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Hello everyone! How is your organization lately? Are you feeling overwhelmed or stressed? Or do you feel like you have everything under control?
I have to be honest here, before starting this series and reading/following the book Organize Now!, I did feel stressed out! I felt that my house always looked good and clean and the outside but I felt that insides (the cabinets, closets, drawers, etc.) were a total mess! This weighed me down and was embarrassing to me!
I think I really changed after the first month on this series because it was all about organizing your mind and schedule. I hadn’t really thought about organizing my mind before. It makes sense, doesn’t it?!? I had a LOT to think about! I am a busy momma of three kids now 6 and under. I do all the housework myself and my husband works way too many hours. I have a blog and I own my business. I also try to cook healthy meals, take the kids outside daily, read to them, take a shower and wear make-up, exercise, read, decorate, stay in touch with family and friends, etc. Just thinking about it is a little crazy, lol! That is why organizing my schedule is vital for us to stay on track!
I wanted to do a big post on organizing my summer schedule for you all (I have been getting requests) and I still want to but I am a little busy living it, lol! But I will give a quickie here…
SUMMER SCHEDULE
This is just a sample of our day…
7/8 am- wake up and eat breakfast, get dresses, clean-up kitchen, talk and enjoy the morning together!
9 am- gymnastics (they go 2x a week) or bike ride as a family
10am- this and next week we have swimming lessons but we also like the splash park, petting zoo, etc.
11am- play time/activity/ pick-up house a bit
12 noon- lunch (at home or picnic)
1-4 pm- baby takes a nap (ok, he is not really a baby anymore – he’s 2 1/2) but he needs a daily nap. The other kids will play outside or do a workbook at this time. I will get some house stuff done- cleaning, laundry, organizing or Shaklee emails, phone calls or blog posts. I also like to go outside with the kids too so I hurry up with all my stuff!
4 pm pm- I will start dinner. The kids like to help. If dinner is easy or it’s a leftover day. We will all play outside.
5/6 pm- We eat dinner. We eat as a family every night. (My husband may or may not join us) We works late a lot.
6/7 pm- play outside again but now with daddy too and then we pick-up all the toys in the house. Then we do a game, baths, get ready for bed and I read to the kids! We all climb into one bed and I read to all of them at one time. I will read different level of books so they are interested. I will also have my oldest daughter read aloud to us too.
8 pm- Prayers and bed. We extended their bedtime to 8 pm over the summer.
9 pm- mom and dad time! We really enjoy our time together!
10/11 pm Bed!
Now this is just a regular day at home. We will change our schedule if we have an event going on or if we take a little field trip.
Here are some other tricks/tips that help me:
I have a mamma’s helper once a week so I can catch-up on emails, posts, phone calls or whatever else I need.
I get my house “guest ready” once a week so I stay on top of everything.
I use lists to let me know what I need to do.
I do 2 loads of laundry a day.
I try to organize one thing a week and I keep up with the things that I already organized.
I will have the whole house picked-up once a day so things don’t get out of control.
I read emails, blogs and facebook on my iphone instead of the computer. (that saves me time)
I try to keep my emails under one page.
I don’t stress out about the little things. (this is hard for me but I just ask myself, what is REALLY important?)
I use a star chart to reward the kids for their good behavior.
I don’t put all my throw pillows on my bed (unless someone is coming over).
We also try to have a date night once a week to catch-up and make time for each other.
I am sure there is more but that is all I can think about now.
If you missed any post about my series so far, here you go!
To order the book that I am talking about, click on the link below…
Also, I will probably not post an organizing post next week because my Mother-in-Law will be coming tomorrow and staying for the week. We don’t get to see her a lot so we will by busy spending time with her!
I hope that you are enjoying your summer!!!
How is organizing going? Do you feel stressed or under control?
What is your summer schedule like?
What tips do you have to help your summer schedule?
I hope you all linked up your Organize Cleaning Schedule already to my Organize your Life Party! I LOVE reading about cleaning schedules! :) It is so motivating, isn’t it?
Today, I want to introduce you to a sweet blogger!
Her name is Cara from The Picky Apple. She is the wife to The Picky Apple and Mama to a spirited three year old. She is a lover of cooking and baking, an avid reader, an arts and crafts enthusiast and a planner and list maker.
Since we are talking about cleaning this week, I thought I would show you this really neat post that Cara wrote on cleaning her bathroom in 11 minutes!
This post could also be titled how to clean TWO bathrooms in 22 minutes or less, because that’s actually what I did.
If you’ve checked out my Cleaning Calendar, you’ll see that every Wednesday it says “Clean Bathrooms”. And every Wednesday, I cringe when I see that. Cleaning bathrooms (particularly toilets) is pretty low on my list of desirable cleaning tasks.
This week, I saw that I only had 25 minutes before it was time to leave the house and instead of reading blogs for 25 minutes, I decided to see how much of the bathrooms I could get cleaned.
Here’s what I accomplished:
Sprayed and wiped the mirrors
Disinfected the counters and sinks
Scrubbed hard water stains on sinks and faucets
Disinfected the toilet lids and seats
Scrubbed toilets
Swept the floor
Steam mopped the floor
In TWO bathrooms!
I was amazed at how much I was able to accomplish in such a short time! You’ll note that the bathtub and shower didn’t get cleaned, but for a quick, weekly clean, this was very encouraging! And I’ll share more about the products I use for cleaning sometime soon, but after reading Bonnie from House of Grace rave about Shaklee, I gave some of their products a try. They ROCK! I have some new favorite cleaning products!
Here’s a breakdown of how I did it all, and what I used for each task:
1. Clean mirrors: I used Shaklee Basic H2 in a spray bottle and a cloth (Room Essentials brand from Target, purchase in packs of 5 or 6) Time Spent: 1 minute
2. Disinfected counters and sinks: First moved everything (toothbrushes, hand soap dispensers, pictures) off of the counter. Sprayed the counter and sinks with Shaklee Basic G, then wiped counters first, then sinks, all with the same cloth used for the mirror. Time Spent: 2 minutes
3. Hard water stains on sinks and faucets: Time for the detail work! I used a scrubbing brush and Shaklee’s Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste to scrub the water stains. Time Spent: 2 minutes (2 sinks)
4. Disinfected the toilet lid and seat: Start at the top and work your way down. I used the same cloth I used for the mirrors and the counters, along with Shaklee Basic G. I sprayed and wiped the lid (top then bottom), then did the same for the seat. Total Time: 1 minute
6. Sweep: I swept using a basic old broom and dustpan (am I the only one who still uses a broom?!). Time Spent: 2 minutes
7. Mop: I use a steam mop, which is great for a quick clean! Time Spent: 2 minutes
Total Time: 11 Minutes (per bathroom)
Disclosure: I have not been compensated for endorsing any of the products mentioned in this post, and all opinions are my own. These are just some products I’ve been using lately that work for me!
Cara is very organized so I also thought you would enjoy THIS POST about her cleaning schedule too.
Dailies
Remember my list of Dailies? Those are the things I need to clean each and every day. Well, I’ve revisited that list and simplified it a bit. Here are my current dailies:
Dishes
Spot Sweep
Make beds
Clutter Control
Laundry
Wipe surfaces
I’m more or less staying on top of these. I’m particularly proud of how clean I’ve been keeping the kitchen on a daily basis. I know most or many people already do this, but it was something I struggled with!
Weekly
My Weekly routines include the things that are done once or twice a week:
Menu Planning
Grocery shopping
Change sheet and towels
Vacuum (2x a week)
Sweep
Mop
Dust (2x a week)
Clean bathrooms
Clean kitchen
Throw out old stuff
Instead of trying to do all of these on one day, I’ve spread this list out over my week in a way that works best for my schedule.
You’ll note that I’m vacuuming and dusting twice a week now, due to my severe dust mite allergy. (I probably should be doing this daily or every other day, but that just isn’t going to happen…not yet anyway!) I just ordered a new vacuum (highly ranked by Consumer Reports), and I’m looking forward to using it!
The Picky Apple asked why I included Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping on my list of cleaning tasks. Well, I feel like those are a vital part of household maintenance (and yes, I realize this argument could be made for other things as well, like bill paying and budgeting), and they take up a big chunk of time on the days I do them.
Zones, Deep Cleaning and Decluttering
Lastly are the Zones for deep cleaning. A concept used by FlyLady and others, but I’ve adapted this to suit my needs and my home. My zones are:
Entry/Hall Closet/Dining Room/Living Room (I realize that’s quite a bit for one Zone, but the Entry is small, the Dining Room mainly sits unused and empty. It’s the Hall Closet and Living Room that will be the focus here!)
Bedroom Zone: Master Bedroom/Finn’s Bedroom (I realize some of you may have more bedrooms than us. We’ve got 4 but currently using 1 for the playroom and 1 for the office!)
I’ve seen the deep cleaning done in several different ways. Some jump from room to room in the same day (for instance, clean the toaster, declutter the bathroom sinks, clean the top of the washer). But once I get in a room, I want to focus on THAT room for a while, so each week my deep cleaning will be focused on a particular zone. Many systems also tend to declutter a room first then clean. And while I wholeheartedly agree that you can’t clean clutter, I’ve mixed in a little of both based on the things that are bothering me most about each room at the moment.
Right now I’m keeping Zone work to 30 minutes or less, 3-4 times a week. As much as I need to do some serious deep cleaning and decluttering in certain rooms like the office and hall closet, I’m easing my way in to this. I’ll add more as I get a better grip on the routines themselves and have a better feel for long each task on my Master Cleaning List actually takes (I’ll share that another time). For now, I’ll be completing one or 2 Zone tasks on days when The Littlest Apple is in school or with the grandparents.
She also has her own cleaning schedules for each month. Here is her March schedule.
Please go visit her, follow her and leave her leave a comment! :) You can let her know that you are coming from here. She is so sweet and organized! :)
If you buy Shaklee from me and have a cleaning post that you would like to be featured, please email me at donahuewellness@hotmail.com! :)
Welcome to Week 3 of our Organize your Life series!
To read the 1st week’s post, on Organizing your Mind, click HERE!
To read the 2nd week’s post, on Organizing your Schedule, click HERE!
If you are just joining in, please link up your blog here so we can all help motivate each other…PLUS, there is still time to win the book, Organize Now!.
I am reading and using the book called Organize Now! by Jennifer Ford Berry to help me organize my life.
This week is…
Why Make A Cleaning Schedule?
No More Crazy Cleaning – You will not have to worry about cleaning or run around cleaning it before someone comes over.
Less Stress – When my house isn’t clean, I always feel relaxed. I know what day I am going to do each chore so I can relax and know there is time in the schedule to get it done. This allows me not to be thinking of cleaning while I am playing with my kids!! This is the greatest feeling EVER!!! :)
Better Time Management – You can manage your time because you are on a schedule. With this being said, I call fall off or jump ahead of my cleaning schedule and not worry. Remember, it is only cleaning! (Oh, did I just say that?) If I miss a week at something, life goes on. Please don’t obsess over your schedule.
Control Procrastination – It is easy to put off cleaning but a schedule can keep you motivated and on track.
How to Make a Cleaning Schedule
List your tasks. Make a list of everything that you can possibly think of that needs cleaning.
Determine frequency of tasks. To determine the frequency that you need to do a certain task, think about what makes sense and what is reasonable for you. Do what makes the most sense to you. I love having sparkling floor to start my week, so I do them on Monday. Then, I like to clean my bathrooms next, so I do those on Tuesday. Then I make my week a little easier and dust on Wednesday (which is also my shopping day) and vacuum on Thursday.
Gather your cleaning supplies. Not having your cleaning supplies ready is a big waste of time and distraction. So before you get started make sure you have what you need. This is what my cleaning bucket looks like.
Use an all-purpose cleaner. I use Organic Basic H for almost everything in my house! I don’t need to carry a different bottles around for each surface. You can use Basic H on all washable surfaces plus it will save you time because I believe it gets the job done quicker and it will also save you money because it is concentrated.
Control your Clutter. There is nothing worse than a bunch of clutter. Get rid of ALL clutter!!! Do don’t need STUFF!!!
Assign people to tasks. Give each family member a chore if they are old enough. I even have my kids do little chores. You cannot start them too young, right? :)
Put it in writing. You can document your schedule however you like. You can make your own, buy one or get a free printable online. (Below, I will show you Martha Stewart’s printout. I love Martha!) Use whatever works for you.
Stick with it. Feel free to reward yourself for staying on track! This is not an easy thing to do so please do something for yourself!!!
Below are great checklists for things that you should do everyday, weekly and monthly around the house!
Pay bills (I try to pay them, the same day we get them)
Make the beds
Weekly
Wash the hardwood floors- Monday
Bathrooms- Tuesday
Dust house - Wednesday
Vacuum – Thursday
Organize the kids rooms- Friday
Organize the fridge- Wednesday (when I shop)
Garbages- Tuesday
When Needed
Shampoo the carpet (about 4 times a year)
Dust fans
Wash walls/doors
Dust baseboards
Wash the couch
Wash the Windows
Wash the mirrors the house
Wipe down furniture
Vacuum lamp shapes
wipe down lamps
Wipe down cabinets
Dust/Wash vents
Dust blinds
Deep clean appliances
How I Clean
I named this post A Different Way To Clean because I have NEVER bought a Fantastic, a 409, a Pine Sol, a Lysol, Clorox Wipes, a Tide, etc. I have never used a toxic cleaner since being married!! I clean differently than most people. I only clean with ALL natural products. I did this even before it was cool to be green! At first, my only reason to do this was because it was cheaper. I used and still use Shaklee Get Clean products. Now, after being more educated on why it is so important to be toxic free, I am really glad that I have been using these the whole time!!! Toxins are dangerous, as in hurtful, as in not very clean at all. When most people think of green cleaners, they think: expensive or lack of quality. With the Get Clean products that I found, nothing is further! These are CHEAP!!!! And they WORK!!!! '
Let me tell you what I use and how!
Kitchen
Let’s begin with with the Kitchen because we spend most of out time in there! I feel like I am in there all day! As soon as I am done cleaning up a meal, it’s snack time! Does that happen to anyone else? I run my dishwasher everyday and I always try to wipe the stainless steal appliances down every night. I HATE going to bed with a messy kitchen!!! I love waking up and coming down to a clean room. I am in a better mood when there are no dishes out, the stove is clean and their are no fingerprints on the fridge! I also like to sweep or vacuum the floor everyday (several times a day under their high chairs). In the kitchen I use…..
This stuff works…..with NO streaks!!! I mix 2 drops of the concentrate to my 32oz. water spray bottle. (It costs $.02 per 32oz. That’s right, it costs me only a 2 PENNIES for a 32oz. bottle) CHEAP!!!! I told you. 1 bottle of Basic H2equals the cleaning uses of 5,824 bottles of 26 oz. Windex. WOW!!!!
This stuff takes off rust, mold, hard water residue and other build up. And it SMELLS like cherries!!! And totally safe!
Here are before and after pictures of some hard water residue on my sink drain. (I know it’s gross! Don’t hate me!)
WOW!!! Look at that sparkle!!!
I think that is pretty much it for the bathrooms, lets move on to floors
Floors
I try to vacuum or sweep everyday. I don’t know if it is just my family but we REALLY need to do this everyday! We get kinda totally dirty here! I found a floor duster that I really like and the dusts the baseboards too! YAY!!!
It is by o-cedar.
Here is a picture of it at work!!!
I also love to use my BFF aka my Dyson vacuum. I love it! Now that my son is crawling and trying to eat everything he sees, I have just been leaving it out all the time. Anytime I see something on the floor, I just turn on my Dyson and suck that baby up before my son finds it!
I use the attachments to get baseboards, lamp shades and furniture.
I have the Dyson Ball Slim and it’s great because it is so easy to move around and it’s lightweight!
This awesome no rinse, no residue, streak-free formula works great on any floor! It seriously makes my wood shine. For floors, mix 1 tablespoon of Basic H + 1 gallon of water. Apply to floor with sponge or mop. I just put it in a spray bottle, spray it on the floor and wipe it with a microfiber mop.
Here is my little helper! Look at the floor shine!
Dust
Now, how do I dust? I don’t! LOL, I wish! This family makes a lot of dust or at least we see it more because of all of our dark wood floors and furniture. Usually I dampen my super micro fabric cleaning cloth with my Basic H. I also use a really long duster to get my fans, vents, light fixtures, stair railing, walls and ceiling.
Here is another picture of my helper. I find it best to give the kids their own set of cleaning tools to keep them busy. It’s never too early to teach the art of cleaning!
Laundry
Laundry for 5 is not an easy thing to do! I have a system that works for now until I can get the kids to do their own. Right now I put ALL the the dirty laundry form everyone in our family in my side of our closet. I have 3 laundry baskets for whites, lights and darks and 1 basket on my hubby’s side for his work clothes. I also keep a laundry basket in my laundry room for hand towels, wash cloths, etc. All of my laundry products are concentrated and NON-Toxic. It is totally safe for your skin. It is great for sensitive baby skin!
I can’t say enough about the laundry products! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!! They get the stains out EVERYTIME!!!
Here is a picture of the baskets in our closet…
Here is a picture of our laundry room basket…
Extra Tips
Have your kids ever drawn on your furniture with pen?!?!? Mine have, a normal mom would probably freeeak out! But not me. Basic H gets it right out!!!! AND in less than ONE MINUTE!!!!! I just put in on straight and scrubbed in right out!
Here is a before and after of my chair with pen on it…
I also really like the Magic Eraser for scratches on the furniture. Here is a before and after of white paints scuffs on my dresser.
I can’t wait to read about your cleaning schedules!!!!
Have a great day!
Also, don’t forget that you can get a FREE SHAKEE CINCH SAMPLER KIT (over $100 value) with the purchase of a Shaklee membership (a $19.95 one time fee to save you 15% off ALL orders including your first order) or ShakleeDistributorship ($39.95) AND a $70 order at member price (MN). To get this special, place the products in your cart, and then it will tell you that you qualify for the free Cinch Sampler Kit at the top. After that, sign up as a member or distributor. You DO NOT need to place the sampler kit in your cart…it is automatic, just make sure to check if you qualify. Please note, if you become a Gold Ambassador, you do not need to place an order to get the free kit. Please email me at donahuewellness@hotmail.com for any questions. ***Plus, I will let you know of ALL OF MY NEW MEMBER SPECIALS!!!*** You can read about my Cinch results here and my sister’s amazing story here.
