Cupcakes Kisses 'n' Crumbs: Housewife

Showing posts with label Housewife. Show all posts

24 August 2019

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!

30 August 2017

Nightly Routine for Easier Mornings

Our mornings start EARLY, and I hate to get the day started on the wrong foot. Sometimes that happens anyway, but most days I can do a little work the night before to make mornings run smooth!

It doesn't take long, and every minute is usually worth it.

I leave about 15-20 minutes before bed to run through this routine real quick.

Journaling

The kids each have a little journal in their Good Morning Basket, I try to just write them a little note, or reminders for the day, if something is our usual schedule.

Prep Lunches & Coffee

I am much more with it in the evening than early in the morning, and that coffee is important :)

Breakfast Prep

Just check to make sure nothing needs to be thawed or put it in the Instant Pot

Dishes

Because waking up to an empty sink is AMAZING!

Laundry Prep

I just put a load in the washer, and if it's full already I will start it, if not I just wait for the mornings dirty clothes.

Quick Overall Tidy

Walk through and put things in the right room, bedding and put trash in bin

Check Planner

To make sure we don't have anything out of our norm the next day!

Self Care

Take care of my teeth and hopefully something to counteract these wrinkles lol

Getting to bed on time is Self Care too!

Do you feel like you stay up later and later just to have a little alone time, time where you aren't doing kid stuff, or doing something for someone else?

That was me for years! Ended up being more tired in the morning and everything was more difficult. I switched it up and went to bed earlier, and get up earlier and have MORE time for me and I am not a tired groggy mess in the morning!

Anything you do routinely at night to help with the next day?

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23 November 2016

1 Year To an Entirely Organized Home

First I want to say that I know January, when the kids are home, after a few weeks off, may not be the ideal time to start. So, why am I starting now then?! For many of us the holidays are stressful. I NEED an outlet. Cleaning/Organizing is my favorite healthy outlet! If January is not the right time for you, it's ok! There aren't specific dates for this, just a weekly plan.

We've been doing some purging together in our Facebook Group, it's helped me get rid of 275 ish things, and there are still plenty of days to go! I feel like I need to roll with that, before any clutter makes it's way back in!

I still try to do some organizing every week, usually on Friday. This fits right in with our current routine.

I've done this in the past (a couple houses ago) this is what that looked like

Sadly, many of those don't apply to our current home. Many still do though, and I have plenty of new things to add to this list. Taking the time now to make my list so I have a plan and can jump right in that first week! How perfect that the 1st is a Sunday? Just lines right up with this plan!

I hope you will join and take the ones that don't apply to you (like Chicken stuff) out, and add what you need, in! Post it to instagram and help others get inspired to spend more time with their family and less time dealing with clutter! Tag me! @OregonHousewife :) I am sure I have some giveaways happening for participants!

03 October 2016

Speedy Fall Cleaning in the Kitchen

Our kitchen could use some deep cleaning! It gets abused every week and sometimes I just don't get to every little thing I want to!

~Dust the top of the cabinets/fridge

~Wipe down the inside of the cabinets
~Small appliances need some extra love too!

~Deep Clean the Fridge

~Clean the oven, self clean or spot clean

~make a batch of disposal cleaning cubes

~Pantry, wipe shelves down and toss expired stuff

~Check napkins and tablecloths. It's almost the holiday season, do you have what you need?

06 September 2016

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 :)

22 July 2016

Working on Productivity

When I first left my job, I was TERRIBLE at getting things done! I felt scattered and was easily distracted, floundering. And this was almost a decade ago, before cell phones could do all that neat stuff they do now! I knew we could do more fun stuff as a family if I could manage my day better.

My job is raising babies and keeping our house cozy. Working on projects here and there and a little work outside the home too. For you it might be juggling working from home, kids and school. This doesn't have to be just for the stay at home mom/homemaker.

I started to realize all the things I wasn't keeping up on throughout the week. Once I realized how much easier it would be to keep up on stuff I started with LISTS!

So here are some things I've done since then that have made *most* of my days pretty productive. Of course not everyday is that way. We all have rough days, knowing what it takes to get back on track makes those rough days no biggie!

Write It Down
Everything you WANT to get done that day. Make those goals big and give yourself grace, it's ok to leave some undone. Be realistic about what you CAN get done and optimistic about what you want to get done. I do this the night before often.

Pick Your Top 3 Must Do
And then do the most important first. I like to be fully caffeinated when I take on whatever that #1 job (besides taking care of the kids) is that day. I avoid ALL multi tasking for the first 3 tasks. I love multi tasking, but at the same time it's not always the best option for those important tasks.

Being Positive and Self Motivating
I try to start everyday with something positive. I kind of treat my to do list as a job, if I was doing this for someone else and being paid for it, how would I get it done. I didn't have a problem getting my work done at work. I just have to be the one to hold myself accountable.

Tiny Tasks
Those ones that will take 10-15 minutes but just keep getting pushed aside. I set my timer and just do what I can to knock a few of those out in however long I have before my next thing.

Breaks and Bribes
I am terrible at remembering to take breaks for healthy snacks, but after the first couple important tasks I try to do that. Energy is a must! On especially busy or rough days, I bribe myself with the promise of 10 minutes of my favorite time suck. Pinterest is usually my go to!

Routines
When you have things that are continually on your list. Daily, weekly or monthly. You will find it might be easier to add those to a routine. I LOVE the routines I have established after a couple months of focusing and not floundering. I've been doing about the same thing weekly since becoming a SAHM. It's about time to tweak that though. Life has just changed enough that things aren't quite right for our current routine.

When there are times when I am just not getting it done, I use some of these tips.

If it's been a long stretch of unproductive days, I have to get REALLY serious and evaluate what in the world I am spending my time on! Some people suggest writing down what you did in every hour. I feel like I would spend so much time writing. I usually know what my time sucks are. Pinterest, Facebook etc.

~I start saying NO to things that aren't a REALLY good match for our family. We skip some of those extra activities.

~I use those sneaky hours that slip away from us more often. Phone calls, and anything else that can be done from the car. So much time waiting in pickup lines and at sports. They add up, I start to make them a bit more useful.

~I also notice that when I am not feeling my best, or after and indulgent weekend of not eating the best, I am way less productive! Staying healthy really helps me.

Feel like you don't know where to start? I love this idea of spending a couple days of being REAL about where your time goes!

05 July 2016

My Morning Routine & Checklist

I posted about mornings and how important they are for us. I didn't get specific in my routine, but thought I could, so here it is. This is my ideal SUMMER morning, once school starts it will need some tweaking. And no, not every morning is like this but I wish they were!

When you set your alarm and it seems like such a pain, remember WHY you are doing it. Whatever your WHY is. Mine is alone time to mentally prep for the day and then a little prepping for a smoother day.

I have mine laminated and it snaps right into my planner with these snazzy little stickers, just in case I am ever ( and let's be real, that is always) on the tired side and need a little reminder about what a smooth morning would look like.

5:00 Rise and Shine/Start Coffee
5:10 Coffee/Bible Reading
5:30 Workout
6:00 Make To Do/To Be Lists

6:15 Shower and dress
6:45 Make Bed & Start Laundry
7:00 Breakfast

7:45 Kid Work
8:00 Power (Half) Hour

Wondering what any of those are? Here is a quick rundown.
Just get up and start my coffee, get dressed
I like to read in the mornings while I have my coffee
I have a few different workouts that are all under 30 minutes, I just pick one.
Check my planner, dinner plans, make my lists. To do, those are obvious. To be, those are sometimes things I need reminders on, be patient, be more present etc. Depending on how things have been going.
Shower and get ready for the day
Once hubby gets up I can make the bed and start a load of laundry
Make breakfast for everyone, eat breakfast
Set the kids up with either some paperwork, chores, a game, art project. Just something for them to do for a dedicated amount of time while I get my Power Half Hour done.
Power Half Hour~ A half hour can feel like NO time or like a long time. I spend that first 30 minutes of the day moving as fast as I can to get the chores of the day done. I can usually get everything (or nearly everything) done in that 30 minutes. Well, besides laundry, because laundry is just never ending! I don't ever want chores to take all day or for it to feel like that is all we do.

How do you do mornings?
Any schedule or routine? Just wing it day by day?

21 June 2016

I Miss The Mom Tribe!

Do you miss it too? Maybe it's just me? I feel like I am missing out on the mom friends like my mom and grandma had.

On any given day there would be another mom at our house at some point. Some had girls my age, some had boys and some had kids my brothers age, or older than both of us. It didn't ever feel weird, it wasn't a play date, often it was just a mom, no kids. There was no phone calls from the road ahead to check and see if a quick stop was ok, no cell phones. My mom and grandma were both social, I am social, where are the friends that stop by for coffee or just to kill 10 minutes between errands? Some of these moms even had their own coffee creamer at our house. No one cared that there was a really good chance that they would have to move laundry to sit and chat, or that if it was before school I would probably ask for help French braiding my hair (I still can't braid my own). I didn't know that wasn't a thing? I really expected that as an adult, especially once I had school age kids. We have an 11 year old. It hasn't happened yet. Which makes me wonder why?!? What has changed in the past 2 decades that this practice of stopping by to call on friends and have a quick cup of coffee has become non existent? Is this part of why relationships seem only surface deep more often than not lately? Because we aren't seeing the real day to day stuff, only the put together show?

Is it too crazy to say to your friends "stop by any time" and mean it? I can probably make sure there is coffee or tea, you will probably have to move books or laundry to have a seat, but stay for 1 cup or for 3. No promise that I will be dressed all the way, I probably won't have my hair and makeup done. But it's an open invitation to our real life and we want you in it! Is that really weird or crazy? Are we too worried about our appearances (or our home) that friendships suffer? If it's ok for neighbor kids to come by to see if kids can play, when does that stop being ok for adults?

I'm putting this out there for my friends, stop by, I mean it. I don't care if you are in a cruddy mood or have good news to share, if you are out of creamer or just need to get out of the house for a few. I want to know your real life ❤️

13 June 2016

Take Back Your Weekend .2

Organizing a Laundry Schedule!

The other thing that can really be a time suck on the weekends is LAUNDRY !

I've always aimed to not do any on the weekends, managing that is hard and takes planning to make sure we have uniforms clean and towels for showers! I use my planner, and can make a laundry schedule based on our games scheduled for the week. I also try to wash towels every Wednesday, that way I can clean the bathroom, sweep and toss the bath mat and cleaning rag straight in.

I needed a better way to keep track of what needed done, so many uniforms! Something more convenient than in my planner.

So I took this half painted cabinet in the laundry room

Put a few coats of chalkboard paint on it, got these cute labels, and it's been great!

I have terrible handwriting, not helped by only having a chalk stub left!

It's not perfect but it's good enough for me! I just update it Monday's with the weekly schedule and no more going back and fourth to my planner.

How do you stay on top of laundry?

26 May 2016

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68730947131/

Homemakers who are discouraged, going to share some real life stuff with y'all. I am sure I am not the only one who has a hard time with this sometimes. It makes me sad when people say they wish they could organize like Suzie, cook like Martha, craft like so and so, had their friends house. We have to just stop already, all that time we (I am guilty of it too) are wasting wishing for something else when we can easily be doing just what we are meant to in our own homes!

I'm not going to tell you that everyone has messy spots in their house, cause I have no idea. I know that the internet, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook give a vibe of sunshine and roses and floors with no scratches. Also, I don't know what their priorities are, and I don't need to know. I need to know what mine are and focus on them! I will still love Pinterest and the like, and to check out other people's homes and style but I won't compare them to mine. For all I know they have a chef or eat out everyday, maybe they have no kids, maybe they sent their kids to camp for a week and staged their home for a bunch of pictures to be released over the next 5 months. Don't think that doesn't happen. I promise stuff like that is happening.

The point is, make your home with love for the people in it and know that wherever that leaves it, whether it's a garage full of stuff you can't part with all in a heap, or 5 perfectly staged bedrooms.It's fine, it's right. If you are making your priorities a priority, whatever they are for you and your family, and y'all feel happy at home then it's exactly perfect!

22 April 2016

Mom Drawer

This was my dresser growing up, I hesitated to take it back until just recently. Well now that it's here, it's perfect! It fits just right and has given me a convenient spot for my mom/wife life organization.

it's not quite the big command center I was dreaming of, like these.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68730687253/

But it's working! My WOTY is FRESH, still working on it, in lots of ways. A fresh perspective on what I actually need to make my life run smooth was one of those things. I don't need a big ol' command center, just this. This drawer, where I can keep my planner, my daily necessities like the speaker and devotional/Bible, grocery list, my few favorite pens, lip gloss and eye drops, yay allergies. I also keep my coloring books, in case I have a few minutes to myself ❤️

15 January 2016

Organizing Friday Week 2

I'm Following along with the 52 Week Organized Home Challenge.

Last week was sink and counters! Got that done but I'm a little, no scratch that, a lot scared of this week!

Here are my before and after from last week.

And After

Eventually we will get those wires taken care of and move the microwave in here. It's on the LONG list of things to do. But it hasn't been a priority yet.

Under the sink is much better too, we didn't redo the pipes yet but the pink stuff is gone and so are the spiders!

I grabbed a basket that will fit under here for recycling, instead of using the counter top. And the little tin is the perfect size for corralling dishwasher tabs, sponges and dish soap.

This week is kitchen cabinets and drawers.
Ours have really been abused since we moved in. Moving stuff here and there while we sand/paint etc. You get the point, it's a disaster!

Just a few of them. Some are worse than others.

It's going to take me all day today and probably a little of my free time next week to finish this up.

Let's see yours! Drawers and Cabinets take a lot of work to keep up!

Any amazing tricks for keeping them organized?

08 January 2016

52 Weeks to an Organized Home

In an effort to find a FRESH way to organize our home, I am letting someone else make the list!

This year I am Following Home Storage Solutions list, you can find it here.

Some of the weeks won't apply to me but I'm sure I will have other things to do still.

The first week is Kitchen Counters and Sink!

This one I can totally do! Although under the sink at our house is scary to me. We haven't redone the pipes under there, there is still some 1970's contact paper and I am sure some spiders!

I don't know that I will be doing under the sink. But I might see if I can convince hubby to haha.

Here is our before, just after breakfast today. Yowza. It's not pretty. We have cabinet doors off that are being sanded so we can paint.

There totally is a spider! Ick!

So today this is what I am working on for Organizing Friday!

Are you following a plan for organizing this year? Just winging it? Want to join me in this one?!

I am always looking for other ideas on how to organize!

Instagram looks like there are a few before and afters with #52weekhomeorganizedchallenge

06 January 2016

{Fresh} Morning Routine Part 3

It starts the night before!

Remember, big things first! So what needs to be done at night for you to have a GOOD morning?

Write it down! Make a quick night routine. It doesn't have to be detailed or complicated! Maybe you don't even need a list, just set a time for 15-20 minutes and do what is most important to you that day.

Mine looks like this:

Tidy, because waking up to a mess bugs me.

Clothes, choose and lay them out. Including workout stuff
Breakfast Prep
Check Planner/ To do list

Prep Coffee (A MUST!)
Write in kids books (more on this soon)
Load Laundry, or at least have a load ready
Pack Lunches

Not always in that order, but usually.

The most important thing about nights?

~Go to bed on time, I swear I get days behind if I stay up even a little late.

It really doesn't have to be super detailed or long and drawn out. Just enough to make your mornings and the start of your day the best they can be!

15 October 2015

Cozy Fall Home Essentials

Fall just calls for WARM and COZY!

Warm colors and warm drinks, comfort food and pumpkin everything!

We have Halloween stuff up until Halloween, but usually right after Trick or Treating I pack it all up while we unwind. I am on the hunt for Fall stuff, not Thanksgiving, just Fall.
I am NOT looking for all things pumpkin or leaves. I am just choosing a couple colors that already go with our home, which is mostly grey, black, white and browns. I am maybe looking to add a little orange to that mix and some yellow and a touch of gold.
Some things I am watching my favorite resell pages and thrift shops for:

A couple pillows like these!