How Can I Get More Hours In My Day ~ Day 15 ~

Good Morning!!!  

It's a new beginning to a brand new week!!!

Now you and I both know that God has given each of us the very same hours in our day.  
What you choose to do with them is up to you!

We have gotten our home cleaned and organized now....and.... it's time to learn how to keep it that way!

Do you clean daily? Or do you clean once a week?

Reality is that if you clean daily you don't have to knock your brains out on Saturday or whatever day you have decided to clean your home.  The same goes for your laundry. Do you do a little each day?  Or do you wait and do it all at once?

Let me show you a way that really works and will truly make you feel like you have more time than you've had in the past.

Supplies

1. Note Pad
2. Pencil
3. 3"x 5" Colored Index Cards
4. 3"x 5" Tabbed Dividers (As you can see I simply made my own.  Always trying to save where I can! + it helps me get the cards back into the right spots because they are color coded the same as the index divider card "wink-wink")
5. Small File Box (this could even be a cardboard box. I just happened to already have a plastic one I wasn't using anymore!)

Label your Tabbed Dividers with:

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Quarterly
• Semi-Annually
• Annually
• Storage (these are the boxes of things we couldn't part with when we  were organizing and the things we use only on special occasions....remember?)

Now take your note pad and pencil, and start making a list of all the chores that should be done daily. Whether you do them now everyday or not.

This is my list of DAILY MUST DO's (your's can have whatever you see that needs to be done in your home on a daily basis)

• Cook Breakfast
• Fix Lunches
• Quiet Time, Coffee
• Exercise
• Dishes ~ unload & reload dishwasher ~
• Make Beds
• Straighten Bedroom
• Straighten Rest of House (this is just simply picking up and putting up, not dusting or vacuuming)
• Go Through Mail (get ready for trash, shred, file)
• Clean Kittie's Box
• Cook Supper
• Straighten Kitchen

Continue on now by adding the next category titled WEEKLY MUST DO's
This is what I have on mine  (your's might have other things)

• Monday 
•  Wash Hubby's Clothes (he works outside so his clothes get all sweaty....ewww)
• Dust (all rooms)
• Vacuum (all floors)
  
• Tuesday
• Plan Menu & Grocery List (go through adds and PRICE MATCH for the BIG W)
• Clean out Refrigerator & Pantry (this way they are ready for the NEW groceries) 
• Wednesday
• Wash My Clothes
• Go Grocery Shopping
• Empty trash cans (our trash is picked up on Thurs.)
• Dust mop hard surface floors
• Thursday
• File & Shred Papers
• Clean Kitchen (dust top of fridge, wipe everything down, scrub sink, etc.)
• Friday
• Wash sheets & Towels
• Clean Bathroom (scrub tub, toilet & sink) 

Continue on by adding another category titled MONTHLY MUST DO's  Remember, these you only do Monthly.  Try and keep this to 4 so there is only 1 extra thing you need to do once a week! You can assign this to a specific day or you can do this when you see you have some extra time that day.

This is what I have on mine  (your's might have other things)

• Clean Woodwork
• Clean  hard surface floors
• Dust Baseboards
• Dust Blinds

Continue list adding another category titled QUARTERLY MUST DO's  These only get done every 3 months and I haven't designated them to a specific day....just sure I get them done when I have the time 

• Straighten Closets
• Change Air Filter
• Move furniture and vacuum underneath

Now add another category titled SEMI-ANNUALLY MUST DO'S  These  only get done every 6 months and I haven't designated them to a specific day....just sure I get them done when I have the time

• Clean and re-shelf Kitchen Cabinets
• Straighten Linen Closet
• Straighten Drawers
• Clean Carpets

Lastly add ANNUALLY  These  only get done once a year and I haven't designated them to a specific day....just sure I get them done when I have the time

• Clean Curtains
• Clean & Purge Closets

Now I want you to take those cute and colorful 3" x 5" index cards and assign each category a color. On the first color of cards you will write down your daily must do's. Like Cook Breakfast....Fix Lunches....Quiet Time,Coffee....etc. 

On the next color of cards you will write down your weekly must do's.

On the next color of cards you will write down your monthly must do's. And well you get the pictures. Just keep on until everything is written down on a card.  

This is how the system works. You have your daily must do cards that need to be done just as the name implies. 

Then once a month you get to add another must do to your list. For instance here's how my Monday once a month list might look.....

• Cook Breakfast
• Fix Lunches
• Quiet Time, Coffee
• Exercise
• Wash Dishes
• Make Beds
•  Straighten Bedroom
• Straighten Rest of House (this is just simply picking up and putting up, not dusting or vacuuming)
• Go Through Mail (get ready for trash, shred, file)
• Clean Kittie's Box
• Cook Supper
• Straighten Kitchen
• Clean Woodwork ~ this the Monthly I have added to my list. 

On Monday the "Oldest Princess" calls and says "Hey Mom, let's go and grab a quick bite to eat and run over to Kohl's.  They're having a big sale and I have some Kohl's Cash that I need to spend before it expires."  

Now I've already done my daily must do's except Cooking Supper of course, but I still need to clean the woodwork...  "Sure I can go".... because that's a Monthly Must Do so I will move it to another day.  I have the whole week to get this must do done!

Now the same scenario but say it was a Weekly Must Do..... Hubby's laundry, dusting and vacuuming. 

I've gotten everything except putting away Hubby's clothes and the vacuuming.  

I know I can get his clothes put away sometime before bedtime, or he can, but I'm not sure about the vacuuming. Bedtime comes around and I haven't gotten the vacuuming done.  I say well I can just add that to my list for Tuesday.  But it doesn't happen then either.  Before I realize it the week is almost over and I haven't gotten the vacuuming done.  

So instead of beating myself up, what I do instead, is put the vacuuming back into the file box under the weekly section and it will not get done until the next time it's day comes back up.  

So now if my "Oldest Princess" calls on Monday again and wants to meet for lunch and shopping.... I look around at my dirty floors and say...."I would love to but what if I meet you at the mall after lunch.  I've got a few things I need to get done first." 

And you are right back on track.  

You see by rotating the cards this way you're not trying to cram a weeks worth of must do's into one day. You're learning to get into a routine.  This will help you keep your priorities in order. 

By working your time this way you will be continually maintaining your home and you won't ever have to go through all that cleaning and purging and organizing again.  And don't forget those Semi-Annual & Annual Must Do's too!!  These will all help keep you and your home clean and organized!!!

These ideas and system I have adapted from Emily Barnes and her book titles "Simply Organized". It is a wonderful book and also loaded with many great ideas for your home and you. 

So, I have shared with you what I have down on my pretty little 3" x 5" index cards... What are some of the things you have put down on your Must Do's Lists?

I really would love for you to share with us because that is what helps keep us all motivated and organized!!

Encouragement For The Spirit ~ 

She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household, and is never lazy. 

Proverbs 31:27 

Come back tomorrow and I will give you some pointers on how to keep your sanity among your chaos!!

Blessings ♥

Betsy