Domestic goddess

Picture taken past times TwinBug Photography at twinbugphotography@yahoo.com

If you lot receive got read my weblog post service "0-2 yr one-time twin must-haves," you lot know how I experience most having a housekeeper. However, things receive got changed for us. We moved from North Carolina to South Carolina (read "PCS to South Carolina") too our fiscal province of affairs has changed (student loans!). We moved away from our housekeeper inwards North Carolina too practice non receive got invention to acquire one-- yet-- hither inwards South Carolina.

My hubby too I receive got had many discussions regarding a housekeeper. While our persuasion on having a housekeeper is remarkably similar, I nevertheless desire to articulatio genus him inwards the... well, you lot know, whenever he says, "We actually don't need a housekeeper. We actually can do it just fine" (my emphasis). Who does the housework some here, if non the housekeeper? That's right! Me! ;)

Our understanding is basically that nosotros desire to permit our finances settle from the move, receive got a lead a opportunity to arrange our identify unit of measurement budget to the novel pay (and the educatee loans that nosotros are going to receive got to start paying on), too encounter how nosotros experience most getting a housekeeper then. Our concluding housekeeper came 1 time every 2 weeks; nosotros powerfulness await into having individual come upwards every 2 or 3 weeks, peradventure fifty-fifty 1 time a month. We'll see.

But to a greater extent than than that has changed: it has gotten easier!

Yes, you lot heard me right: it has gotten easier!!!!!!!

I receive got been waiting too waiting too waiting for signs of it getting easier-- non only to a greater extent than enjoyable, every bit I receive got enjoyed it all-- but easier, where I experience I receive got things nether command too that I'm non only agency behind the game or playing eternal catch-up. Strangely, going from tidying a three-bedroom two-bathroom trouble solid for our housekeeper every 2 weeks to cleaning a four-bedroom 2.5-bathroom trouble solid has been the affair to demo me that it has, indeed, gotten easier.

I felt extremely behind taking attention of our homes inwards North Carolina. I felt I was e'er behind inwards laundry too e'er behind inwards housecleaning. I felt our kitchen got the best of me every black too that dinner was an absolute chore. The housekeeper was much needed. She saved my sanity too gave dorsum some of that fourth dimension to my kids. My trouble solid may receive got been messy amongst toys, but it was clean! I felt similar I had to a greater extent than fourth dimension for dinner (though I nevertheless had a difficult fourth dimension making that hap amongst the kids at my feet...) too I could acquire other things done, similar laundry or getting out of the house. My to-do listing was that much shorter.

Here inwards South Carolina our trouble solid is much bigger. I would receive got idea that a bigger trouble solid would locomote to a greater extent than stressful to clean. When nosotros origin moved in, I said, "I don't know how I'm going to practice this!" And too then it all brutal together. I unpacked our dry-erase calendar (Board Dudes Magnetic Dry-Erase Calendar Tile) too seat together a cleaning schedule. Each solar daytime I practice a actually pocket-size chore too only rest on overstep of the other materials (laundry, dishes, getting the kids to seat away their toys, hubby too I seat away our things when done amongst them)-- actually basic things.

Honestly, I intend it is easier forthwith because the toddlers are coming upwards on 2 too a one-half years one-time too our oldest is 5 years old. They head better. They play together better. They receive got to a greater extent than imaginative games too similar to force cars or play pretend instead of banging blocks together too stealing toys from their large brother. I tin acquire them all doing an activeness too mop the floors or receive got them flexure a charge of launder rags from the laundry piece I build clean the kitchen. If they don't deport or don't receive got their "listening ears on," every bit I similar to say, too then they are sent to their room. If they were being completely naughty, they are sent to their bed too cannot acquire off of it. If they were only misbehaving in a pocket-size way, they tin quietly play inwards their room too tin come upwards out when they are cook to participate.

Now that our twins are almost 2 too a half, nosotros receive got outlawed whining. We don't accept it. No whining next along after me. No whining for more. No whining at your brother. No whining for a toy or because you're bored or because you lot don't know the word. They tin tell "please" or "help, please" or "Momma help, please" or any news they tin intend of instead of whining. I desire to hear, "More milk, please" or "No, give cheers you" or "Foot hurt" or "Cup empty" or "Hungry." Whatever it is, I don't desire to hear: "Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom....."

And nosotros are enforcing this. It has been an uphill battle, but nosotros are fighting it. It is worth it. I dear when I say, "No whining, sir. You demand to role words," too he says, "Cup empty." I dear when I shipping them to their room for whining too say, "You tin come upwards out when you lot are cook to halt whining too role words," too he marches his picayune self out 5 minutes afterwards amongst a large smiling on his face, cook to role words. Those pocket-size victories are progress. They brand upwards for the times that nosotros seat a toddler inwards his room over too over for whining or when nosotros are putting 2 toddlers inwards their room over too over over again for whining-- long, endless afternoons.

Between the enforcement of our novel no-whining dominion too their powerfulness to play, housecleaning is much less of a chore. I tin tell the boys that I demand 10 minutes to destination a task, similar sweeping the floors, or cleaning the bathtub. Not proverb it e'er goes perfect, but it is easier.

Here is my invention for cleaning our house:

The overall goal of this method is to build clean a picayune flake each day. The substitution regulation is to pick upwards every bit you lot go. Don't relieve the mess for a different solar daytime or acquire to it later. If you lot are inwards the kitchen too a dirty glass is inwards the sink, seat it inwards the dishwasher. If you walk through the identify unit of measurement room too a toy machine is adjacent to the couch, drop it over the babe gate past times the playroom. Be the change.

Outside of that, I follow these 5 simple steps everyday:

1. Clean the kitchen too tabular array everyday
2. Sweep the kitchen every bit needed, most probable everyday
3. Do the dishes correct away-- don't locomote out them for later!
4. Tidy playroom everyday-- receive got the boys assist build clean upwards their mess
5. Tidy the living spaces

Right forthwith the toddlers are making a much bigger mess than our five-year one-time is, so we're actually feeling it isn't fair for him to receive got to practice the mass of the picking upwards past times himself. We assist them all alternative upwards the playroom every black and, if it is actually messy, earlier afternoon nap. Our five-year one-time is awesome at picking it up. Our two-year olds are getting amend too better; they nevertheless demand to locomote directed to pocket-size tasks, "Clean upwards the trains," instead of "Clean upwards the playroom," but they consummate each of the tasks inwards a timely manner. (Consistency, consistency, consistency.)

For the actual housecleaning, it industrial plant best if you lot start amongst a totally build clean house, overstep to bottom. From there, you lot suspension upwards all the large tasks. I receive got mine broken downward to a 2-week rotation, starting over over again after completing calendar week 2.

MONDAY
Week 1 too 2 (same):
Laundry
Floors: sweep too mop, vacuum

 

TUESDAY
Laundry
Week 1:

Bathrooms: toilets, sinks, mirrors, quick build clean of showers/tubs
Week 2:
Bathrooms: toilets, sinks, mirrors, thorough build clean of showers/tubs

WEDNESDAY
Week 1 too 2 (same):
Laundry
Wash towels: kitchen towels, bath towels

THURSDAY
Week 1 too 2 (same):
Laundry
Floors: sweep too mop

FRIDAY
Week 1:
Wash bedding: main and children's
Week 2:
Wash bedding: main too invitee (if used)

SATURDAY
Week 1:
Dust too 10-minute clean
Week 2:
Pantry too fridge, 10-minute clean

SUNDAY
Meal invention for the week

 

There are, of course, other things that demand to hap when housecleaning, similar cleaning the walls or the floorboards. Things that hap 1 time a calendar month or 1 time every twain months, I practice on an as-needed basis. I volition tackle those tasks, but it volition in all probability locomote on a random solar daytime when the boys are napping too I don't receive got anywhere to be. I am non scheduling the floorboards! (I abhor doing them.)

 

With all of the scheduling that I receive got done since our twins were born-- await dorsum on my origin weblog posts-- I receive got learned that over scheduling tin locomote every bit large of a detriment every bit non scheduling. Your day starts feeling trapped or played through earlier you've fifty-fifty gotten out of bed. Once the boys reached toddlerhood, nosotros threw out our structured schedule (save for bedtime, which is promptly at 8:00 pm), too started letting things naturally happen. Don't acquire me wrong, nosotros 100% experience that schedule was much needed too nosotros would practice it the same agency all over over again (read my weblog post service "Light at the destination of the schedule"). I'm a scheduler too a planner and, every bit latterly pointed out to me, an over-thinker. I similar to know what I'm getting done each done each solar daytime too I similar to invention it out. Scheduling, to some level, is only how I roll. So piece I receive got the household chores broken downward past times what I'm doing each day, I receive got non scheduled when I'm doing them. Sometimes I practice them every bit the boys are eating breakfast too contained inwards highchairs (like the bathrooms). Sometimes I practice them during naptime (like mopping or moving laundry).

 

And some things only don't e'er hap according to plan. To quote Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, "I similar to intend of them to a greater extent than as...guidelines." Today I cleaned the trouble solid from overstep to bottom. One calendar week I did 2 days' worth of tasks every other solar daytime to accept the middle solar daytime off. Whatever works. Doing laundry Mon through Th amongst Fri through Lord's Day off is to a greater extent than of a goal. My mom told me that it never worked for her to accept weekends off when nosotros all were immature too it hasn't worked for me yet either. Our washer too dryer hum away amongst at to the lowest degree 1 charge 7 days a week. Maybe I'll acquire downward to Mon through Thursday-- wishful thinking, I'm sure.

Sunday's I accept off from housecleaning to relax amongst my identify unit of measurement too practice our repast planning for the week. I demand to practice a whole weblog post service on repast planning-- which I will. What I volition tell most repast planning is that it makes dinnertime a whole lot easier each night. Dinner doesn't receive got to locomote fancy. Dinner only has to locomote nummy too nutritious, wholesome, reminiscent of home... your home. Tonight nosotros had leftovers too supplemented those leftovers amongst a Kashi Steam Meal. Everyone was happy! We used upwards our leftovers too it was slow for me to make, summation the kids loved it. The repast planning is some other agency that I accept the stress out of my day. I don't receive got the oh-crap-what's-for-dinner inquiry looming over me everyday at 2 o'clock inwards the afternoon.

 

When my mom latterly came to catch too she saw my schedule posted inwards a higher identify my washer too dryer inwards my laundry room, she said I was a domestic goddess. So I'm running amongst it. If I was going to locomote a goddess, I intend I would much rather locomote a goddess of dear or victory, but I'll accept what I tin get. :)

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