Ch-Ch-Changes!!

Sorry I've been MIA from the blogging world! This weekend A and I moved into a new apartment. What a HUGE difference nice new carpet, counters, and cabinets make! We are pleased as punch. The view out of our glass door is nice too! Although New Years has passed and most people are underway w/ their New Years resolutions, I've decided to start making some changes, NOW.

The biggest change I'm making is w/ Trinket. When I got Trinket almost three wonderful years ago I became single shortly after adopting her. I lived alone then (A and I lived together in college, then I lived alone, then she ended up moving back) and I have always SPOILED her ROTTEN. I didn't really care about any bad behavior because it was just the two of us. I am ASHAMED to admit to you how bratty she has gotten, but I try to always be open on my blog. My little Trink is a BIG ole brat! She has "accidents" on the floor frequently (and she's been vetted recently, not a medical problem), barks aggressively at company, and is mean to the cat.

Since A's boyfriend had to go out and purchase a steam cleaner just to clean the carpet in our old apartment I've decided I've got to step up the potty training. Again, shame on me! I've had this dog for almost three years and she's still not 100% on potty training. A told me soon she's going to call Cesar Milan or the It's Me or the Dog TV show! I've started keeping T in the bathroom (w/ plenty of food, water, beds, toys, etc) while I'm at work and making her go to the potty outside and ONLY outside. I quit using pee pads at all because they seemed to confuse her.

The other big change I'm making, which is def for the positive, is that I'm trying to be cleaner and more organized at home. Since I work, try and go to the gym a few times a week, and go out with friends, I do NOT make enough time for cleaning and organizing. That's going to change, esp since we have a nice new place!!

I was reading one of my regular blog reads and I found out about Fly Lady. How did I not know about her?? Her website is SO fab!!

Just look at this that I found from her:

Kitchen Tips:
Let's talk about the kitchen for a while. If the kitchen is clean, the rest of the house stays clean, too. In other words, As the kitchen goes, so goes the rest of the house. Consider this: broken windows in a city. If a broken window is left unrepaired, the neighborhood goes down the drain. Crime rates go up and other building fall apart, but if these windows are fixed immediately, the neighborhood is not affected. Or shall we say infected. A dirty kitchen infects the remaining rooms. Strive to keep the kitchen tidy.

-Empty dishwasher first thing upon entering the kitchen.
(This way you always have a place for dirty dishes.)
-Always keep the sink spotless and shining.
(If the sink is clean you are less likely to put a dirty dish in it.)
-Use a clean dish cloth and dish rag every day.
-Get in the habit of drying your sink after every use (with the clean dish towel).
-Fill sink with hot soapy water when you start to cook. (This helps to clean as you go.) My Granny taught me this. If you don't, the dishes pile up! Swish them good and put them in the dishwasher. The counter stays clear and when you are through cooking all you have to do is load the dishwasher with the china.
-Throw trash and recyclables away as you empty the container.
-Shut the cabinet doors.
-Keep a can of Comet, bottle of Windex, and cleaning towels handy
(for the little spritz that keeps things shiny)
-Make table clearing everyone's job. Have each person take their own plate to the kitchen. They rake their scraps into the compost bin and put their plate into the dishwasher. This is something else children can do!

SO, here's to changes for the positive!! A more disciplined dog that I don't have to feel bad about and a cleaner home!!

XOXO
Gamecock Queen