The secret...

I feel like I've just discovered an amazing secret.  I've always battled with the dilemma of feeling like taking time to get ready kills my most productive time of the day, which leaves me choosing between the two.  Then I read this profound statement...you have to get up BEFORE your kids do.!!! I cringed at the thought, but after some thought (and an internal battle) I wholeheartedly agree.  I must STOP going to bed around midnight, then getting frustrated with my kids when they wake up before I'm ready to.  I am going to bed early so that I can get up, exercise, shower and get ready for my day before the kids and I head downstairs for breakfast.  I think this will greatly increase my ability for productivity, not to mention my improved mood after a good night's rest and starting the day with some time to myself!  Wish me luck!

Small and Simple Blog

My friend Laurie has a crafty blog that is SOOOOO cute. I love her ideas because they are fun, simple and really affordable. This month she is doing a feature called "Thankful to be a Mother." She asked me to write a guest post having to do with organizing/schedules/etc. Below is what I came up with. I wanted to include a link for any of you who would like to check out her blog. http://smallandsimpleut.blogspot.com


Being a mother is not always easy and not always fun. I can honestly say though that I absolutely LOVE being a mother. One of my biggest challenges is keeping up with everything that I expect out of myself and staying sane in the process. I can drive myself crazy because I tend to set my expectations at an unrealistic level. Because I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mom I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking I should have time to do everything and do it all perfectly. The problem is that I am not perfect, I get tired and sometimes doing everything is really not what is most important.

My husband goes to work and he works hard, goes to school, volunteers to coach our kids teams, etc, etc, etc. So needless to say he has a very busy schedule. It's lonely sometimes being home with no adult interaction but I have found a few things make my days a lot more enjoyable and organized. I am very grateful that even though I am home all day my sweet hubby really doesn't expect me to do everything. Often, it takes his reminding me again and again before I remember that as long as the kids are taken care of and happy, everything else will be fine. To date I have never sent any member of my family out of the house with no clothes on - so I have to remember not to let something like staying 100% caught up with the laundry rule my life. It always gets done, eventually.

So on to my list of things that help me enjoy life, stay sane and keep my life reasonably organized. I include being organized with enjoying life and being sane because for me when life is chaotic it is hard to enjoy much of anything. I need order and my kids need order.

1) Have realistic expectations.
Mantra #1: We live in our house. Duh, right?!? Why then whenever I go visiting teaching or to a Pampered Chef Party everything in my friends house's are clean and perfect and blissful? It seems like everyone else lives in what looks like a model home. I want my house to look like a model home. There is a reason why a model home looks 100% presentable at all times - NO ONE LIVES THERE! There is also a reason why when you go visiting teaching it seems perfect - they knew you were coming. I have learned to accept the fact that kids play with toys, cooking dinner creates a mess in the kitchen and spills happen. If someone stops by and there are dishes on the table and food in my baby's hair - it's fine. That's what real life looks like and we are real people. I believe if a room can be made to look decent in 15 minutes then it isn't really messy.

2) Keep it simple.
We've all heard the saying 'a place for everything and everything in it's place.' I love this but for me I have to keep it simple. Sorting is my friend and I am in love with baskets! When we clean up at our house it usually consists of finding a basket and throwing our toys, shoes, mail, etc inside. If you keep your organizing so simple that a 2 year old can understand the system, guess what happens? A two year old can clean up. It's amazing. I've had many extended family members ask me how I taught my boys to clean up so well? It wasn't that hard - I showed them what I expect and worked with them until they understood. Now, when we are getting ready to leave Grandma's house they know what to do and they don't complain about doing it.
My favorite organizing set up is in my boys' room. They have a designated basket for cars, guns, dress ups, balls, and one for games. When it comes time to clean up I don't have to worry things will get lost or shoved under the bed in one big mysterious heap. They know where things go and it is so easy for them to do it right that it always looks perfect when they are done. Even though their room doesn't always look clean it only takes 15 minutes to have it looking great so I say it isn't really that messy. Fool proof system, love it! Plus did I mention that I think baskets are super cute? The other thing I love about baskets is that if you say it's time to sort your toys it doesn't sound as scary as saying "go clean your room." Sorting is fun, not a chore.

3) Have a plan.
Mantra #2: Make a list. I love to write stuff down. It's therapeutic for me. If I write something down I know I won't forget. Even if it takes me a month to get to a certain task, it will be checked off at some point in time. Making a list also helps me to know what to expect. You can call it goals setting, a "to do list", a chore chart, whatever. I don't care what you call it but the key for me is to write stuff down. I usually have a list in my planner, one by each phone and one on the fridge. It might seem excessive but if something I should be doing isn't on a list somewhere I can pretty much guarantee you that I will forget. Lists save my life. My kids need to know what to expect as well. They LOVE it when I make them a list of "chores" that they can check off. Really, who doesn't love putting a big check mark next to something that you won't have to think about again for a long time? Check lists are my fave.

4) Get in a rhythm.
I need consistency. I hear all the time that children need consistency and routine in their lives. It's how they learn responsibility. Well I must still be a child at heart because as much as my kids need a routine to life so do I. This can become as detailed or as simple as you like. The key is finding a routine that works for you and stick to it. Rather than routine sometimes I think of it as a rhythm. We don't necessarily eat lunch everyday at 12:00 noon but sometime between 11:30-1:00 when my baby is up from her morning nap we have lunch. I just need to know what comes next. When I have a rhythm to my day it is easy to know when to schedule Dr. visits, run to the grocery store, etc without messing up naps, meals and chores. We all know that tired or hungry kids are gRuMpY kids!
I have tried so many schedules in my life. I've done the kind where you plan out every minute and have a to do list 2 pages long single spaced for one day (yes I type out my to do lists - I'm nerdy like that) to the very vague, Monday I will do some laundry and Tuesday I will clean a toilet or two... Currently I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't plan every second but I like to have a few specifics mapped out for myself.

5) Refresh yourself.
Whenever I feel a case of the crazies creeping in I can usually pinpoint one of two things that I'm neglecting. First, I have to feed myself spiritually or I get worn out. Making time to study the scriptures/Ensign helps me be more prepared to deal with the challenges of being a mom and it recharges my battery. Second, I have to exercise. Going to the gym sometimes feels selfish but if I don't do it I get grumpy and that doesn't help anyone. I know I will never be Miss Fitness USA and honestly that isn't my goal but I have to take care of my body and make the time to work out. Finding what I love has helped. I can't set fitness goals or regimens according to what other people do or like. I love yoga so I do yoga. It isn't trendy but it's my me time so it's about ME. Lots of girls keep inviting me to Zumba - I'm sure it's great if you are coordinated and spunky - but I'm not. Zumba isn't for me and I don't have time in my life right now to do things just to please other people. Find what you love and do something that's all for you. If it works out that it is something you can do with friends, great!
6) Play.
Mantra #3: Have fun with your family. The best part of being a mom is being able to spend time giggling with my kids. As much as I love having a clean house and an organized life none of that compares with having fun with my family. Kids grow up way to fast. I know I take for granted how much time I have with my children because my husband who sometimes goes days without seeing them at all has to remind me. It won't be long before my boys don't want to play Candyland with their mom so I have to take what I can get. I try to spend quality time just playing with my kids everyday. I cherish our time together. For example, this morning I spent an hour playing with a balloon and reading a book with my baby. It was so simple and I can pretty much guarantee you that it will be the best hour of my day no matter how much I get accomplished from here on out. I think it is so important for our kids to see us let loose and have fun. I know I am the mom - it's my job to teach and to discipline but it's also my job to love them. I want to make sure that my kids have memories of their childhood they can look back on and know that mom loved them because she played with them.

I am so grateful to be a mother. It is the biggest blessing in my life. No matter how big my children grow or how smart they become they will always need me to be there for them because I am their mom. I hope an pray I can be the kind of mother that they need.

Clipboards

My friend Becca inspired this idea. You know that stack of papers that you have to hold on to for a month or a week and then send back to school...or the stack of misc papers that you need to do something with someday in your spare time? Well I've found the solution!

The boys helped pick out their own cute paper and we glued it along with cutouts of each of our names onto clipboards from the $ store. Now if one child is wondering where his reading chart is for school or if the other can't find his half finished picture from Primary I just remind them to check their clipboard. No more piles of papers and nothing gets lost! For family night I let the boys display their amazing school work from the previous week and we check the clipboards for anything we need to work on. The old stuff goes in the trash after being adequatly admired and the new stuff gets done as a family. Tada!! I love it!

A side note, I believe this is the second time Becca has been mentioned on this blog, yet she isn't a contributor. I'll have to see what I can do about that...

Memories that will last

I am lucky enough to have great back-door neighbors.  One day a few weeks ago, we saw you out there jumping on the trampoline with your sons.  My kids thought that was awesome! And I thought it was the greatest reminder of all that no matter how clean (or not clean) your house may be, those memories are the most important. 
Children want to see their parents laughing and happy, not stern and too busy to play.  So, while maybe dinner was put off a half an hour, and your hair was static-y, your children feel happy knowing they are important.
Since that day, I've tried to deliberately spend time with my kids, without phone, computer, cooking or cleaning.  It's hard to ignore stuff that "needs to get done," but my new focus is specific time each day to play.  Thanks for that great reminder!

FYI

I have tried and tried but cannot get my either of my blogs to cooperate with me. I can't see the messages I have posted and I can't read comments. I have been a little bit wondering about being done blogging anyway so to any of you who are dying to know how clean my house is just give me a jingle. I have loved reading everybody's tips on cleaning but for the time being (and possibly forever) I am done contributing because it is too much stress trying to figure out this error message. Sorry to say but I have other things to do with my time besides trying to blog on a broken system. I will still check for your insightful posts - Happy Cleaning.

Fun with a Washing Machine

Well, this post is not going to help solve the ironing dilemma, but, I do want to mention a few things I've learned the past few months.
In February I started using cloth diapers on my #3.  He seems to have extremely sensitive skin and diapers and wipes were just too much.  So, I went with cloth.  As a result, I have learned a few things about my washer.  Some of these have probably been obvious to everyone but me.  If so, apologies in advance.
1.  Prewash or soak hard stains just like you would a crusty baked pan.
2.  Doing a cold rinse cycle before a warm or hot wash MAY keep a stain from setting in.
3. Drying in the sun will take out stains. 
4.  warm or hot water cleans better than cold (only use as necessary.  I'm all for saving energy).  Of course, check your fabric for temperature guidelines.
5.  Nothing cleans more easily than 100% cotton.
6.  Did you know you can wash your "Dry Clean Only" laundry?  I found out the dry cleaners is far from dry and it's a large, hot, community washing machine.  So I got brave with some old stuff and then tried things I care about.  I did a cold "hand wash cycle" and then hung to dry.  For more delicate items, use a drying rack, not hangers.  Still, this required a lot of ironing afterward. 
7.  I also have learned to not stuff the washing machine as full as possible.  If the clothes are packed together and don't move around freely, they won't get clean.  (yup, this seems like a no-brainer.  But most of this" running a household info" is all new to me.  That's why I like this blog!)

Cloth diapers also require only selected kinds of detergent.  Many contain "optical brighteners" or other additives that can be harsh on baby's skin or make cloth diapers not absorb as well.  Fabric softener, for example, is really an oil that of course will cause the diapers to not absorb as well.
My detergent of choice?
Charlie's Laundry soap.  
It cleans and interestingly, I noticed that since I had to quit using fabric softener in the washer and dryer my clothes rarely have static.  Also, even a small bag seems to last a LONG time!

I know the community at large is not waiting with held breath for my next brilliant post, but I do want to apologize to Paige for my absence. Group support is no fun when you are the only one that contributes. I haven't stop cleaning my house, I've just been trying to fit in a new found hobby of "couponing" into everything else. Plus between kids and my hubby taking online classes, my computer time is very limited. Sorry.
As I was trying to think about what to post on, I realized I never responded to the nemesis known to many of you as bathrooms. Truth is, I kind of like cleaning bathrooms, with 2 major exceptions: floors and showers. I think the first must is consistency. It's hard when you dread it, I know, but you must do it every week. Second, I have a few germaphobic tendencies. I do not want to use the rag I used on my toilet on anything else in my house, or even wash it with my socks. It's just gross to me. So, I'm all about the Clorox wipes (or lysol, kirkland, etc.)
I use as many as necessary to wipe down my counter, sink, soap dispenser, and toilet. IF I do this every week, it's powerful enough to take care of things.

If I need something heavier duty however, I pull out the big guns: Scrubbing Bubbles.
I still use the disposable wipes with it, but it adds some cleaning power. As for the toilet bowl, my favorite cleaner is Lysol Power Cleaner. It just does the job. I haven't gone as far as disposable toilet brushes because it's not like I'll use the brush on anything else, so I don't care if it's gross. (I know, I'm weird.) Before we had a water softener I'd also need to spray some lime away in the bowl and scrub every couple of weeks.

Now, as for my shortfalls, I'm trying to make progress. I, of course, cringed at using the same mop on my bathroom floors as my kitchen floors. (I have a 3-year-old boy, need I say more?) But, I recently purchased the Swiffer mop Paige reviewed and I'm super excited to give it a try and change my ways. Up to this point most of my floor cleanings consisted of scrubbing on my hands and knees with a Clorox wipe. I'll tell you, that towel is much too small for the job.
As for the shower, (shudder) I'm guessing it's like the rest of the bathroom and wouldn't be so bad if I gave it some attention every week. Do I dare tell you that I think my shower was only cleaned probably twice in the last year, and one of those times was by my husband? Kind of pathetic. It just doesn't seem like there's an efficient way to get it looking good. It's a long tedious job that can't be done with kids at your feet, and since my shower shares a wall with my light sleeping daughter, it can't be done when kids are sleeping either. I'm giving the new Scrubbing Bubble power sprayers a try since I made money buying them.
They seem to do a fair job, but they definitely don't do the work for you. I also want to try a magic eraser on the tub, I've heard it works wonders. So, I guess I have something to report back on now. ;) But if you have a better way, please, please, please help!