Schedules, Priorities, Etc

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men

I've had a lot of people ask how I manage to keep a clean house, cook homemade from scratch most nights of the week, and be a mom to a 2.5 year old while being pregnant.
 
Over the years I've developed a system for getting things done around my house that works with my schedule. I tried flylady, other people's schedules, home notebooks, and none of it worked. I had to find what worked for me. What I do might not work for you and your situation, but sometimes it helps to see how other people get their cleaning done and what they do. 
 
Let me first start by saying my house is clean, but lived in. It is messy, but not dirty (minus my bathroom at the moment!). If we get a call that someone is coming over for a visit, or I have short notice on someone coming over, or I spontaneously decide to invite someone for dinner or a playdate, I can get the house completely company ready in less than 10 minutes (if I've kept my routine) without major stress.
 
How do I do this? I prioritize my time and enlist the help of my 2.5 year old son, and my husband helps a lot while I'm getting our son in bed. Starting at about 15 months old, I began teaching him how to put his toys away. If you looked at my house right this minute, toys are scattered everywhere, but when I ask him for help, he helps, and that is good!
 
I have what I call a Morning Routine, Quick Clean, and a Weekly Cleaning Schedule. Admitedly, not every week is the same, and I sometimes need to switch things around or completely skip cleaning items on my list. But regardless, the Morning Routine is done as is at least one Quick Clean during the day.
 
My Morning Routine goes something like this:

• Before going downstairs to start the day I gather up bits of laundry and throw them over the ledge. Jonathan things this is great fun to watch.
• Read to Jonathan upstairs for a while, then head downstairs
• Spend a few minutes checking email. I set a timer if necessary
• Start a load of laundry to be washing while I make breakfast
• Put away breakfast items as I'm cooking, that way less of a mess is left to clean up after
• Breakfast time: Jonathan carries the milk to the table and gets into his highchair and buckles himself in. I have my daily devotions and reading the Bible while we are eating, then we read in his Bible and we spend time talking and singing, and just being silly, brush his teeth, wipe him down, etc.
• We clean up after breakfast. Jonathan takes his plate and fork/spoon and puts it into the sink. He carries the milk back to the kitchen and puts it on the counter or in the fridge for me.
• He gets busy playing trains while I wipe down the table and get started on the kitchen.
• I throw away trash that I come across in the family room, dining room, and kitchen.
• Wipe down the stove and all countertops in the kitchen
• Play for a bit, read for a while
• Load or unload the dishwasher
• Put clothes in dryer

Depending on how fast I am I can have all of this completed by 9am, leaving me the rest of the morning to play with Jonathan or work on a Weekly Cleaning task depending on what day of the week it is. Like I said, sometimes I have to lump stuff together if we've had a busy week, and sometimes I don't get to some things at all if I feel that I need to spend extra quality time with my son.  During all of this cleaning I take time out for little breaks to read to my son, give him a hug or a kiss, sit down and watch him play, and talk with him during this time. Sometimes he even helps me wipe down the table or counters, it depends on his mood.
 
Weekly Cleaning goes something like this:
Monday: Morning Routine plus Grocery Shop, gather up trash
Tuesday: Morning Routine plus Laundry (clothes), toilets, tubs, bathrooms
Wednesday: Morning Routine plus dust the whole house, wipe down light switches, doors, doorknobs, etc that have gotten grimy during the week
Thursday: Morning Routine plus Laundry (towels and sheets and leftover clothes that need to be done), Grocery Shop again for milk, and fruits and veggies to get us through the weekend
Friday: Morning Routine plus Floors (sweep, vaccuum, mop), wipe down bathrooms again
Saturday: Morning Routine shortened plus weekly meal plan and grocery list
Sunday: Church, relax, clip coupons, get list ready
 
Quick Cleans happen at least once a day. I call out "Quick Clean" and we sing a song about cleaning. Usually it is just to pick up toys scattered all over the floor, throw away trash that has accumulated during the day somehow, etc. It lasts only 5 minutes or so. We do a quick clean before bath and bedtime so that in the morning we start out with a clean floor.
 
I also have Jonathan pick up all his toys off the floor before I sweep and vacuum. He's closer to the floor, and it is good for him to learn how to pick up his toys and put them where they belong.
 
So, there you have it. My daily schedule. The thing I like best is that by doing a little bit every day in spurts I have time to rest, play with my son while giving him time to play by himself, and don't have to feel overwhelmed by trying to clean everything at once and feeling like I'm ignoring my son. I don't do any cleaning during his naptime. I work on blog posts so I can schedule them for later, read, or watch a tv show I've tivo'd. I use that time for me.
 
Periodically I pick a day to do a deeper cleaning item such as cobwebs or baseboards, but I don't go crazy about it. There's dust and junk on the floor, so my house is definitely lived in. I try to remember that a clean house is more important than a spotless house, and that what I'm doing pleases the Lord because I'm doing it with a glad heart, thankful for how He has blessed me with a home to clean and a husband to love, and a son to cherish. So, even though my home isn't perfect all the time (when has it ever been at all?) it is filled with love which is more important in the end.
 
Hope this helps those who've been asking!
 
♥Sarah♥

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!


We went for a 3 mile hike this morning in the woods, and it was incredible! Our son walked the whole way and we came back with a ton of nature goodies loaded in his daddy's pockets. :) We were blessed with a cool breeze blowing, and not a cloud in the sky! It was wonderful hiking weather. I can't wait to take more walks in the fall when the leaves start changing and the air gets crisper and cooler!


I hope everyone is enjoying a great day today!

Harvest or Spring Pasta Salad

This is a great pasta salad recipe that can work for the Autumn months or Springtime, depending on what fresh produce is available.  The version I'm posting today is the Spring Pasta Salad. Our son Jonathan loves this pasta, he even asks for it from time to time! It's a great way to get extra grains and veggies into a healthy snack or meal.

The recipe is for a very large pasta dish perfect for sharing. You can cut it down by half and add more of the ingredients you love to make a smaller dish for smaller gatherings.

Super Springtime/Harvest Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 box Vegetable Tri color Pasta, organic if available
1 orange bellpepper, chopped
1 yellow bellpeppre, chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped or cut on the bias for a pretty presentation
1 large tomato, chopped
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade or roughly chopped
1/2 jar pepperocini chopped (banana peppers work well too)
1 small can sliced olives
6-7 slices swiss cheese, sliced into strips or squares
salami, sliced into strips or squares
Zesty Italian Dressing

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to box directions, allow to cool. An easy way to get the pasta cooled down quickly is to drain the pasta, then add ice cubes to it while it's in the strainer, then rinse again with cold water, drain well, and stick in the fridge in your serving bowl.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients, then add to the pasta and toss with dressing to taste. You can also add sundried tomatoes, or if you don't like swiss cheese, provolone works very well.

This recipe is super easy to change according to what you like. You can add more or less tomatoes, or none at all. Freshly blanched asparagus would be great too, as would artichoke hearts, red beans, and corn.

Hope you enjoy!

♥Sarah♥