Know Thyself: One Woman's Household Cleaning

My husband just started online college.

Wahhoooo!!! 

He's going for Business Administration, and I'm so proud of his bravery in diving back into formal schooling.

His first class is Psychology; I had already taken that my second year of college so it's been fun to hear him talk about his reading. I can appreciate some aspects of the topic, but what I've really enjoyed is the personality profiling; particularly that of birth order and how it may influence a person in a myriad of ways. 

The Birth Order Book  by Kevin Leman has been a fun read for me time and again. It's so interesting that you could discern where someone is in their family order based on their temperament, attitude, or other traits. It's also been helpful in 'getting to know' myself as a firstborn.

Example: I enjoy order, cleanliness, and am that person that notices when the trashcans are full or a frame is crooked. If I see something out of place, I'm more likely to put it back, even if it's not my house. I can be bossy and overwhelming, yet do well with our budgeting and love to decorate, plan trips, and enjoy holding all the small details in my brain so someone else doesn't have to. I tend to swing between the two extremes of the firstborn: wanting to pleasing people, or running over them.  

These are just a few traits that were highlighted in the book, which was helpful, not so I could sit in understanding and let my faults be faults, but to improve and be tempered. We are supposed to be striving to be like Christ, so go-go sanctification! Which comes in all sorts of surprising forms. 

Ahem.

When Travis and I first married, we both worked. We eventually learned that I couldn't do all the cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and other housework without breaking down in frustration. I needed help, but also an adjustment in priorities. Add another year, and I started to stay home with our own firstborn, with more adjusting all over the place! 

To keep my perfectionist-leaning self away from discouragement and fatigue, I ended up making a schedule for our chores so I would still accomplish what was needed, while making time for the people that are important. Otherwise I would clean the house every day, or not at all.

If this resonates with you, or you're looking for ideas, here's my routine: 

Monday: Bathroom and laundry. 

Laundry is done all day all day, and folded when the boys are snoozing. Add a drop of lemon into the washer. Smells lovely (Interested in buying essential oils? Go here).

Bathroom: Damp rags with Doterra Lemon, Eucalyptus, or Melaleuca are awesome for toilet, sink and tub. We use old Gerber diapers--absorbent enough for cleaning, but not for our boys!
Also-a drop of eucalyptus in the toilet bowl after it's cleaned helps the rooms smell nice and absorbs everything else for a little while. 

Tuesday: Dusting and Vaccuum

Again, Damp rag with lemon (my favorite, apparently) or Onguard over window and door frames, shelves, headboards, whatever.

Ah.

It might not look it, but I know it's nicer.
Anyone notice the Doctor Who Vault book there?
I have a wonderful husband.
Yes I do.

This sucker is the bane of my dusting existence. I do everything else, but this baby gets done once a month, because it exhausts me just looking at it.

I also wash my Splat mats (found here  on Amazon), which I have under the boys high chairs

I love them.

Vacuuming: also known as the one day a week where I put everything back into it's proper place, then vacuum. This way I'm not tempted to constantly pick up, and I can sort through once a week: anything too small? broken? outgrown? etc. Act now, instead of a huge job later. 

Diffuse something delicious smelling after. How about lemon?

Waiting on Mommy to finish 

Wednesday: Kitchen 

Clean out fridge, sort food and wipe surfaces. Again, warm rag with lemon. I love lemon. I think I'll do a post on how many ways I use it each day. Yum.

Make weekly menu and shopping list. I find doing this the day before is helpful. No rushing.

Sweep and mop floor

Thursday: Market, bill-paying, and errands

oof.

Friday: Surfaces

Anything I missed: windows with sticky fingerprints, tv monitors, mirrors

countertops, stove drip pans, quick wipe up of bathroom for the weekend with Travis home so I can pretend I keep it clean all week (he is not fooled, nor does he care. I am blessed).

Saturday: Family time and cooking for the week

brothers sharing pizza picnic on the floor 

Sunday: Rest. 

Church, naps, pack up TJ's meals for his work. Enjoy the day. 

Diffuse something relaxing.

Maybe lavender?

Ha. Fooled you.

Tips for sanity: 

Be aware that with company, it's good to do a quick pick up from one end of the house to the other with a basket, and wipe down the bathroom and kitchen table. They won't notice anything.

Be empowered with the knowledge that planning your day isn't obsessive; find what works for you and you will have more time for enjoyable pursuits.

Like spaghetti with a yogurt chaser.

Be a parent and learn patience: teach your children to help with chores. It helps with perfectionism and criticism. At two, it is reasonable to expect Jesse to help me transfer laundry, unload the dishwasher together, throw out his own trash, and wipe down the counter after we cook together.

Be flexible. Today I did the bathrooms and finished the laundry because we all decided to be insane yesterday. Two weeks ago, I was sick and stuff wasn't done. We went out as a family one day. 

Let life happen.