Catching Up

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I'm glad to say, I really enjoyed it this year. I hosted 19 people in my home, and everything went well. God blessed us with wonderful weather, so the 10 kids spent most of the time outside, with dads and moms joining them at times. That helped. My weeks of planning paid off as well. I managed to prepare the Thanksgiving meal for everyone, only botched one dish, and was only about 45 minutes late getting it on the table. Pretty good.
Now, what does that have to do with this particular blog? I planned ahead, and was able to enjoy it. When I first knew I would be hosting the family, I started planning the menu. I made lists, lists, and more lists. My lists including everything from what needed to be cleaned, to the Thanksgiving menu, the menu for the whole week, when I would cook everything, and shopping lists. That way, when I was overwhelmed, or had a few spare minutes, I could look over my lists, and take things one at a time. I think the best list was when everything would be cooked. Things that would last longer or freeze well were cooked earlier in the week such as cinnamon rolls, some parts of dishes could be prepped the night before, like the corn bread for the dressing, and other things were made fresh that morning, like the green bean casserole. Now, one dish did hold me up, but that was because I hadn't made it before, and didn't know that it could be made the day before, or that it took an hour to bake. Next year I'll know. So, I spent much of Wednesday and Thursday in the kitchen, but I was able to take it one step at a time, and enjoy it. I was even able to take a 30 minute break Thursday to treat a migraine. Not too bad.
One more thought there, my lists were flexible. Hubby suggested the first dish I was going to work on Wed. might wait, while I did other things, because it takes so long in the oven. I thought on it, and he was right! So my lists did shift around a little, but I still had, in writing, what I needed to get done. And, oh the joy of checking off the list!!!!
Weeks ago I got the whole family involved in cleaning the house, top to bottom. Then, for the week, very little deep cleaning had to be done. My kids were able to jump in on Wednesday, look at my cleaning list, and choose something to do. I even had a "Clean Bathroom" list posted in the bathroom, for the one who really likes to clean. Now she knows what "Clean" really looks like, and I didn't have to go behind her each step of the way.
Because I had planned so thoroughly, I was able to sit back on Friday, and enjoy the day. I planned a simple dinner, and spent most of the day playing with the kids and hanging out with the adults. Payoff!

So, the moral of the story is, plan ahead, use lists, be flexible, and enjoy the time we're given with family!

Step #4

So, by now, if you have been picking up trash and laundry every day, you should find yourself not needing 10 minutes for each. At this point, it should be a natural part of your routine. In fact, if you have trash in your hand, just throw it away. If you take off a piece of clothing, put it where it goes right away. You should also be doing a load of laundry every day. I know this is not an easy task. It doesn't happen around my house every day, but I try to do it more often than not. The weeks that I am able to keep up with the laundry are much more plesant than when I let the laundry pile up around me. So, try to do just one load of laundry every day.
Step 4 brings us back to the front door. grab a bag, basket, or box. This time, as you make your way through the house, this 10 minutes will be spent gathering dishes. Anything that belongs in the kitchen goes in the basket. Don't stop to think about it, just get to it. When 10 minutes are up, take the dishes to the kitchen and put them away. Don't stack them on the counter, put them where the belong. Add this task to your daily routine. There you have it. If you stick to these steps daily, you should see a difference in your home. In return, you should also see a difference in your heart, and in you family. After all, there is something peaceful about a house that is less cluttered. Enjoy!

Step #3

Okay, every day, you should be 1) collecting trash and getting it OUT of your house. 2) Collecting clothing of all sorts and putting it where it goes. When these become a daily routine, it will really make a difference to your home! Now, today's step can be easy, sometimes I enjoy it, but the thought of it is always daunting. Here goes:
LAUNDRY. As I have written before, there is never and end to laundry. Just when you think you have it all done, someone adds one more dirty piece. It can be overwhelming to think of. But, it CAN be managed! Every day, after you collect trash and clothing, do just one load of laundry. Put it in the washer. If you're home long enough, set a timer for 45 minutes, or however long one load takes. When the timer goes off, IMMEDIATELY go and put it in the dryer. Set your timer again, and IMMEDIATELY get the laundry, fold it, and have the owners of the clothing put it away. If your kids are big enough, get them involved in the folding of the clothing as well. Now, after you have done that for a few days, your mountain should be shrinking. Also, you will develop your own system of laundry. For example, I get the clothes from the hamper to the washer, and from the washer to the dryer in one day, then fold the clothes from the previous day, while today's clothes are drying. They often stay in the dryer overnight. As long as you can handle a few wrinkles, that's okay, it's up to you. But, whatever you do, DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE WASHER! Clothes will stink after just a few hours in the washer. So, do yourself and your family a favor, and don't leave them there.
So, to recap, Step #3 is to do one load of laundry every day. Happy folding! 

Step #2

So, yesterday and today you should have taken a trash bag and collected trash for 10 minutes, then taken it out to the trash outside. Continue to do that every day until all of your rooms are free of trash. Then continue on "Trash Patrol" daily, but it should only take a couple of minutes.
Today begins step #2: Clothes. Grab a box or laundry basket, and a timer set for 10 minutes. Again, begin at the front door. Today you are going to pick up every piece of clothing that you see. Don't put it away yet, just put it in the box or basket. Shoes, jackets, shirts, socks, whatever you come across, snatch it up, and toss it in the basket. Do this for 10 minutes. Now, when the 10 minutes are up, take the items where they belong, and put them away. Yes, this is a little more time-consuming, but it is soooo worth it! If the clothes are dirty, put them in the laundry hamper, NOT in a pile by the washer. If you don't have a hamper, designate a box, basket, or some other container as a hamper. It may overflow for now, that's okay. Just focus on what you collected, and get it put away. That's it for today. Trash & clothing. Work on making this part of your daily routine. A little at a time, you will see a difference, as long as you work at it every day. You can do it! 

Where to Begin?

So I realized recently that some of you may not know where to begin. Perhaps you've never known what to do with your home. You know something needs to be done with the mess, but you just don't know where to begin. I know that it can so overwhelming, that you just freeze up, and don't even know what to do. You feel uncomfortable in your own home, you don't like people coming to you home because you're embarrassed about the mess, but what to do? Hopefully the next few entries will give you help, and hope.
     So, where to start? First of all, please realize that no one is perfect, and you can not go from mess to clean over night. It is a process that takes time. Start slowly, do a bit at a time, and look toward better, not perfect.
     Okay, that said, you need to grab a trash bag and a timer. Just a regular kitchen bag, or a couple of grocery sacks. Now, walk to your front door, and stand, facing your entry way. Pick up the trash that you see. Fast food bags, soda bottles, old newspapers, broken things, whatever you see that you know you can just throw away. For 10 minutes, walk through from your front door, through whatever the first room is in your house. Fill up the trash bag, or at least two grocery sacks. Work for the full 10 minutes on just picking up trash, filling that bag. Now, when the timer beeps, take that bag or sacks of trash outside to your larger garbage can. Don't leave it in the house. Whatever you do with your weekly trash, the bag needs to go there. Now, while you're at it, go back to the kitchen and bathroom, and take the trash out of the cans in those rooms as well. Replace them with new bags. If you have a small can in the bathroom, a grocery sack will fit perfectly in the can, so next time you can just grab the sack and go out to your large trash can. Every time your kitchen trash can is full, don't pack it down. Take 3 minutes to gather up the bathroom trash, grab the kitchen trash, and TAKE IT OUT. Don't clutter up your life with the garbage. GET RID OF IT!
     So, that's the first step to a cleaner home. Not so bad, was it?  Check back here in a couple of days, and I will have the next step for you. Meanwhile, take 10 minutes every day to rid your home of more trash. Boxes from things you bought, you don't need those anymore. More soda bottles on the floor? Get rid of them. When you finish one room, move on to the next. Just do it, every day, for 10 minutes. More to come later. Now, as for my house, it's time for me to take the trash out. The Garbage Truck comes tomorrow. See you soon! 

Bathroom Checklist

After peeking into the kids bathroom (I survived, barely), I came up with another list. Yes, this will be view-able by anyone who comes for a visit, as this is the main bathroom in the house, but that's okay. We have kids, we have a messy house, but are trying to teach our kids how to help keep it clean. At least once a week I send in a kid to clean up the bathroom, but until now, they've had no real guidelines. So, here goes!

A Clean Bathroom

ü   MIRROR shiny

(Wipe down with damp cloth)

ü   TOOTH BRUSHES lined up in the corner, TOOTH PASTE beside it

ü   SINK clean

(wipe with damp cloth, inside, on top, and faucet)

ü   TOWEL clean

(get a new one once a week)

ü   SHOWER clean

(wipe down tub, line up BOTTLES neatly, no extra stuff in the tub)

ü   FLOOR clean

(wipe whole floor with cloth, don’t forget behind the toilet!)

ü   TOILET clean

(on top, behind the lid, under the lid, under the seat, in the bowl, outside the bowl, around the base)

Yeah! It’s clean!!!!!

I Had to Admit It...

This week I had forgotten my #1 Rule: Give Yourself (Myself) a break. My house is getting cluttered up again, and my dear hubby was driving our van on a field trip, with another teacher as well as students. I caught myself getting upset with everyone because the house and car were not clean. Laundry had piled up, dishes were stacked up, the table was covered with "stuff", and there were crumbs and toys all over the van. I was getting stressed out.
But, when I stopped and finally realized why I was stressed, I actually felt better! I gave myself permission to be okay with clutter, for that moment. The weekend was coming, with few plans, I knew I could catch up. Most of all, perfection is not something I should be stressing out about. It won't happen, and even if it does for a second, life will continue on, and stuff will pile up again. So, for my sanity, and yours, remember the #1 rule. Don't be so overwhelmed that you get stressed out. Take one moment at a time, and know that your friends will not think less of you because there's a random sock laying under the couch. We all have them! (And, remember, those who appear perfect, really aren't, deep down!)
So, sit back, enjoy life, take a moment at a time, de-clutter when you can, and remember to relax along the way!

Funny!

Just as I sat down to write this post, I saw a commercial that is so my house! Okay, not this bad, but.... it is a cleaner commercial. Dad is helping daughter with a science project, the ever popular volcano. The first eruption is great, looks like ketchup running down the side. A second later, however, it starts to spew red goo all over the kitchen. Just then, mom walks in the house. Of course, they want you to think their product will save the day, but I can sooo see that happening in my house! Just as things are under control, life happens, and all chaos breaks loose. Do you ever feel that way? If only there were a "magic" cure, like the product suggests. But, we all know, it takes elbow grease to work things out.
So, what to do? Go back to earlier posts... 1) Give yourself a break. Nothing, and no one, is perfect. I'll probably write more about that soon. 2) Get a routine, and stick with it. 3) EVERYONE helps out. They help make the mess, they can help clean it up! 4) Use lists to keep yourself and the family on board with creating peace. 5) Take advantage of spare minutes. If you need a moment of peace, take it. If there's a mess to be addressed, do it. Make every moment count.
Messes happen, how do you keep them under control?