Stick to the schedule

I am turning over a new leaf. As I have previously mentioned, our single salary household has led me to live a simpler life. No more manicures and pedicures (or rarely at least). No more housekeeper (I miss her). I am forced to bear the hardship of mopping my floors and painting my own nails. Poor me.

I am trying to juggle the duties and disperse them a bit through my week. I hate to have a weekend full of laundry and cleaning. I'd rather save my weekends for play. I'm trying to think of my domestic duties as more of a job. I am basically on the clock from 8:00 to 5:00 with the bonus of getting to play with my kids often.

Organization and scheduling doesn't always come naturally to me, but I am trying to make it second nature. About a year ago, I started planning our meals for the week on Sunday. I would make a grocery list with all the ingredients. I am taking this a step further now. I bought a dry erase board for the week and on it I list our meals, and what activities we have scheduled from swim lessons to library story time to exercise classes I am teaching.



Now I am scheduling cleaning each day. Monday: bathrooms, Tuesday: dust and vacuum, Wednesday: mop floors or clean bath and shower, Thursday: laundry, Friday: bills, Sunday: meal plan and grocery. That way I pop my Ipod on and have a little portion of chores from 15 minutes to an hour each day rather than a massive cleaning job on the weekend. The lumped together top-to-bottom house cleaning tends to loom before me, and I end up putting it off for a week or two. I am proud to report my house has been extremely clean the last few weeks.

This is plan is not without its flaws. It only works when it is carefully aligned with afternoon nap time. Otherwise Q "helps." While I was cleaning bathrooms Monday, he was following me around with a sponge, slopping dirty water everywhere. Cute perhaps, but very frustrating.

My new approach is working well and has me feeling productive and in control. If I go back to work full time I know my perfectly orchestrated schedule with disintegrate. But then I could probably afford a cleaning lady again!

--MM