A Sunny Place

What is your weekly routine? Would you comment or post?

I'm wondering - I need to tweak my weekly cleaning routine/schedule.  We are a homeschooling family with 3 (one 2 yr old who makes life interesting) and I also have a part time job doing my husband's accounting - which will soon be ending when the business sells.  I  am a homemaker - small gardener and can a good amount in fall.  What is your weekly cleaning routine that you use to manage your home by? Do you have a home management binder? I purchased one and it's so overwhelming - I need something simpler!!   I tried fly lady -but she inundated my box with e-mails - I don't have time for that!!  My biggest issue is organization of toys/kids stuff/school/etc and helping them learn to keep their things picked up when they are not using them, and organized in a decent manner (and myself also!)  Thanks!

Currently I try to vacuum 1-2 X per week, clean the bathrooms 1 X per week - do laundry as needed, sheets and towels changed 1 X weekly and washed (usually on Friday) and baking (bread, breakfast foods, etc) when needed.  I seem to feel like I just get caught up, I blink and I"m somehow behind!  I get one area done and then move to the next - only to have the one disheveled in no time, it seems.  I will admit all my family are messies by nature.  My husband is too. He came from ahome where his mother would go clean up his room for him (even when he was 19 yrs old) - he tries hard - but he works a lot of hours and it's not his normal way.  I am also naturally this way -but am working on it - but I"m to the point that if it's messy -I get really frustrated - so how do I find the happy balance of having a lived in home, teaching others in the family to pick up after themselves, and still not live a Martha type life to do it! :0)

thanks!

wendy

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04:01, Monday, May 5, 2008 .. Posted by gokings13

Ask your dh what he would like.
Then tell him what you would like and see if the two of you can come to a middle.

I work 3 nights outside the home, but on the nights I am home, that is when I do my pick up.

Go room to room.
Make a list of what each room requires and how often.
Mine is more of a 'mental thing" of what I do. I don't write it down and check it off.......
Kids bathroom + 1/2 bath: Cleaned top to bottom 1 x a week (2 x if company is coming)
Living room: Vacuum daily, pick up nightly, dust weekly.
Laundry: Do it daily or I will PAY!! HA HA HA
Kitchen: When the dishwasher is clean, kids empty. When it's dirty, kids run it. When it needs loaded, kids load it.
Hardwood floors get shop-vaced 1-2x a week.

I have three teens, and since they were old enough to drag an empty laundry basket behind them, they have helped. There is no "allowance or financial gain on their part". They help because there are 5 people living in this house and it takes 5 people working for it to operate smoothly.

If I ask my dh to help me do something, he will. But, he too was raised by a women who "picked up after him". So he won't look at a room and say "wow this is a mess I should pick it up". This used to drive me crazy, but it was my own fault. If I just ask, he will help!

Don't get too bogged down with binders, strict schedules, and "magic" solutions. Those people that publish those books are making millions of dollars while driving millions of women nuts!! HA HA I am sure "organization and cleaning" books are right next to the "self-help psychology" books for a reason!!!
Have a great day!!
Laura

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04:15, Monday, May 5, 2008 .. Posted by farmgal35

I wish I had some great way to tell but I don`t. Living on a farm each day is just about different. Depends on the time of the year to. I don`t have a set schedule. I do what needs to be done. One thing I do is have a 30 mins. speed clean with the kids. I have them try and pick up things before bedtime to. It helps some. I vac. just about everyday(livingroom) and sweep the hardwood floors a couple of times a day. So much stuff gets tracked in. I am always doing laundry, if I didn`t it would get so piled up. It is just really hard for me try and stay on a schedule because it just doesn`t happen. Take today, I have dishes to do, some laundry and the livingroom is a mess. But I have been out all day working in the garden trying to get my planting done. I had do all the feeding this morning. I got up late. I didn`t go to sleep until 6 am this morning and got up a 10am. My whole morning was a wasted. I came in to get something to eat and drink. I had to call my friend about cub scouts because I can`t stay for it because I am running behind on everything. While I was eating and drinking(water) I would check out some blogs. I sure hope you find some good tips to help you out. Good post. Sheryl

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04:30, Monday, May 5, 2008 .. Posted by mountainmama

My weekly cleaning schedule is
laundry daily
bread baking daily (bread machine)
Mondays is our out of house running days
Tuesday-family bathroom
Wednesday-my bedroom hall and laundryroom
Thursday-kitchen (every night I clean up kitchen and I unload dishwasher as part of morning chores)
Friday-living room, guest bathroom, and porch

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05:20, Monday, May 5, 2008 .. Posted by gabbie427

I made a list of all the things that need to be done in each room separately and then decided to do one or two rooms each day, plus regular picking up "hot spots" (a term I stole from fly lady, but I am with you.....I couldn't stand all the stinking emails. I was reading more emails than I was cleaning my house!)

So on Monday I clean up the living room and family room (the two rooms we use the most during a weekend), and do the weekend laundry. Tuesday is the bedroom and mini bath (they are attached) and strip bedding and wash, dry and replace. Wednesday is the kitchen and laundry room (right next to each other) Thursday is the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms. Friday is the upstairs bedrooms (two of them) and do any laundry before the weekend starts.

I am still trying to get into the habit of washing all dishes after supper and "shinign my sink" (another fly lady term. LOL) every night before bed. I swish the toliets every morning too.

Each month, I go through the pantry, freezer and fridge and make a menu and shopping list for the whole month.

I have taken hints and such from everything I have read and made up a schedule that works for me and my family. Some weeks it works beautifully, and others it doesn't because of outside events, errands, etc.

Hope this helps!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

PS I am currently builing my home management binder with my schedule for cleaning, my monthly menu planner, etc.

Edited by gabbie427 on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 04:22

It takes time...

06:11, Monday, May 5, 2008 .. Posted by mamaof2andtwins

I can't tell you what will work for you, but I will tell you that since I began having a laundry day I have never felt "behind" on laundry again. So many women complain and bemoan the laundry mountain. I don't have one. I haven't had one in about 18 months. I do mine on Mondays and I make sure that I am home that day otherwise it won't get done.
Blessings,
Jennie