You make it look so easy...
Well, that is what a friend told me this week. She asked me how I did all that I did and make it look so easy. Some days, I think, "It is anything but easy", but I did share some tips with her that seem to help out. I look at staying at home, my job. And just like any job you have hours that you work, tasks that have to be done, and projects that need to be seen to. My job just happens to be taking care of a house, husband, & 3 children. Everything that needs to be tended to gets put on my calendar, if it isn't on my calendar it is not a high priority.
When school starts, I take my calendar and put the school year on it. Because I am VP of our Elementary PTO, those meetings & events are added, so is Dance, Piano, Guitar, & any other child function that comes up. Yes, I even have a day set aside for our date night... If I didn't it would get overlooked & let's face it, we need to keep an intimate relationship with our husbands. They need to feel important in your life too.
Our children have 2 chores a day, they are alternated so that they never have the same chore every day. They are: Unload the dishwasher, Set the Table, Clear the Table, Gather clothes & put in Laundry room, Clean their Bathroom, Feed & Water the Pets. They do have to keep their rooms cleaned, but I don't consider that a chore, it is to build self respect & self pride. The rest of the house is mine! These chores I do with a timer... Yes a timer. I set it for 15 minutes and do NOTHING at all in that 15 minutes but the targeted area. If the phone rings, the machine gets it. It doesn't sound like a lot of time, but you would be surprised how long it really is. When the timer goes off, return phone calls, start supper, read your bible, etc. Once you get in the habit of this trick, you will find that you can get your housework done in less than 2 hours. That is everything, laundry, sweeping/mopping,dusting,bathroom, etc. Then you have the rest of your time to work at the school, scrapbook, paint, etc.
So last week I added some fun to my schedule & now on Saturday Nights I paint. It is a fun adult time event. Two hours with other Christian women that allows our creative minds to expand. This was our first painting! I can't wait until this weekend!
So what is on the schedule for the rest of the week? Wednesday: 2 loads of clothes, grocery shopping, my nails/toes done, make bread for supper tomorrow night at Church, clean the downstairs. Thursday: 2 loads of clothes, clean the upstairs, pinestraw in my flower beds. Friday: 2 loads of clothes, Dust, sweep & mop (touch up cleaning), date night. Saturday: Family time & Paint, Start defrosting the Turkey for Thanksgiving. Sunday: Church. Friday marks the beginning of Thanksgiving Break~we have fun plans for the week the kids are out of school. Movies on Monday, Making Christmas Presents on Tuesday, with Cooking & Baking on Wednesday prepping for 20 for our Thanksgiving Table. Fun filled days when they are out of school~got to love it!!!
So my morning starts with Bible study, prep/cook breakfast, wake the kids up for school. I start my first load of clothes before they leave. Once they leave, on the eliptic machine, second load of laundry. Around 9 I start my household cleaning and done by 11.
So see we all have the same 24 hours in the day, we just have different ways that we manage it. Work out a schedule that will accommodate your schedule and see how smoother your day can go. You will love the extra time to go walking enjoying the beauty that God made, find that time you wished you had for the gym, or to have lunch with your girl friends, volunteer at the school, volunteer at your local food bank, visit local nursing homes for the residents that never get visits, or anything else. Enjoy the added time you find~you will love it.
Tina
When school starts, I take my calendar and put the school year on it. Because I am VP of our Elementary PTO, those meetings & events are added, so is Dance, Piano, Guitar, & any other child function that comes up. Yes, I even have a day set aside for our date night... If I didn't it would get overlooked & let's face it, we need to keep an intimate relationship with our husbands. They need to feel important in your life too.
Our children have 2 chores a day, they are alternated so that they never have the same chore every day. They are: Unload the dishwasher, Set the Table, Clear the Table, Gather clothes & put in Laundry room, Clean their Bathroom, Feed & Water the Pets. They do have to keep their rooms cleaned, but I don't consider that a chore, it is to build self respect & self pride. The rest of the house is mine! These chores I do with a timer... Yes a timer. I set it for 15 minutes and do NOTHING at all in that 15 minutes but the targeted area. If the phone rings, the machine gets it. It doesn't sound like a lot of time, but you would be surprised how long it really is. When the timer goes off, return phone calls, start supper, read your bible, etc. Once you get in the habit of this trick, you will find that you can get your housework done in less than 2 hours. That is everything, laundry, sweeping/mopping,dusting,bathroom, etc. Then you have the rest of your time to work at the school, scrapbook, paint, etc.
So last week I added some fun to my schedule & now on Saturday Nights I paint. It is a fun adult time event. Two hours with other Christian women that allows our creative minds to expand. This was our first painting! I can't wait until this weekend!
So what is on the schedule for the rest of the week? Wednesday: 2 loads of clothes, grocery shopping, my nails/toes done, make bread for supper tomorrow night at Church, clean the downstairs. Thursday: 2 loads of clothes, clean the upstairs, pinestraw in my flower beds. Friday: 2 loads of clothes, Dust, sweep & mop (touch up cleaning), date night. Saturday: Family time & Paint, Start defrosting the Turkey for Thanksgiving. Sunday: Church. Friday marks the beginning of Thanksgiving Break~we have fun plans for the week the kids are out of school. Movies on Monday, Making Christmas Presents on Tuesday, with Cooking & Baking on Wednesday prepping for 20 for our Thanksgiving Table. Fun filled days when they are out of school~got to love it!!!
So my morning starts with Bible study, prep/cook breakfast, wake the kids up for school. I start my first load of clothes before they leave. Once they leave, on the eliptic machine, second load of laundry. Around 9 I start my household cleaning and done by 11.
So see we all have the same 24 hours in the day, we just have different ways that we manage it. Work out a schedule that will accommodate your schedule and see how smoother your day can go. You will love the extra time to go walking enjoying the beauty that God made, find that time you wished you had for the gym, or to have lunch with your girl friends, volunteer at the school, volunteer at your local food bank, visit local nursing homes for the residents that never get visits, or anything else. Enjoy the added time you find~you will love it.
Tina
Comments
Post a Comment