Thursday, May 6

Homemaking...


A few weeks ago, Mary began posting a three part update on her Cycles of Grace Notebooks. This got me into the mood to revamp my homemaking routines to try to get back on a schedule after doing the bare minimum of cleaning during my first trimester of pregnancy and Lenten Cleaning. During this season of my life where I have little ones, our house isn't ever going to be spotless. However, I have found that if I can keep on top of the laundry, tidy up as we go through the day, and keep the kitchen in basic order, things look pretty good! The good news is that if we have a difficult morning and I can't get everything done, I'll have a second chance in the afternoon or evening or even the next day (as I type this, last night's dinner dishes are in the sink waiting to be washed with this morning's breakfast dishes)!

As far as my weekly cleaning routine goes, cleaning in our house generally means tidying up, dusting, and vacuuming in the living areas and in the bathrooms and kitchen disinfecting counters, sinks, tub/shower, and toilet and washing the floor). I save deeper cleaning and organizing for three or four times a year (Great Lent (March/April), the Apostles Fast (June), Dormition Lent (August), and Nativity (November/December).

I know that many of you are much better homemakers than I am and will laugh at my little lists:) That is okay! I will probably re-write these routines millions of times in my career as a homemaker and each time those routines will fit the situation that our family finds itself in. My main goal is to make our house a comfortable, clean, and happy place that my husband and children want to be in. If you have homemaking lists, I would love to see them!

Daily Homemaking Routines

Morning
  • Breakfast
  • Tidy Kitchen
  • Laundry
  • Tidy Bedrooms and Master Bath
  • Homemaking Project
Afternoon
  • Lunch
  • Tidy Kitchen
  • Laundry
  • Tidy Downstairs
  • Cleaning
Evening

Notes: Each time laundry appears on my list doesn't necessarily mean that I am just washing clothes. Often, in the morning, I will throw in a load, put it into the dryer in the afternoon, and then fold and put it all away in the evening. I try to have all of our laundry put away before bed... otherwise, it gets piled up everywhere and is a truly daunting task as the mound grows!

Weekly Cleaning Routine
  • Monday: Clean Bathrooms and Wash Towels
  • Tuesday: Clean Bedrooms, Upstairs Hallway, Steps and Wash Sheets
  • Wednesday: Clean Living Room, Play Room, and Dining Room
  • Thursday: Clean Kitchen and One Appliance
  • Friday: Clean Office, Entrance, and Laundry Room

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love seeing your lists. Thanks for sharing them.

Pattie - Chicagoland, IL said...

I love your list! You truly inspire me. Many thanks for all that you do.

Beloved's Redheaded Bride said...

Looks like a great plan! Thanks for sharing.

Susan Sophia said...

I love lists and over the last 16 years of being a wife and 13 years of being a mother, my lists change all the time. In fact I've even fluctuated from using a list and not using a list. I've learned I definitely need a list and I love lists. Even if it just has a couple things on it. I also learned that it is good to write things down on the list that I did that wasn't originally on the list. That way I can "see" that I actually have done a LOT of things. Because some days I don't get my list done but I get a lot of other things done and I often go to bed feeling like I didn't do anything.

Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I love how people make things work for them and their situations! Deep cleaning 4 times a year is real dedication. I'm lucky if I get to do it twice a year! :)

My duties are so varied that I really have to know how to prioritize and take advantage of the day, whether it's a rare nice day in April to do yardwork, or a longer naptime for daughter to do a task that would be impossible with her awake, or tackle a long-neglected project when the children are asleep or visiting my parents or out with Daddy. With my good-sized garden, if the tomatoes suddenly ripen all at once, I have to drop everything else and get them harvested and canned.

All that being said, I never found schedules to work for me, though routines seem to work out pretty well. Plenty of flexibility is needed.

And if it weren't for the ants we're trying to get rid of, I'd probably have breakfast dishes with the dinner dishes, too! :b

Maria said...

I won't laugh at you, M. Emily. I'm really impressed that you are making the effort. With two or three little ones to care for, beauty and order can easily fall by the wayside. (At least, that's how it has been for me.) So I'm cheering you on, and trying to work up a little zeal myself.

BJ said...

Emily. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? -- every, every minute?

Stage Manager. No. (pause) The saints and poets, maybe--they do some.

MamaBirdEmma said...

BJ-

What?? I don't get it!!

BJ said...

It's a quote from a favorite play of mine, Our Town. If you haven't seen/read it before you should.

The main character happens to share your name. I don't want to spoil it for you, but it's about appreciating every day life. Something which most of us take for granted, except for the saints and poets, apparently.

I thought it was appropriate because this was a charming entry where you described your everyday life.

Hope you are doing well.

MamaBirdEmma said...

Oh, thanks for explaining, BJ:) I will read it as soon as I can find it. I am doing pretty well! I feel so happy that I can be on bed rest at home rather than the hospital and I feel like we are doing everything we can this time around. Stop by sometime if you want... just call first!

BJ said...

I have a DVD of Our Town that is pretty good, it's only a few years old and has some big name actors. But since it's a play and not a movie it doesn't have the highest production value. It's a recording of the play basically, but a pretty good one.

I also have an old High School text book that has it in. (I wonder how I still have that? Hmmm...) If you want to borrow either just let me know.

I'll be happy to come over sometime and help watch the kids for a couple hours. Any excuse to spend time with you and Fr. John, lol.

Doing services will be difficult without you, but hopefully attendance will be good so we will have plenty of other singers. The day you left early it was just me and the Wilsons. We did well enough though I think.

My college courses started this week, and they look like they will be easy enough, but my financial aid still hasn't been approved yet which is making me nervous.

Well, I'm rambling on, but hopefully it will provide you with a few moments of entertainment. Remember not to get too stressed out. Whenever you feel stressed, just think about Law and Order or something. Not to stress you out, but I heard this will be the last year for the series.

MamaBirdEmma said...

I really hope that you are wrong about Law and Order. I will be sad to loose it... I guess that there are 20 years of re-runs to watch though!

I would love to borrow either (or both) of Our Town. I found part of the play on Google, but haven't started it yet. I loved reading plays in high school and college.

We would all love to see you and your brother. It will be good to hear about your classes too. I hope that the financial aid gets approved... It was always so stressful to deal with all that!

See you soon, I hope!

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