Have you ever wondered how to get your kids to eat healthy? Here is the quick tip of the day: If you want them to eat healthy, you have to eat healthy.
I was at one time a raw foodist and I still have a few favorite recipes that I like to whip up now and again. These are definitely not your traditional fare. But my kids want to eat whatever I am eating. They don't care that no other kid on the block is eating raw tabouli salad for lunch. What they care about is that mommy is eating raw tabouli salad - and they want it.
There are some things that they might try and decide they don't want. But usually if they see me eating it on a regular basis, they try it again because, gosh darn it.... they want what I have!
Sure my kids like to eat chicken nuggets and french fries. But when they beg for fruit, eat green salads, raw nuts and whole wheat pasta on a regular basis, do you think I worry about the occasional junk food? Nope.
That is the unfortunate truth of it...if you want your kids to eat healthy, then it starts with you.
And since I mentioned it, here is the recipe for raw tabouli that I make...yummy and chock full of nutrition.
In a food processor chop several green onions, about 1/2 bunch of parsley, and 1/2 bunch of cilantro. Mix in a handful of chopped raw almonds and 1 large chopped tomato. Mash a ripe avocado with the juice of 1/2 small lemon, a drizzle of EVOO, and a little honey. (optional) Stir the avocado dressing into the salad and chow down!
Tuesday, January 29
Friday, January 25
The Next Survivor Series
I don't know when I am going to be back at home and on a regular posting schedule again, but hang in there, I will be back! Until then, this came my way via email and I thought it was too good not to pass on! Women, get ready to sign your husbands up for this next Survivor....
THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES - Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.
Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.
There is no fast food.
Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.
Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time.
Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.
He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care. He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.
Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times. The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.
The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.
During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.
They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting. They will need to read a book and then pray with the children each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.
A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.
The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice. If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!
THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES - Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.
Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.
There is no fast food.
Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.
Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time.
Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.
He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care. He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.
Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times. The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.
The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.
During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.
They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting. They will need to read a book and then pray with the children each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.
A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.
The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice. If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!
Thursday, January 10
New Year, New Format
A big apology to my 1 or 2 readers out there besides my mom. We have had a major interruption this week in my ability to blog. First I have been having computer problems and was concerned about having a virus. I wanted to download the AVG free virus protection program, but on dial up, it was a very lengthy process. (about 4 1/2 hours) To make matters worse, I kept getting disconnected and having to restart the download.
Then, after finally getting the virus protection up and running, we had an unforeseen major change of venue. We packed up our kids and drove 27 hours to Phoenix. Hubby is going to be working down here for a while. With all of this going on, I have not had the opportunity to do my regular blogging.
Meanwhile, I have been thinking about changing the format. My original concept was for a book that would categorize activities for moms. I am going to start doing posts following this format. Each post will be under one of the activity labels - indoor time, outdoor time, arts, crafts, music, and story time. Then you can pick and choose your own activities by looking under the labels on the blog page. The good news is that I am back on high speed internet now that I am in Phoenix, so I should be able to get the site completely updated while I am here.
Thanks for your patience and next week will resume regular postings.
Now for wading through all this, you get rewarded with this touching little tidbit to remind us that children may say the darndest things, but sometimes they also say the most profound things. Click on the Sky Angel Cowboy link and listen to the audio message.
Then, after finally getting the virus protection up and running, we had an unforeseen major change of venue. We packed up our kids and drove 27 hours to Phoenix. Hubby is going to be working down here for a while. With all of this going on, I have not had the opportunity to do my regular blogging.
Meanwhile, I have been thinking about changing the format. My original concept was for a book that would categorize activities for moms. I am going to start doing posts following this format. Each post will be under one of the activity labels - indoor time, outdoor time, arts, crafts, music, and story time. Then you can pick and choose your own activities by looking under the labels on the blog page. The good news is that I am back on high speed internet now that I am in Phoenix, so I should be able to get the site completely updated while I am here.
Thanks for your patience and next week will resume regular postings.
Now for wading through all this, you get rewarded with this touching little tidbit to remind us that children may say the darndest things, but sometimes they also say the most profound things. Click on the Sky Angel Cowboy link and listen to the audio message.
Sunday, January 6
P, P, What Begins With P
You know how Sesame Street has a letter of the day each show? Well, we are going to have a letter of the day today - P. You could really have fun with it and feed your kids meals that are "p" foods... pancakes, pork chops, peas, potatoes, popsicles, pickles, pizza, etc.
Craft Time: Break out old circulars or magazines that you can cut up. Make a collage on construction paper of things that begin with the letter P. If your kids are young, do the cutting for them, but then let them glue the pictures onto the paper.
Outdoor Time: Play Pretend. Let your kids decide who they will be and what adventure they will go on. Get into the game with them and ask them questions to prompt their imagination further. Ex: Okay, we are Dora and Diego and we are going to the mountain. How are we getting there? Are we walking, hopping, taking a scooter?
Music Time: Teach your kids the song Puff the Magic Dragon. You can get all the lyrics and music here.
Story Time: Look through your collection of books for "P" stories - either the title or the main character. Harold and the Purple Crayon would work for example with the purple crayon being prominant throughout the book. :)
Art Time: Pink and purple art time. Give your kids a sheet of art paper and all the different shades of pink and purple crayons. See what creative designs they can make with just those colors.
Indoor Time: Puzzle time. Bring out your puzzles and spend some time putting them together with your kids.
Craft Time: Break out old circulars or magazines that you can cut up. Make a collage on construction paper of things that begin with the letter P. If your kids are young, do the cutting for them, but then let them glue the pictures onto the paper.
Outdoor Time: Play Pretend. Let your kids decide who they will be and what adventure they will go on. Get into the game with them and ask them questions to prompt their imagination further. Ex: Okay, we are Dora and Diego and we are going to the mountain. How are we getting there? Are we walking, hopping, taking a scooter?
Music Time: Teach your kids the song Puff the Magic Dragon. You can get all the lyrics and music here.
Story Time: Look through your collection of books for "P" stories - either the title or the main character. Harold and the Purple Crayon would work for example with the purple crayon being prominant throughout the book. :)
Art Time: Pink and purple art time. Give your kids a sheet of art paper and all the different shades of pink and purple crayons. See what creative designs they can make with just those colors.
Indoor Time: Puzzle time. Bring out your puzzles and spend some time putting them together with your kids.
Wednesday, January 2
Ship Shape Shenanigans
Craft Time: Get out construction paper and glue. Cut out a bunch of circles, squares, and triangles from different colored paper. Then let your kids glue the shapes onto a sheet of construction paper. They can either do a collage or use the shapes to create pictures, like a tangram.
Indoor Time: Have a shape scavenger hunt. Make a list of the items your kids have to find. The items should be based on shapes such as 4 squares, 2 rectangles, 1 triangle, 3 circles. Give your kids a bag or basket to collect their items. If your kids are older, you might want to increase the difficulty of the scavenger hunt by tagging colors and shapes together - ex: red square, blue circle, etc. Work with your kids to see the shapes in their every day environment.
Music Time: Sing the song If You're Happy and You Know It with your kids. Find the music and lyrics here. Have fun with this one by making up your own actions to perform. Let your kids come up with ideas too - they can be quite fun!
Art Time: Sponge painting. Cut shapes out of sponges - circles, squares, triangles. You can use old ones or buy new ones at the dollar store. Wet the shapes but wring out the excess water. Dip the sponge in paint or use a brush to apply the paint. Press the sponge onto canvas or paper.
Outdoor Time: Play I Spy. If you don't know how this game works, one person says "I spy with my little eye something that is...." then you give a description of the object that you have chosen. (ex: green, tall, round) Then the other person looks around and tries guessing what the object is that you have described. For this game, stick to shapes. Pick out objects that specifically can be described as a shape - round, square, rectangle, etc.
Story Time: Find books that teach shapes. If you don't have any specifically on shapes, use any books with good pictures. Then have your kids find the shapes in the pictures.
Indoor Time: Have a shape scavenger hunt. Make a list of the items your kids have to find. The items should be based on shapes such as 4 squares, 2 rectangles, 1 triangle, 3 circles. Give your kids a bag or basket to collect their items. If your kids are older, you might want to increase the difficulty of the scavenger hunt by tagging colors and shapes together - ex: red square, blue circle, etc. Work with your kids to see the shapes in their every day environment.
Music Time: Sing the song If You're Happy and You Know It with your kids. Find the music and lyrics here. Have fun with this one by making up your own actions to perform. Let your kids come up with ideas too - they can be quite fun!
Art Time: Sponge painting. Cut shapes out of sponges - circles, squares, triangles. You can use old ones or buy new ones at the dollar store. Wet the shapes but wring out the excess water. Dip the sponge in paint or use a brush to apply the paint. Press the sponge onto canvas or paper.
Outdoor Time: Play I Spy. If you don't know how this game works, one person says "I spy with my little eye something that is...." then you give a description of the object that you have chosen. (ex: green, tall, round) Then the other person looks around and tries guessing what the object is that you have described. For this game, stick to shapes. Pick out objects that specifically can be described as a shape - round, square, rectangle, etc.
Story Time: Find books that teach shapes. If you don't have any specifically on shapes, use any books with good pictures. Then have your kids find the shapes in the pictures.
Tuesday, January 1
Busy Bodies
Craft Time: For your craft time make paper dolls. You can either design them yourself, or get some help online. (paper doll link) Keep it simple for the younger ones - maybe make a simple bear.
Indoor Time: Play Simon Says. Keep the actions more simple for the indoors. Do things that will help with them learning to identify arms, legs, hands, feet, etc.
Outdoor Time: Here is an easy one...play hide and go seek.
Art Time: Using playdough, have your kids shape little people. Make all the body parts - feet, legs, body, arms, head - then assemble them.
Story Time: Find a book that teaches about the parts of the body. (arms, legs, hands, feet, etc.) This will tie in nicely with your music time today.
Music Time: Do the Hokey Pokey with your kids today. Need the Lyrics? Don't be afraid to add your own twist to the song and dance like "You put your teddy bear in, you put your teddy bear out..."
Indoor Time: Play Simon Says. Keep the actions more simple for the indoors. Do things that will help with them learning to identify arms, legs, hands, feet, etc.
Outdoor Time: Here is an easy one...play hide and go seek.
Art Time: Using playdough, have your kids shape little people. Make all the body parts - feet, legs, body, arms, head - then assemble them.
Story Time: Find a book that teaches about the parts of the body. (arms, legs, hands, feet, etc.) This will tie in nicely with your music time today.
Music Time: Do the Hokey Pokey with your kids today. Need the Lyrics? Don't be afraid to add your own twist to the song and dance like "You put your teddy bear in, you put your teddy bear out..."
Monday, December 31
Do the Holidays Ever End?
Okay, I admit it. New Year's Eve completely snuck up on me. In celebration of (or recovery thereof) I will not be posting activities for tomorrow. Have a great day with your family. If you need something to do with your kids, then take a trip down memory lane. Look at photos from 2007 and remember all the great times you had together.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 30
Fun Farm Frolicking
Welcome back! I hope you all had great holidays and you are sufficiently recovered and ready for the arrival of the new year. We are going to start out simply this week since it has been such a busy time of the year.
Music Time: Sing Old MacDonald had a Farm with your kids.
Craft Time: Make paper bag puppets. Try making farm animals like a cow, pig, sheep, or chicken. You can do this by decorating the bags with construction paper cutouts or get more creative with other art supplies. (ex: buttons, yarn, glitter, etc.)
Story Time: Read books about farm animals.
Outdoor Time: Have your kids pretend to be different farm animals.
Art Time: Have your kids draw and color a farm scene. If you have really young artists at home, find them a coloring page with farm animals and just have them do the coloring.
Indoor Time: Put on a puppet show. If you have puppets, you can use them. Otherwise, use the puppets you made at craft time.
Music Time: Sing Old MacDonald had a Farm with your kids.
Craft Time: Make paper bag puppets. Try making farm animals like a cow, pig, sheep, or chicken. You can do this by decorating the bags with construction paper cutouts or get more creative with other art supplies. (ex: buttons, yarn, glitter, etc.)
Story Time: Read books about farm animals.
Outdoor Time: Have your kids pretend to be different farm animals.
Art Time: Have your kids draw and color a farm scene. If you have really young artists at home, find them a coloring page with farm animals and just have them do the coloring.
Indoor Time: Put on a puppet show. If you have puppets, you can use them. Otherwise, use the puppets you made at craft time.
Sunday, December 23
Carnival of SAHMs - December 23, 2007
Welcome to the December 23, 2007 edition of Carnival of SAHMs. Sorry the posting is so late, but at least I am getting it in on the right day! Life has been CRAZY here with the addition of our 6 year old nephew to the kid crew. I was telling my brother-in-law that I had to go post a blog carnival and he said, "I don't even know what a blog is...I'm thinking it's some sort of high heel shoe with goldfish in it, but I'm not sure." Do you know people that react the same way when you talk about blogging?! Well, on with the carnival...there is a lot of good reading here for you this week.
Did you ever wonder if you are the only mom that lives a crazy life? Well wonder no more! Dana presents And the toilet saga continues posted at Principled Discovery.
Okay, I must live under a rock. I had no idea there was even a product called the Keeper. Whether you know what it is or not, you can find out from one who's been there and done that. Stephanie presents The Keeper - A Three Month Review posted at Stop the Ride!.
Tea Party Girl presents Why I Said ‘No’ So I Could Say ‘Yes’ posted at Tea Party Girl, saying, "Blessed December to every SaHM! I hope this article helps you choose little ways you too can be nurtured this season." I thought this was a refreshing point of view considering I have a little girl turning 3 next month and she doesn't take tumbling, dance, karate, swim lessons, piano, gymboree, etc., etc.
Lauren Franklin presents Once upon a time... posted at Finding my mommy voice. Come read about the start of Lauren's journey as a mom.
Need a good laugh? Here you go! Jenny Rapson presents Dirty Phonics on the Bathroom Wall posted at Mommin' It Up!.
Lisa Clauson presents How to Teach Children to Say Thank You posted at Lil Duck Duck. Thanks, Lisa, for some creative ideas for thank you's. Very timely with Christmas this week!
Spillay presents Christmas is coming! posted at A Pot of Gold. A nice read to help remember why, as moms, we run around like crazy this time of year.
Dolfin presents Book Review - Hanukkah posted at Lionden Landing, saying, "Holiday wrapup - A book review of Hanukkah" This is a nice post comparing several books on Hanukkah. Dolfin has done the footwork so you don't have to.
WhatWorksForMom presents Scrooged posted at What Works For Us. Ai-carumba! This is one of those stories that makes you question what you would do in the same situation.
This is a REAL quick tidbit. Wenchypoo presents Food Absurdity of the Millenium posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Some entertainment for you--food to AVOID. This product is perfect for the inept cook who can't boil water without burning it. I found this buried in my health food store's online catalog."
Here's a little glimpse into a the life of a SAHM from New Jersey. Jenny presents My Little Guitar Hero posted at the so called me.
Alison presents Preschool For a Fraction of the Cost posted at This Wasn't in The Plan.
Cool! That was my reaction to this idea. It's on my list of things to look into.
Last but not least, here is an experienced mom sharing her wisdom on sleep training. We did something similar with our first, but unfortunately, waaaay too late in the game after far too long without sleep. Fussy Fussypants presents How to get your baby to sleep through the night posted at Mrs. Fussypants Guide to Life, saying, "Hope y'all enjoy!"
I too, hope you all enjoyed this edition of the SAHM carnival. A very merry Christmas and may you find the perfect gift in your children's smiles on Christmas morning.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of sahms using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Technorati tags: carnival of sahms, blog carnival.
Thursday, December 20
Keeping it Clean
A little blog housekeeping first - tomorrow is Favorites Friday, so you get to repeat your children's favorite activities from the week. I won't be posting the Daily Grind next week for a couple of reasons. One, we have family coming in for the holidays so it promises to be quite hectic around here. Two, I don't think most people are going to have a problem finding ways to keep the kids entertained next week. For most of us, the kids are going to have a bunch of new toys to keep them happily engaged for the week. But, I will be hosting the SAHM Blog Carnival this Sunday. Be sure to check back in and see what moms are contributing this week for your reading pleasure.
And, since I mentioned it a looooong time ago, I thought I would post my cleaning schedule for those of you who can't get enough of schedules. This schedule is designed to keep your house clean - NOT spotless. Go see Martha Stewart if you need a spotless house....better yet, go see a shrink. You need to get your priorities in order. Spotless homes and small children are not congruent. If you fail to get everything done everyday, then at the very least your home will be tidy. This far surpasses the (total chaos)(pit of despair) mess that reigns without some sort of schedule in my home.
Being an accountant by trade, I am an excel freak. So my schedule is posted as a spreadsheet on my refrigerator. Feel free to write it up in whatever way works for you. You could use index cards for each day/category, make a list then laminate it, write it on a white board where you can check it off as you go...the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Here is my schedule:
DAILY: Straighten all rooms
Do dishes and put away
Make beds
Plan meals
Do a load of laundry
Wipe bathroom sinks
Wipe down shower after use
Clean stove/oven as needed
Pay bills
Water plants/garden
Feed/water pets
WEEKLY -
MONDAY: Empty wastebaskets/take trash out
Sweep kitchen floor
Spot-clean walls/floors
Change bed sheets
Choose a monthly task
TUESDAY: Clean kitchen sink
Clean bathroom mirrors
Clean toilets
Clean ceiling fans
Choose a monthly task
WEDNESDAY: Empty wastebaskets
Clean toaster, microwave, coffeemaker (i.e. regularly used small appliances)
Wipe cabinets/appliances
Sweep/mop downstairs
THURSDAY: Clean kitchen sink
Clean bathroom mirrors
Clean showers Spot-clean floors
FRIDAY: Empty wastebaskets
Dusting Sweep/mop upstairs
SATURDAY: Clean kitchen sink
Choose 1-2 monthly, bi-monthly, bi-annual, or yearly tasks
MONTHLY: 2x - dust out of reach areas/polish
Check dryer vents
Vacuum in/on/under furniture
Clean refrigerator inside/top/under
Wash kitchen curtains
Turn mattresses
Wash garbage cans
Wash windows inside
EVERY OTHER MONTH: Dust blinds
Wax floors
Clean kitchen drawers/cupboards
Wash curtains
Wash whole stove
Wash windows outside
Baking soda in drains to clear sinks
Clean throw rugs
BI-ANNUALLY: Carpets cleaned
Rotate seasonal clothes
Clean closets/drawers
Check smoke detectors/replace batteries (do at daylight saving time each year is an easy way to remember)
YEARLY: AC/heating system maintenance
Wash walls
Wash blinds
I know, I know....it seems overwhelming. But the reality is, you are doing most of this anyway. You just didn't realize how much you were juggling every day/week. Or you did, and it made you want to fake your own death and disappear to a tropical island somewhere. Utilizing this schedule will help it be more manageable. Really, if you are following this schedule on a regular basis, most of the daily and weekly stuff just isn't so bad. It's when you fall behind that the tasks can become laborious. For instance, if you haven't so much as looked at the blades on your ceiling fans since the day they were installed or you moved in, then it is very likely going to be a highly time consuming chore the first time you clean them. But after that, each week will be a pretty quick and painless assignment to dust the blades off.
Also, you can shift items around as needed for your home. Our garbage is picked up on Tuesday morning. I was scheduling to empty the wastebaskets 3x a week, so I did MWF to accommodate getting them emptied the day it needed to go out. Our last home was only one level. I just split the house into two sections and swept/mopped half the house on Wednesday and the other half on Friday. Also, I assigned everything from Mon.-Sat. I like having Sunday off from any chores. You can set up your schedule for every day of the week if you like or maybe you would rather do more during the week and have off Saturday and Sunday. Just be realistic about what you can get done in a day without totally neglecting your kids.
Oh, yeah. Here's the really important part....your husband should be helping you get this all done. Stop laughing - I'm serious. Keeping a household clean after you (get married) have kids is a huge task. Having this chart helps you to make that point abundantly clear with your significant other. Sit down with him sometime after the kids are in bed and before you become completely comatose, and go over the list of tasks, assigning them between the two of you. If your husband still needs more convincing that you need his help, then I suggest the two of you read Babyproofing Your Marriage. (review here) This book makes it clear that if a man wants you to meet his marital needs (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more) then he needs to step up to the plate in a big way with the housework. Really, once you have kids, housework is the new box of chocolates/bouquet of roses. I remember telling a girlfriend of mine after the first baby, "Hubby did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen and swept the floors last night. It was the best foreplay I've had in a long time!"
Enough said. Divvy up the housework and give yourself grace on those days it just doesn't all get done. Your house will live to see another day. (and you will too!)
And, since I mentioned it a looooong time ago, I thought I would post my cleaning schedule for those of you who can't get enough of schedules. This schedule is designed to keep your house clean - NOT spotless. Go see Martha Stewart if you need a spotless house....better yet, go see a shrink. You need to get your priorities in order. Spotless homes and small children are not congruent. If you fail to get everything done everyday, then at the very least your home will be tidy. This far surpasses the (total chaos)(pit of despair) mess that reigns without some sort of schedule in my home.
Being an accountant by trade, I am an excel freak. So my schedule is posted as a spreadsheet on my refrigerator. Feel free to write it up in whatever way works for you. You could use index cards for each day/category, make a list then laminate it, write it on a white board where you can check it off as you go...the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Here is my schedule:
DAILY: Straighten all rooms
Do dishes and put away
Make beds
Plan meals
Do a load of laundry
Wipe bathroom sinks
Wipe down shower after use
Clean stove/oven as needed
Pay bills
Water plants/garden
Feed/water pets
WEEKLY -
MONDAY: Empty wastebaskets/take trash out
Sweep kitchen floor
Spot-clean walls/floors
Change bed sheets
Choose a monthly task
TUESDAY: Clean kitchen sink
Clean bathroom mirrors
Clean toilets
Clean ceiling fans
Choose a monthly task
WEDNESDAY: Empty wastebaskets
Clean toaster, microwave, coffeemaker (i.e. regularly used small appliances)
Wipe cabinets/appliances
Sweep/mop downstairs
THURSDAY: Clean kitchen sink
Clean bathroom mirrors
Clean showers Spot-clean floors
FRIDAY: Empty wastebaskets
Dusting Sweep/mop upstairs
SATURDAY: Clean kitchen sink
Choose 1-2 monthly, bi-monthly, bi-annual, or yearly tasks
MONTHLY: 2x - dust out of reach areas/polish
Check dryer vents
Vacuum in/on/under furniture
Clean refrigerator inside/top/under
Wash kitchen curtains
Turn mattresses
Wash garbage cans
Wash windows inside
EVERY OTHER MONTH: Dust blinds
Wax floors
Clean kitchen drawers/cupboards
Wash curtains
Wash whole stove
Wash windows outside
Baking soda in drains to clear sinks
Clean throw rugs
BI-ANNUALLY: Carpets cleaned
Rotate seasonal clothes
Clean closets/drawers
Check smoke detectors/replace batteries (do at daylight saving time each year is an easy way to remember)
YEARLY: AC/heating system maintenance
Wash walls
Wash blinds
I know, I know....it seems overwhelming. But the reality is, you are doing most of this anyway. You just didn't realize how much you were juggling every day/week. Or you did, and it made you want to fake your own death and disappear to a tropical island somewhere. Utilizing this schedule will help it be more manageable. Really, if you are following this schedule on a regular basis, most of the daily and weekly stuff just isn't so bad. It's when you fall behind that the tasks can become laborious. For instance, if you haven't so much as looked at the blades on your ceiling fans since the day they were installed or you moved in, then it is very likely going to be a highly time consuming chore the first time you clean them. But after that, each week will be a pretty quick and painless assignment to dust the blades off.
Also, you can shift items around as needed for your home. Our garbage is picked up on Tuesday morning. I was scheduling to empty the wastebaskets 3x a week, so I did MWF to accommodate getting them emptied the day it needed to go out. Our last home was only one level. I just split the house into two sections and swept/mopped half the house on Wednesday and the other half on Friday. Also, I assigned everything from Mon.-Sat. I like having Sunday off from any chores. You can set up your schedule for every day of the week if you like or maybe you would rather do more during the week and have off Saturday and Sunday. Just be realistic about what you can get done in a day without totally neglecting your kids.
Oh, yeah. Here's the really important part....your husband should be helping you get this all done. Stop laughing - I'm serious. Keeping a household clean after you (get married) have kids is a huge task. Having this chart helps you to make that point abundantly clear with your significant other. Sit down with him sometime after the kids are in bed and before you become completely comatose, and go over the list of tasks, assigning them between the two of you. If your husband still needs more convincing that you need his help, then I suggest the two of you read Babyproofing Your Marriage. (review here) This book makes it clear that if a man wants you to meet his marital needs (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more) then he needs to step up to the plate in a big way with the housework. Really, once you have kids, housework is the new box of chocolates/bouquet of roses. I remember telling a girlfriend of mine after the first baby, "Hubby did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen and swept the floors last night. It was the best foreplay I've had in a long time!"
Enough said. Divvy up the housework and give yourself grace on those days it just doesn't all get done. Your house will live to see another day. (and you will too!)
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