Ultimate Fall Kitchen Deep Cleaning Guide

Its been a few years, and a few houses, since I've updated and shared this.  Between birthdays, Halloween and then Thanksgiving, it can get pretty busy here and doing a thorough deep clean before the madness really gets underway helps things run smoother and makes decorating easier also. You know that's one of my favorite parts!

Before you even look at the list below, remember this, it takes days or even a week! Don't get overwhelmed if you don't have a chunk of time to do it. I'd  guess most of us don't, I just add a few things to my regular cleaning each day until it's done. This is meant to reduce stress, not create it :) 

First things first.. diffuse, or light a candle, good music on (if you like slightly dark sad songs, I've got ya 90 minutes on Spotify HERE lol.  The list below is in the order I go, because some stuff needs to sit and work. But you can do what you have time for. 

Oven. Get something working on that. I use Bar Keepers Friend paste and get it on the crusty parts and let it sit while I do other stuff. 

Get ready to dump stuff. Trash expired items in your fridge, freezer, pantry, spices etc. Anything you aren't going to use can go to food pantry if it's not expired.  MAKE A LIST of the things you need to replace though so you don't end up without a key ingredient.   

After the trash is done, leave the bag out and clean the inside of the trash bins. I just use hot water and some dish soap, maybe a sponge if it's really bad, usually the hot water and soap soak takes care of everything though. While that is out, I clean under the sink. Take everything out, wipe it out and don't put crap back in that we aren't going to use. 

Do the dishes, get the dishwasher going and the sink empty.  While the dishwasher is going, polish your sink. I use bar keepers friend here also, along with a Scrub Daddy.  clean the inside of the microwave. I use water in a bowl with a drop of lemon oil, microwave for 1 minute, let sit to loosen junk up and then wipe out.  I use that warm water and my sponge to clean the small appliances like our Instant Pot, that get used and ABUSED all year, every day. 

Once the dishwasher is done, I put 1/2 C of Baking soda down the disposal, and then 1 C of vinegar, run the disposal and wrap that up with about 2 C of ice.  Take the disposal cuff off (gag, trust me, so gross) and I toss that in the dishwasher, clean the dishwasher filter, also super gag, then making sure no kids are helping with dishes, and run the dishwasher on a clean cycle to get them both done. 

1. Throw Curtains in the washer 
2. Dust/vacuum above your cabinets
3. Clean Out Cabinets and pantry, purge, wipe, organize etc. 
4. Clean Window Tracks.. this is super handy 
5. Clean Windows.  E-Cloth Polishing Cloth is my jam! I just use water with it. 
6. Wipe Out Fridge and Freezer
7. Get the Oven and Stove cleaned up before you start the cabinet fronts
8. Polish/Wipe Down Cabinet Fronts
9. Really clean your chairs, barstools and table legs
10. Clean Baseboards. I promise if you do this every couple weeks, it will be a breeze
11. Counters and Backsplash, use whatever you love. I love my Scrub Daddy for this too. 
12. Sweep/Vacuum I do both when I am being really thorough. 
13. This is not a popular opinion, I am ok with that, hands and knees scrubbing on the floor. Not the whole floor, but you know that spots the mop hasn't managed, or where it doesn't reach. I just use the eraser side of the scrub daddy and water, it doesn't take too long.  
14. Then mop, I use a microfiber mop similar to the Spin Mop 

After that I have a huge warm drink, tea, coffee, whatever. And I rest and let the floor dry, order microwave and fridge filters that need replaced and hang curtains back up.

Then when I have time and know little hands and feet won't be a problem, I touch up the paint/stain on cabinets and baseboards, caulking and wall paint. 

DONE! Then, weekly maintenance makes Spring Cleaning feel like a breeze.

I added the products to my Amazon Storefront.. They should be on the top depending on when you view this.  Direct links in post too, and feel free to shoot me a message with questions. I want to help you feel good about home. 

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

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Daily Rhythm For Busy Moms

You can make a REAL  life daily routine for yourself too!

 School has started for our crew, I’m taking a day to take some deep breaths and drink my coffee in peace. But only 1 day, then I am getting back to my routine, or rhythm, is a better word. 

I don’t make mine rigid and stressful, it’s rhythm and not schedule because we LIVE and things flow different from day to day.  I’ve broken these down by time but that’s not set in stone, some days our rhythm is a lot faster and sometimes it skips a few beats, ya know? So I use this loosely as a guide. 

I spent a couple weeks many years ago, establishing MY rhythm, based on my priorities.  It’s morphed and changed as our lives have. New house, new baby, new jobs, new schools etc.  Those all helped shape what it is today.  Don’t feel like you can’t make changes as you go. And this is MY IDEAL schedule, ideal not expectation. 

5:00 wake up/workout 

5:45 Reading/Coffee

6:15 Wake kids/ breakfast/lunch 

6:20 Email/Budget

6:45 Dishwasher check 

7:00 Start laundry/kids off then

Daily Chores/Get ready for the day 

8:00 Laundry Swap

8:05 Leave for School drop off 

8:45 Chores/Dinner check  

9:15 Laundry/Second Chance Workout 

10:00 Laundry Away  

10:40 School Pick Up 

11:20 Lunch/coffee

11:45 Tidy Kitchen 

12:00 Resting Time Kids/Step check/Last chance workout  

1:00 Eat Lunch/Read

1:30 Dinner Check/Prep 

Free Time/Projects/Cheer Work/Crafts 

Then it’s chaos of sports/dinner/sports 

9:00 Clean Kitchen at Night 

10:00 Get Ready for Bed 

*I did do most of today’s chores yesterday though! I wanted to sit in our CLEAN family room :) 

My suggestions would be 

Be real with yourself about how much time you are willing to put towards it. Don’t schedule yourself for 3 hours if you won’t have it, or if you will feel burned out. 

Write your priorities out and MAKE them priorities. 

Give it time before you give up or change it. It takes a while to get into a routine. 

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Back to School Prep {Laundry}

When I asked on Instagram “What makes you stress about Back To School time?

The top answers were 

Laundry/Kids Clothes 

Dinner

Housekeeping 

Logistics 

Breakfast 

Lunch Prep

Getting Out The Door 

I’ve pretty much shared all I can right now on kids clothes, but I wanted to share how we do laundry when we are on the right track. 

I do 1-2 loads a day Monday-Thursday and sometimes a special load, or couch covers on Friday and NONE on the weekend. No one wants to put laundry away Sunday night! 

Obviously there is the occasional mishap when a uniform gets missed in the last dark load on Thursday and is needed on Monday, or someone is losing their mind over certain jeans. But typically our family of 6, with pretty small wardrobes ( I think anyway) can make this work and I feel less resentful about laundry if it’s not an issue on the weekend. 

I’m always down for hearing about new methods! Send em my way! 

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Weekly Cleaning Routine

 Do you tell yourself, something has to give, cleaning is not all there is in life? Feel like you clean all day for nothing? To turn around and it's all a mess again? Do you use the words overwhelmed, stressed, out of control, unorganized to describe your cleaning style?

Did hearing "cleaning routine" instantly make you think I was coocoo?

Yeah, I hear that all the time. But let me tell you, I never really stress about cleaning! Having a routine has pretty much eliminated any stress or anxiety about cleaning or housekeeping in general. There are some good reasons for creating a routine that works for you!

Less Stress

Less Work *
Less Guilt

*Give it 2-3 weeks dedication. You will see that you spend less time each week, giving you more free time and less stress!

 It's been a year since we have been here and multiple years since I've evaluated how well my cleaning routine works for us, it's time to look at it with Fresh eyes!

This is outside of my normal tidying so things like laundry and dishes won't be on here.

Friday~Everything Else
Anything I missed during the week
Get Groceries
Gas in car
Clean Out Purse
Tidy Front Porch and Garage
Tidy Laundry Room


None of these days take too long. Thursday is maybe the most work,
 but the kids can do lots of theirs! 
Keep up the routine and each week gets easier and you get more free time to enjoy your clean home :)

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

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15 Minute Tidy

A big part of keeping my sanity is based on 15 minutes, just 15 teeny minutes to work on tidying and making a huge difference in how our day flows.

It's easy to look around and see all the things that need to be done and get overwhelmed. I can just set my timer for 15, or 10 minutes if that's all I have and just DO IT!  It's amazing what you can get done when you have an end in sight and a ticking deadline.

Let's talk kids. I don't like to call them distractions. Everything else is the distraction when it comes to raising babies.  I like to either set our little ones up with some coloring or a snack (which is totally counterproductive). But the truth is, no matter how determined you are to work for just 10-15 minutes, chances are your little loves will need you in that time frame too, and that's ok, this is just about making whatever difference you can in 15 minutes.

Organization, now is not the time to organize anything or pull everything out of a drawer. Nope, this 15 minutes is just for tidying. If that is just picking up a path to the kitchen from the living room, ok. Or if it's the toilet and shower you have put off for weeks. That's a good one too.  Going through kids clothes, not so much. You want to feel like you can SEE some accomplishment when your 15 minutes is up.

Deep Cleaning. Can you think of any deep cleaning you can get done in 15 minutes? No? Me either. I do my best to keep this 15 minutes to whole house tidying. There is a time for deep cleaning, it's not when you are in the middle of overwhelmedville.

Social Media. Now that is a distraction! It absolutely is for me anyway. I try not to look at my phone at all while I am working on getting my 15 minutes done. 15 minutes browsing social media feels like 10 seconds. I will use it as a reward though. If I get all the laundry put away, I am going to browse for a few.


What does my 15 minutes look like? 
Well usually it's the time right before we are walking out the door, going to bed or starting some longer activity or project. Our kids love to bake, we try to do a quick tidy beforehand. And when they ask to play skip-bo, the longest game ever with a 6 year old, we do a quick tidy before we get started. No crumbs on the table bugging us.

We almost always start in the kitchen, move dishes to dishwasher or sink.
Wipe off the kitchen table and counters, quick sweep.
Put all the kids toys away, fluff couch throw pillows and blankets.
Make sure the tables are cleared off.
Tell the kids like 4-7 times to put their dirty clothes away, then just do it myself half the time.
Clean off bathroom counter, just put stuff away.
Hang bath mat up and close shower curtain
push toys from hallway into kids rooms and shut doors.

That's about it. I like it because when we come home, or hubby does, we aren't walking into a disaster. It's obviously lived in but not a mess and didn't take much time.  I try to do the same as soon as the kids leave during the school year, it's a nice starting point for my daily chores. I'm going to share them soon, updated now that we have a better idea of what needs to be done here.

Some days this quick tidy happens 2-3 times, just depends on life. Some days it doesn't happen at all. Ya know, life. Ideally though I do it first thing in the morning before the kids are up, if I didn't get to it the night before. Once before the kids get home from school and once before hubby gets home.

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

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Fake a Clean House in 6 Steps

 Keeping it real, some weeks or months are just rough! Things aren't how we want them to be, we are tight on time, or patience or both in my case! When we are in one of those seasons of life this is how we do life. Or if you forgot you were having company and it's 30 minutes until they arrive. It's not ideal, it's not organized or perfect, but when you just need to make it through today, this works! 

1. Make the Beds

 I know I am not the first to say it, a made bed just has some special powers!

And really, when you look at a room with a made bed it looks cleaner, even if it's not really.

2. Clean the Toilet

Not even all of them, just the main one. 

3.Candles, Windows and Flowers

Yummy smells and breezy air and some fresh flowers from the yard make things look, smell and feel put together, even if they aren't!

4. Clear the Clutter

Just grab a laundry basket or box, run around real quick and grab anything that isn't where it belongs. They aren't going to get hurt in the box, and you aren't spending time putting them away right now. These are my favorite, so simple and don't take up room when not in use!

And if you are like us, kids toys everywhere, a basket and blanket combo will hide SO MUCH! It's nice to have a spot that still looks pretty but has function too! Easy squeezy! 

5. Dishes

Just load them in the dishwasher, out of site for now.

Quick wipe down of counter and sink while you are in there.

6. Entry

If you have time, sweep the porch off real quick.
For me, cobwebs/spiderwebs have to go. They creep me out.

And if you STILL have time, wipe down light switches and doors that people might see.

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

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Why Cleaning Matters to Me

Why it matters to me that is. I want to serve and be a blessing to our family. As a wife I should serve my husband and as a mom, our kids. When we have guests, my job as a hostess is to serve. It's one way I can show them love. Striving to be a good and CHEERFUL servant in that aspect. Keeping things tidy because it's more pleasing than a disaster. Keeping it tidy around here allows me to spend more time on what really matters, the people in our life!
I don't ever want to be ashamed or embarrassed about what our home looks like if someone comes over, or decline the offer out of fear of what it looks like here. Worrying about the crumbs on the floor and the dishes in the sink can really be distracting and I don't like to be that type of friend. I want to be present in the conversation, 100%.  I want to show my family and our friends how important they are when they are in our home.
 Cleaning, even though it sometimes feels like a thankless job is how I can show them.

 
What motivates you to keep your home tidy?

 Some other reasons why cleaning is important to me?
I sleep better when things are in order and I am more creative and productive when my surroundings aren't in shambles.

I can tell you it is NOT easy! Everyday I have to remind myself why I should be managing our home. Some days I don't convince myself and those days happen to everyone once in a while. Thankfully, with the right 'tude we can get back on track.
 I really kind of got out of my weekly routine when we moved. This first month I think the only real cleaning I did besides dishes was when I moved stuff it maybe got some of the dust knocked off of it!

I don't want to waste another day where I could serve the people around me and show them how I care. I feel like these last 2 weeks I have done a much better job, getting more into the routine of it. Trying to be thankful we found a place for now that is safe and works for us. Being cheerful even though it is the 3rd time I have swept in 2 days, when it feels like NO ONE appreciates it. I have to remind myself I am not doing it for the recognition from anyone. I do it to serve, plain and simple. When I stop expecting appreciation to be verbalized or shown by a certain 5, 7 and 9 year old, it's better!

“Whenever you get opportunity to serve, serve with all your heart.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita

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20 Minutes to a Clean Home~Part 3

Tuesdays for me are cleaning the Family Room, 1/2 Bath and Entryway day.
While you might not have a set day each week that you clean a certain area, I hope this 20 minute list will help someone.

Usually I try to stay in 1 room at a time, but toilets and showers can always use some time to get some cleaning action going, I start with those.

~Start toilet cleaning with whatever you use
  We use a couple different things here, but the toilet bombs are my favorite!
 Lots of different recipes on Pinterest.
~Spray sink
I use the equal parts blue Dawn and Vinegar mix on pretty much all of our sinks and showers.

~Turn Scentsy warmer off
So I can dust it and change it later

Then I get to work in the Family Room

~Pick Up
Anything that got missed during tidying

~Dust
All of the black furniture and the ceiling fan especially show dust

~Glass
Just the obvious fingerprints on windows

~Wipe down tabletops
There are always coffee cup rings :) 
I just use a baby wipe cause we always have them

~Vacuum
Only if it really needs it. We are a no shoes, no food (for kids)
on carpet so it can go 2 weeks and be fine. 

Then I get to the Bathroom, not much different order from the Family Room.

~Dust
One of my pet peeves is how much dust TP makes!

~Glass
Touch up the mirror, get any spots off. You don't have to clean the whole mirror every week.

~New Fluff
I change the hand towel and scentsy, make sure the TP is stocked.

 ~Counter, cabinets & sink
Wipe counters off then most of the time, I just rinse the spray off the sink and it's fine, but if it needs extra attention, I just wipe it out with a baby wipe. Spot clean cabinets for fingerprints.

~Toilet
Again with the baby wipes, I just  wipe down the outside and seat and then flush, keeping up on it means it never really gets bad enough to require scrubbing.

~Floors
I shake the rug out and vacuum or sweep. If the floor needs it I will steam mop.
I try to catch the wild boy messes before steam mopping is necessary. 

The Entryway is really not too much work, it's small.

~Glass
Spot Clean the windows for finger (or mouth) prints

~Floor
I just do a quick sweep, or vacuum if it's still out.

 
That is IT! You can do that in 20 minutes!
Set that timer and it will be done before you know it, and you will feel good about how it looks!

 

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20 Minutes To A Clean House Part 2~ The Kitchen

 The Kitchen can feel so overwhelming but stick with a plan and each week it will be easier and you will get more done in that 20 minutes. Remember, the first few weeks it might feel like 20 minutes is not nearly enough time, even a little progress on some of the tasks that could take up all of the time is still progress and before you know it cleaning out the fridge will be a 1 minute job instead of 30.

* This is my list for our home. Make a list of what you need done weekly*

Music is a must have for me, I need the background noise

I start any job that needs a few minutes to do it's thing first so I am not wasting any of the 20 minutes.

~Start the Microwave Cleaning 

Just a damp sponge to steam it up, easy to wipe down

~Clean the Fridge

I just make sure there are no leftovers or spills

~Dust

I try to get on top of fridge every week and then any spots that are bugging me. I use a Swiffer Duster on a long handle. No time to climb chairs!

~Wipe Down Cabinets

Not all of them, just where I can really see kid prints

~Wipe out Microwave

~Wipe Down Counters

~Clean Stove Top

I don't spend too much time on this, I am horrible at letting things boil over. This alone could be a 45 minute project if I tried to get every spot off. I just get it clean enough to look good.

~Wipe Down Chairs and door knobs

Just where I can see kid prints, this is so much better since we changed to benches and white chairs instead of 8 black chairs! Our pantry door knob is always icky!

~Clean Sink

I keep ours pretty clean during tidying so it's usually just the stainless part around the drain that needs a few seconds of work. Then I clean the disposal (vinegar ice cubes)

~Vacuum

 I love our handle on our vacuum, I just take it around the room real quick

~Wipe Fingerprints off the glass doors

 ~Change Towels

Depending on what needs it more I either steam mop the floor or polish the stove, fridge and dishwasher.

That is it!

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How to keep your home CLEAN in 20 minutes a day! Part 1

I promise it's possible!
I get asked how I do it so often that I thought I would share!

I say 20 minutes because most days that is all the time I can make for cleaning. If you have more bathrooms or bedrooms it might take a little longer.

I still tidy at night and follow the general rules of get it out, put it away. This cleaning is more detailed than tidying and less detailed than seasonal cleaning.

Just my thoughts on this, before you can get, and keep a house clean, you need to do a couple things first! So, here is Part 1. These are the guidelines I guess I would call them, for how I clean.

1. Clear the clutter!

 I could spend hours on clutter if I didn't keep it in check. Managing the stuff that is a time thief will help!

2. Don't expect perfection!

Some days I spend 20 minutes on 2 jobs instead of the whole room. It's going to happen, we all have off days or sweet darling kid interruptions that take up all our cleaning time. Saying "good enough for today" once in a while is totally ok, going for a clean comfortable home, not a museum.

3. The old "A place for everything and everything in it's place"

I agree with a place for everything! Although, chances of everything being in it's place all at the same time when you have kids seems far fetched. That PLACE for everything doesn't have to be separate. At our house we mix dolls and dress up in the same container.

4. Keep Supplies Together
I could spend half my time running to get supplies. Instead I keep what I need together in a basket and get it all out the first time.

5. Prioritize

What is bugging you the most? If your shower is sparkling but your bathroom molding is making you crazy you aren't going to notice how nice the shower looks. Skipping a week of shower cleaning to tackle what is catching your eye and your attention will make the room feel cleaner.

6. Set that timer
It is so easy to get caught up in the cleaning in the beginning, and even after it's been routine for weeks.  Setting your timer for 20 minutes and stopping when it goes off is both a challenge and rewarding. I think most of us hustle a little more under pressure and if you hate cleaning you can see you only have ___ minutes left and sometimes that is just the thing to encourage sticking with it. Personally, I still do this even after years! I feel like I can sacrifice 20 minutes but I don't want to spend more than that and later on feel like I missed out on a whole day.

7. Don't Multitask
But DO start things that can work by themselves before you move to something else. Stick to your area for the day and have a basket handy for straggler items. Another thing I do is make phone calls while I clean, I can wait on hold on speakerphone while I am folding laundry or dusting.

8. Don't give up! 
When you have that day where nothing goes right. Skip that room if it's not a priority and you will catch up next week but don't give up entirely. Every time I give up (it happens once in a while) I regret it the first week! Even if you just aim for 1 month of sticking to a routine of 20 minutes you will notice a difference!

9. Delegate and Work Together
That 20 minutes does not have to be spent alone, kids can help too, even if it's not a huge job, everything they do, you don't have to do! I think it's good for kids, big and little to see what it takes to make a home run smoothly.

You might not be ready to start tomorrow, but working towards a routine that lets you have more time with your family AND a home you are comfortable with is worth it!

If you don't already have a tidying routine I would start there!
Mine is pretty much the same every morning and evening
Morning
~Start a load of laundry as soon as I get up
~Dishes as soon as breakfast is wrapping up
~A quick pick up trip around to grab things I can see are in the wrong room
If it's downstairs and belongs upstairs I make
 a pile on the stairs and go up once with it all 
Evening
~Dishes once dinner is done
~Finish up leftover laundry from the day
~quick pick up
~Sweep up the big stuff 
~Use a baby wipe and take care of food spills I can see. This saves SO much time when mopping!
~quick wipe down of bathroom counters and anything major

None of those I do alone! Our kids are plenty old enough to pitch in!

Part 2 Will be the KITCHEN! 20 minutes to a clean kitchen!


Linking up HERE

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Toilet cleaning.. blech!

I don't personally enjoy it, but it has to be done right? I had been having THE hardest time with hardwater, lime or whatever, it wasn't dirty but it wasn't what I was used to either. I really HATE using chemicals but all my usuals didn't do the trick. I tried baking soda, vinegar, baking soda and vinegar, lemon and salt. NOTHING was working, then I went online and read, tried the 3 favorite toilet cleaners from those that swear by chemicals, tried all 3 and none of them helped either.
I was in the grocery store and found this thing

I was a little worried it would scratch the porcelain but the package says it won't.. taking a risk, I was desperate!

OH MY GOODNESS!  Worked like a charm, the mineral ring was gone in minutes!

Adding this to my "NO CHEMICAL" Cleaning bucket!

What do you use to remove the mineral build-up? Ever tried these before?

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I'm kinda figuring this thing out!

This being gone all day AND keeping the house clean (not spotless) while not spending all weekend doing it. Weekends are for family stuff and being outside, I can't get on board with cleaning all weekend.

These are the little things I have been doing to get stuff done without designating a chunk of time to them!

The kitchen was/is my Monday chore. Not spending an hour doing it but while I am making dinner, or prepping dinner, waiting for coffee I try to spend every down minute doing something. I haven't deep cleaned the kitchen in weeks but there is nothing growing anything so it's good enough.
I am still using my Scheduled Cleaning but I don't get to it all.
Still a good guide for the few minutes I do have time!

Love this!

And I am in NO way saying I have gone from being a stay at home (or never home) mom to being a working out of the home mom pro in just a few weeks. BUT I do think the same organization that made things flow well before can work for the few hours I am home now.
Keeping our home orderly IS important to us, and home cooked meals are just as important to keep our kids healthy, and our budget healthy!

Speaking of budget, I haven't figured out how this is all going to work, there are obviously new expenses with me working, needed a couple things to wear, and gas is a bit more and daycare will be THE biggest adjustment. But I think since I started 2 1/2 weeks ago I have only been to Target 2 3 times, that will be a change in the right direction. My lunch hour is not nearly long enough to browse Target properly!

So right now, even though I may be working out of the home and it wasn't our ideal situation. I am going to do my best to embrace every single part of it! I don't want it to sound like I am complaining, I feel SO blessed to be given such an amazing opportunity.

And I know that what I will have to share coming up may not apply to everyone, but I hope to be sharing my NEW daily checklist, same checklist, just has different stuff on it. And that I will have some fun 4th of July stuff going on, hoping I still have a good hold (or better even) on time than I do now.
Some time management tips, how I am keeping my sanity and spend quality time with the fam.

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Kids Chore Cards

I don't know how everyone else does things, but here our kids have chores. 

Their chores are based on my Weekly Cleaning Schedule.

They each do a little to help me with that days chores and then do a few other little things.

But sometimes remembering what they are supposed to do, 

or what to do next is a little tricky for them.

There are lots of charts and ideas for chores, I shared my favorites

HERE along with what we were attempting. Didn't really work out great for us though.

We need something not so stuck in one place or that needs crossing off. I looked online, there are a few options but none that really fit all of our chores and daily tasks so I ended up making ours. It took WAY longer than I really ever wanted to spend, but I am happy with the outcome.

I used MyMemories Suite to make them. If you haven't checked out that program it's great! I have a code to save some money on it too. The code to use at checkout is STMMMS87586.

 They aren't perfect but they should work for us!

Here is 1 of the 6 pages I did.

So I laminated them and cut them out. I got this snazzy, and amazing hole punch, it doesn't hurt my hand AT ALL and punches so much easier than the old style. I got some rings and stuck them on there. Now the kids can take it with them through the day. We started using them this morning and the kids are DOING SO WELL!! Ramsey has very him cards, just like Carsyn has a cupcake on her room card, he has Darth Vader.

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Spring Cleaning Family Room

How is your Spring Cleaning Coming along?

 The sunshine we had for a couple days made it much easier!

Next to the kitchen, the family room gets the most use, there are always a few stray toys under the couch, dvd's out of order and fingerprints on nearly everything!

Here is the list of supplies I use to get ours done

~Apron, with pockets for all those little things I know I will find!

~Swiffer Dusters with the long handle (and a couple short handles for my helpers)

~microfiber cloths 1 for polish, 1 for glass

~Glass cleaner (I prefer Sprayway Brand, but will use vinegar in a pinch)

~Magic Eraser and vinegar in a spray bottle

~Vacuum

~Baby Wipes

The family room doesn't take nearly as long as the kitchen does once the purging is done. 

~Start some laundry! Curtains and throw blankets and pillows all need it

~Move the rug to another room and put some baking soda on it, let the kids jump and dance around on it to get it rubbed in. I move it because I don't want all the dust settling on it.

~Dust the ceiling fan and bulbs

~Wipe down or dust walls

~Dust all the frames, don't forget the tops!

~Dust electronics, especially behind them.

~Dust all the knickknacks and fluff

~Polish furniture

~Wash windows and mirrors

~I give our oldest the job of organizing the DVD's

~I get hubby to turn off the pilot light on the fireplace, but we are going to wait a while on that, we have been using it far too much lately for it to be turned off!

~Clean couch cushions. I use baby wipes for this after they are vacuumed off

~And while the wipes are out I make sure all the light switches and remotes get a quick cleaning too

~Then I go around the room and wipe down the baseboards with the magic eraser and vinegar

~Finally to the vacuuming, I vacuum all over, move the furniture and vacuum under it too

~Steam mop the hardwoods 

~Then move the rug back in once all the baking soda has been vacuumed up, 

hoping it takes all the dirt with it!

~Put the curtains back up and the lighter throw blankets come out, heavier ones get stored.

That's it! I think we will reward all the helpers with a movie!

Should be able to get this done in the next couple days, then I will be starting on the bathrooms!

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Fall Cleaning

It's like Spring Cleaning but better, at least in my opinion. My reward for getting it done is usually some yummy smellin' pumpkin-y candles and/or a Vanilla Chai Latte,

and I prefer those over spring/summer smells

My favorite candle right now is Bath and Body Works Caramel Pumpkin Latte!

The first day of Fall is Sept. 23rd this year! That is our little Finnley's birthday! So I am not starting then, and the next day is his party! And I am pretty sure we will need Sunday to recover.

But Monday I am planning on getting my week long FALL CLEANING started!

I have done this every year for a while, and it's always a little different. Maybe last years, or the years before plan would work for you. Find them HERE. If you need time to clean Article Writing Services will make sure you still have free content for your blog.

 I won't actually start cleaning until then, but for now I need a plan and to make sure we have all the supplies so I can actually get it done without any extra trips to the store!

Here is my plan:

Monday~ Kitchen

Tuesday~Family Room, Living Room

Wednesday~Bathrooms

Thursday~Bedrooms

Friday~Anything inside I missed the other days/outside

Saturday~Garage/outside (depending on weather)

Sunday~(wrapping up outside)

It will take me a few days, but I will have my notepad, or phone, and make lists for each room of the things that need to be done. Sometimes it's just weird little things I wouldn't put on the everyday list or a generic deep cleaning list.

But a few things make the list just about every time. The usual are

Touch up paint

Touch up moulding

Vacuum vents

Cobb webs

I can pretty much figure all the rooms will need this done,

 moulding painting is one of my least favorite things to do.

If you fall clean, what is on your list?

I'll have a list for Kitchen's soon!

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Monthly Cleaning Schedule!

HOW did I not ever think of this?!

Such a clever idea and soo much better than my haphazard way of doing things!

I saw a couple examples on pinterest (of course), like this one

I had to alter mine, I usually have to deep clean a little more often than once a year for some of our things.. but I do like the idea of having a designated month to do the big rooms!  So although I do some stuff that people consider "deep" cleaning every week, some stuff can be done just 1 or 2 times a year. Here is what I came up with, going to add it to my HMB and make my Fall/Spring Cleaning a lot easier, they will probably need an overhaul too!

How do you all organize your deep cleaning?

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Want to see the mess?!

Just a warning... it is super messy!

Yeah, so that is the constant struggle with her! I printed some weekly chore charts to see how they go! But I also checked out Pinterest (I think Pinterest is the new Google!) and found some other cute ideas!

First thing I found was the chore chart we are using!

And there are some ideas that don't involve paper! I think I like those better!

This one is so pretty, but for us it's not practical. I think ours need detailed instructions.

This fridge one is smart!

love hos rustic this one is, and clothespins are cheap!

Laminated! These are similar to the chore packs.

This one is my favorite concept! The little tags are a good idea!

There are some more from Pinterest and the sources for the ones above. HERE, if you still aren't pinning let me know and I will send you an invite!

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Monday and chores!

Kids need chores!
I really believe that! Learning responsibility is so important. We start pretty young here, if they are old enough to get the toys out they are old enough to pick them up. When our oldest was the only one, it was SO much easier, we used the plastic zipper bags that sheets/pillow cases and some blankets come in. We organized stuff that went together in each bag, and there was only one allowed out at a time. He is the best around here at picking up! The youngest, Finnley, gets it but thinks its too much fun to dump them out again as soon as he picks them up. Carsyn on the other hand, I don't think she will be a professional organizer or housekeeper !! It is a never ending struggle to get her to keep her room clean. We have everything in bins, she can reach,open and close and put away but she JUST.WON'T.DO.IT! Makes me nuts!

We have tried rewards, points and things like no snack until it's done, going to be early, not coming down to play until it's done, putting stuff in a bin to "give away"(or hide in the laundry room) and it doesn't do anything. The only way it gets done is if Ramsey decides to do it for her or you stand there and tell her exactly what to pick up. On a mission to find some creative way for her to get and to want to keep it clean, her room is cute, but dangerous if there are barbies out!

Our kiddos have other chores too but nothing written down, except taking their garbage's out on Sunday night (which they ask to do every other day!) So I am working on some kind of system that will work for the kids. I have MY chores all figured out HERE.  But I need something the kids can check off and earn their points for the day.

I'm not sure I what to do! I don't know that I want them to be able to reach the dry erase markers just yet, but I also don't know if I want to print a TON of papers for them either.  I think we will try a weekly chart with stickers for a couple weeks and see how it goes.

Some other ideas I think are great are the Duggar's way of doing things, their chore packs are smart and easy for all the littles to have exactly what they are to do easy to access.
It's a little much for us but still a good idea! There are a bunch of free printable charts online.
And How Does She shared this clever idea for multiple kids!

I'm sure I will be back with an update.. and maybe a picture of her room (YIKES!)

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Monday's.. ick!

I really am not a fan of Monday's! Especially lately since hubby has been leaving Monday's for the entire week! But I am trying to learn to love them.

Monday's we (my 2-4 little assistants and I) clean the kitchen. Let me tell you how this goes.

 I load the dishwasher with help from Finnley (18 months) his "help" is taking the dirty silverware and putting it away with all the clean stuff. THANKS Finnley (so we are doing finger foods for lunch today since all the silverware is in the dishwasher).

We clean out the fridge (and find random open yogurts in it.. seriously  eww!) And Ramsey, our 6 year old, loves to "organize" the pantry. Our pantry is pretty organized already. But he likes to drag the kitchen chairs over to the pantry and move the snacks he likes down to his level so he can reach them without me, I guess he doesn't get that I put them on the top shelf (so even I need a step stool to reach them) for a reason!! 

 Our kids love to vacuum, but not crumbs, they just like to run around with the hose! 

 I am SO lucky and thankful that I have my sweet helpers and know that because of all their "help" I will never be bored on a Monday at nap time!

Let me tell you what I would rather be doing during naptime.. I found a jar like these from PBKids (for 2.99 at Goodwill!), but the lid is not a cute color. I am pretty sure I can make it work for our kitchen or pantry, maybe the kids bathroom with some spray paint!  If I get done with my Monday chores I'll dig in the spray paint bin and see what colors we have!

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Spring Cleaning week 4 {Bedrooms}

I was supposed to be doing Spring Cleaning the bathrooms last week... but I didn't, not even a little bit. Instead, Hubby had a few days off and we painted our formal living room.

So I am behind a week but Hubby is out of town this week so I am hoping I can get it all done and start on the bedrooms! And we are out of trim paint so none of that will be done either.. doesn't look like I will be all done before Spring..darn!

Well here is my list for bedrooms, in case I get to it this week!

• Go Through Clothes and move winter stuff to the back!

• Go Through Toys

• Go Through Books (and post on paperbackswap.com)

• Clean out Nightstands

• Clean ceiling fans and light fixtures

• Flip Mattresses

• Steam Mattresses

• Go Through Underneath Bed (always purging)

• Windows

• Window Tracks

• Wash Curtains

• Polish Furniture

• Clean Baseboards

• Take off Bed Warmers

So hoping the kids want to help and we get this done before Spring Break (next week) and hopefully by the time we get back it will be nice enough to work outside!

Hope Everyone is enjoying the last week of Winter (finally!)

And I am sure I will spend a little time tonight looking for some fun April Fools stuff for the kiddies!



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