Big House......Clean House

I was always one of those people that said "the bigger the house, the more to clean" but, I was wrong.
A year and a half ago, our family moved, again. I never would have imagined having a 3,000+ square foot house for half the price of what we sold our 1,700sf, 15 year old fixer upper in Fla. so, six years ago, we jumped at the opportunity to get the biggest house we could find. HUGE mistake.
So, we moved……but, somehow I managed to gain two extra bathrooms, an extra bedroom, and an enormous yard. Although, the neighborhood, schools, yard, and front porch was just what we were looking for, one problem still remained…..How am I going to keep this house clean?
While I love the idea of a clean house, I’d rather spend the day sewing, chatting on Facebook or searching Pinterst than start cleaning my bathrooms……all five of them!
So, how did I do it???

I made myself a schedule.....Daily, Weekly, and Monthly.

Daily:
Morning:
Laundry
Make beds
Dishes
Vacuum

Evening:
Wipe down counters/toilets in bathrooms
Dishes/Counters/Kitchen table/Stove
Vacuum/sweep & mop floors
Put away toys, mail, etc.
Dining room table cleared and cleaned

Weekly (i try to spend less than an hour on these)
Monday: living room/play room clean and dust
Tuesday: run errands/grocery shopping, de clutter pantry
Wednesday: Kitchen: clean oven, microwave, fridge
Thursday: clean bathrooms/ showers/bedrooms/closets
Fridays: Catch up on any chores not done
Saturday: Clean out purse and car/plan my coupon and grocery lists

Monthly:
Dust blinds
Wash windows
Yard work
Baseboards
Reorganize closets

I am somewhat of a natural housekeeper anyway, but I have three active children and a nursing career, and I refuse to spend my days cleaning. There are lots of great advice out there and I was determined to be one of those moms that could keep a clean house in less than an hour a day. I’ve read books and taken suggestions from Pinterest to get myself to a happy medium and decided to see how much I could get done in 60 min. It was a struggle in the beginning. I was so happy today, to be getting it done before the timer went off.
I do have to give credit where credit is due: I say a prayer daily to keep me focused on being a good mom and housekeeper. And I can’t do it without the constant help from my wonderful husband and children for helping me daily by picking up after themselves.

Happy Wife, Happy Life

The keys to domestic bliss may include commitment, compromise, and communication, but if you want to keep this little wife really happy it’s the little things that I suggest!

I could easily give you a list of things NOT to do, but that’s just common sense. So, my dear husband, instead I thought I would just give you a list of the to do’s that will make me a happy little wife.

-Please pick your laundry up off the bathroom floor.

-Speaking of the bathroom….the last thing I want to come home to, at the end of a busy shift (with a full bladder) is the toilet seat up and an empty toilet paper roll. Very. Frustrating.

- Take the garbage out. There should not be bad odors in the same room that I prepare our meals. Seriously.

-Write your gorgeous wife a love letter once in a while. Texts and e-mails are totally appreciated, but not nearly as romantic.

-Kiss me hello and goodbye every time you see me! Every. Single. Time. You know, like you used to.

-Turn the television off, sometimes. I gladly appreciate the Jets, Yankees, & Gators but, I think our TV needs some rest every now and then. Just sayin.

-Remember that Golf may be fun, but those clubs won’t keep you warm at night.

-And sometimes take a turn being the bad guy with the kids.

Sigh….. It’s been almost 12 years so you must be doing something right…but it’s the little things that will get us through the next 50 years.

Love Ya!

s(NO)w fun

Today was the third time it snowed this month. The snow gives us good reason to bundle up as a family to watch a movie, turn on the fireplace, and have hot drinks. I love this time of year. Although the cold and snow is nice, personally, I miss living in Florida. I miss being able to wear flip flops all year, wearing only a light jacket over a t-shirt, and not having to warm the car in the morning. I tortured myself and looked up their weather today...high of 66, low of 55. I could really use some of that right now.
Don't get me wrong, I love having seasons but I don't like the cold! If the wind hits you just right, it stings. Not to mention the layers of clothes I have to put on and the pile of cold wet clothes that get piled by the door as the kids come in and out. I would much rather take a hot and humid summer day over this!
But my kids love it. The minute they see a fresh snowfall, they bundle up and head outside. I've appointed myself the official hot chocolate maker which is an indoor job.

Here are some photos of today.......

Loads of Fun

We’ve been using our brand new front load washer and dryer for over a year now and I’ve got to tell you I LOVE THEM. I actually don’t mind doing laundry any more because walking into our NEW utility room it feels like walking into my own personal laundromat, minus the rolling baskets and lined up chairs.

Of course I still hate folding and putting away laundry, but that’s another story.
If it is possible to truly adore your home, then I have it.

I actually enjoy doing laundry now because my laundry/mud room is so neat and organized. Mike worked really hard getting it to work.It's one of the only rooms in the house that we have mastered. I'm loving the storage bench and long row of hooks that keep all our shoes, backpacks, and jackets tucked away. I have three busy children in sports and activities so, this room is definitely serving it's purpose.
I know, I sound a bit crazy to blog about such a thing.