Home Keeping, Back to the point...

I created this blog and renamed it a few times and now I would like to get back to the main thing:

HOME KEEPING

I have read lots of articles and books about being a disciplined keeper of the home. I have, unfortunately, found no great Christian specific sites that really get to the point. So, I am going to get to the point.

I STUCK TO THIS "GREAT PLAN" FOR A TOTAL OF ONE AND A HALF WEEKS...IT'S FUNNY HOW I THINK I AM AN "EXPERT" ONCE I GET A 'GREAT' IDEA! BLAH, BLAH. BLAH...
How do you turn a day that is a blob of depression and chaos into a productive day?

• MY THREE FIVES

I am no expert but this is working for me. I have a daily schedule that is structured into three sections: morning, afternoon, and night(-duh.) I allot myself a set of 5 chores that I do everyday at the same time. I have the morning 5, the mid-day five, and my evening 5. My morning 5 are always: make bed, start load of laundry, get dressed and ready for the day, straighten our bedroom and bath, fold and put away one load of laundry. My mid-day five are always to de-clutter and pick-up all four major family areas and start either the dishwasher or another load of laundry. My evening five include moping the kitchen, making preparations for the next day, de-cluttering living room, check email, start next load of laundry. This helps me to stay on top of the daily 'grungees' as I like to call them.

• CHORE CARDS

There are lots of chores that need to do be done weekly and then there are others that need to be done even less often. These tasks include cleaning out the fridge, reorganizing the kids closets, vacuuming under the couches, etc. I simple make 3X5 cards with a chore written on each one. I have a system that indicates whether it is a once-a-month or a once-a-week chore. I even have chores that are twice a month. I try to do at least 3 chore cards a day and I write the date on the back so that I can keep track. As I complete a task, I move it from the "do" pile to the "done" pile. My simply move them all back to the "do" pile at the end of each month, week or two week cycle. This also helps me maintain control of the larger picture.

• MY BRAIN BOOK

I make a notebook filled with form "to do" lists. Each day is one day. I have the date at the top and a list of check boxes with daily tasks which include a box for the number of chore cards, and exercise "yes/no" box, a vitamin "yes/no"box, and other things like prayer time, learning time with Ky, and a connect box that helps me to remember to reach out to my family and friends via email or a phone call. My page central box to write my tasks for that day. On the right, there is a side bar with a place to write my prayer focus, my meal plans, my exercise plans, and a place to jot down items to add to my shopping list.
My brain also contains my daily routine and my three fives incase I forget. I like to mark of each thing that I accomplish. If I don't do everything on my list, I simply transfer it to the next day. Everyday is a fresh start. I love it because I get it all out of my head and I don't have to use my brain as a storage container, I can, instead use it to think, pray or whatever throughout the day.

• MY MORNING LAUNCH

Right after my morning five and while Kyson is distracted with his toys, I squeezed in my "launch". Some people call it a quiet time but to me it is a chance to put the day into perspective. I usually have several books that I
am reading but this is just for bible study, prayer, reflection, and planning with my brain. I even assign a specific prayer focus to each day, for example, Monday I devoted to my kids and husband and our circumstances. Tuesday I pray for my family and friends, Wednesday is for my neighbors and people that I don't know who are in a tough situation. Each day has a specific purpose though I try to pray everyday for anything that the Lord puts on my mind.

• OTHER

This leaves a lot of time each day for more interesting adventures. After my "launch" I have time to spend teaching or playing with my son. I can run errands, visit my grandmother, or tackle a project. I also try to work in a daily play/learn time, a reading/education time for myself, and a creative time.

The KEY is flexibility. This system is just my "floor" . I can leap off schedule anytime knowing that when I land I will stick to the plan...

THATS IT!