Each time I started a cure (I have yet to finish one) I did get to the flower buying part and it always made a big difference. It became a reward for actually getting things done, clean and in order.

It has gotten so that I won't buy flowers unless my place is spic and span. Probably not the book's intended result but it has worked as a motivator for me.
I would choose one type of flower or one color, buy one or two bouquets and place it in my newly clean kitchen.

Funnily, I never thought about spreading the flower love around the entire apartment. That is what I will do today. Thanks for the video.

Refreshing. I can't wait to add a trip to the Whole Foods for flowers to the end of my day. :-) My room-cleaning was a bit more than a 20-minute project but I've got time this evening to finish it and be caught up. Feels good to be giving the apartment attention it needs, but in short bursts that accommodate my work and school schedule.

Nice video! I've been kitchen curing today, so it's great to get a few lovely flowers as part of the home cure. They are so expensive here though that I rarely treat us/our home to other than the occasional orchid, but today is different. Thanks!

As part of my frenzy yesterday I prepped a vase. It's waiting on the kitchen table for me to come home with some flowers!

I can't watch these videos, as I am at work - well I might be able to, but I don't want to risk it.
I am following the steps of the 20/20 home cure though. I will have to replace the flowers with another plant arangement, housemates of mine have allergies.

Thanks for the video. I also didn't think of spreading the flower into different rooms. Also, thanks for the advice on taking the leaves off so they don't rot, as this is what usually happens to me when I buy flowers!

I am cleaning today, as there was a major cooking action in my kitchen last saturaday, doing laundry and stuff like this, so it is really nice to have such an uplifting task from the cure!

i won't be able to buy flowers today, but am saving this 'challenge' for tomorrow morning when the open market is right around the corner. I will be taking my 20 min. to clean up a bit though.

My roommate and I have teamed up for the 20/20 Cure, and knocked out our kitchen and living room last night. 20 minutes, but it looks so much better! When I told her that I would take the mantle of responsibility when it comes to flowers, she requested some more herbs (we're already growing some basil). My plan? Pick up some new potted herbs, and re-pot what we have. Should eat up 20 minutes (possibly more) and make a dramatic change to our living room yet again.
Rosemary, cilantro and chives, here I come!

I'm doing this Home Cure all kinds of backwards on accident. I moved three weeks ago and completely self-cured everything and now I don't have anything to home-cure with you guys! And, I just bought flowers on Sunday! As said, I'm all kinds of backwards. I'll be a voyeur for this time around; I'm sure I'll need to partake in the spring cure. Good luck Home Curers! :)

Thoughts on plants? Our little condo tends to get stuffy (something we are working on) and flowers with buds die fast!

I am thinking green plants in soil may be better, anyone have suggestions for low maintenance plants that hold up in dry, stuffy spaces (again working on this!)?

btw..I like the rawness of the video. It gives a very authentic vibe, like you're doing this process with me. Also, maybe you wanna move that pot rack a little higher? I think you hit your head in the last video too. Seems to be a daily occurrence ;)

i can't wait! i buy flowers during the cool/cold months, and pick/cut flowers from my yard when it's warm enough for flowers to bloom here. it's the perfect time of year for me to re-start this weekly ritual!

DFig: I actually managed to keep an orchid alive and green these last three years. I think they are among the most low-maintenance pot flowers, and I love the way they look. I keep mine away from direct sunlight, and almost never water it until it blooms. It can't get easier than that !

I just spent the last 4 hours cleaning and decluttering my kitchen, and I already bought storage boxes for the basement, so I'll go budget-friendly and stick to watering my beloved two pot plants. But I'll move them to somewhere where I can actually enjoy them. Right now, they are stuffed in corners and I don't enjoy them as I should.

And I wanted to research air purifying plants on the net; I'd like to add some greenery, maybe in my son's room where we did a lot of paint lately. Anyone has a good online source to recommend ?

For people looking for low-fuss house plants, I highly recommend Wandering Jew. These things are IMPOSSIBLE to kill, root incredibly easily from cuttings, and range from a bright green to dark green/purple (depending on light I think...). The only "trick" is to prune them as they're growing (and by "prune" I mean ruthlessly hack chunks off so they end up growing fuller at the base) I also have what I think is a devil's ivy (found at IKEA), and some spikey things that look vaguely like the tops of pineapples. I've had all of them over a year, most for nearly 4 years now and I'm a known plant killer.

ooh, this is perfectly timed. I think I'll head to Hoboken's Farmer's Market which is today and get some fresh (Jersey grown!) flowers. Nice video, I agree with DFig. The simple production of it gives it a good vibe— very friendly and casual.

I picked some fresh lavender from my stoop this morning and put it in a little glass bud vase. Very pretty and the scent is so uplifting!

Darn, put in fresh flowers on Friday so not going to purchase new ones today, but I did find an old glass turquoise vase and filled it up with a beautiful thyme plant. It looks so lovely and also works as a natural room freshener.

ok, posted my 2 pics of flowers and my beautiful thyme plant.

I agree with DFig too. Love the videos. Love that you have hit your head in each one and left it in the video! ;-) It makes me think of you as a real guy doing the Cure with us instead of just putting on a show for a camera.

Today is day two and I am already a day off. I think if I do 30 minutes tonight and 30 minutes tomorrow, I'll be square going into Thursday. I won't have a weekend to catch up if I lag more behind.

I started buying flowers for my home every week when I moved to my new apartment - there's a perfect spot for them on the TV cabinet, and I love the spot of color and life they bring to the room. Plus, I celebrate spring by buying daffodils!

i replace buying flowers with either picking some from outside or tending to my plants or both. i still get the nice feeling.

I'll make a nice arrangement of candles instead (and light them). Flowers might be affordable but I'm on a tiiiiiight budget these days :(
But yay for the 20/20 cure :D

I'm going to get a small bunch to take to work with me for my desk (it needs a cure too), then pick up some more on the way home. It's funny, this is the task I've most anticipated. :)

We got carried away yesterday and ended up cleaning the whole bathroom, down to the grout! The reminder to clean window sills was definitely needed - thank you for that. And today I will be re-potting a plant at work in addition to buying flowers for the house. Why not let my cure bleed over into my office space too?

So far so good, I have never bought flowers so this is new for me, I'm off to the grocery store, bread, milk and flowers. Sounds like a good idea:)

any advice on how to keep pets away from the flowers? Our kitty gets into absolutely everything so I keep the few flowers I buy at the top of a curio cabinet.

Excited to bring some home tonight. I inadvertantly did the Monday cure on Sunday, so this is my first real day.

Your video has finally motivated me to join the Cure. I bought the book when it first came out and I’ve been just watching others go through the Cure all these years. Being a working mom (now with two toddlers), didn’t think I could go through the whole Cure, but what the heck, 20/20 is totally doable. Loving the guy-next-door-ness of the video. Thank you!

I actually bought my first ever vase and some poppies for the kitchen, I'm going to use this to buy another vase and some more flowers for the loungeroom :)

usually i never bother with videos but for some reason i love these. keep up the good work!

Nice video.My husband often brings home fresh flowers, mainly roses. They have a unique fantastic scent which is so much better than synthetic products. Roses are beautiful and they also last long (about a week)

perfect idea!

cant wait to pick up some blooms tonight!

I agree with DFig and jando_27 - love the rawness of the videos. And pot rack - ha! I will get some flowers later. I used to get them all the time - inspired by previous Cures - but mostly stopped when a young cat moved in and took over my life, and who loves all plant life (not lavender though, but I already have quite a lot dried from the farmers' market this summer). I didn't do last night's 20, since the evening was entirely packed. Hope to do that tonight.

This guy is like Martha Stewart, Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross rolled into one :)

I'll likely get mini pumpkins for my office desk. Flowers will have usually closed up for the night by the time I get home.

However, I may now have enough light to keep an African Mask alive (love alocasia!) and Home Depot has some little $5 ones in great shape.

For some reason I never received my AT email. I've just come back from town...without flowers. I'll take a cue from others and find some wild flowers to go cut. I think I have some chinese lanterns I can bring in the house. Really enjoying the videos. I'll miss him when they stop :(

I'm with Kinky - I don't have flowers, but I do have a beautiful collection of squash, gourds, and indian corn.

I checked out the closest place to me likely to have flowers, Winn-Dixie. I found a potted African Violet. Now, I just have to find out how to take care of it. Now my pretty little blue planter, that I received as a wedding present, finally has a plant friend!

Bought the flowers and split them (good idea, Maxwell). I placed one bowl by the fireplace and the second on the kitchen window sill. (of course then I noticed that the window was dirty, so I had to clean it, so... more than 20 minutes but well worth it!)

I took a walk to the farmers market that is every Tuesday, got some exercise this way and bought white dahlias. I love the videos from a kitchen that looks actually used as such by real life people, it makes it all seem so much more accessible.

Cut flowers are a rare guest in my home. I've always thought they are a luxury I "can't" afford. How silly of me!

Didn't have a chance for proper flower shopping today, so I just grabbed a bunch of pink roses from the grocery store. Now they look lovely... in a beer glass -- I think in my last move I got rid of the few vases I used to have but never used.

The buying fresh flowers task. Is anyone like me and allergic to anything vibrant, green, and living? During the last cure I just bought an assortment of dried plants and flowers and arranged them in old bottles for my kitchen. I'm thinking of doing something similar for my bathroom. That counts, right?

i have sunflowers on my dining room table right now. nicely sunny and happy. also decided to do a bit more cleaning today as there will be friends visiting for the Head of the Charles this weekend.

p.s. the videos are just fine. they are informative and to the point. thanks!

Flowers here I come. Off to the farmer's market:)

I picked up a humongous bunch of rose hips today from Whole Foods - they are the perfect orange-red color for fall. Going to put them in something right now. Loved today's video, Maxwell!

There are three bunches of flowers hanging around my apartment following a party I had this past weekend, so I'm not going to buy more today. But when this comes up again, I will participate!
BTW, I do like the author's kitchen. I like the white cabinets against the yellow walls.

I bought a gorgeous bouquet and split it between the living room and bedroom. Instantly brightened the rooms AND my mood.

i bought a pot of living mums, seemed somehow less gruesome than a cut bouquet.

@claire_quilty

That totally counts! As does getting a few gourds, lighting a few candles, or filling an apothecary jar/hurricane vase with fairy lights and other pretty trinkets. The point is to do something pretty for your home that makes you smile. No sense in buying flowers if they make you miserable.

I live on the other side of the globe from most of you, so it'll always look like I'm a bit behind. But here are my before and after photos of my living room after yesterday's 20 minutes. Put things away, dusted, and vacuumed. :)

Before: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/Bannacreampie/before.jpg

After: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/Bannacreampie/after.jpg

Sorry they're not in Flickr. I hate that Flickr is tied to Yahoo. :P

Anyway, that's just my living room. I didn't clean the kitchen (as you can see from the milk carton still drying). We moved here about three months ago, and it's a furnished apartment. Otherwise I would pick different furniture, curtains, and artwork! lol

I bought flowers too, for the first time in quite a while. I got tiny yellow daisies and deep red alstromeria with yellow veins. And now to finish Monday's task by mopping the kitchen while dinner (spaghetti) simmers.

I also love the videos as they are. :-) I also love seeing your home, Maxwell. Makes me feel more content with my small city apartment (several of my friends have recently bought houses and I'm envious).

Very cute video. I can't bring in flowers since I have a few plant eating cats who will consume and then throw up whatever comes in (and that extends to veggies and herbs--I have a cat who will kill for kale and parsley). But I am able to add assorted squash and gourds in the fall. So I am here in spirit.

PLEASE don't slick up the videos! They express a cozy, intimate, spontaneous quality that really draws me in and makes me feel like a good friend is inspiring me to get things done. Fab!

I love the idea of clipping a few flowers out of a large boquet and making a few small ones! A great way to spread the love all around your apartment.

@Mrs.Mack - I do like the idea of having something living in your home. I've been meaning to buy gourds anyway to liven up my indoor Halloween decorations. That'll be a task for the weekend.

Yellow spiky dahlias in a clear cylindrical vase ($2 for the vase, $5 for the flowers)

I ended a long term relationship last week and these are making me feel real good in my space even though I have a dozen things on my to-do list. I put them on my stand-in nightstand and I'm looking forward to waking up next to them.

I cleaned the kitchen on Sunday because the dishwasher was backed up, and I needed the kitchen clean before I called the plumber. All week I had been pouring hydrogen peroxide into the water at the bottom of the tub, but it still wasn't draining. I decided to run the dishwasher one last time, figuring one more water on the floor session wasn't going to matter. Instead, the hydrogen peroxide worked, and the dishwasher drained completely, plus the inside seems to be gleaming clean. I can't believe it. It was so simple. I have used hydrogen peroxide on slow sinks before, but never through standing water. I am thrilled over the money saved by not calling the plumber.

I was too busy to get anything done on Monday, and I completely forgot about the flowers when I went shopping today, but tomorrow I am going to bang out another room, and get flowers on Thursday. I'll catch up.

I love the cure.

Cat question: How can I keep my cat from destroying the flowers? Does anyone know of a good deterrent that doesn't smell too bad?

I stopped off at Whole Foods to get mine, where most of their flowers were 3 bunches for $12. An unexpected benefit was all the smiles I got on the subway on the way home.

To Loida, after much trial and error I have found one spot in my condo that is cat proof to place my flowers (top of a bakers rack that has a wire surface that they can't or won't jump onto) so whenever I buy flowers they go in this spot and I need not worry about a vase of water spilling onto the hardwood floor.

I bought flowers at Trader Joes and from 1 bunch was able to put flowers all around my apartment... Thank you for showing us that you don't have to spend a lot to have a home full of beauty. Here's my blog if you want to see! http://bit.ly/a87ZGK

Dear Guy in the Videos,
I don't know who you are (I'm new here), but watching your videos totally relaxes me (and I have two little kids so it takes a lot to relax me). You are my new Bob Ross. :)

what nonsense: those flowers aren't fresh, they're dead.
Everything is so wrong about buying cut flowers: it's bad for the planet, it's bad for the poor people producing them,...I know you can say that of a lot of things, but buying flowers and throwing them away after a week is really too much decadence.

I love the idea of giving a gift to your home. However I am sorry but I also have a problem with cut flowers. Cut flowers are a $40 billion a year industry that's doing major ecological damage to the world. The pesticides used make the workers very sick and contaminate the environment. They are not living things, they are dead. They are also very bad for my allergies! ;) However I still love the idea of a gift to the home, will think of something else I can do.

I love flowers, but so do my cats, so I can't have them. Unless someone has an idea where to hide them from the felines...as if!

Love this 'cure' ... I didn't go to the market for flowers (so I cheated a bit) .. instead I got flowers from my garden (few daisies ... placed them in a few different places in my office) and one gorgeous rose my hubby picked for my the other day. I'll post some pics in the Flickr group :)

My tip on the cat issues: if u can perhaps place the flowers up high ... like in bookcase shelves (replacing a decor that you have may with the flowers), also some cats do not like the water ... so maybe a cute small bunch in your bathroom counter (sink) or your kitchen counter (near sink). I hope u all enjoy ur flowers :)

... oh, another comment ... i LOVE the video angles, the zooming and blurring sections of the video so hope u continue it to use the same video format :)

I'll be off to buy some flowers at lunch and arrange them in the living room, bathroom, and bedroom.

I did like the comment that someone made on the inital post about looking for potted plans instead of flowers (more longevity, can clean the air, etc) and I think this is a great idea too. I bought 4 potted plants from KMart of all places a few months ago and they have added immensely to the character of my home!

I love the authenticity of the videos as they are - if they were overproduced they would feel weird somehow.

DFig - I second (third?) the suggestions for devil's ivy, which I have always called Pothos. (Pothos / devil's ivy / variegated philodendron.)

@BotanysDesire where did you post your pics?

@Maxwell, you look so different in video than in still photos- more handsome in video.

Is there a new Flikr group for this year's Cure? I did a search and only came up with '10.

This will take much more than 20 minutes, but I'm totally inspired to go to Goodwill to find some small vases. I rarely (twice a year, maybe) buy flowers. So this is a nice motivator. Thanks Maxwell and everyone for contributing with your posts. Feels like community. I love it!

I live in a 425sq ft studio apartment. So the small vases will be nice for my small bits of surface area.

Not a huge fan of flowers, so I may opt for potted plants instead. I'd like some fern-y thing for the bathroom...

I will spend my 20 minutes researching how not to kill potted plants.

I bought my flowers yesterday when I did my grocery shopping at Publix. I selected a bunch of gorgeous orange-hued alstroemeria. $4.00. Cut flowers are one of the little indulgences that make me feel "rich", although I never buy them. I am going to do it more often, though. In one of her books, Alexandra Stoddard told about how, as a young career woman, she would skimp on lunches so she could buy fresh
flowers. I've always remembered that.

The vidoe took waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long to load so I only got to watch the first 34 seconds of it. i am definitely going to buy flowers today!

I am allergic to a lot of flowers, hava a cat and a brown thumb! I feel fortunate that I have one potted plant(gift) that refuses to die after four years or so, but I like the idea of the herbs. I just don't know where to put them in the kitchen. Also my empty display places have been taken up by Halloween pumpkins. I think I will make those count!

I love flowers, but I hate buying cut flowers because I know they're going to die all too soon. I almost always opt for potted plants instead. At any rate, I don't have any room for more pots right now, so I think I'll tweak this assignment a bit. Dust off a vase, fill it with pretty marbles, arrange it with a pre-existing plant and candle or two, and spend the twenty minutes practicing my much-neglected clarinet.

I second gumleaf's concerns. The cut flower business is environmentally destructive and tends to treat its workers poorly. Come on, AT readers, you're a creative bunch--think of some alternatives. Maybe install a chalkboard on which you, your family, or your guests write notes or draw pictures--that's a (much more fun and less guilty) way to bring something fresh into your home every week or even every day.

Following my comment above, I should also mention that buying fresh flowers every week can end up costing $200-$300 a year (and that's just personal cost, not counting environmental costs), while the chalkboard idea is a one-time minimal cost that then provides pretty much free gifts to your home indefinitely.

Perfect timing! Today is the farmers market and I can buy a beautiful bouquet of colorful dahlias for 5$!!! These flowers come straight from the farmers themselves - no guilt necessary. We also have a garden where I have a designated flower-for-cutting-space too. Not possible in the city maybe - but a pot with a live plant that you grow from seed might be another solution, decogirl and gumleaf. Chalkboards are fun and offer something different than a live plant in my opinion. Just placed a live flower arrangement on the blog a couple weeks ago. It makes such a lovely difference.

What a refreshing video. I buy fresh flowers weekly. Makes home really feel like home.

Yesterday I cut the remainder of the cosmos from my back yard & put them in a small vase behind my kitchen sink. No budget for buying flowers for me right now. I am also re-arranging the potted plants in my house so they give other rooms some life.

And today I am working on deep cleaning in preparation for my inlaws visit later in the week!

I'm a cheapskate, I would probably be picking wild flowers in the bushes near my home and arranging them.

Also I forgot, another tip to make your flowers stay longer, put a few drops of clothes bleach in the water. The water wont turn yellow and would still smell nice after even 7 days and your flowers stay longer.

I brought some flowers for the kitchen and decided to bring a small arrangement for my office. such a small thing but makes such a big difference!

GypsyMomma0911 -- great idea! I will have to remember that for next time I get flowers :-)

We're having a new roof put on Friday, so money is WAY tight right now. But fortunately, my Knock Out Rose decided to give up one last blooming this season, so she'll be getting a little trim when I get home. I'm so excited!

I'm so proud of how hard we worked last night. The bedroom looks great. I know it was supposed to be a quick surface clean, but sometimes once you get going...

I bought a small bouquet for my kitchen this morning, and it's crazy how much they brighten up the space -- I smile every time I pass by them. Definitely need to buy flowers (or snip my own during the spring/summer) more often. Thanks for the nudge! :)

Fresh flowers really perk up any room!

https://picasaweb.google.com/105612674109815508619/MersApt

Ahh, I'm so torn on this one! I have allergies and a flower-eating cat, so this would be as much a pain as it is a plus, in my house. Pondering doing it anyway, because no alternative I can come up with has quite the cheering power of fresh flowers...

Is there a new Flickr group for 2011? I see someone else asked but I haven't seen an answer. Thanks!

We have flower eating cats, so don't normally have flowers around the house. However, we DO have a high shelf in one bathroom that we tend to keep a bloom or two. At this time of year (even in WI) it is from the yard--the last of the dahlias and one last rose. Pure joy--and none of the alluded to guilt.

I smelled flowers at the hardware store today after buying a hedge clipper while the weather is still cooperating. So I'll go to the grocery and pick a bunch to grace my home and give a boost to all who enter.

My flowers from today! I'm so happy after buying these! http://yfrog.com/hw4cxyj

my kids and I have just picked a huge bunch of lavendar from the backyard. It's been hung up above my baby's changetable by a satin ribbon as a 'mobile' and to honour day 2 of the cure. Fresh flower, fresh scent, happy baby. BLISS

thank you for holding my hand as I transition from remodeling to a visit from my mother-in-law! also, I just love that your home isn't all Designed looking. just refreshing.

Been wanting to buy some flowers since I moved into my apartment two months ago with my best friend but never did for some reason. This gave me that extra push to go out and buy some. I bought small flowers and put them in some mason jars since we don't have any vases. I placed one on our dinner table, one in my room, and a small bottle with a couple of flowers in the bathroom. I actually forgot I had put the ones in the bathroom so it's been a pleasant surprise each time I go in. :)

Question: does any one know any nice places to buy flowers from in Austin, Texas?

I have a flower/plant eating cat who has somehow managed to get to them no matter how high or isolated a place so risking his well being isn't worth the few hours those flowers would last. I like those clear glass vases that hang on the wall, but I rent and try not to hang stuff. So, I just printed an 8x10 picture of a wild purple iris and placed it where I'll see it from several places in my apt. Tons of those "flags" used to grow around my childhood home. It brought back a great memory of being able to enjoy cute, real flowers, free from the country roadside -- "B.C." (before-cat)

guess what i did this morning? i bought some flowers in autumn colors for our small apartment - a german guy once said: "flowers are life" - of course he`s right...cheers from the very north of germany!

I ended up buying a tiny cactus. It looks like a cucumber with a pink spiky bloom on top.

I usually leave the plants in the garden because they're more likely to stay pretty and healthy there. I used to rotate them, now I just go outdoors to enjoy them. I brought in a potted pothos and set it on the foyer console for the cure. I watered it and will put it back outdoors before it starts to suffer from being indoors. That took less than :20, and since the first day took over :20, it evens out as far as I'm concerned.

Had to skip the flowers yesterday because I was in class and didn't get out until after the shops were closed- but I picked up a pot of begonias today. I have a tough time spending money on cut flowers. I've never had potted begonias indoors before, hopefully I can keep them alive!

yes its great.but what we can do for this flowers they make our rooms beautiful and perfumes, even we are bad people?

I settled on my alternative for this one today. I fell in love with a little jade plant that I think I can keep alive in my studio despite my black thumb. And the plant eating cat isn't allowed in there!

I'm 2-3 days late on all of these, but I'm following nevertheless! I just bought a potted chrysanthemum with pretty yellows and burnt oranges. I just bought a house, so I've been on a very strict budget, but this challenge gave me the permission I needed to buy flowers.

I'm choosing to think of it this way: therapy is expensive. If a $6.99 pot of flowers can ease my mind and make my home a tranquil space, then it's an investment, not an indulgence.

@Florida Joyce, I like Alexandra Stoddard's books, too, although so far I've read only her early ones.