Daily Tasks

Did you know that doing a few tasks daily will keep your spirits high, your home looking tidier and actually motivate you to do *more*? It's true! 

A few things to do *every* day...

* Clear and wipe down kitchen counters.
* Clear and wipe down bathroom counter.
* Make your bed. 
* Wash/Dry, Fold/Put away at least *one* load of laundry.
* Sweep floors (this is necessary for us to do daily...but may not be for you!)

You don't have to have the newest and fanciest counters. You don't have to have the nicest or fanciest house. Keep what you have...no matter what the age/style of your home (even if it is not to your liking)...tidy and clean and you can enjoy your surroundings!

If you do nothing else...at least make your bed in the morning. That is *the* way to start the day off correctly! I am always up before my husband in the mornings...so after he has left for work, I go back upstairs and make the bed. I've tried to make it with him in it..but that doesn't work out so well! ;)

When you keep the counters of the kitchen and bathroom clear and wiped up, they just look nicer...plus when they look neat, you won't want stray dishes or spills on them to make them look dirty...this motivates you to keep them looking nice throughout the day. And hey, while you are wiping down that bathroom counter, maybe you want to refill the soap dispenser? Maybe you could give the toilet a swish as well?

I'm telling you...these few simple chores, done daily, can really help you in your home-keeping duties! Adding in a few extra chores from time to time such as dusting, washing windows/mirrors, washing bed linens, scrubbing down toilets and bathtubs etc....and you will find that keeping the home doesn't have to be so overwhelming!

Keeping up with things is *key*!

Organizing Legos

My daughter and I (mostly her though) went through and sorted all the Legos. I bought inexpensive shoe bins at the dollar store and labeled them with my label maker. 

 We are hoping that will take boxes that look like this...

...and turn them into this (thus making it easier to find the pieces they want)...

In the box marked "extra" we put min-figs, swords, horses, bow/arrows and other miscellaneous items that go along with the Legos!

 With grade-school boys, I'm not sure how this will work for us...but it is worth giving it a try! They both seem to like this new system (but we'll see if it lasts as time wears on). Personally, I love seeing the colors separated and *in their place*...but if it doesn't work out over time, we can find good uses for the plastic shoe boxes and the Legos can all go back into one bin! :)

Do your children play with Legos? I think they are such a *great* learning/playing toy. Imaginations soar, minds work to think and build...Legos are truly one of the best investments (toy-wise) in my opinion. How do you store/organize your Legos? 

Cleaning the Bathtub

Cleaning the bathtub is a dreaded but necessary chore. In our home, with 5 people bathing constantly (and two of those being boys that are dirt-magnets) the tub can get dirty...fast! We have an older, claw foot tub. It does not do well with bleaches or harsh chemicals (plus, who wants to use that stuff anyway?). 

I am going to share with you what *I* use to clean my tub. These ingredients (plus a lot of elbow grease) help to keep my tub sparkling (well, as close as we can get. With this being an older tub, it still holds onto some of it's stains from years past).

 I fill my hand-dandy Mrs. Meyer's Bucket (which has been well-used) with warm water and some Mrs. Meyer's Basil All Purpose Cleaner and swish it around until I have great-smelling, sudsy, warm water! (I put the bucket right in the tub while I am scrubbing!) I sprinkle some borax and baking soda (which I keep in an old parmesan cheese container...notice it needs refilled...) onto the surface of the tub. Then...using my scrubby sponge and a lot of muscle...I scrub and scrub until clean.

I didn't really think about making a post about this until *after* the fact...so unfortunately, I don't have any before photos. But this is basically, as nice as this tub gets (a good cleaning on a newer tub could end up perfectly, sparkling white!)...

If you have a cast iron claw foot tub, as I do, you may also find it helpful (for those stains that just won't go away no matter how hard you scrub) to make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Sprinkle the baking soda on the stain(s). Then add just enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Let it sit a while...when you come back to it...scrub and rinse! It should help that tub to sparkle! :)

I would love to hear any *bathtub* cleaning tips *you* may have to share!!! :)

Dollar Store Organization

Organization does *not* have to be expensive! If you go to DIY & Crafts, you can find a compilation of 150 Dollar Store Organizing Ideas! They have done all the searching for you, to find some of the greatest, inexpensive (and useful) organizing ideas for your entire home! When I found this site, I knew I just had to share it! :) Let me know if you put any of these ideas to use!!!

Clean Out Your Fridge!

Have you cleaned out your refrigerator lately? If not...go do it...right now! ;) Just kidding...of course you should wait until you have time (hopefully that will be soon!).

There are so many reasons why keeping your fridge clean is so important!

1. Proper cleaning keeps bacteria and germs away. **Keeping you and your family healthier!**

2. It saves you money! (Woohoo!) Think of how many things you waste because they have expired in the fridge. Had they been in proper view and labeled, you would easily remember to use it and thus, save money! (Plus, it is such a blessing to have the amount of food we do...wouldn't you agree? We should try our best not to waste it when so many go without!)

3. It leaves you room to put things where they belong and still be able to *see* everything. Using bins or containers to hold things can be quite helpful. All you need to do, then, is slide the bin out to get what you need and not move a lot of things out of the way to get to the back.

4. It looks *fabulous*! Honestly, it is such a great feeling to open the refrigerator door and see everything in its place...isn't it?

 Don't worry...we aren't egg hoarders. ;)  We own chickens and get over a dozen eggs a day usually. We just took 6 dozen to use for our church's sunrise service for Resurrection Sunday...otherwise we would have more than this!

So, what are you waiting for? 

Clean out, wipe down and restock that refrigerator! 

You'll be glad you did! :)

My Favorite Books on Cleaning & Organizing

Having a good book to help you with your cleaning and organizing is of great value! A book can give you the right steps to take, all-natural recipes, cost-cutting ideas and more! I use a few books that I treasure!

The first one I highly recommend is Cleaning Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin. It is full of homemade recipes (with simple household ingredients), tips and tricks, and a simple plan to follow to get your whole home *clean*!

Boy was I excited when I found out Donna Smallin makes a book on organizing as well! Organizing Plain and Simple helps you solve all of your clutter challenges! Like her other book, this one gives tons of tips, tricks and ideas. As well as helping you organize your home (room by room), it also has a section that helps you organize your finances! Again, I highly recommend this book!

If you are interested in cleaning your home naturally (as I am) but don't always have the money for costly green cleaners, you can simply make your own! The Naturally Clean Home has 150 recipes for all-natural cleaning using things like Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps Pure-Castile Soap, lemon juice, vinegar and essential oils!

Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping is an absolutely *wonderful* book. It is full of simple homemaking advice...written from a mother to her children. It is a little old fashioned which makes me love it even more! It has chapters highlighting the art of homekeeping, entertaining, the garden, health and beauty, laundry and more. It is a treasure of a book, really.

What books do you find helpful in guiding you in your homemaking? I would love for you to share them! If you have any of these books, I would love to hear your thoughts on them too!

Kitchen Tweaks

Sometimes, taking the time to do a few minor things can make a *big* difference in your kitchen. I had neglected my oven for a long time. I didn't do so intentionally...rather, I just didn't completely notice it as I was focused on getting foods in and out of the oven without really focusing on the oven itself. 

Once I took a good look at it, I was disgusted with how bad it had gotten. 

So, I mixed up a little paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (with a bit of elbow grease)....and this is how lovely it turned out...

 I also cleaned out our little tupperware/storage cupboard. It's not overly exciting...but it is so nice to have purged some unused containers and gotten things squared away in there...

It's really amazing how good you can feel about your kitchen (or any area in your home) when you just make a few small changes for the better. Sometimes we can get it in our mind that we have to make huge changes to our home for us to "like it better". This is simply not true. All the little things start adding up and soon, you will find yourself enjoying your home more and more!

Making a Simple (Effective) Chore Chart

 I have tried many different chore chart systems. I have spent lots of time making chore charts and they worked...for a while. How I made them usually made it difficult to change chores (when changes were needed). So now, I have come up with a, I hope, full-proof chore chart system. It was super simple to make too!

 I do not have a laminator (although it is on my wish list)...so I purchased THESE to put paper charts in. If you have a laminator, you could use that too!

Then I wrote down chores with boxes (with some chores being on a rotation and some being daily). You could do this with your computer...but my printer is out of ink at the moment...so I whipped these up! I could have done them neater and much more carefully...but I wanted to get them done for now and can always whip another one up for each of them when I have more time!

I *love* to make lists and to check things off as I accomplish them. It appears my children love it too because once their schoolwork was done for the day...they each (cheerfully) went about their chores. Jaxson even did some extras just so he could check off more boxes!

Xavier asked me: "Mom, since today is my day to vacuum anyway (downstairs), can I vacuum upstairs too?"  After picking my jaw up off the ground, I told him that would be great and he *thanked* me! It was seriously a glorious day of chores. The house was tidied and the children helped right along side me (with not one complaint). Now, I do not expect to meet this level of cheerful choring every day...but it did give me a glimmer of hope!

This is the order of the day in our household: First, all of our schooling gets done (we are a homeschooling family). Next, all daily chores must be finished. No television, computer, reading, or playing privileges will happen until all boxes for that day are checked off (with a dry erase marker). All chores must be done correctly because mama (that's me!) can check on any "finished" chore, to make sure it was done to my satisfaction, at any time. If I do check and something was not done how it was suppose to be (within reason...I don't expect perfection...but you can tell when something is done lazily) then that person will be grounded from all technology or other "fun" things for the rest of that day.

Another great thing about this system is that if I need to tweak anything, I can simply remove the sheet of paper and change/make a new one. :) I hang these charts on a nail directly under the family calendar in the kitchen. They are easily accessible and not in the way!

The children really seemed to feel accomplished as they checked things off their list. I hope they continue with this enthusiasm!

I hope you have found this post helpful!

The link to the plastic holders *is* an amazon affiliate link! If you make a purchase through my link, it helps me! Thanks so much!

The Joy of an Ugly Kitchen

Some of us have our dream kitchen...nice floors, beautiful cupboards, tons of storage and lots of counter space. Then there is everyone else. I am part of the "everyone else". When we moved in this house over a decade ago, it needed a lot of work. However, the price was right and we were thankful for a home of our own. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and we were ready to settle in our home and grow our family. 

 In the middle of having and raising (and now homeschooling) three children and among our other responsibilities...we have worked at improving the house little by little (peeling wallpaper here, painting there...adding an addition etc.). We still have such a long way to go (and I admit, it can be quite overwhelming at times) but then I remember how thankful I should be and realize, despite all its imperfections...our house is *home*.

Our kitchen is one area we have *not* had the chance to improve. The floors need help and I truly want to gut the whole place and redo it....but it works for now. I'm not fond of the white and red laminate. Red and white *can* be cute...but I am not fond of how ours is set up. We did put this chicken wire on this cupboard in place of the glass that used to be there....

I also add decor that we *do* like to make it cozy and homey. I did a little wallpapering on the one wall...but that was all. The walls are old and are made of plaster. Getting the old wallpaper off was tedious (and not all of it is done in our laundry room). Where I have gotten the paper off, I want to paint but how do you find the right color when it has to match the red and white but I don't *want* to ultimately have the red and white in there....so instead of spending the money on paint that won't be what I *want*...I *try* to patiently wait till one day we can afford to redo the kitchen totally. 

So...I said all of that to say this...even though our kitchens may not be exactly what we *want*...it can still be a place where you can find joy to cook and bake. I find keeping a tidy kitchen is the most important thing you can do to enjoy your time there! This includes in cupboards and drawers as well...

I keep my kitchen clean...but it isn't perfect. Our home is lived in and *used*. I hope if you have a kitchen (or even another room in your home) that you aren't particularly fond of, that you can find encouragement in this post. Even the most simple, unattractive kitchen can be a great place to be when it is kept neat and tidy...and when used as a beautiful hub for the family! Laughter, tears, questions, answers, teaching, learning....so much happens in a family kitchen. Let it be a place of warmth and love and maybe one day, we'll all get the kitchen we each dream of (and if not...isn't it great to know we made the most and best of what we had?!).

What do you love and dislike about *your* kitchen? How can you improve your area to make it a more enjoyable place to be?

Laundry Tips & Tricks

I have searched for some great laundry tips and tricks to help you in your homemaking! I am putting the different links I found here so you can have them in one central place! :) Enjoy!

How to Fold a Fitted Sheet (video included)

Ways to use White Vinegar in your Laundry

Random Laundry Tips

Using Borax Laundry Booster (also used in making my homemade laundry soap)

Household Laundry Tips & Advice

Using Lemon to get out Stains

A List of Laundry Tips sent in from all over!

50 Laundry & Mending Tips ~ Timeless Wisdom Collection

DIY Laundry Basket Dresser (from my personal blog)

And last...but not least this link below is the *bees' knees* of all links! It has a tremendous amount of tips and tricks for you to use! You can find these great ideas (like making your own homemade Shout Stain Remover, Removing Cooking Oil Stains, and more) at Creative Homemaking!

Do you have any tips to share? We'd love to hear them!

Using Baskets

I use baskets all throughout my home. One place that they really come in handy is in the bathroom! In my opinion, baskets look much nicer and cozier than plastic bins. (I also love mason jars to decorate and keep things in!).

I use baskets to coral hand towels, wash cloths, soap, make up, hair products and more (and that's just in the bathroom)!

I don't know about you, but anytime I find a good basket at a great price...I buy it! There are *so* many uses for well-made, great-sized baskets that I just can't resist...although again I say: only if they are a *great price*! ;)

You don't have to have a lot of money to organize and stay tidy. You don't have to have the perfect home and use only expensive things to decorate/organize! Anyone *of any income* can choose to be tidy! You just have to work on it and keep up with it.

When folding, do it neatly (it will give you such a sense of satisfaction when you do!). When you get something out, be sure to put it away. Keep the floors swept and things dusted from time to time. Organize things with other *like* objects....this is where the baskets come in handy!

You can find baskets at your local thrift store or craft store (I found the ones pictured in the top photo at JoAnn Fabrics at 50% off!). If you can't afford to buy any right now, use what you have at home.

Homemaking can be so much fun when you see it as a challenge to keep your home neat, functional, cozy and enjoyable! I love trying to figure out better ways to organize areas. When things are tidy, it is so much easier to clean them too. :)

Cleaning out the Cleaning Cupboard

I cleaned out our cleaning supply cupboard the other day. It felt wonderful to get rid of things that were never used or just didn't belong in there. It made room for the things that *do* go in there! I'm not sure what it is about them...but I must admit that I love cleaning products. I love them all. I like to use homemade products the most...but I do keep a few other products that do a really great job at cleaning certain areas. 

I keep extra dish soap in this cupboard as well (right now I am using Mrs. Meyer's lavender dish soap....glorious!). I also *love* and put to great use my swiffer duster. It has a handle that extends so I can dust walls and ceiling fans as well as things on ground level...all without standing on a chair!

The pot and ingredients on the top shelf are for making my homemade laundry soap. I will buy laundry soap when it is on sale for a great price at the store...otherwise, I make and use my own!

Keeping your cleaning products together and neat makes it a joy to open the cupboard to use something! We keep a small basket with a few cleaning supplies in our upstairs half bath so we don't have to lug things from the downstairs to the upstairs. I used to have a cleaning caddy that I would tote my supplies around in while cleaning...but it proved cumbersome and not helpful to me. I prefer to take one thing out of my cleaning cupboard, use it and then return it back to its spot!

It's nothing super-fancy...but it works and stores my supplies well. When we complete our home addition project and I have a new laundry room, I will have a different way to house all my items. For now though, I use what I have and do my best with it!