and flowers. They're not usually interested in chewing on them.
I'm feeling very tired after this weekend's cure because I had the extended version: take down holiday decor & tree, clean up after tree, THEN do all floors... which somehow morphed into kitchen ceiling & walls as well (I wanted the dryer lint off the ceiling before I did floors). Officially up-to-date and happy about it! My apartment looks SO much better!

I LOVE Maxwell, + I substitute fresh fruit,
because cut flowers are sad corpses to me & I don't think dead flowers cleanse the air while they decompose:
"Eight Step Home Cure, Maxwell wrote: As simple as it sounds, the act of buying flowers for your apartment holds great significance and will heal your home on many levels. They are beautiful, they add life to the space, they help to humidify and cleanse the air"

Why do you recommend turning on music while vacuuming?

Is steam mopping cheating? I confess to steam mopping.

Does anybody recommend software for home/yard diagram ?

Hgtv, google sketchup, ikea...?

also I when I moved some gardening stuff to mop floor near kitchen door,
I was surprised to see a bag of dahlia bulbs sprouting in the house,
So I'll count those as fresh flowers

As usual, not fully following along (ran out of time so no cleaning yet.). But, I did buy flowers--tulips from the farmers' market--and went to IKEA and addressed a number of things on my list to make my new living room scheme work, including Expedit shelves, which I hope aren't hard to assemble.

I'm trying to convince the roommate to let me do some flowers (hell, I'm trying to teach her to hang up her damned coat). Until then, I'm just doing what I can to work on getting the apartment into shape to have people over. he does no housework whatsoever, and it looks like any cleaning I want done I will have to do myself.

I have a couple of friends who are willing to pend a day or afternoon with me to work on getting things unpacked and put away, so I am taking advantage of them.

I've haven't been great with homework this weekend. My boyfriend's dad has been the hospital and we just haven't been home much.

I skipped the flowers and the green cleaner because the flowers at Publix looked pretty pathetic. And I wanted to get some Mrs. Meyers countertop spray since I'm running low on my usual Lysol All Purpose, but the selection at my store was limited. Going to try again later this week at a Super Target.

But, I did clean all the floors (carpet and tile) and threw 3 pairs of jeans I'm not going to wear anymore in the Outbox.

2 out of 4....Not so hot haha

Hi everyone,
Hope you're all feeling good about what you've accomplished so far.

@Pixie: It's not hard to assemble the Expedit bookshelves and they look really pretty. I assembled two (8 cubes each) by myself. It would have been faster if I had someone helping out, but you can do it on your own unless you got the large units in which case definitely ask for help.

Ok, so for day 3, I had flowers already so that's good, and I had already set out an outbox before Christmas (now I only need to actually take the stuff to donate!)
Yesterday I vacuumed the floors. Took me much longer than I thought, I was using a timer and had to reset it twice! And it's a small apartment... I also wanted to steam mop the floors but my H2O mop is not working. Aargh! I had just ordered new filters for it as that's the reason it's not producing steam, according to customer service. I cleaned it, tried all the manual said, but to no avail.

Can anyone recommend a good steam mop, preferably one that uses disposable pads? (Doing laundry in this building is slow, only two machines, so by the time I get one I don't want to throw in my clothes with the mop pads...) I have wooden floors and I'd really like to keep to the steam mop system, so I don't have to use floor cleaners that can get on my cat's paws.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
Good luck for tomorrow's assignment!

Floors are done! I found a nice, inexpensive bouquet of flowers (called something like Winter Bouquet) at Trader Joe's yesterday. Lots of variety and colors. :)

alstromeria are not harmful to cats. of course, because of that, the cats find them tasty....

alstromeria are not harmful to cats. of course, because of that, the cats find them tasty....

I had a jump on the floors because I'm in a new place and just had all the revolting carpet replaced with brand new (clean!) floors. Except the laundry/mud room. So today I got down (finally) and scrubbed it. I fear that this project may cost me some bucks - now I realized that the laundry floor is eventually going to have to be replaced too. Oh well. For now, it looks a whole heck of a lot better than it did.

No flowers but the 'cure' is in action and rarely strays from my mind. Good to see others are seeing visible results and are also further motivated. Remembered a long forgotten cleaning task that isn't hard but always brought out a 'WoW' but will hold off mentioning in case it's an upcoming assignment.

I know this task is over, but I wanted to post this cool tip for cleaning grout. Haven't tried it yet, because I didn't have any lemons, but I'm excited to see if it works!

http://trendypics.net/home_decor/whaaaaaa-7-cups-water-1-2-cup-baking-soda-1-3-cup-.html

I went completely rogue on this assignment. No flowers, no new cleaners and no mopping. Fail!!!

I did take the tree and all Christmas related stuff down, reorganized that container, put some items in the outbox, took the container to the basement, and reorganized my basement storage closet.

I got caught up pulling out items I knew needed to be in the outbox from different areas of my home. I also did a truckload of laundry, AND put it all away! That is the step I always drop the ball on. But this morning, clothes and towels are clean and put away.

I have lots more to add to my to do list. That is the part where I get overwhelmed and discouraged. Uggh! After the amount of work I did Friday, I was so exhausted on Saturday, I slept most of the day. Maybe I need to stick to the instructions!!

Are we going to eventually end up with a system for staying on track with maintaining our homes? I need help with managing paper stuff, and staying on top of cleaning. I was thinking a repeating cleaning schedule/calendar might help me out. Does anyone else approach it that way?

@sarajanie - You're not alone in not getting this done:

- I didn't buy flowers. I don't have a vase or even a jar to put them in and my "special assessment" from the condo board came out sooner than they had said putting my finances in such a bind.

- I did manage to get the entryway cleaned up and bit and the entryway and bathroom floors washed (albeit with some wet Swiffer cloths I had).

- I didn't have much money but I picked up a few cleaning supplies. Nothing magical.

And that's it.

Returned from a trip to California to see in-laws, and tackled the weekend tasks on Sunday.

I filled the outbox ( colored Christmas lights, costume jewelry that I do not wear or that is missing pairs, some ratty clothes ( and a few bad purchases), a set of Mexican blown glass cordials, a pineapple deck light ( ???), and a table runner. All to Goodwill!

I packed up the Holiday treacle and labeled the boxes for a change, and put the boxes away. My apartment now feels serenely austere- which is what I long for after the noisy, consumer driven holidays.

I have not yet wiped out the christmas tree that the kids drew on the chalkboard wall in the kitchen. I will take a photograph of it tonight, before the wall is refreshed.

Went through the bathroom drawers and cabinets and purged out of date stuff.

Purchased flowers- white hydrangea for my kitchen counter. I also re-purposed a few limbs of my so- called "christmas tree" ( this year- a willow branch!), for a nordic-looking arrangement on my mantle.

I tidied up my kitchen counter which had become cluttered with the various herbs, spices and what not associated with holiday cooking, and a few food gifts that had not yet found a home. Ahhhh, free counter space!

It was a good day!

Went with hot pink roses! And while I didn't "do" the floors, I took a first step and purchased a replacement vacuum cleaner to take care of the job later in the week. Outbox got some exercise, too - a bunch of supplies and paper that I've decided I'm going to donate to a friend of mine who's a school teacher. Woot!

The flowers I bought made me smile after I was done mopping, even when my toddler started playing with the dirt from my flowers. I shared about it here: http://turningithome.blogspot.com/2013/01/apartment-therapys-cure-day-3.html

Done! I wasn't sure I'd get through all of this weekend's tasks, but I did ... and felt really happy when I was done. I stopped for flowers on my way home Friday and had fun making my two bouquets: pale-pale green roses, a blue-to-green hydrangea bloom and green hypericum. So nice! Thanks for the tips about cleaning wood floors. Almost my whole apartment is wood floors, and I learned from your post that I've been cleaning them incorrectly all this time. I think my outbox will need to get bigger ...

This week of assignments has really helped me feel less stressed about taking on the cleaning and decluttering of my place. The task always seems so overwhelming, even though I have a very small apartment. Thanks for hand-holding me through to where I can already see success!

It felt so good to be able to say that I completed all the tasks. The flowers are gorgeous and my husband and puppy are enjoying the clean home. I did not end up with a lot of things in my outbox, but I did do a lot of recycling, as I moved through the office area. This group project is great. I look forward to the emails!

Yes what a great thing The January Cure is! I have a relatively big house & I'm giving the cure the best I can. The cleaning really was great.. the flower addict I am smiled. Bring on the rest....

I came down with the flu on Friday. Wished I were dead. So, I will be playing catch up on the cleaning for the next week. I'll be getting my flowers on Thursdays. In this small town, when the market gets fresh ones in, the supply dwindles down quickly. I have green cleaners (Seventh Generation, Myers, vinegar). I'm disappointed to be behind and my husband says this is not to give me a guilt trip, but I appreciate and need deadlines and goals.

In theory, I completed all the tasks, but each one was morphed into my own liking: http://www.luckylittlemustardseed.com/2013/01/treatment-for-the-sane/

try sprinkling baking soda down, and vacuuming that up! the baking soda will absorb smells in the vacuum too :)

brought home a little cactus garden, does that count?

not enough floor to vaccum or sweep, too many piles of boxes and/or the things that came out of them

cleaned the litter box.

SCORE!

i have to modify this one a little - i live in the mountains and will be going grocery shopping tomoro - have cleaning products on my list - it was time to restock anyway. i already buy a lot of "green" products, but did some reading/research to see what else i could learn about good ones. will also get flowers, we have a couple of great flower shops (& even our grocery store) in town. as for the floors, well, my house is just too big to do that all at once. instead, yesterday i spent some time reading & researching, and came up with a cleaning schedule/plan that i am going to try out - it is a 2 week rotation of cleaning tasks, doing one floor each week. i am going to start with no more than 60 minutes a day, and just get as much as i can done, so i don't chuck the whole plan from cleaning exhaustion. i have to assume that as time goes on, things will ease up, if i can keep up with things instead of letting them get so bad that everything is an overwhelming job. so this weekend i did a lot of random but important cleaning tasks (like the front door/window, both toilets - ICK, ALL the laundry including some blankets/etc), and i am feeling really good about the cleaning plan.

Am I the only one who notices that buying fresh cut flowers at the same time as green friendly cleaners seems extremely hypocritical? Yes, flowers are wonderful. But maybe potted ones that last more than a few days and aren't as environmentally hostile would be a better option?

I would love to know the answer to this. I discovered the January Cure after everyone was 2 weeks into it. But im still trying to participate. I would love to have flowers...but my cats take them out of the vases, knock vases over, water galore... help!

Im super late, but super inspired.. please keep these posts up!! the flowers were really hard to buy in a tight budget, but i bit the bullet, bought them, and filled the vase with 'greenery' from the public park across the rd. Those flowers make me feel soo good! amazed by the lift its given :)