Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Actually, she was the daughter of a minister who moved around and set up new churches and then a military wife--I was the military brat and had the joy of moving and never learning how to spring clean until the last few years :P

Is The Excellent Wife the book? :shrug Does she have some program that goes with it? I do not like that book at all. Is Motivated Moms similar doctrinally? I've gotten a lot out of flylady but right now I don't want all the emails so I'm not getting any daily encouragement.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Yes, The Excellent Wife is a book by Martha Peace & a Bible Study. I don't agree w/ everything the book reads, but it's been helpful in a lot of areas w/ my relationship w/ dh. :D

Motivated Moms has daily reminders w/ emails or you can purchase a schedule OL that downloads & you print it out. It just has a daily list of things that's recommended you do around the house (i.e. make beds, sweep kitchen, etc.) & then diff't things for you to do daily each week (i.e. on Sundays you clip coupons & change bath/kitchen hand towels). I find it helpful b/c I need more of a schedule of things to keep me on track :D

Tina

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I'll have to check out the Motivated Moms site. Thanks :)

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Here's the yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MotivatedMom/

Its free and announcement-only. They send out the exact same thing that's in the ebook...

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

gracieannsmom
Hi most people think that I was a child in a military family because of all the moves but I was a wife of a military man. :tu
My daddy was a preacher that was raised in the circus, The wonderlust was in him from moving so much in the circus as a child, and he would just get a whim to move on one day and we would be packing the next. It was a big adventure to me :smile. God used him to minister to small hurting churches that had people that loved the pastor that just left, He would get their focus on God so they could keep going no matter who their preacher was. He did this while still having a lot of fun with the people and they loved him also but their priority was in the right place. :amen
I guess there are more ways that housekeeping to clean up :giggle
Karmen

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

deleted

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I have to be another Motivated Moms seconder. I was trying to follow FlyLady but while my daily routines were happening I just never got around to doing Zone work. With the Motivated Moms thing I still do "routines" (which gets all the daily chores done anyway) and then when I can I try and get to the tasks which are usually pretty easy. Also, it's a bit more relaxed in terms of how much "cleaning" you do. I like it. I also like having only ONE page to look at each week rather than the many many pages with FlyLady. I guess I've "morphed" FlyLady and Motivated Moms. It's working well....but lets see how I go when I add a baby to the equation! :) Lol.... :giggle

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Motivated mom here too. :heart

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Oh jeeze. Hey Jenn! Our routines are the same. Only im very fond of a clean kitchen but DH's idea of clean is if the dishes are actually done. :giggle I need a routine just to keep me going though! :shifty

I AM A FLYLADY KIND OF GAL
 

HERE ARE MY DAILY "MUST DO'S":

Morning
* Start a load of laundry
* Have everything for dinner?
* Reboot laundry?
* Empty dishwasher

Naptime
* Clean up kitchen
* Start dinner?
* HOT SPOTS!
* Zone work

Evening
* Shine the sink
* Corral toys!
* Clean up kitchen
* Start dishwasher
* HOT SPOTS!
* Zone work

HERE IS MY WEEKLY SCHEDULE. I DON'T USUALLY GET EVERYTHING DONE EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT SINCE THIS IS A WEEKLY SCHEDULE IT'S OKAY, THE HOUSE DOESN'T EVER SEEM DIRTY WHEN I'M CONSISTENT:

Monday
□ Mop entrance floor
□ Feather dust the whole house
□ Sweep front porch
□ Clean & polish dining room table
□ Vacuum upstairs
□ Refill bird feeders
□ Sweep & mop kitchen floor
□ Clean inside microwave

Tuesday
□ Clean children’s bathroom toilet & floor
□ Clean children’s bathroom sink, counter, mirror
□ Straighten children’s clothing
□ Vacuum main floor

Wednesday
□ Clean laundry room toilet
□ Clean laundry room sink, counter, mirror
□ Clean & polish dining room table
□ Vacuum downstairs (also on Saturday)
□ Sweep & mop kitchen floor

Thursday
□ Refill bottles, containers, & shelves
□ Plan menu for next week
□ Finalize grocery list (check veggies in fridge)
□ Clean & polish windowsills
□ Vacuum upstairs
□ Pay bills
□ Quicken (including debit transaction receipts)
□ Correspondence & cards
□ Cull/toss magazines & catalogs

Friday
□ Clean master bathroom toilet & floor
□ Clean master bathroom sinks, counter, mirror
□ Clean out refrigerator (one shelf a week)
□ Vacuum main floor
□ Change linens in all bathrooms
□ Sweep & mop kitchen floor
□ Clean & polish dining room table

I ALSO HAVE MY MONTHLY FLYLADY ZONE TASKS, BUT THEY WOULD MAKE THIS POST WAAAAAAAAY TOO LONG!!! I DON'T MAKE ZONE WORK A BIG PRIORITY BECAUSE I HAVE THREE PRECIOUS CHILDREN TO MOTHER, AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME & EFFORT!

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I love having a clean house and get a strange thrill from making schedules :O, but have recently accepted the fact that I'm horrible at *following* them when they get too detailed. We do try to have a general flow to our day, but it's a flexible flow! ;)

I clean a room or two per day, straighten up/clean for 30 minutes in the morning and 20 in the evening. Dh cleans the kitchen so this is enough to keep everything liveable.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Isn't it funny. It's like making a 'straw man' to rebel against. 'I know I said to vacuum on Monday, but who cares what I say, I'm going to vacuum on Tuesday and dare myself to say anything about it'

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

:lol I haven't thought about it this way before, but I think you may be right!

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

This may have already been shared, but check out www.flylady.com
A wonderful, supportive way to organize your cleaning, and house, I am a new flybaby too, but its been great so far!!

Karen, Mommy to 2 CUTE bugs!!!

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Great ideas....I am really struggling at keeping the house tidy.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I realise this is a very old subject but I wanted to add one more idea. A Plan of Attack (or APOA) is a group on Yahoo groups that helps you to set up your own chore listing. The group is actually a 3 week course that takes you step by step thru creating your own plan. I copied FlyLady's idea a little in that I sort my chores by Zone (area of house) but some others sorted theirs by type of job eg windows, washing, floors, etc.

There is an ongoing support group for after you have made your own POA and I found some great ideas there on how to put together a schedule that suited me.

Good luck,
Jennifer in Tasmania, Australia

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Thanks for the additional resource and welcome aboard Mama-to-3

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Just reading through. Having company this week-end and cleaning up is getting to me... :hissyfit

I did need to read that poem today...I know my house doesn't have to be perfect, but there is a part of me that feels guilty that I can't seem to keep it really clean anymore, even though I KNOW that having my dc and dh help is good for us all, and that clean enough is fine.

It's interesting to see all the different schedules and what works for different people. Thanks!

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

AM
- swipe bathroom (after shower)
- think about meals for day
- start, switch, fold and put away laundry throughout the day

PM
after dinner:
- kitchen (load dishes, clear and wipe counters, empty trash, sweep/mop floor)
- ready for tomorrow (check calendar, lay out clothes, pack lunch/snacks, etc.)
before bed:
- straighten up (collect laundry, dishes, shoes, trash, toys, sweep & spray, empty d/w)
- swipe powder room

Monday
- scrub bathrooms
- one chore, as needed (woodwork, windows, appliances, light fixtures/fans, etc.)

Friday
- banking and bills
- car wash
- gas station
- milk store

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Thank you all for sharing your schedules! My life is much more manageable as a result of using some of your schedules to make a template, and revising it to meet my needs. I have been feeling completely overwhelmed, like a cartoon character who is constantly running down the hallway that keeps getting longer and longer, and now I have a sense of accomplishment or am just able to stop when I can look at my schedule and know that I've done at least some of what was on for that day. Thanks!! :highfive

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Edited again to reflect a change in my schedule:

My Weekly Plan

(Taking care of, playing with, teaching and feeding dc are all considered a given in my list.)

Sunday:
Church
To Do List
Baths, stories, lights out
Me time

Monday:
Laundry
To Do List
Get ready for work the next day
Baths, stories, lights out
Me time

Tuesday:
Work
Get ready for work the next day
Baths, stories, lights out

Wednesday:
Work
Get ready for work the next day
Baths, stories, lights out

Thursday:
Work
Baths, stories, lights out
Me time

Friday:
To Do List
Clean the house
Laundry
Stories, lights out
Me time

Saturday:
To Do List
Stories, lights out
Me time

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I'm trying the "Sidetracked Home Executive" system. Has anyone else?

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

My routine isn't really a routine as much as a daily maintenance.Have a 2 year old and 3 month old twins makes cleaning quite difficult. :lol: I do what I call my morning and evening sweeps..

Get up, make bed
Get DS's up, they make their bed and get dressed
Eat breakfast
DS #1 goes to school
Feed babies, put down for tummy time
Go through all the rooms gathering what doesn't belong and putting it back, wash morning dishes, start a load of laundry and vacuum if needed.
I'm usually done with this by 10 or so, then I feel free to play with the twins/DS #2

We have lunch and I wash dishes up
Then it's story time and naptime

DS#1 comes home from school
We talk about our days and review any school things/do homework
We make dinner and eat
We do dishes and put them away
DS's play
Bathtime
Bible/bedtime

Then, I make another sweep just like I do in the morning. My house isn't perfect, but it's presentable and de-cluttered. And, with as much as I have going on right now, I'm happy with it. :)

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I do housework in 15 minute chunks, not only because being a SAHW and taking care of my nephew I have active rheumatoid arthritis. Keeps me from over doing it.

Like I'll empty the dishwasher, load it again, & wash any big dishes(AKA pots, pans, mixing bowls)

I'll do something else and come back and clean off the counters, table and sinks, collect trash.

Take a break to message board, then I'll clean the bathroom.

Cleaning the kitchen and dishes happens 2-3 times a day, normally I only load the dishwasher after dinner or on bread making day I do two loads.

Bathroom gets done once a week and touched up when needed. Dusting gets done once a week as well as mopping floors.

Vacuming gets done 3-4 days a week because I have two asthmatics.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

:blushI am not a great house keeper. However, when I feel the need to take action and reaaly get it under control I like Fly Lady. You even get e-mail reminders. Otherwise, we have a GI party (as in GI Joe) once a week for 1/2 the house at a time.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I love that system and that book.
I haven't used it in a long time but it really worked for me when I did.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I haven't read all the replies, so I don't know if this has been mentioned yet or not.

I use the schedule from Motivated Moms - http://www.motivatedmoms.com/ It's awesome, and you can buy it and then download it from their website. You can also choose to get one that includes a daily Bible reading plan.

I don't do it perfectly, but it helps keep me more on track.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I haven't read all the replies, so I don't know if this has been mentioned yet or not.

I use the schedule from Motivated Moms - http://www.motivatedmoms.com/ It's awesome, and you can buy it and then download it from their website. You can also choose to get one that includes a daily Bible reading plan.

I don't do it perfectly, but it helps keep me more on track.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

:popcorn Keeping a Schedule to list down what should be made priority for each day seems to be the best way to do things by setting a goal before you as something to reach or aim toward.

Blessings,

Dee

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these posts about how we 'do it all' (or not sometimes! :P~) Simple, Daily Maintenance is the key to never having to do a "project" to get a clean room in your house.

Here's my main idea for housekeeping; I keep it on an index card on the fridge, right at eye level so I always see it...

Monday
* Thorough vacuum of the downstairs
* Laundry (2 loads + sheets + towels)

Tuesday
* Finish sheets/towels (if needed)
* Clean one of the two upstairs baths (while kids play after their bath; These bathrooms are little-used, so I alternate weeks)

Wednesday
* Quick vacuum (high-traffic areas)
* Sweep kitchen & powder room

Thursday
* Meal plan & make grocery list
* Dust downstairs
* Clean powder room

Friday
* Laundry (3 loads + rugs from kitchen/baths)
* Quick vacuum (high-traffic areas) in evening

Weekend
* All shopping done first-thing on Saturday morning w/ DH & children (I mean early, we leave around 7:30am - there are so few people in the stores - it's a great time to shop! No lines at the check-out & you'll get personal attention when you need help)
* Mop kitchen & powder room floor (while DH keeps children occupied!)
* Once a month, I dust & vacuum upstairs (we're only up there to sleep so it doesn't get very dirty at all)
* NOTE: I used to try to do all my big cleaning (floors, bathrooms, etc) on the weekend, but I never got to it b/c I wanted to spend time with my family, so I've decided to spread it out easily throughout the week and now it's done and I can still have our time together.


My Daily Tidy Routine - I especially love doing a "Reset" at the end of the day
* Morning: empty dishwasher while oatmeal cooks
* Quickly hand-wash any dishes that didn't get in the dishwasher the previous night (like large pans, which were WELL-RINSED the night before)
* Throughout the day, as soon as a meal/snack/baking is done, the dishes go into the dishwasher, keeping the counters clear
* Pick up toys when the kids are eating snacks/meals (mine are too young to really "help" much, but when they're older, THEY will pick up at these times also)
* At naptime, I sit relax & enjoy my tidy living room!
* Also, throughout the day, anything that needs to go upstairs is put in the basket we have next to the stairs & I take it up with us at bathtime and I immediately put the items wherever they belong.
* At bathtime, I get each room ready for bed - putting toys away, fluffing pillows, pulling back sheets (note: I never make our beds b/c the kids nap in them mid-day, so it's pretty useless at this point, but again, when they're older this WILL be done)
* "THE RESET": When DH takes Lucas to bed, I pick up & put away their toys as well as make sure all dinner dishes are in the dishwasher or rinsed & on the counter for the morning hand-wash; run the dishwasher. Also, make sure DH's lunch is ready to go for the morning.I go to bed with a clean house & when I come down in the morning I'm not depressed by all the work I already have to do from the previous day.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

What I can handle as far as routine is pretty basic but it makes me feel good when I know if it's not bathroom day, I don't have to clean the bathroom etc.
Monday-Wednesday-Friday - Laundry +weekends if it is excessive
Tuesday - Bathrooms
Thursday - Floors
Those are the main ones for me but every morning we do family clean up where we get the general tidy done and I do the extras like dusting only when I'm having important company :O

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Clean (shovel?) for one hour after my morning workout. Then mad scramble when DH calls on his way home - gives me a 30-minute window - to get things appearing tidy. I really need to do something more comprehensive, as kiddo #3 is on his/her way... Inspire me, ladies!

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

This thread is exacly wha I need! We just moved into our new house and I'm terrified that it is going to get our of control. We couldn't even manage to keep our apartment clean half the time. :shifty

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I completely plagarized KatieMae :O and used her schedule as a template and added my own things to it. I hope that's okay! I loved how you had it set up. :heart

Anyway, here is my schedule and I'm loving it!

Monday
* Vacuum downstairs
* Laundry (2 loads + sheets + towels)
* Make beds with clean sheets
* Put out new towels

Tuesday
* Clean upstairs baths
* Laundry (2 loads)

Wednesday
* Laundry (2 loads)
* Sweep kitchen & powder room
*Vacuum upstairs

Thursday
* Laundry (2 loads)
* Clean powder room

Friday
* Meal plan & make grocery list
* Laundry (2 loads + bath rug and pillows)
* Vacuum upstairs


Weekend
* All shopping done first-thing on Saturday morning
* Mop kitchen & powder room floor


My Daily Tidy Routine - I especially love doing a "Reset" at the end of the day
* Boys responsible for their chores morning and afternoon
* Quickly hand-wash any dishes that didn't get in the dishwasher the previous night (like large pans, which were WELL-RINSED the night before)
* Throughout the day, as soon as a meal/snack/baking is done, the dishes go into the dishwasher, keeping the counters clear
*Make A’s lunch for next day; check that papers are signed and ready for school
* "THE RESET": I make sure all dinner dishes are in the dishwasher or rinsed & on the counter for the morning hand-wash; run the dishwasher. Any stray toys are put away at this time also. Montessori area is straightened.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I actually am writing up a formal schedule because I am starting 15 hours at the university , have 2 kids, and want to keep my life straight! But I agree with this, often, While brushing my teeth I will wipe the sink, if the kids are in the bath I will clean the toilet, etc... If I am on the phone I will do spare dishes....But like I said, I am going to have to tighten up a bit, instead of having whole days to do things, i will need to be more deliberate, which is why I clicked on this thread!
Anyone BTDT with full time school with 2 small ones? I am open to tips! VERY OPEN.
-AnitaJoye

Home-keeping Schedules
 

Yep, me too......

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Everyday chores

Pick up living room
Pick up TV room
Load dishwasher
Unload dishwasher
Feed and water the cat
Take out trash

Weekly chores

Monday
Vacuum upstairs
Take out ALL trash
Feed fish – change water

Tuesday
Laundry
Clean out cat box

Wednesday
Clean bathrooms
Change sheets (1/3 week)
Sweep downstairs (2/4 week)
Water plants

Thursday
Clean playroom
Wash sheets/towels/diapers

Friday
Sweep kitchen
Wipe down kitchen cabinets
Clean out fridge


This is my lastest version...........I made a whole chore system, with cards and pockets and tons of stuff I plan to us when I have more / older kids. right now I am just in maintence mode though as I am in my 1st trimester and my husband is working 60+ hours a week. It is a season though, right? :)

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Since I haven't posted since March...

We've sort of fallen into this routine where I do clean every day but I also don't schedule my cleaning for each day before the beginning of the week. I've begun to use my Sunday evenings to sit down and write out my homeschooling goals for the week as well as my housecleaning goals depending on what really needs done. So it could look like this:

Monday:
Clean off fridge and microwave
Clean bathroom

Tuesday:
Kitchen floors
Vacuum kid's rooms

It's a very ecclectic list but I'm quite an ecclectic person so it helps me to be organized while allowing creativity to bloom. :lol The next week could be completely different. The basics like washing dishes, laundry, and vacuuming downstairs happen during our morning rhythm before and after homeschooling times. The kids are always in and out helping me...they love to help vacuum and clean the bathroom especially. I try to get things done in the morning after breakfast so it's over with and that feels good for the rest of the day. :rockon I am such a pile person...like my great grandparents...but I think some creative bookish mess isn't a bad thing...I try to tackle one at a time and go through piles while watching TV in the evenings. I remember Elizabeth George saying that it's good to be busy in front of the TV...whether it is doing your nails or cleaning a drawer and I have found this helpful.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

I'm doing the Motivated Moms thing, but I had to rework the daily chores. Mine are now labelled Daily Blessings, and this is what I do daily, starting as soon as people are up and moving about in the morning, stopping only as other things need my attention (or I feel like sitting down).

Brush baby teeth (x2)
Read to children
Enjoy floor time with children
Give and take vitamins (x2)
Change over dishwasher
Clean kitchen sink
Clear and wipe kitchen counters
Sweep kitchen
Empty trash
Wipe out bathroom sink
Check cat bowls
Make bed (usually only after nap)
Do laundry
Exercise (supposedly)
Prepare dinner (I ought to add one for breakfast, lunch, and snack, because I have forgotten those before.)
Read Scripture (doing a 365 thing right now)
Lay out tomorrow's clothing (at least for the children, when I need the car the next day and have to drive Josh in to work, or we won't make it.)

Doing all of this everyday means that on Saturday and Sunday, I do just about nothing. And Josh was able to invite somebody over, without us having any panic, hiding stuff behind closed doors, or yelling at each other. There's more stuff to be done everyday, and it's planned out in the MM schedule so that I just do a handful of other things each day, and keep a decluttered, functional home. Clearly, my children are small and not doing any homeschooling yet.

I like this MM plan, because then I don't spend all day wandering around trying to remember what I've already done, what I'm in the middle of doing, what I meant to do, and whether or not something is important or dirty enough to need doing. I was always remembering things too late, forgetting too many important things, and wasting time on stuff that didn't need doing.

Re: Home-keeping Schedules
 

Here's what we normally do...

All kids before breakfast:
Make beds
Fold and put away jammies
(Get dressed)

8yo and 6yo after breakfast:
Feed pets
Personal grooming w/younger "bathroom buddy"
Fold and put away one basketful of laundry each
Breakfast cleanup (whoever's not on supper cleanup)
Do chore for that day (things like empty/take out trash; straighten bookshelves; clean out under bed; scrub bathroom sink; dust living room)

The kids are also expected to keep their rooms and play areas straightened throughout the day. "If you get it out, put it back."

2yo and 4yo after breakfast:
Empty dishwasher (I keep all plates and bowls and silverware in lower cupboards so the kids can easily reach them.)
Personal grooming with older "bathroom buddy"
Fold laundry
Later in the day, these two help me set the table for supper.

My chores:
Monday: Scrub kitchen thoroughly; vacuum porch and living room carpets; clean glass doors
Tuesday: Clean upstairs bathrooms; vacuum kids' bedrooms
Wednesday: Straighten basement family room and play area; clean basement bathroom; clean master bedroom
Thursday: Wet mop floors; vacuum porch and living room carpets; dust
Friday: Straighten decks, carport, yard; vacuum kids' bedrooms

Of course, in addition to the above chores, I'm doing the "unwritten chores," like keeping the laundry going, controlling clutter, dry mopping the floor, returning phone calls and emails, wiping countertops, filling the dishwasher, cooking meals, etc. It's true that a woman's work is never done! :yes Thanks to the book Managers of Their Homes by Teri Maxwell, I've been able to keep up with all of this plus homeschooling and daily exercise. (I'm not nearly as rigidly scheduled as she is, but her book really did help me get into gear in the homekeeping area!)