Wordy Wednesday: Housework Schedule

I know that I enjoy looking at other people's planning, as it oft times gives me a jumping off place.  I love flylady's site, and my home used to be CHAOS.  I've been a recovered CHAOS member for years now, thankfully, but still slip every now and then. 

For me, I work an odd schedule, and so I have developed a plan that works for me. 

Monday:  Flylady's home blessing.  Essentially, get rid of the junk mail that accumulated the week before, magazines you've read or aren't going to read, wipe down the doorknobs and light switches, vacuum, sweep, and mop living areas, and change the boys bedding.  She also has "empty all trash cans" on her list, but we just do that whenever they are full. 

Tuesday:  Bathrooms.  I clean both bathrooms top to bottom on Tuesday.  Sinks, toilets, showers, and floors.  Wash towels.

Wednesday:  Bedroom.  I change my own sheets, dust, and vacuum my room.  Straighten up as needed. 

Thursday:  Kitchen.  This is on Thursday because we have trash pickup on Friday morning so the leftovers get tossed, and don't sit in the trash can outside for days.  Toss the leftovers, wipe out the fridge as needed, clean the stove, microwave, and floors again. 

Friday:  Living room.  Vacuum again, dust, and straighten up. 

Saturday:  I do nothing. Not gonna lie.

Sunday:  I do meal prep and planning on Sunday.   It is usually the only day I have off work (although, since I got this newest job I will be working some Sunday's now as well.)  This is when I make the breakfast items/baked treats for the boys for the week.  Make sure I have the things I need for all the dinners for the week, etc.  I don't do much cleaning though.  Put away any laundry I didn't do earlier in the week, etc. 

That's it.  It usually doesn't take me more than a half hour to tackle all the housework each day, which is good because time is precious and I don't want to give it up this way.  But it keeps the house maintained.  It looks lived in but not disheveled.  Like me. ;)

Manic Monday: Update

Well...I got another job.  Truthfully, people think I'm crazy.  But the honest truth is I've created a work schedule that allows me a lot of flexibility and that is currently what is the most important to me.  I've had opportunities that would have given me this much income from ONE position but it would have ripped away the flexibility and it would have caused me to give up some things that I LOVE. 

Currently, I get to take my boys to school one morning a week (better than none,) and I get to pick them up EVERYDAY.  I get to spend the nights that they are home with me, with them and I work when they are gone. 

Four. I'm on the payroll of four different companies.  I work around 45 hours a week (and I'm barely making it financially, factually) but I get time with my kids.  They will be grown up soon enough and won't care about my time and THEN I will change the way things are...but for now this CRAZY schedule I work allows me exactly what we all need. 

Someday I may write about the romantic part of my life...I'll just say:  It's complicated and crazy, but I'm currently in a good place. 

Housework is manageable thanks to a return to flylady.  I personally have developed a schedule that works for me by focusing on one room a day.  I'll share more about this on Wednesday.  As long as my kids are gone during the day, I can keep up.  When they are home (and they were home all last week because of the hurrican aftermath in our area) it's a different story. 

Manic Monday

Well, well, well....

I've not done very well with keeping up with this.  I think about writing a blog fairly often, but then I just never sit down and take the few minutes to knock out a post.  Insert obligatory statement about how I will do better *here.*  Meh, I'm gonna try guys.

Today I have a Monday off.  It's the last Monday before school starts for my boys, and we really have nothing planned because I'm a lousy mom.  Summer has come and gone and we didn't do very much at all.  We went to the trampoline place, and we hiked.  IDEALLY, I'd like to go to the zoo over the weekend, as we haven't been in a REALLY long time but as a one-income household (ok, technically I have 3 incomes, but I'm one person and those 3 allow me the equivalent of ONE person truthfully...maybe I should put up a post about how that math works) the zoo is expensive for 5 people (3 adults...but if you think I'm going to the zoo without my GROWN children you would be WRONG, WAY WAY WRONG) PLUS it's almost a full tank of gas to get us there.  We will see.

I'm trying to get back on track with my house.  We don't live in squalor but a little over a week ago I was thinking "Man, my house used to be SO clean."  Now, granted, back then I didn't work AND I had a partner who definitely did his fair share of housework.  But, still, since my kids are older now there is less clutter in the way of toys strewn about so I feel like it should be manageable.  So I went back to my roots.  Flylady.net  I reminded myself of my old routines, and how I used to get things done and I did a rework of those routines based on current schedules.  For over a week now my "clean" laundry basket (I have one clean and one dirty basket lol) has been EMPTY.  Seriously.  Such an accomplishment.  *curtsies*  I'm trying to return to the world of meal-planning as this is a spot that I've not only dropped the ball, I lost it...it's somewhere in a ditch, deflating as we speak.  Truthfully, I'm at the grocery store probably 4 times a week.  I loathe the grocery store.  But I've been so terrible at planning ahead that I have no choice.  I typically decide at around 2 pm what we are eating for the day and have to run to the store for what I need.  Also, this is TERRIBLE for the food budget since the closest store to me is more expensive AND I am guilty of impulse purchases.  Trying to get a handle on this and bring out monthly budget down is a big goal.

So there you have it.  Summer is over.  I'm trying to regain control of my house, and my grocery budget and I've so far successfully managed to gain control of the laundry.  Small victories my friends.  Small victories.

Sunday, Sunday...

I know that "normal" Sunday posts are pictures, and I'm going to put one of those up too, but I'm working on something and thought I'd share with you all.  My posts have been all over the place lately, but my 'offline' life is really going well.  I'm going to make an effort to be back here more, and share more, and just generally be MORE awesome.  *wink*

I'm working on re-creating a control journal.  I had one for years, and it really worked for me and then I became a slacker.  No, truthfully, my life went in a bad spiral.  It lasted for a LONG time (a couple years) and while it has climbed back out of that spiral, the house work stuff isn't really back on track yet.  *sigh*

I'm using this website, and Flylady.net as well as Pinterest to create a new book to keep myself on track.  Does this sort of thing work for everyone?  Nah.  Do I put EVERYTHING I find in my own book?  Nah.  You have to know whether or not this system will work for YOU, and you have to know what you will and will not use of all the wondrous tools available on the interwebs.

My big guys are gone to Y-Guides, and my small guy and I are meeting them for dinner soon, so I have to get back to work!