Winter Time!

I absolutely do not want to write this post just because I don't want winter to be here!!! Remember last Spring how we washed all of our coats and put them in a rubbermaid container? Well today's daily chore is to get down that rubbermaid container and wash the coats again!

I absolutely hate getting ready to go out in the cold and not be able to find my gloves or a hat! Here's what we're going to do:

*Wash coats, hats & gloves

*Place summer clothes in the rubbermaid container that the coats, hats & gloves were in and put them in storage

*Find a basket to put in your coat closet for gloves & hats to go in

*Hang up coats in the coat closet

Now when you go outside in the snow (we've had snow a couple time already! blah!!) you'll be ready!!

Testimonial

I thought I'd post what a lady said about a class that she attended. We are grateful for the feedback we get after we teach a class. These classes inspire us to do better in our homes & lives and we hope they do the same for all of you who attend.

I was at the enrichment last night you came to. You are so inspiring to me!!! My mom is an amazingly clean and organized person. But because she always did the work, I learned to have an appreciation for order and cleanliness... but not a skill for it. I am such a perfectionist, and clutter makes me CRAZY. But I have two little kids (ages 2 an 4) and I just don't know how to keep up with it all! I'm always losing things and feel like I'm getting further and further behind.

I am SO a list person, so I loved the power journal you have! And I love the daily chores lists you have! I have daily planner my mother just got me that I really love and would like to use, and I really like checklists (it makes me feel accomplished to actually check something off I guess). So I opted to print off mini checklists and I keep them in my planner for the week. I'm so excited to get started with this. I think I'm going to accomplish so much! (I AM getting a binder for the bill journal though... I REALLY need that one!)

I just wanted to say thank you to you both and tell you how AMAZING I think you are and how inspiring you are to me! I LOVE your website and blog and I've bookmarked both to check back to regularly.

Thank you again!

I love you guys!
Karrie

Thanks to everyone who has attended our classes. We have more people that want another class, so if you want to attend please email us or leave a comment to this post and we'll let you know when the next class will be.

Can Women "Do It All"?

I had a hard time wanting to post this just because it is a very sensitive subject to a lot of people. I don't want to answer in a way that is offensive at all.

I thought I knew my answer...I honestly thought that women CAN do it all, but I have changed my mind over the last week or two. I think we CHOOSE what we CAN do. I choose to wake up a little early so I can get going on my household chores, that doesn't work for everyone. Some women choose to work so they have more spending money, therefore their house isn't as clean as some, but that doesn't work for everyone either. We also have to remember that your "spotless" isn't the same as your friend's "spotless".

Here are some tips that I think can help all of us "do it all" or attempt to "do it all"! :) Enjoy. Post comments on what you think

Clean as you go:

One of the first things my husband noticed about me when we first got married was that I cleaned the kitchen as I was preparing a meal. While I was waiting for water to boil, dishes would be loaded in the dishwasher. As meat was cooking, I’d wipe the counters off. Then as soon as we were done with a meal, we wouldn’t leave the kitchen until it was completely clean from the counters to the floors. It doesn’t take much work, but makes a huge difference. Make it a HABIT!

Think of some of the main problems you have in your house as far as clutter goes, you’re probably thinking of paper/mail and everyday items such as keys. Everything needs to have a place so when you walk in your home with them they can be put away right then and not create clutter on your counter. Create a bill paying Power Journal! to help with paper clutter. Hang up your purse and keys when you walk in the house.

Structure/Routine

Is your biggest complaint that you don’t have enough time to do it all in one day? Frankly, I believe we do have enough time in the day to complete MOST of what we need to. The key is to have a routine and structure for every day. Have a hard time getting your house clean? Wake up twenty minutes earlier to get it done. Don’t have time to cook meals? Freeze meals on the weekend or assign your kids certain days to cook.

Daily Chores

I’m a stay at home mom and yet I sometimes find myself getting behind on the housework. I realize it has happened because I have gotten out of the habit of doing my daily chores. Trust me…these keep you on top of your house work! Also, if you go to put Pizza Rolls in the microwave and they splatter…wipe it up right then! In fact, wipe your microwave everyday when you use it and then you’ll never have to scrub and scrape because you got behind on it. I swear by daily chores. If ours don’t work for you, create your own. Some people like to clean different rooms each day and some people prefer to clean one thing in each room every day. Do what works for you.

Choose to be a SAHM or a Working Mom

Women try to please EVERYONE and that is our problem. Some of us need to come to terms with the fact that some of us do have jobs or don’t. It’s OKAY whatever you do! Don’t feel down on yourself and don’t let other people put you down for whatever you choose is best for you and your family. The problem is that we need to come to terms with what we decide. If you work (or are going to college) then you need to realize maybe you can’t do it all without help from others. Some SAHM’s even need help because a women’s job is a 24/7 job. Not even kidding, I sweep my floor after EVERY meal because my girls are both under the age of two and they are messy! It’s tiring. It’s frustrating. I love it.

Ask for help

Many times people think, “I’m a ‘women’ therefore it is MY responsibility to cook, clean and take care of everyone. I think we should be way past that. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your family. If I’m cutting up chicken and my daughter spills juice on the floor, I’m not afraid to ask my husband to help her clean that up because my hands are dirty.

Don’t feel like you are worth less than you really are if you ask for help. We are put into families for a reason, and that is to help one another out.

Decide what is most important

In the end, somedays we’re going to have to decide whether we should study for that final or mop the floor, play with the kids or put in a few more hours at work. You be the one to decide what is best for you and your family. Just remember at the end of the day, relationships are more important than money, vanity or a sticky floor.

Don’t stretch yourself to thin

We need to realize that we can’t work full time, run an etsy shop on the side, keep up the family blog, start a new hobby, sew Halloween costumes for the kids, keep the house spotless and have dinner on the table at 5:00! Recognize what you can do and are capable of, and be satisfied with that.

Make it work NOW

So many women think, “My house won’t always be a mess…as soon as I finish my degree I’ll have time to clean the house!” OR “As soon as my husband starts making more money, I can quit work and stay on top of the housework”. I have news for everyone…Life doesn’t get any slower or easier! Learn how to cope NOW so that when life changes LATER you will already be able to keep a clean house and get dinner on the table.

That's just some thoughts I've had. PLEASE leave some comments on what you think!

I promised all of you that I would post our "Can Women Do It All" post on Tuesday, obviously that hasn't happened. I'm sorry, we've been so busy! We had to rush to Idaho Falls on Tuesday for a class that we didn't know we would be taking and we've been busy doing pictures the last few nights. I will try and get the post finished and posted on Sunday.

Thanks for understanding and thanks to everyone who has commented so far. Feel free to keep giving your input!

My question for you...!

Do you think women can "do it all"?

I'm getting ready to write a post and wanted some input. Our lives get so crazy with kids, work, school, life and yet so much is expected of us. How do we accomplish it? How are we supposed to make our homes a heaven on earth? Should we expect more help from our kids and spouse? When is too much too much?


I would love your feedback!!! After I get some, I'll finish writing my post and get it posted for you all :)

Get Your Cars Ready!

We need to get our cars ready for winter!

1. Change the oil and filters

2. Check belts and hoses

3. Vacuum the inside and trunk.

4. Wipe down the dash.

5. Clean the inside of the windows.

6. Put on new windshield wiper blades.

7. Check all fluids in the car.

It’s not fun to have to vacuum/clean your car in the cold so do it now and then clean it out each time you leave the car. Remember to run it through the car wash several time throughout the winter!

Get Ready For Fall!

Fall is here and winter is just around the corner. Have you made the preparations around your home and yard that are necessary each Fall? Here are a few reminders:

Outside:

1 Mow the lawn one last time.

2. Let the gas run out of your lawn mower. It’s bad on the engine to let it sit inside all winter. If you are really energized, load the lawn mower up and take it in for sharpening/service and it will be ready to go in the Spring. Just don’t forget to pick it up from the repair shop! This is a good time of year to do it since they are swamped come Spring.

3. Have your sprinkler system blown out.

4. Put winterizer fertilizer on your yard. In the Spring you will be glad you did!

5. Put away hoses.

6. Check windows and doors for air leaks. Use weather strip/caulk where needed.

7. Plant bulbs!

Inside

1. Change your batteries in your smoke detectors.

2. Change the filters in your furnace.

3. Vacuum refrigerator coils.

4. Wash your windows-inside and outside.

Power Pickup!

Today we're going to do a 30 item Power Pickup! For those of you who don't know what this is, here is what you do:

*Set a timer for 10 minutes

*Gather up 30 items throughout your house to throw away or donate

*Gather those items within 10 minutes

*Dispose of as soon as your done!

We haven't done one of these for a while. It's usually a 15 item Power Pickup, but we haven't done it in so long we need to do 30. I did mine this morning and it only took me 6 minutes!! It felt sooo good to get so much clutter out of my house so quickly!!

Oprah

I hope you all watch Oprah today! They're talking about hoarders. Clutter can ruin your life and destroy relationships. Let's work a little harder this week to make our homes a place that brings peace and happiness when we are in them.

Purse

I know, it's been FOREVER since I've posted. Life gets so busy!

How's your purse looking? I'm thinking mine needs cleaned out! This is a picture we took a few months ago of a purse we cleaned out. ALL this was in there and it's ALL garbage!!! WOW It's crazy how much stuff we can fit in our purses, and how fast it can get messy.

Put "Clean Out Purse" on your Daily Chores. It'll feel so much better if you clean your purse out at least once a week and keep it clutter free.