Fresh Space and a Timer Tip

Today was a day for clearing-out! It's so satisfying to put all the Christmas items back into their labeled bins and stick them back on their shelves in the garage to await next year's holiday season.  We took the tree down and I removed all Christmas decorations from the interior of the house except for my children's small (faux) trees.  They will come down sometime after our daughter's birthday on January 9.

I also went through a huge lot of vintage Christmas ornaments my father-in-law dropped off at our house last Monday.  I chose a small number of the ornaments to keep--the most interesting, singular-looking ones (glass bells, glass stars!) which gave me a surge of joy when I saw them, then created a bag to give to my sister, and the rest are going to the thrift store.

And finally I orchestrated an ambitious decluttering and re-organizing of the main floor of the house. All three bedrooms were ruthlessly tidied--the children's rooms in particular needed a lot of help--and the other rooms were totally decluttered.  Tomorrow our lower floor gets the same treatment.

My tip for doing this with children around is to set a timer.  Spend a set amount of time cleaning together, and then spend an equal amount of time playing (sometimes I will play *with* my children or read to them, but more often I just let them play because they are now old enough to do so--with toddlers, it's best if you devote the entire time to interacting with them!).  It is amazing how much I can accomplish this way!

I love creating fresh space to usher in the New Year.  It's energizing and so refreshing.

The Work of My Day

Just as I keep a loose schedule for cleaning through the week, I keep a daily rhythm as well.  This fall, here's what works in our household: 

Morning: Prayer time.  Stretching.  Drink water with lemon. Get dressed and do hair/makeup. Wipe down bathroom surfaces.  Put away all laundry. Serve breakfast. Unload dishwasher and clean kitchen from breakfast. Check email on phone. Feed dog.  Be sure children's chores are done. 

Each day is different, but I try to stick to a predictable routine (ish): piano practice after breakfast and school in the morning, with read-alouds and outside time in the afternoon. I like for us to spend 10-15 minutes tidying the house before dinner as well. 

Evening (after dinner): Clean kitchen, Prepare for breakfast.  Run dishwasher.  Take out trash and recycling.  Read bedtime stories.  Bring laundry upstairs in bins. Feed dog.  Be sure living area is tidy.  Computer time, shower and books.  Drink water with lemon.*

NOTE: This is my "ideal."  Rest assured I skip bits and pieces of my routines each day, but I like to think that on the balance it all works out!  I don't beat myself up when I leave things undone; I just try to do my best and get on with it!

 *I started drinking water and lemon faithfully after my spring facial this year--the aesthetician sold me on drinking plenty of water with lemon and on rhassoul clay! 

The Work of My Week

I currently have two young children who are with me at home all the time, one dog, one cat, and one fish...and an excellent husband.  Here's my weekly housekeeping routine! (It does tend to change from season to season.)

Monday: Laundry.  Quick-dust main room (living, dining). Vacuum first floor.  Wipe down inside of fridge.  Mop kitchen floor.  Prepare for Tuesday's outings.  Bath, face mask, manicure. 

Tuesday: Marketing and errands.  Windexing.*  Write letters/thank-you notes.

Wednesday: Laundry.  Tidy up basement. Vacuum and mop basement and dust one area. Clean basement bathroom. Paperwork (filing, to-do list, correspondence).  Prepare for Thursday's outings. 

Thursday: Change sheets on all beds. Clean the children's bathroom. Pick up children's rooms and quick-dust one of them.  Sweep off and tidy deck, patio and porch.  Bath, face mask, manicure, pedicure if needed. 

Friday: Laundry. Quick-dust our bedroom. Vacuum first floor. Projects! Lesson and menu plans. 

Saturday: Wash work clothes and church clothes, if needed. Prepare food for Sunday, if desired.  Set out clothes and prepare for Sunday breakfast. 

Sunday: Wash makeup brushes, water houseplants, wipe down fridge exterior and oil cutting boards.**

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*Windexing means I choose one door or window to clean each week. This saves me from having to do all the windows at once--an overwhelming task. 

**I save my very favorite tasks for Sunday.  I typically don't really do much in the way of housework on Sunday, but I consider these chores 'fun' so they are my Sunday treats. 

Every month or so I scrub down the outside of the kitchen cabinets and do other little random tasks like wiping down doors and doorknobs, wiping down the stairwell, et cetera. I don't assign a schedule to these tasks...I just try to hit them when I can. 

The beauty of having a routine is that it is liberating! If you skip a day you know that next week you'll get back to it; conversely, you can easily turn off the cleaning switch when that day's tasks are done.

And I'm not a perfectionist; I'm very comfortable with "good enough." The Flylady is right--housework done imperfectly is still a blessing.  So do what you can and don't stress!