National Goodwill Day! 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 27

Good Morning!

Today's project is simple and needs no real explanation from me!

It is National Goodwill Day and that means purge your closets, cupboards, drawers and dressers and anywhere else you can think of, of those unused, unwanted or unneeded items!

Less clutter (less laundry too) = LESS STRESS!

Also, clean the windows, walls and ceiling in the laundry/utility room.

Let's get to it! :-)

Laundry Tips - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 26

I'm pretty sure you will find a tip or two in this post that might help you tame the laundry beast.

This will just be a brief list of the tips shared in the reading this morning.

1. Be thankful you and your family have clothes to wear
2. Do one load a day
3. Get socks all in one color (boys have black, girls have white, etc.)
4. Have a family closet if possible (it can be a room) that way all clothes are in one place.
5. Only have a few outfits each (I like to have about 8 or so per person)
6. Give each child a laundry day, if they get their clothes to the laundry room past a certain time, they have to do it themselves
7. Delegate laundry to older children if they are able to understand how to operate the machines
8. Give each child their own "clean basket." This way they can find whatever they need in one place. Still hang or fold your own or your husband's clothes.

Currently, my children are too young to help with the laundry so I do it all. I have found it most helpful for me to have two laundry days a week. I'll do some every day if a load needs done, but mostly, I do laundry on Mondays and Fridays. I also just buy one kind of every day socks for me and the kids...it makes matching really easy. My husband of course, has his dress socks and casual socks.

I also feel that having less clothes actually helps. You do laundry more often but there is less to do so it isn't as overwhelming. The important thing is finding a laundry system that works for YOU and implementing it into your life so laundry is no longer a beast!

Cleaning assignment today is to carefully wash the computer and printer with a damp cloth and use a cotton swab to clean in crevices.

What ideas or tips have you found to help deal with laundry?

The High-Low Cycle - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 25

I used to think something was wrong with me.

You may have too.

I never really realized others had the same "problem."

Sarah Mae calls it the High-Low Cycle.

She describes it well by saying, "you've cleaned for a week or two, keeping everything in order, then, bam, your back to your messy ways."

I do this with practically every new habit I'm trying to form or project to complete, etc.

I'll exercise regularly for a few weeks, start seeing results even and then have a lazy (not feeling so great) day and take a break which ends up lasting months. This is usually the status quo for a new schedule or habit I'm trying to implement. :-/

I was always wondering why I had such terrible follow through. At least, I'm not alone.

The most important thing to remember is that we are human and there is HOPE!

There is no quick fix to the high-low cycle and we will most likely deal with it for the rest of our lives.

She reminds us that we are to persevere and hope. "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:3-5 NASB

 This really blessed me. She says, "Everything we are doing to care for our families by way of our homes we are doing for an eternal purpose! It all matters! God is molding us with each pulled weed of housework, with every spill lovingly cleaned up, every mouth wiped and diaper changed and kisses given and...It matters and it is not insignificant. Your work in the mundane is the refining of gold."

Sometimes it is really hard to remember that when you are cleaning up cottage cheese off the floor that the baby dropped or when you are hard at work folding mountains of laundry while there is still another mountain of it in the laundry room or when you are washing dishes for the 15th time (okay, maybe that is excessive, but still.)

God is using us to serve Him even in the mundane. We have a blessed hope and one day this life will all be gone. There will be no more laundry or dishes or cleaning the floors, not to mention no more evil or heartbreak only celebrating and worshiping before the feet of Jesus!

This life will be over all too quickly.

If you struggle with the High-Low Cycle too, it is helpful to make a 3 month journal of how you are feeling every day and when you notice that you have more energy and feel more motivated to clean. That way you will be able to see a pattern and can better plan how to get over those days when you just don't have your get up and go.

Cleaning assignment for today is to clean and organize shelves and polish wood furniture in the home office.

A Few Tips for Organizing Our Homes - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 24

Is your home and life reasonably organized?

I'd like to say that mine is, but in truth, it isn't really.  

I think we all struggle with different areas in our lives that could use some more focus organizationally speaking. For me, that area would my home office...

I ALWAYS have a stack of papers in there, usually more than one and they are always over a foot tall.

I was encouraged and inspired today by the reading. It focused on organization (obviously) but had some really great tips that had never occurred to me before today.

For starters, we are reminded that God created the universe and everything it contains with order and to be in order and because of this I do believe that he intends for us to live our lives as best we can with order as well.

Kimba, from Asoftplace.net says, "Order brings peace, calm, and contentment. Chaos and disorganization brings chaos, confusion and whole lotta wasted time."

She tells us that part of the problem is we have too much stuff and that we need to get rid of stuff by utilizing either a garage sale, Craigslist (my favorite) or even throwing it away. Do we really need a separate room for our kids' toys (they probably have too many, if we do) or 30 pairs of shoes??

We do not have to be intimidated by the pictures of organization systems we see online or in catalogs. We do not need to run out to the nearest box store and load up on tubs and totes and other items for organization.

We don't even need to tackle the whole house at once.

We just need to start small and tackle our most pressing problem or the one that causes the most stress and focus on that.

I love how Kimba reminds us that "it's a misconception that organizing your home is all about finding the perfect system or process that keeps us from getting our stuff together. It doesn't have to be perfect or beautiful. It just has to work. For you."

And...

"a reasonably organized home means that you can find what you need when you need it. You don't have to waste tons of time hunting for your stuff."

Don't worry about being conventional. Store things where you use them. For example, if you always lose your keys, put a bowl or hook by the door. Just put them in the same place every time.

Storing things where you use it is good. For example, for me, the coffee counter is where all my papers end up BEFORE they end up in a stack in the office. I believe I'll try putting my paper organizer on the counter so important papers go immediately into it and then just put that away if we have a party. Organized prettily immediately!

Some good links for organizing are:

Organizing Your Way
I'm an Organizing Junkie
Like Mother, Like Daughter
Unclutterer


Assignment for today is clean out desk, organize files and clean drawers in home office. Also, pick a hot spot in your house and find a way to bring order to it.

Do you have any tips on helping to keep your home organized?

Distracted? 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 23

Are you distracted?

We all have goals or projects we need to be accomplishing.

A distraction is anything that prevents you from giving your full attention to something else.

Some distractions are good and worthwhile and some are not.

You need to determine which are which for yourself.

Basically, if you are rolling right along with your housework or any other project and your child needs you or wants you to read a story or as Christian says, "I want a piece of hug,"  or your husband wants a kiss or your time and attention it is important to embrace those distractions because these relationships and individuals are much more important than the projects we work on on a daily basis.

However, if the internet or TV or reading a novel or chatting on the phone is what is keeping us from fulfilling our priorities or other duties, you may just find that you need to cut back on those things until other obligations are met. Run away from these distractions before they swallow up your time and you are left feeling tense and stressed from undone projects.

One activity that I find to be very helpful in discovering what it is that is distracting us is to actually keep a time log of every activity that you did every day for several days. Be honest. If you spent 2 hours "researching" on Facebook then write it down. If you cleaned house for 2 hours write it down. Whatever it was, just write it down. You will be surprised as to how you are actually spending your time. This will help to make you more aware of your time and will show you what you can do to better redeem your time.

Cleaning assignment for today is to clean the floors and clean the carpets in the home office.

What are your common distractions and how do you lessen their impact on your life?

Developing a Workable Schedule - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 22

Schedules are really excellent tools.

If you don't have one or don't follow one,         
you really should.                                                      

 Having and following a schedule helps us to order our lives in a way that allows us to stay focused, helps us to develop self discipline, helps us to realize where our priorities lie, helps us to see where we can improve and also helps us to manage our time wisely.

However, I'm the type of person who loves to write out a schedule and while I have grand plans for it, when it comes to actually carrying it out I have terrible follow through.

If you find yourself in the same boat it could be that we are not creating schedules that are actually workable for where we are in our lives.

Right now, my main priorities are to serve the Lord as best as I can, really "be there" for my husband and children, try to keep a clean, relaxing and inviting home, prepare healthy meals so we will all grow up big and strong and be a friend and blessing to those in need.

To some of you, that may not seem like a lot, but it does take up a LOT of time and I do not even have an outside of the home job schedule to contend with. I've been really blessed there, but I tell you, I don't know how you mamas do it! Hats off to you!

I believe the key to following a workable schedule is flexibility. If one area of your schedule isn't working for you then tweak it or toss it out altogether.

The reading today suggests to not schedule every minute or hour of your day because for most of us that won't work or we just won't follow through with it. Sarah Mae offers these tips for creating a workable schedule.

1. Review your list of priorities
2. Make sure to schedule time for your hobbies - even if its only 15 minutes!
3. Do what comes naturally - We naturally have dinner at 4 pm. It's what works for us...
4. Write it down and put it somewhere you will see it every day

Remember, the key here is flexibility. Expect your schedule to change as you see what actually works and what doesn't. 

I also like to make out a general cleaning schedule for the week. My weekly cleaning schedule looks like this:

Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Dust/Wipe down Kitchen and water the plants
Wednesday - Grocery Shopping
Thursday - Bathrooms
Friday - Laundry (Sheets and hand towels)
Saturday - Vacuum and Mop/ Clean outside deck or yard

This is a flexible list and I try to follow it. Of course, general cleaning happens every day, but this list allows me to focus on a specific task and helps me to stay focused when I'm feeling groggy and don't really know what to do with myself. And yes, we have to do laundry twice a week...I shudder to think how much laundry I'll have to do when they are older!!!

Cleaning assignment is to wash windows, window treatments, walls and dust ceiling in your home office if you have one.

Have You Got a Plan? - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Day 21

When you have a major project coming up, do you make a plan?

Or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of person?

I'm a little of both.

I can certainly see the value in forming a plan and I do for very large
projects...not always for the mundane activities.

I'm finding that herein lies my problem. For the every day, I don't really plan.
I just get up and take care of the kids and kind of meander through the day.

I have noticed that when I follow through with my 6 List and actually have a plan for the day, I'm happier, more organized, less stressed out AND I get a lot more accomplished than on the days where I seemingly drift along.

Today's reading was on the importance of having a plan.

Proverbs 6:6-8 says "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest."

Darlene Schacht, the Co-Author of Reshaping It All tells us, "living wisely considers unforeseen obstacles and prepares for them in advance...the important things in life require us to step up and carefully consider the cost...both planning our goals and the means of getting there, gives us a greater chance at success than living impulsively would. When things are organized and on schedule the likelihood of success is increased. Unexpected obstacles often stand in our way, but if we invest in foresight, and consider the ways we will deal with each hurdle, we are leaning on wisdom rather than chance."

This really applies to every single area of our lives. If we order even the smallest part of our day as well as the major projects we will be much more successful and better able to handle the interruptions that come along AND most importantly, we will be able to invest in what really matters...the people we come in contact with or for me, my children.

Today, let's

1. Envision our goals
2. Formulate the plan
3. Do the necessary work

The cleaning assignment is to clean the toilets, shower/tubs and floors of the bathrooms.

Do you make and follow through with a plan on a daily basis?