Home-keeping Schedules

[blondie]

Here's what I've come up with and it has CHANGED my life!! We've been doing it for 3 weeks, and I'm not as crazy as I used to be because I have a routine. I'm about half-way through a whole house organizing/decluttering spree and that has helped a ton- to have a specific place for everything to go.

I broke it down into just a few things a day and it's sooo nice. Like today, I was running low on time and started to deep clean the kitchen, and I actually pulled myself away, knowing it will get done later this week. It lifted the stress and time crunch I was feeling and I was able to spend time with my kids.

I underlined what's on my list- just a few words to make it easy for me, but explained a little in case it could help anyone. My list was inspired by a former GCM and I wish she was still around so I could thank her for the jumping board!

Every night before we go to bed :
1. Upstairs toys cleaned up
2. Sink clear or almost clear
3. Kitchen table clear
These are fairly flexible- like if we are out late or have company, but that's only happened a few times.

As needed:
Sweep main floor
Vacuum kitchen rug/shake rugs
Wash cloth diapers
Extra tidying
Extra laundry

M- laundry/change sheets- I take ALL the laundry downstairs and sort it. I wash/fold/put away as much as I possibly can. I usually get almost all of it done- Today I put away 3 baskets that were left over, and washed 2 more loads and I'm totally caught up. I used to try to do one load a day and it was too crazy. Changing sheets this same day guarantees that clean ones get back on my bed, and the spare set gets put back in the closet. I also have cleaning our room on Mondays- picking up my clothes, putting away necklaces that I pile up during the week, etc. On Mondays I also try to make a meal.

T- girl's rooms - I keep Tuesdays and Thursdays easy because I work in the evenings and try to reserve some of my energy for that. I just check their rooms for any extra messes that need to be cleaned up. Or I organize their pajama drawers, clean up random stuff that may have fallen to the closet floors, get the changing table organized, etc DH's Tuesday job is to clean up the basement - Today I did it for him, but will ask him to vacuum the family room, change the cat litter, put away a few dishes, and sweet the laundry room. I don't usually make meals on Tuesdays or Thursdays- DH will make something, do leftovers, or do something easy like sandwiches and veggies.

W- Dust. I haven't done this yet. I'll be dusting one or two rooms a week once I get the dusting going. Organize a closet or drawer. Tidy main floor. Make a meal.


T- Deep clean kitchen - I wipe everything down, organize a cabinet or drawer, clean up the fridge, microwave, etc. I also do bathrooms on Thursdays, so they are fresh for the weekend in case we end up with company. DH's job is to finish the bathroom and do trash on this night. Gather everything and take it down...although we might swap his Tu and Th jobs because of the garbage dude's schedule.

F- Free day/Catch up day. I usually take the girls out to do something on Fridays. Shopping, playdates, etc. I try to make a meal. My main thing on Fridays is to plan next week's homeschool stuff.

S- I work on Saturdays, so I'm free, but DH does the upstairs floors (we have hardwood that he refinished, so he likes to check it out every week and watch how it wears<3) and any of his laundry that I may have missed/didn't have time for.