February already and a new part to the Plan for Balance

I can't believe that February starts tomorrow. Sheesh! January went by really fast. I thought it was going to drag by after all of December's busyness.

So my Daily and Weekly Tasks are coming along pretty well. My plan for February is to add another part. Even as a SAHM, my daily schedule is rarely the same. Some things are routine and have to happen but a lot of it varies. So instead of having a set complete schedule, I've got things that need to be more flexible.

The part I'm adding for February are Tasks Lists for the different parts of our home: Kitchen, Main Floor Bathroom, Upstairs Bathroom, Upstairs, Main Floor and Basement. Some things I've even already done and have been marking down the dates I'm doing them. My goal is to get through each of the lists every month or so. This is all a work-in-process so we'll see how things go. :)

It's a little change which I hope will have big results. What little change can you make for February? 

A Change Will Do You Good

Travel in time with me… About 10 or 15 years ago, you turn on the radio and hear Sheryl Crow’s voice singing over the airwaves… “I think a change (a change) will do you good (a change will do you good)….” Do you think that? Will a change do you good in your search for Domestic Diva-hood?

I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up cleaning was always a major event to be done right before the arrival of company. As a child, this drove me crazy! From an early age, I thought there had to be a better way.

As an adult with my own home, I know I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want to be racing around like a madwoman when people are coming. So I need a change: a change in method, a change in perspective, a change in attitude! As a stay-at-home mom, I should be able to get stuff done during the day so that I can relax in the evening. I am learning to do a little every day: completing the household chores and meeting responsibilities as if I was running a business. I have my daily schedule with work hours. There’s even time for coffee breaks and lunch. :)

So what do you need to change in your journey toward Domestic Diva–hood? It doesn’t have to be big! Oftentimes, a small change makes a huge impact. I’m challenging myself to do more. Follow along with me here to find out what little changes I’m making in the new year to have a difference in my Domestic Diva-hood.

Happy New Year again

I know it's not New Year's Day again. Thing is my daughter went back to school this morning. Christmas Break is finally over and it's time to get back into our routines.

Working on trying some different things this year. I've followed FlyLady for a while but I never seem to be in the right Zone - my items that need to be cleaned never match up with the Zone of the week. And I've been bad about trying to follow her suggested routines. So.....

First thing I've started is a few lists of things I want to get done - Daily, Weekly and Monthly Tasks. On one page I printed up a checklist for the Daily Tasks, Monday through Friday, and a Weekly Checklist. Also, I'm trying to keep track of when I'm getting things done and what suppers I'm making so I printed out each month on it's own page. On the back of the calendar pages I've got my Monthly Tasks.

My Daily Tasks:

• SSS main bathroom
• SSS upstairs bathroom
• Sweep main floor
• Clean up kitchen after lunch
• Clean up kitchen after supper
• Prep coffee

(SSS means Swish toilet, Swipe sink, Sweep floor)


My Weekly Tasks:

• Wash coffee maker
• Dust main floor
• Dust upstairs
• Water plants
• Garbage and compost collection
• Sweep upstairs
• Laundry

Both lists have room for a couple extra things that I can mark in that aren't regular things.


My Monthly Tasks really vary each month so it's just a spot to list stuff. I'm going to try to get as much done on that list as possible. When the new month arrives, I can move over whatever isn't done. :)


How are you doing your New Year?

The Great Kitchen Cleanout

Starting something else new. I've got a kitchen focused group on Facebook. Sometimes it gets pretty quiet. But today I came up with a new idea. We're going to do a challenge every month, things that we can get done in the kitchen. I'm calling it "The Great Kitchen Cleanout".

January is going to be a Pantry/Freezer Challenge. We're going to work on reorganizing them and using up the stuff we've got stored in there. No point in getting new stuff when we can't fit it in the space we've got. :)

I'm going to try it out first then post the event with instructions on our group page. Hope it works out. Will have to come up with ideas for the rest of the months. ;)

Challenge of the Month: Flat Surface Visibility for January

Decided to try doing a challenge with some Facebook friends. We each picked one flat surface in our homes that are a dumping ground. Our goal for January is to keep that flat surface clean. I picked my desk. Everything gets dropped there. Problem with picking my desk is that I need to organize it some first. A lot of the stuff that gets left on my desk is stuff that needs to go in it. I'm going to try to get it organized by the end of this week and keep it clean for the rest of the month. Wish me luck!

Here's a before picture from yesterday:

So far I did some reorganizing and the Gingerbread House finally got made today.


Anyone else care to join in the Challenge of the Month?