Cleaning Routine, and why I don't brush my teeth in the bathroom!

Gotta love that picture!

Lately I have been doing a very effective cleaning "routine". Previously I have tried my hand at schedules, Home management Binders, and various other ways that are supposed to help you keep the house clean. Unfortunately, they never really worked for me. It was just too complex, not enough flexibility, and way too structured for me. I am a simple person, I like simple things. I like lists, but I hate being under a time crunch. I dislike setting a timer and cleaning for 15 minutes and then taking a break, I feel as if it is a waste of time, If I am going to take the time to clean, I want to do it start to finish. I had a problem. I wasn't getting anything done, and if I did, I was all in and cleaned for the whole day non-stop. Of course this would cause the inevitable "burnout" and I wouldn't clean again for quite a while, I would simply slide by with the bare minimum.

So Because of my terrible cleaning skills and inability to stick with a schedule, plan or HMB, I created a Task-list. First I drew a rough floorplan of our house and took note of all the places that needed work on a daily basis. These include:

- The living room
- Master Bedroom
- The kitchen
- The dining room
- Main Bathroom

It was much easier to realize all the places that need cleaning after I sketched a floor plan of our house.
After I had Done this I worked down the list, what did I need to do in each room daily to keep it presentable? and what was realistic?

In the living room (daily):
- Pick up any toys laying about and keep them contained to the play area of that room.
- Not leave clothing laying around
- Vacuum
- Pick up any trash or dishes left laying around

In the Kitchen (daily):
- Make breakfast (not technically cleaning but I need to do this everyday, and I am not so great at it)
- Brush everyone's teeth (I will explain why we do this in the kitchen later!)
- Dishes
- Sweep
- Clean counters and stove top

In the Dining room (daily):
- Sweep
- Clear table top

In the Main Bath Room (daily):
- Clean toilette
- Replace TP (if needed)
- Clean counters and mirror
- Sweep
(this is all accomplished during kids bath time)

In Master bedroom (daily):
- Hang up clothes on floor
- Make bed

This is the minimum I need to accomplish each day. After dividing it down this way, I have realized that I really don't have that much daily cleaning to do. So I created a routine out of this list of daily cleaning & other things I need to remember to do (like teeth brushing). Of course not everything I do in the day is included in this list, this is simply an outline of what I need to do, in the way that works the best for me usually, however it still gives me the flexibility I need, it leaves many pockets of free time to get an unexpected task done. <- Man, talk about a run on sentence! Anywho.........The routine starts as soon as I get out of bed each day. And ends around noon. (the childrens naptime ;D giving me freetime! )

Here is my routine: (in this order, remember as soon as my feet hit the floor.)
1. Make Bed (except on weekends! hubby works overnight!)
2. Get dressed (important, I should do this everyday...I don't wanna look like a slob for hubby)
3. Make breakfast
4. Dishes
5. Brush everyone's teeth
6. Wipe down counters and stove top
7. Sweep
8. Tidy living room
9. Vacuum
10. bathtime (kids, I do the next 2 while kiddos are bathing)
11. Scrub toilete (do this daily so I never have to do heavy duty scrubing)
12 Straighten bathroom (this includes putting things away, Tp, emptying trash, whatever needs doing...)
13. Put laundry in
14. Organize dining room
15. Put laundry in dryer
16. Tidy Master bedroom (usually simply includes picking clothes up off floor)
17. Put clean clothes away
18. Make lunch

Thats it. That is the minimum. 18 things keeps the house clean and company ready, and I have it all done before noon. (I don't wake up until about 9am) So now that we have the basics done, now what? I created a list of things that need doing weekly and assigned a day to it. sometimes I switch the days up, according to what I have going on, or what I feel like doing. Flexibility, that is what I love. Most of the time these chores don't take long and I still get done with my daily cleaning by noon. Sometimes I choose to do two chores in one day to clear the next day.

Weekly Cleaning: ( I choose to put some of these tasks together because it works well for me)

Monday- Scrub Microwave and fridge (inside out) (since I do it weekly, it takes no time at all)

Tuesday- Dust kitchen and dining room, Wipe front of oven & cupboards, Mop floors. (to make this quicker, I fill my mop bucket with water and floor cleaner and grab a rag and wip down cupboards and stove first then mop floors with the same water)

Wednesday- Dust living room, Clean behind and under couch (& cushions), Organize computer area

Thursday- Organize pantry & fridge, Clean master bath ( I organize these places before grocery shopping, it gives me a chance to make room, throw bad and expired items away and see what I need to buy)

Friday- No extra cleaning. Today is baking day. (I bake bread, freeze bread dough and pizza dough, and make cookies for the next week)

Saturday- Clean Youngest son's room, Carpet clean Living room Every other week (My mom has a cleaner)

Sunday- Clean oldest son's room, and do any cleaning needed in my bedroom.


As you can see this is a very simple formula. It is open and flexible, I have no time table. This is not something I have time slots for, I simply do it, when I can. If I don't have time to get anything done, but all of a sudden find myself with 15 minutes I have a list of things I can choose from, that I can start AND complete in that time frame. Nothing on this daily list takes longer than 15minutes, even when it is maintained only most days.

Now as to why we brush our teeth in the kitchen. I knew you would be curious! I know most people brush teeth in the bathroom, and we used to too. However, one night it struck me. I don't eat in the bathroom, I don't store food in the bathroom cupboards, I don't prepare food in the bathroom. I hate to be blunt, but I don't do those things in there because people poop in there! that is the thought that struck me. PEOPLE POOP IN THERE! And here I am, storing my toothbrush in a place where people poop. And then putting it in my mouth. ~***BLECH***~ Where do we store other things that go in our mouths? the kitchen. So thought I, Why don't I store the toothbrushes there and brush our teeth at the kitchen sink? And now I store our totthbrushes in the cup cubbord and brush at th kitchen sink. So my point is....How would you feel about going to a dentist and seeing a toilette in the corner of the room? Personally I would be disgusted, I would also question how sanitary it was. If you wouldn't go to a dentist who had a toilette in the room, why would you brush your teeth in the bathroom? And listen to this:

"Even though you would imagine the toilet as being the dirtiest surface, the sink actually is. The sink has 100,000 germs per square inch, where the toilet seat only has 100 germs per square inch. But, with every flush of the toilet you do send an invisible six foot plume of bacteria that lands on exposed surfaces, including toothbrushes."

Case closed. Please brush in kitchen. Thank you.

Bronchitis, and musings from a former health nut

Yep, Bronchitis. My poor darling boy has this dreadfully nasty contagion! It has been a wretched three days, with yesterday being the worst, and today mildly better. And horrors of horrors, I am starting to get it! I wish it would have missed my son and come straight to me! However this experience has revealed something to me, I am so glad I am still nursing. My son is 10months old, at around the six month mark, I wanted to quit, I was being pressured by family to quit, and I just didn't know how long I could hang on for. I haven't had an easy go with nursing either of my sons. However, I held out and stuck with it, and now I am so thankful that God gave me the determination to continue, and at a time like this, when I look at my son and see he is so uncomfortable when those coughs wrack his tiny body, I am so thankful that I can comfort him.

I was at The Cottage on the Hill today, and she mentioned the drug like effects of sugar. All of a sudden I flashed back a few years and remembered how different I was. In my teens (not that those years are so very far behind me!) I was a health fanatic, I was absolutely driven to be as healthy as I could be, I had a strict diet full of the healthiest foods I could get my hands on. I ate spinach salad topped with chicken breast, for breakfast. every other morning. The other days I ate oatmeal. Sure I allowed myself junk food once in a while (had a weakness for pizza rolls), but in moderation. I did not count calories, I thought that was unhealthy. My mantra was "eat as healthfully as you can, food is food, it is only meant for fuel." So with that in mind I ate good amounts of healthy food to give me the energy I needed to exercise. I had self discipline. I worked out once or twice a day for about 30 minutes each time. I was the picture of health. I read all the fitness Magazines I could get my hands on, I didn't care about being skinny, I simply wanted to be fit and toned. I was motivated. I was exactly what I wanted to be.

Now fast forward a few years, in my 20's. I am a wife, I have had two children. I eat junk. My self discipline has, for the most part, vanished. I get into stages of motivation, where I tell myself I will eat healthier and exercise everyday, ha, it only will last for a week at most. I go in spurts. I used to hate the taste of candy, now I crave it. I am slowly trying to wean myself, and think maybe quitting cold turkey is the answer. It isn't about the weight, I am 115, pre-baby weight. It is about being healthy. I was much more healthy at 16 than I am now, and usually the opposite is true! I need to be more healthy for my children and my husband....and myself!

The real kicker here is the addiction. I am literally ADDICTED to food. Junk food that is. I crave it! Fast food (something I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole before!), take out, frozen stuff from the supermarket, candy! Do I really believe I have a problem? no. I do however think that the ingredients in many processed foods have an addictive quality. I will slowly be weaning myself off of these products, I know it will be hard. It is far easier to grab a pop-tart than bake some chicken and throw it on top of a spinach salad for breakfast!

So for the next few weeks I will be chronicling my adventures with fitness, not weight loss. It is important to me not to focus on the weight, that simply isn't what matters. I won't take away from losing weight, it is hard. But I believe it becomes harder when you only focus on the pounds you are trying to lose and not the lifestyle. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle you WILL lose weight. okay I'm done going on a tangent.

Have a deliciously delightful day!

Here is an article debating sugar addiction.

Goals for 2009

Wow! I haven't written in a while! So here we go, a few tidbits and updates


Well in the spirit of a fresh start....I will post about the high aspirations I have for the new year. These goals are derived not only from things I would like to do, but also things I've tried to do and failed in.
So with a deep inward sigh...here goes:
~ Read Bible daily
~ Make our meals from scratch....no more takeout or fast-food....(prepackaged IS fast food)
~ save a sum of money
~ No longer spend on things that soon become clutter
~ Cover my head ( I know I should...I have no excuse..vanity and pride)
~ become more humble and meek
~ Do not nag husband
~ Try my hardest to not gossip with my MIL
~ Exercise (of course, the list simply wouldn't be complete with out this!) at least 4x's a week
~ loose 10pds
~ Eat a more BALANCED diet. ( I am known for liking only one or two food groups)
~ Try to force myself to eat things I don't like (today I forced down a few carrots, I will LEARN to like them.)
~ Take better care of my hair, skin and teeth (brushing with boar bristle brushes, floss more often and exfoliate and moisturize )
~ limit my intake of candy
~ Force my oldest (he was two on the 14th) to eat better with me ( he eats more healthily than I do....but parents set the trend)
~ spend less time on the computer
~ Pray more than once daily
~ buy groceries and actually use them
~ Keep house clean(er)
~ Potty train Oldest
~ Knit at least 6 things
~ Sew at least 3 USEFUL items
~ Limit my exposure to negative influences
~ Submit to the proper authorities (all the time..not just when I feel like it)
~ Paint bathroom
~ wean youngest from Breastfeeding (I still am Iffy about this though)
~ Stock freezer with homemade goodies once a month

Thats about it.....I know I missed a few things!

I wrote this list on the 1st and life became busy and I never did post it until now, since then, I have been starting to cover and bake, I am reading the new testament, keeping my house clean(er) and I have sewn 2 useful items! (Pajama pants), I have spent less time on the Computer (hence less posting), and I could list other things but I don't feel like it :D.



BTW, thank you for the comments, it is nice to know that someone is reading !

Knitting Fun!!! yay?..........!

Um so yeah. Yesterday...as the queasiness let up, I had a brilliant idea.......! "I'm gonna teach myself to knit!!" I had never knitted before in the entirety of my short life. Why I thought this is beyond me! I mean, seriously! I can't even french braid hair for crying out loud (believe me...it isn't for the lack of trying! I have been trying the elusive "french" way of braiding for years....only ONE attempt was EVER successful). But far be it from me to deny myself a setup for failure! I am so good at it, I Should at least claim failure as a hobby, considering I do it so often.... :P. But on to the knitting, you don't want to hear my long list of "feminine arts" failures anyway, do you?

My wonderful enabler, also known as "hubby", drove my queasy self down to one of the many "local" Wal-Marts. My original intent was to buy a Cross-stitch kit..as I am minutely more familiar with this item of feminine pursuit. However a employee soon relayed to me that "cross-stitch is no longer available." So right then and there I thought about the mounds of beautiful yarn staring me down......the colors were enchanting, the textures hypnotizing.....I could imagine all the socks, scarves and impossibly intricate sweaters I could become a failure in!

After eyeballing the mounds of yarns....I moved on to the knitting needles....and became intimidated........How was I to know which needles to pick?!?! But never fear! -- a Knitting guide sat directly below the needles! I looked and saw that it came with needles and a how to guide, relief swept over me!! I could do this! No problem... needles and yarn! how hard could this be?! It takes more to bake a cake!

When we arrived home My enabler put the other goods away whilst I entered into a staring contest with my yarn. I meekly grabbed the plastic case the book came imprisoned in and slowly worked it free. The Needles fell with a metallic *clank* on the floor. After retrieving the errant hot pink needles, I gazed at the cover of the book "I Taught Myself to Knit - Simple Instructions and Clear Diagrams Make it Easy to Teach Yourself!" It enthusiastically advertises. I get excited, It says its easy! Maybe I CAN do this!! I crack it open and start trying to follow the directions.

Lesson 1
Casting On -
At measured distance from one end make a slip knot on one needle.

me-"What is a slipknot?"

Book- See diagram 1.

me- "This diagram doesn't make sense! what do I do now?!"

Book- See diagram 1.

me- "look I tried to do that...It isn't working! I don't even know what a slipknot is!!!!!

I decide to look this elusive slipknot up on the internet, and soon figure out a much faster and more simple way of tying a slipknot than what the diagram shows.

me-"okay now what? I conquered the knot."

Book- Follow steps 4-8.

me- ~throws book across living room~


After trying to work with the book for two hours...I gave it up for useless and inadequate....realizing I could get better instruction from the internet.

Yay for Youtube!

So after going to bed defeated and feeling like a failure, I prayed for the ability to knit. Well, it took me all day with size 8 needles and tiny yarn, but God gave me the wisdom to Knit about 3 inches of a scarf! I learned how to "cast on" with two needles, and do a basic "knit stitch".

And yes, that is My project on the top of the page, along with the rejected, useless book. The book makes more sense now that I have a Basic understanding of the concept....but still the step by step instructions are vague and somewhat confusing. I think I will keep it simply for the abbreviation chart.

I don't feel like a failure at the moment...in fact I feel rather accomplished! I feel feminine! I know silly right? I know that men knit and everything..but it still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to think I am doing something worthwhile in my free time, some thing that generations of women before me learned to do while they were probably toddlers!

I love feeling all feminine and fuzzy inside! :P

Sick...... :P

This is simply rotten.

I awoke this morning to the room spinning like a top.

I am still in bed.....If I don't move much the room doesn't spin.

Thank the Lord for Laptops and Good books.

And a wonderful husband who will watch the kids on his day off.

Alas...My clean house will be turned upside down. Husband is not so great at Controlling little hobgoblins from destruction.

But hopefully this trashy dizziness will be gone by tomorrow and then I can clean up the various messes made around this house.

I have a full day of excitement ahead of me. Just have to make sure I stay as still as I possibly can.

Mall of America! The one place you can Shop, Dine, and get married...All at the same time!

We just got home from this deathtrap, We some how, managed to make it out without spending a dime! We went for a little walk and then headed home. I am flabbergasted at that bohemouth shopping center! The number of stores is simply amazing, not only can you have an impromptu wedding ceremony preformed, you can also have your eyebrows plucked with string, go to an oxygen bar (!?!), have a water massage (without feeling a drop of water), ride a roller coaster and of course Shop! This is only the beginning of the list of things you can do in this mall! There is even a College Campus IN the mall itself........!?

In other news I have done nothing good as far as housekeeping goes today, I picked the Living room up a bit....but the dishes need doing and the floors desperately need moping!

I am hoping to be able to paint our bathroom come spring, I am thinking a nice lilac-ish blue....we'll see.............

What is this blog about ???

I'm new at this... so wish me luck!


I am a wife...a Mother to two tinys under two...and housekeeper to a dreadfully unorganized house.

Let me give a disclaimer: I was not raised to be a Keeper at home. I was not raised to become a wife before the age of 30, neither was I raised with the expectations of having children before 30-35. And I was Most certainly NOT raised to find a Love for God, and trust him in all things. Nope. Not raised for any of it!

I Met my husband at a young age, he introduced me to God's word, his promises, and most importantly, his salvation. Coming from a broken family, I was in desperate need of rescue....I was beginning to see no light at the end of the tunnel, things seemed hopeless. My father, who I had once cherished, had left the family for another woman. This lead my mother to move us back to her families home state...about a thousand miles away. Without the protection of my father and absolutely no guidance from my mother, I did surprisingly well...in the way of staying abstinent and drug free anyway. Emotionally I was a wreck. I was 13, I had no friends, the family I had loved and known...had been left behind, My sister was not only verbally abusive...but could be physically abusive also. My mother who had worked full time since I was in 1st grade....knew it was happening...but said she couldn't do anything about it, she felt helpless. When My father had been around, he had protected me, but when he abandoned us, I had no one. I was on my own.

Through the years....I learned more and more to fend for myself...I made some friends...although few could ever be invited home because of my sister. I learned to cope though. I was free as a bird....I mostly had no one to answer to..as long as my mom knew where I was, I could go anywhere and do anything. When I was 15 I found a boyfriend and was absolutely in love with him, we both believed in abstinence, but figured everything else was fine. I had no clue that I was giving parts of myself away. Things got exponentially better when I started dating him, I made more friends, I could get out of the house more, things seemed to be going up for me. We dated for about 9months (in high school, this feels like an eternity) and he broke up with me in october, out of the blue. I felt used and betrayed. I had never really prayed in my life...but that day I prayed....I prayed that God would send me some one to take care of me. In March, in a very out of the ordinary way, I met my husband. I was 16, and he was 19. We talked a lot in the few days after we met, he challenged me to read the bible, I was convinced that it contradicted itself....that's what I had always been taught. So I took him up on it....I was zealous to prove him wrong. Turns out once I started reading...I couldn't put it down, I was like a thirsty man seeking water. All through classes, I couldn't put it down (thankfully I never got in trouble...). I read it any chance I could get. I absorbed it like a sponge. I never did prove him wrong. We became close quickly, and he proposed to me shortly after we met, even more shortly thereafter, we married and about eight months later, we conceived our first child.

God answered my prayer. He sent someone to not only take care of me...but to love me, lead me, and protect me. God answered my prayer, I am so Thankful. I never thought I would be in this position, I never thought I would be foregoing college for a Husband and kids. Needless to say my uninvolved parents have been dismayed and disappointed at my chosen lifestyle. I am a housewife, a Mother (to as many as the Good Lord provides me), and most importantly a Follower of the one True God. I think they would have been less disappointed had I been a sexually active druggie.

I never was trained to be a Mother or wife, and I did not learn to clean and cook through the expertise and guidance of a saintly mother figure. I am trying my best to follow God and his commandments.
Wish me luck!!!