making it home : nightly cleaning

I read something a few months ago that repeats in my mind daily: her house might be messy here and there, but it's always clean despite the presence of 4 children. Or something very close to that.

Each morning the best thing that can greet me, besides my family, is a clean house. When I walk downstairs and find a mess -- any mess -- I'm a bit more on edge. Can you relate?

Instead of starting with a clean slate and having only the day's matters to attend to, I'm playing catch-up from the day before. And I feel it immediately.

So it's important to me to straighten, wipe down, sweep, and leave the place in a pleasant state so that the next morning when I hit that prepared coffee maker, I'm a happy woman.

Though not anything remarkable, I'd like to share with you my nightly method for returning the house to its mostly-happy* state.

Source: wanelo.com via Erin on Pinterest

Here's what I do:

1. I give myself a time-sensitive incentive. I read recently that a task takes all the time it is given. So if I give myself an hour to clean the kitchen, it will take me an hour. If I give myself 10 minutes, it will take me 10 minutes. And the less time doesn't have to mean less quality.

So I either take out ice cream to thaw or a beer to warm (which is how good beer should be served, with the chill off and not genuine-draft-cold). I may toss it back in the freezer once before I'm ready, but it keeps me moving. 

2. I watch the clock, and I'm done at 9:00pm, with a 5-minute grace period. Ace's bedtime is 8:00pm, which means we're out of his room by 8:15pm. On a night like last night when Hawk was at the Brewer game (and dropped a ball off one of Braun's fouls -- DOH!) and I put both kids down myself, I was downstairs by 8:30. Everything below took 30 minutes.

But that 30 minutes was worth every second.

3. I have an order, and I keep to it. This is key: the kitchen comes first. Ms. Mendelson suggests leaving the kitchen until last, but I'm the sort who feels peace if the counter is cleared, the floor is wiped, and everything is put away in the kitchen. If there's food out, I'm annoyed. If there's a dish awry, I'm irritated. Plus, it's usually the area of the greatest mess, so when it's done I know my work gets easier from that point on.

To me the dining room is an extension of the kitchen; technically I start there. Here's the order:

• DINING ROOM: 
• Clear dishes, discard/store food, load washer
• Put away all food items from table like salt, olive oil, etc.
• Brush all crumbs onto the floor from table, chairs, and Ace's seat
• Wipe down table
• KITCHEN:
• Reserve/discard food from pots & pans in the kitchen
• Start dishwasher (unless I think there's room for breakfast's dishes)
• Hand-wash pots, pans, & plate chargers (we use for every meal)
• Spray and wipe down counters & stovetop
• DR/KIT:
• Sweep & discard crumbs
• Wash floors (really, this takes like 10 minutes max and is totally worth it)
• POWDER ROOM:
• Put away items like make-up, magazines, etc.
• Use a baby wipe to clean sink and toilet top
• Sweep up whatever might be on the floor
• LIVING ROOM:
• Put away toys
• Put away clothes and diaper materials (with kids, something is always out)
• Straighten furniture
• Clear off entryway bench & bench bins
• Straighten/store shoes 
• Crack open my Hopilicious

Do you think you might struggle with it? Try this: time yourself for each task. You'll likely find, as I did, that what I avoided for fear it would take up my whole night was actually done in a matter of minutes. I don't have a stopwatch, but I watch our kitchen clock. I find I'm generally done with everything in the dining room and kitchen within 20 minutes.

What do you think? Do you have a similar or totally different routine you'd recommend?

Remember to comment for this month's giveaway! 

icj,
~j


*Mostly-happy in that I am working to totally declutter every single room in our house before Christmas. My goal is to truly have a place for everything and everything in its place. I hate clutter. I hate mess. I hate things stuffed along a wall or kitchen counter. But right now we have a few things on the stairs and more things than places.

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finding mice

Source: planetpenny.co.uk via crafty-mum on Pinterest

I discovered yesterday that we have at least one mouse in the house. Behind some of our storage bins on three basement shelves I've noticed dirt and dust collecting. The light isn't good, so I couldn't figure out where it came from and what exactly it was. Upon closer examination and with great determination, I uncovered that at least some of it was comprised of mouse droppings.

gag.

I hate bugs, critters, and organic goo of any kind in my house. I tend to freak about it. So the kids and I took a trip to the local Home Depot and I rallied up some mousetraps.

What kind of trap? welllll. . . .Back in 2006 I lived on an island in Door County, WI. The house was set amidst a thickly wooded area, so mice were inevitable. In an effort to be humane, we set out those cute little humane mousetrap boxes, only to discover that they were not humane if we left the house/island for a few days, which we often did. Basically the little critters starved to death.

So I purchased the old-fashioned trap. I felt guilty. Then, I snapped my fingers four times in trying to set three of them up.

Let's just say they have it coming, but at least it's fast.

Moral of the story: if you feel bad about the old-fashioned traps, let it snap your thumb once. It smarts. And it sets you in the mood to just get the job done. Immediately.

I'll let you know how it goes. I won't set foot in the basement now until I know we're in the clear.

As I said, I freak.

icj,
~j


p.s. Remember to take advantage of the +70% off sale on the ebook of French Kids Eat Everything, by Karen Le Billon. Find it here.

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take it from us : removing stains from furniture

Egads! It's happened to you! You find that your friend, your kid, (you), has spilled something on your couch. The panic sets in. Gone are the days when you can just turn that cushion over because, hey, you got it off the curb anyway. You are an adult now. You have to do something about it.

When Hawk and I took the plunge and recently purchased a new rug, two new lounge chairs (they are seriously cool) and a new sofa, we said no eating, drinking, coloring, painting, or shoes allowed in the living room. And two weeks later, we had 2 marker events and one lunch-that-didn't-stay-down. Yikes.

Most recently, the little guy brought his dry-erase markers from the kitchen play area into the living room. I heard no no no dawing and knew that at that very moment, he was doing the very thing he told himself not to do. (What a parody of the human soul!) I rushed in to find that the painted wood window seat was covered in orange marker, and yes, heavens fall down, one of the couch cushions.

Hawk was going to kill me. Slowly.

Mom Hawk has said time and again that if we get spills on furniture to do the following. I can now say that having performed the remedy 3 times, it is entirely successful. We have removed marker, vomit (just a wee bit, friends who-come-over-and-sit-on-our-furniture) and coffee (mea culpa) in the last three weeks. Let me tell you how it's done.

you need:
a FRESH stain -- can't be allowed to set, so break out the goods while the guests or there or plan to explain that stain later, like THIS:
1 cup lukewarm-to-slightly-cold water, container w/ pourable spout a plus
a Shop-Vac
a sense of humor and humility
buns of steel (just kidding, it came to mind so I wrote it)

NOW DO THIS:
1. RESIST the urge to wipe/mop/press on the stain. Walk away now. Count to ten. Resist.
2. Get the shop-vac
3. Remove the bag (or it will get water inside and will mold and rip)
4. Put it back together (sounds obvious, but hey, you never know)
5. Get some water in that snazzy container

6. Pour a very small amount of water over the stain, just enough to cover the surface, and not enough that it will soak beneath the first layer.

7. Shop-vac the water/stain area.

8. Repeat with 6 & 7 until the stain is gone. If it's not out after 3 dosings, you're stuck with it. What did you spill???

Also, I found one set of dry-erase marker on the back of the couch days after it must have happened. It's still there. Shucks. So the #1 step is the most important--catch it while it's fresh!

So there you have it friends, a tried and true way to remove stains. We've used the same method on our new rug (coffee...) and it was spiffy. Just spiffy.

Let me know if you have to apply the method. I will both commiserate and give you made props.

Happy Thursday!

icj,
~j

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making it home :: the weekly routine, a day for each thing

Housework seems overwhelming, especially for first-timers like me. I had no idea where to begin, how to keep it going. I felt like there was always more to be done and no energy with which to do it. So where does a person begin? If my end goal is to make our home homey and approachable, a sanctuary as well as a place of great movement and life, how do I do that and still keep it clean and ordered enough that people can pop over without reducing me a sheepish, Sorry my place is so messy, again.

Wow. So obvious and yet so completely foreign to a modern gal like me. First off, I didn't even know what the major housekeeping chores were, and I would never have thought to assign them to one day of the week. I definitely thought everything in the house could/should/would be done any day or every day of the week.

But this system makes SO much sense.

Let's look at laundry for a sec. What was my old method? Do a load whenever I could swing it. That meant doing about one load a day on average. So I felt I was in constant laundry mode and yet whenever Hawk needed a white undershirt for work, they were never ready. How does that happen? Can you relate?

Ms. Mendelson suggests that laundering be done one day of the week, possibly two, with a different and specific focus for each of the days. Traditionally laundry was done on Mondays because the work was so difficult that people appreciated having the weekend to rest up for it. If more items needed laundering, a separate day was set aside for that activity.

I wash all our clothes (including underoos and socks) on Mondays (about 4-5 color-separated loads) and towels and sheets on Thursdays (about 2 loads). I find that the doing the major stuff on Monday works for me, and here's why I lurve it:

• It starts the week out with something I can actually accomplish
• I'm ready to jump in after a weekend (and week) away from it
• I know we'll have clean clothes the whole week!
• Mondays rarely see playdates, meetings, etc., so I have the time

By the time Thursday arrives I don't mind throwing in two loads of towels and sheets (one dark, one light). And if for some reason it's just too crazy of a week, I skip it. YUP, I skip it. We have enough sheets and towels that we could manage. We're a relatively clean family (I hope).

Okay, so now what are the weekly housekeeping chores?

Suggested Weekly Housekeeping Chores

Change bed linens 1-2 times weekly

Vacuum rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, and lampshades

Wash all washable floors

Dust all dustable surfaces

Wipe fingerprints and smears from places like mirrors, doorknobs, etc.

Wash entire bathroom, including floor

Wash all combs & brushes

Clean entire kitchen including fridge, backsplashes, and floors

Clean air-conditioners and humidifiers

Wash out and sanitize garbage cans

Okay, before you freak, take a breath. The author is constantly reminding her readers that she includes everything but that we are to discern what is appropriate and plausible in our own homes. 

So mine looks like this after tweaking it five times over the past four months:

A couple of things to notice that I figured out through trial and error:

• Monday & Thursday are basically the same
• Tuesdays are terrible marketing days for me because our stores restock on Wednesdays, so Tuesdays are really slim-pickings. Plus, Wednesday is closer to the weekend, so I can plan according to our outings more accurately.
• I don't change out AND wash towels and linens on the same day. This is HUGE. I have at least one extra set of linens for each bed (4 for Ace's crib) and 2 different colored sets of towels. We only go through 2 towels a week per person, so it's totally manageable. It makes me keep fresh stock in our linen closet, but it also means that I'm not scrambling to replace towels and linens by first washing and drying them.
• Friday is fun
• Saturday is a natural mini-cleaning day because Hawk is home to help
• Sunday we really do need to just rest and relax. We usually spend time with neighbors, friends, or family, so it's a big deal to not have any other responsibilities.

Okay, that's a lot to ingest. Are you still with me? I hope so, because here's a little thank you from my heart to your home. We're offering a little giveaway during the month of March having to do with this series, so stay tuned!

icj,
~j

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making it home :: succeeding at the daily routine

Last week's great comments about the daily routine got me thinking about how to explain and encourage you if you're working it into your own life. I recalled a few things I did to get started.

First, I picked a Saturday/Sunday 

to begin this whole crazy endeavor, 

so I could start with a truly clean slate. 

Do you remember Dangerous Minds when Michelle Pfeifer says that the kids don't have to earn an A, they just have to maintain the one they already have? If you don't, here it is (and I'm totally feeling old now). 

The same thing goes for housekeeping. I found it extremely helpful to go nuts one weekend, give my son to my husband for some quality time, and clean as much as I possibly could from top to bottom. Now, I used a lot of what is in the book to adequately do so--an efficient and worthwhile checklist and how-to is included in the book.

So when I began my daily routine on Monday, I was merely maintaining rather than reestablishing order. It is MUCH easier to maintain something than to establish it bit by bit. If you jump into this series, I suggest giving yourself a clean slate first and then give the following 3 weeks to see how it improves your time, energy, and effectiveness.

Second, I embraced the weekly routine 

along with the daily, 

and this makes a big difference because it allows for things to be done on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis (duh). Okay, that was totally obvious. Let me explain it better: one of the great thing about having the weekly routine alongside the daily is that I only clean the kitchen floor, scrub the stovetop, wipe out the microwave, etc., twice a week, so on a daily basis I am returning the room to a certain standard rather than starting all over again.

So my daily routine is really about 
maintaining the status quo,

and my weekly routine gives me 
time to reestablish it.

But wait, you haven't posted about the weekly routine yet, you fool!


Yes, this is true. It's coming on Thursday!!!

Have a lovely Tuesday, friends. I hope this helps you start off with more ease and satisfaction.

icj,
`j

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making it home :: starting your housekeeping routine, the daily list

Boston.com Community: We are running an updated version of this post in early November. Check back if you're looking for more guidance on how to start house cleaning in an organized, manageable, and enjoyable way!
~jen

We're back to Home Comforts,** and I'm particularly excited about this post because I've had quite a bit of time to work on it. You won't be getting a week's worth of experience but rather a couple of months!

Let's review a bit of what we've learned from previous posts, primarily why she suggests establishing a routine:

I can't agree more! A routine gives an outline for the attainable. Since establishing a routine, I finish each day with that sense of accomplishment, particularly if other daily requirements permit me to spend the time saved on something I enjoy like reading, blog stuff, etc. To sum up the entire approach, a routine gives the homemaker the ability to accomplish real tasks and see real results--thereby enjoying a clean home and moving on to other enjoyable activities.

Ms. Mendelson offers Daily, Weekly, Monthly/Seasonally/Intermittently, and Semiannually/Annually lists of activities. I have only attempted the Daily and Weekly thus far, and we'll start with the Daily today. 

Here are the steps I took in starting my housekeeping routine:

Step One: Try the Routine She Suggests
There are times I think it's good to look over and pare something down to my needs, but when it comes to housekeeping -- something totally new to me -- I found it most helpful to just try what she suggests and see what works and what doesn't, as she encourages.

Let's start with the Daily routine*, page 21:

I knew a few things:

1. I would need a good 3 weeks of living by this routine before I could determine what was and wasn't working for me. 
2. I need the list to be visible so as to constantly remind me
3. I had to make it my own, visually and physically

So I did the following:

1. I gave three full weeks to her method and then reevaluated. I started by copying her full list (see above) and hanging it in our kitchen, our most visited room in the house. 
2. I ordered the tasks from the top of the house to the bottom (our bedroom is upstairs and most of the crazy kid stuff is on the mid and lowest levels).
3. I gave each task a one-word, quick check reminder, followed by a more detailed explanation. This helps me glance at it and recall whether or not I've completed it.
4. I printed it out in pleasant colors (I've since changed them, but more on that in another post) and hung it on a clipboard in our backstairs hallway.
5. I added kids specifically because cleaning toys, trays, etc., is a unique activity of its own.
6. I adjusted a few words like down slide instead of hamper since we have a laundry shoot.
7. I gave an ordered list of how to clean up afterwards from meals so that if anyone else checks it out, like when Obie arrives and I'm not cleaning up as much myself.

Here's my revised list after completing the above:

Bed: Make the bed

Clothes: Put soiled clothes down slide & hang up other clothes

Sinks: Clean sinks & tubs after use (including drains and traps)

Supplies: Check soap, toilet paper, other supplies in bathroom

Meals: Prepare meals and clean up afterward (dishes, wipe table, wipe counters, wipe stove)

Floors: Sweep kitchen, dining room, and entryway floors

Neaten: LR at the start of each sleep time

Kids: Clean chair; clean bottles nightly

Thus far, this daily routine really works for me. I like how the list looks, where it is located, the level of detail and at-a-glance it offers, and most of all, how it helps me keep the house ordered through completely manageable, defined tasks.

If you're joining me in starting from scratch with housekeeping, I know you'll find Ms. Mendelson's text the most helpful. Even checking it out from the library is worth it, and I'm only through the first 3 chapters:)

Have a lovely Thursday, friends!

icj,
~j


*NOTE: I am only speaking of the daily task list in this post, but in reality I did both the daily and weekly together, which definitely makes it easier to figure out what works and what doesn't. But for the sake of brevity...

*I am not being perked, paid, or praised for reviewing this text. I wish. This series came from my own lack of experience and the euphoric sense of direction and possibility I found in reading Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. (thanks again, joyce, for this sweet housewarming gift!)

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