The Schedule

I'm taking a break from my Sitcom Star series to do something that I despise. My apologies in advance.  Please don't drop this blog and never come back because, you see, I am about...to...be...

Helpful.

I know, I promised to not be helpful, but this is a good one!  Its something that has changed my life!

I'm talking about The Schedule.

Beyonce once said that she's a fat girl in a skinny girl's body.  Meaning, that she has to constantly fight to stay away from unhealthy habits that seem natural to her.

I get that.  I am a messy girl in a clean girl's body.  I HATE  disorder.  Hate it.  But I am terribly flighty and disorganized.  A normal clean girl would have a certain place for her shoes.  Messy Girl just flings them everywhere.  But then Clean Girl can't stand the look of the house so she cleans them up.  Clean Girl is CONSTANTLY picking up after Messy Girl.  Why can't I just be one of those Messy People who lives in their own squalor and doesn't care?  Or, one of those Clean Girls who has file folders, and cool IKEA organizers, and can open her Tupperware cupboard with out cussing swears when they all come tumbling down upon her.

Then, when I was about to my have first child, my dear friend Lori shared with me about The Schedule.  Lori is a Clean Girl.  Lori keeps to The Schedule because, if she doesn't, she will just constantly clean and not spend time with her kids.  That is not why I keep to The Schedule.  I keep to it so that Child Services does not take the kids from me when they see the nature of their living conditions.

This has revolutionized my home.

Monday - Laundry Day.  It eases me into my week.  I get to watch TV but feel productive because I'm folding or waiting for things to get dry.  Now that my kids are in school, I also include Grocery Day.

Tuesday  - Kitchen Day.  Again, easy.  I cook every day, so I'm always cleaning up the kitchen.  But, its a good day to wipe down cupboards, get that awkward inch of crud behind the sink, clean the appliances, and once a year clean and organize your fridge.  Oh, what.  I mean once a WEEK!  Ha ! I totally clean out my fridge once a week...ahem...

Wednesday - Downstairs Floor Day.  Or, for those of you lucky enough to live in Michigan, the land of the 3 bedroom/2.5 bath ranch homes....just Floor Day.  I sweep/mop my kitchen, bathroom, entry way.  I vacuum the main floor.  This day ends up being my favorite because in order to vacuum, I need to pick up any messes.  I like having visitors on Thursday because my house looks spotless.  At least downstairs.

Thursday - Bathroom Day.  Hate this day.  But, when you just settle on one day (barring any children's accidents, etc...I promise, I don't let those sit there until Thursdays), you realize it doesn't actually take all that long.  Just give yourself an hour and see what happens.

Friday - Upstairs Floor Day.  Okay, just keeping it real, here.  I do not always vacuum or mop upstairs, except maybe to mop the Master Bath.  Its not a high traffic area and even if its getting a little messy, if I'm really busy or have to move Bathroom Day to Friday, I skip Upstairs.  Upstairs Day creates a little cushion in my week, should something go wrong.  BUT, when things go right, I try to make sure the kids rooms are picked up, the Master looks decent, and I try....TRY...to organize my closet.  Clean Husband is not a huge fan of Messy Girl's organizational habits in that area.

Saturday, I try not to do any work.  Its my day off.  Sunday, for me, is an actual work day at my lovely lovely church, so not much going on at home then, either.  Maybe you want to add some things on those days.  Maybe, you want to create a once a month schedule for things like, "Clean on top of the Fridge" or "Dust the Light Fixtures".  I'm trying to get there, but having at least a basic schedule keeps me from getting overwhelmed.  And, I find that after a couple weeks of keeping to The Schedule, my house looks pretty good and I can start focusing on those smaller things.

Its easy to feel like you have to clean the whole house every day.  Or, its easy to let it go because cleaning an entire house daily is way too much.  But then you are stuck wasting a day or two of life trying to overhaul the FEMA disaster that has become your house. 

A little each day, with each day designated for a specific day keeps Clean Girl and Messy Girl in balance.