Around the barnyard #11

In the CHC newsletter I saw an idea that I thought I would share with you. I, personally, don't know how I would incorporate this in my own household because I don't have a laundry room with enough room for this sort of thing... but I'm still thinking of ways I could make this work.

Create floor or shelf space in the laundry room, and get a box, five gallon bucket, or other container for each child. Sort wash directly from the dryer into each person’s laundry container. Children are responsible for putting away their own clothing.

Right now, I just have the boys move the clean laundry from the dryer to my room where I fold it (they help depending on the items) and then they put them away.

Hey, I might need that stuff!

Boy, when someone touches our stuff... that's what we yell out right? Especially if they might be taking our stuff to the garbage! A similar sentiment I've heard... hey you can't throw that away my kids made that... right!?!

In my youth I would describe myself as cluttered and pack rat-ish. I kept everything... in (neat) piles generally. I knew where everything was, and could put my hand right on it when I (or some else) needed it... but it was a lot of STUFF. I also held on to clothing, for years. I never seemed to actually wear anything out, so I felt like there was no reason to toss it... I COULD STILL WEAR IT!

Then I got married... to a man who didn't really keep anything. He liked a clutter-free life... when forces collide we will say :-). Boy those first 6 months of marriage where challenging to the both of us.

We tell this to our engaged couples that we sponsor for marriage prep... I can remember one day when we finally decided that we needed to sit down and figure out how our life was going to LOOK. We each talked about the things that were most important to each of us, and how we were going to accomplish them so that we would both be happy with the living arrangement!

Pretty much from that point on I realized that I needed to let go of my stuff... stuff that I didn't need, stuff that really had no use, and stuff that I simply didn't have room for both physically and mentally! Now, if there is an item of questionable worth or use... PITCH IT (actually donate it) more times than not.

If by chance I catch a show or read an article on tidiness/or lack there of, it spurs me on to recheck our possessions for their need in our life or would be better suited for someone else (this also happens with a change of seasons, anytime I have to go through the boys clothes I go ahead and hit all of our clothing).

How timely was our Gospel reading yesterday?

As Jesus was setting out on a journey,
a man ran up,knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;honor your father and your mother.
"He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.
"Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.
"At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!
"The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among
themselves,"Then who can be saved?
"Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God." (Mark 10:17-27)

Hoarding, pack rat-ish, messy, or cluttered, this is not what our dear Lord wants from us. I challenge all of you to clean something out... a shelf, a drawer, a closet... find something to donate! Those with kids, this can be fairly easy, they grow out clothing quickly and out grow toys that some other child is sure to need.

I've found the less clutter you find your physical state in, the less clutter you find your mind in!

Around the barnyard #10

Laundry

On the last issue of barnyard, I had a comment from Steph B. regarding laundry... so I thought I would spend a post talking about it, at least a little.

As you can see from this picture (2004), it was laundry time and I had my usual gaggle of helpers, Snookie, Maggie, and just at the bottom of the frame you see the top of Daisy's head. Snookie had just turned two, and spent the majority of his time hanging out with me... and where he went, the dogs were always close by (they never knew if he might have a snack or sippy cup in hand that they might get a little taste of...).

Pre-children laundry was fairly simple; we had our unmentionables and our weekend clothes, and the majority of our work clothes were dry cleaned (boy, that was nice). Then on that wonderful Friday, August 6th 2004, we had three boys all 3 and under to suddenly care for. Did I mention we also immediately started potty training all three of them? FUN TIMES! Laundry went from every few days to piles every day (not to mention all the other chores I was suddenly having to do every day). It took time, but eventually I came up with a routine that worked well for us... and every one had clean clothes when they needed them. My current routine has been altered over the years, and once the potty training ended certain areas of laundry definitely settled down.

Our families go through seasons where the laundry expectations change, and so to will your routine (sometimes it goes from a real pain in the rear, to not so bad and even completely manageable... or the other way around :-).

As far as mother's health, well obviously this goes through its own ups and downs... being ill, injured, pregnant, or just given birth will all throw a wrench in the works. For me, I've only had to deal with injury and illness... and for me, in those times I am so thankful for my routine. Why, well going into the illness or injury my laundry wasn't piled to the ceiling... and with just a little help from someone I could maintain some semblance of our laundry. That could be help from my dear husband (who is great at jumping in when I'm not able to get it done for whatever reason), or my kids (this was very helpful when I couldn't walk around because of ankle injuries... they brought it to me and then would put it away, even my stuff!), or if you are lucky enough to have a relative or friend who can pitch in from time to time during your down time.

You, obviously have to find what works for you and for your family... and I know most moms dislike laundry... so my whole point was and is... find a way to get into a routine where you don't allow it to pile up (dirty or clean) and you might find it not to be such a thorn!

Around the barnyard #9

Philosophy

Daddio and I were talking on the way home from rehearsal about my barnyard posts and what, if anything, I should talk about. He hit on something that maybe I haven't spent enough time mentioning... so hopefully I can make it clear now!

Are you a big project kind of person, or a maintenance person? I am of the opinion that housekeeping should be more about maintenance, than tackling big projects every single day. Just thinking about tackling a big project every day makes me feel overwhelmed!

Once you get your house under control, every daily activity shouldn't take more than about 20 minutes (TOPS)! Why??? Because it is just maintenance cleaning, not DEEP CLEANING. Take for example mail... every time you get the mail, sort through it right away. At that very moment throw away the junk, and file away the bills. By doing that, now you don't have a pile of mail just sitting out on a counter or desk.

"Oh but where I put the mail isn't near a trash can, and it is inefficient to take it to the trash right then!"

Two things... either put a trash can (or shredder) where you deposit the mail... or walk to the trash can and consider it exercise!

Instead of letting the dishes pile up in the sink all day long with the notion that it is easier just to stand there and do it all at once LATER, try having an empty dishwasher every morning and loading it as you go during the day. Then those few items that come up during the day that need to be hand washed, only take a moment!

I've already talked about laundry in another post, but I will mention it again. If you keep it up during the week, rarely will you have a day where you spend all day doing laundry (vacation is the only time I am doing several loads at once to get back to the caught up category). Folding one or two loads a day only takes a few minutes (especially if you get the kids involved in putting their own stuff away).

Same goes for bathrooms, if you are regularly cleaning them... then you aren't having to break out the power washer from the garage to get that soap scum off! Dusting works the same way, dust regularly and it won't be a marathon event. And if you clean as you work in the kitchen there is hardly ever a reason to spend great deals of time cleaning it...

You don't need to always DEEP CLEAN if you keep your home clean every day! By the way that term annoys me to no end! If you have to deep clean something, then I feel dirty thinking that I was around before it was deep cleaned... you know what I mean? Nothing should get so filthy that it needs to be deep cleaned, unless there was a fire, flood or toxic spill! YUCK!

If you are having to spend more than 20 minutes on a task, maybe you need to reevaluate the regularity of your routine or the effectiveness of your effort!

Around the barnyard #8

More on kids...

I've been called a lot of things in my life, most often coming during my time as a parent. It's been interesting hearing other people's take on how we live our life and raise our children. Ultimately I only give credit to those with whom I respect, and the comments from others... well they roll off like water on a duck!

That leads me to the advice I want to share with you. I've mentioned on previous posts, both in the barnyard series and just in general, that children should pick up after themselves. They should keep their own rooms clean, and in general help out around the house. WHY? That's the big question I get a lot of. "They are just kids, they don't need to bother with that sort of thing"... "or if they pick up what they've taken out it might stifle their creative nature"... and so on.

My answer (sometimes it has to stay in my head along with a long list of other things I want to say) is, what is your job as a parent? To train up your children... right?! For me, I want my boys to know how to keep their property in good working order, to be able to clean up after themselves, and ultimately make a good husband or priest devoted to God and family. Now, if by age 5 they haven't figured out that stepping on toys breaks them... we have a problem. If by age 5 they don't realize that stuff belongs in a certain place... um, we have a problem. If they can't follow simple instructions (obedience), we have a problem.

At age two, Snookie knew that his toys had a place. He didn't always get them back in the right place, but he knew they didn't belong on the floor. When he would forget, one of the other two (aged 3, and 4) would remind him or move it to its place on their own. Rarely did I have to clean up behind them in regards to their toys. This was laying the ground work for respect... respect of property. After some time, we moved on to putting away a toy you were no longer playing with before you got something else out. Were they perfect in this, no... did they get in trouble for it, no... but they were reminded of what we've asked of them. Why did we do this... well, we had a couple of reasons. First the 'gameroom' they were in was a small space, and there were three of them hardly ever playing with the same stuff... floor space for everything was an issue. Then there was the damage and injury issue. We've lost several toys to someone stepping on them and breaking them... and hardly ever did they break their own toy... oh no, they would break someone else's toy! Let the crying ensue!

Since the gameroom is now the office/learning room, the boys have had to make due with even less room now that all of their stuff is in their room. But this isn't a problem, because they've learned not to pull everything out and dump it on the floor and hope fun will show up. They pick the thing (or set) they want to play with and they play with it till they don't want to play with it anymore, put it away and move on to something else.

We also have the practice of when I call out to say it is time for a meal, then the play area is cleaned up before they wash their hands and come to the table. Again, this is one more way to cut down on the mess. If they have to clean it up a few times a day, there is no reason for it to get out of hand. Secondly, the next time they will go into that room will be to either go down for a nap... or in the evenings to go to bed. And that room, there is no way to pull out Snookie's bed if there are toys laying about (it's a small room for three boys).

Now, what about if 'they've built or created something so wonderful and I just don't want them to dismantle it because it's time for bed' or whatever? Obviously we don't make them take apart every lego creation they come up with... but there too, we have a place for that. They can keep it out on the top of their cubes, or it fits in can go back into the cube that holds the legos (or magnetix, or knex... or whatever it is). Now the train set... that is differently story, that does have to get dismantled every time... we simply have to have the floor space, but there are times when they have built things they were really impressed with and we took a picture! That pleased them to no end (they love that sort of thing), other times we've carefully moved things to the living room... but it can't stay long. They completely understand and like rebuilding whatever it was, trust me, they love coming up with new ways and new improvements. I know, I know, some of you are thinking this sounds harsh. Maybe you have tons of room for that kind of stuff... if you do and they can keep everything tidy around it... more power to you, we DON'T have the space for that with the way their room is set up.

Moving on to older children. I want to share with you a few things my parents did with me, that I plan on doing with my children... by the time I was 12 or 13 I was preparing one dinner a week (for the whole family... my parents, my sister, and myself). I was given a day that I would do it, and then asked for the menu and ingredients so that proper groceries could be purchased for it. The first few weeks I had a lot of hands on help from my mom. Oh, I should say that 95% of our meals were homemade. Rarely did we eat out or eat things that were frozen... it was just a thing that my mom did (of course that all changed when I moved out, then they ate out all the time...). Anyway, I was taught how to cook, by doing! Not by watching or helping, but by actually preparing the meal start to finish. They did this FOR me to teach me how to plan a meal, prepare a meal, and to participate in my FAMILY. This was expected of me because I was a member of the family. When I turned 16 they added the responsibility of actually grocery shopping for the family. They also opened a checking account in my name, and would put in enough money to cover the groceries. During the week I would be given the grocery list, and expected to take care of that task by a certain date. Again, I was a participating member of my family, and I was learning how to grocery shop... and a side benefit was they were building my credit name by opening that account. In return for this task, I was given car privileges. I didn't complete my responsibilities... well, that fun thing I wanted to borrow the car for... suddenly the car was unavailable.

My parents didn't do it to be mean, they didn't do it because they didn't want to do it themselves, they did it to train me... teach me... prepare me for being a grown-up. It wasn't mean (although I know at times I told them it was), it was exactly what they were called to do as parents.

So in conclusion, having your children clean up after themselves isn't because you're being militant... you are teaching them a skill they will need to have to be an adult. If you wait until they are older, it will only make that much more difficult to form such a good habit.

Now... go and enjoy this beautiful day!

Around the barnyard #7

Our bridegrooms!

This particular post has been a long time in the making in my head... I hope I am able to do it the justice it deserves!

When you get down to the basics of what we do as housewives... ultimately we don't work for the MAN, we work for the much more forgiving higher power, our Heavenly Father. Our husbands, on the other hand, are not so lucky in the day to day activities of working! Right now with the economy the way it is, and all the frustrations of unpleasant work environments... our husbands are feeling the burden! I'm sure most of you ladies are seeing that beaten down look when your dear husband arrives home in the evenings, and as the nurturing beings we are... we desperately want to ease that load in any way we can... and my friends, I believe we CAN do that very thing! How?

Take a few minutes and think about what your husbands like. Think about those things that cause undo frustration to your spouse within your home... maybe it is laundry piled up, clutter on a counter top, dirty dishes in the sink. Consider tasks around that house that are usually on his 'honey-do' list that you are capable of doing. Picture what it can be like, having a rough day at the office and then coming home to a house in chaos. Does that give you a sense of relief, does your home sound like a refuge where you can recharge your batteries for another day of battle? No, it sounds just as crappy as the office full of inconsiderate workers, inconsiderate customers, and bosses who don't have your best interest at heart!

Now set about making a plan for the remaining days of this week.

Two very important parts to this little challenge.
--First, don't say a word about what you are doing!
--Second, don't expect a single thing to be said in return for how hard you are working (remember you are doing this for him, not for praise of your own deeds)!

Now for the first half of your mission!
As I mentioned above, consider some of his pet peeves if you will. Do your best to remedies those first. Next look for things you can do that will give him more time to unwind in the evenings or over the weekend (just a few ideas off the top of my head...you know more about your own homes to come up with a good working list)...

• mow the yard (it's that time of year again)
• clean out the car (wash it or get it washed if possible)
• take out the trash
• sweep out the garage (if you have a blower... this works well for that little task :-)

Okay... so that is the working portion of the task, now for the second half of the job! If you haven't gone grocery shopping yet or done your meal planning, come up with several of his favorite meals to be included for the week. Consider having them ready (or nearly ready) when he walks in the door in the evening. Greet him when he arrives... and do so dressed. Okay that sounds weird, but how often does our husband come home and we are in our frumpy cleaning/working clothes (maybe that's just me)? Put on something that doesn't include knit or elastic :-), brush the hair out a little, maybe even throw on some lipstick (or coloredy chap stick, my personal preference). Trust me, this says, "I'm so glad you are home, I've been waiting for your return all day!" What an amazing ego boost to give our husbands, to show them that we love them not because they can fix things or because they can reach things off tall shelves (although for us little 5 footers, this is a big one)... but because we love them for who they are to us, and that we are here to support them in the burden of providing for our family.

I know, I know, you already have a ton on your own plate. You, too, are frustrate and annoyed and burdened... but this week... heck till the end of Lent if you are up for it, put your husband FIRST! They need it! Remember that their frustration level rubs off on us (and our children)... if we can help lower their stress, in turn ours will also come down!

Offer up every single act for the suffering of your husband this week, for his strength to persevere, and that he finds refuge in your home and in your arms!

Alright... there are your marching orders, as it were... let's get crackin'!

Around the barnyard #6

Nooks and Crannies!

Have you checked behind your stove, or beside your refrigerator lately? These are easily forgotten spots in our cleaning routine, but important in the grand cleaning scheme!

I have a challenge for you... sometime this week, the easiest day for this is mopping day since you will already have the supplies out, pull out stove and mop back there! If you can pull out the fridge, do this area as well. If you can't pull out the fridge go ahead and see if you can sweep beside it (you would be surprised what will get pulled out from these areas)! These areas often get overlooked, but have the potential to be quite yucky!

Trust me, once you've done this you will feel like you are in a brand new kitchen!

Since we are hitting the forgotten areas, go ahead and clean off all the cabinet fronts. Check out the rag after this little job... you never realize just how dirty those get. And go ahead and hit them with a wood duster, this will help their conditioning and shine!

The cleaner we keep things, the better they look and the longer they will last!

Around the barnyard #6

Get the kids involved!

The boys each have their own jobs that they do every day to help out around the house. This makes a big difference in my work load, and gives them each a responsibility... making them contributing members of the household!

Here is a list of all the chores or duties the boys have daily...

1. Empty the waste baskets into the garage trash can.

2. The dogs -- let them out of their kennels and into the back yard, let them back in, put away their food bowls.

3. Dirty laundry basket from my bathroom brought to the laundry room.

4. Bobcat gets every ones tooth brushes ready after they finish breakfast.

That's just the morning routine. Through out the day they have jobs they are asked to do...

1. Move laundry from one machine to the other. Take the dry stuff to designated spot for folding. Put away their own clean clothes. I'm in the early stages of teaching them folding, it's a work in progress!

2. Let the dogs in or out depending on the situation... also getting in or out of kennels depending on the situation.

3. Putting their own dishes away... either in the sink or dishwasher.

4. Take kitchen trash or recycling out to the bins in the backyard (for some reason they all fight over who's turn it is to take this stuff out... I think it is because they get to use Daddio's flip flops to walk down there).

When working out your daily routine and housekeeping schedule, take a look at your children and think about all the things they can do to pitch in around the house. Sometimes its hard to see our little ones as capable... but you would surprised at how much they can actually do if called upon! Give them the opportunity to shine in a new responsibility... and take some of the stress off yourself!

Around the barnyard #5

Music

I've found that music is a great motivator in the cleaning process... usually fairly loud! Fortunately for me the boys love having music on in the house, and don't mind when we turn it up and really get to rockin'! (During nap time I switch over to my iPod and earbuds to continue working.)

Putting something on that is upbeat, and even fun to sing to (I have several worship CD's I like to choose from that really get the job done) can really elevate your mood while you're working away your day. Music really has the ability to change the way you do things... especially as you watch the kids skip down the hall as they're putting away their clothes... or entertain them with your best Fred Astaire moves as you're mopping the floor.

So head over to your stereo, find something fun and upbeat and hit that pile of laundry!

**Side note**
One of the great joys of keeping a clean home has to do with the benefits it provides when you are under the weather... which is where I've found myself the last several days. All my energy has been zapped... and yet my house is still clean. I knew I wasn't feeling well this weekend and that is probably going to get worse, so I took some time on Saturday (while Daddio was at his class in the morning) and did a few loads of laundry and cleaned the bathrooms. Stuff that I would typically wait to do on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday and today it was simple maintenance... dishes and only one load of laundry.

Around the barnyard #5

Budgets, groceries, and meal planning... oh my...

I admit that the stuff I am about to type my sound a little odd (although I said it out loud before)... there is something about the challenge of keeping on budget and buying my groceries that brings out an interesting side in me... competitiveness.

First I should point out that I'm not a real competitive person, and second I would never maul down anyone in a store for any reason. It is competing with myself more than anything!

It all starts with my little notebook. Keeping track of what I need from the store has been an evolving process. There were little pieces of paper with notes here and there, there were the FREQUENT trips back and forth to the store because I never had a list when I needed it, and there were sticky notes that would inevitably lose their stickiness before they wound up where they needed to be! I even would type up my lists on the computer so that I could easily arrange (or rearrange) them depending on what store I went to. I sometimes (ALWAYS) have a sick compulsion to arrange my list based on the layout of the store (I feel more efficient that way). Ultimately what I figured out was that I needed a small notebook (steno sized) to keep track of what I needed throughout the week. If I had my notebook on hand always, then more than likely I wouldn't miss something that I needed! I mentioned in a previous barnyard about marking down what you've run out of during a cleaning of the bathroom. If you have this notebook handy, then you have a safe place to keep track of odds and ends that come up during the week.

Just as a side note, I decorated the cover... I just used a piece of scrapbook paper that I liked and some stickers. First it made it distinct among the other pads in the house, made it easier to notice, and makes me happy every time I use it (let's face it, this can be a big thing to help us continue using something, right?!)

Meal Planning and Circulars
It's no surprise that constant trips to the store isn't saving you any money. A well made plan for a weekly shop is much more efficient in both time and money. For my family and budget, I generally shop on Fridays. First, because we don't school on Friday's; I have the time to be out of the house to take care of this errand. Second, Bubba has his allergy shots on Friday... which causes us to be out of the house... and let's face it, with gas prices as they are, combining trips is very important in order to cut down on the driving cost! Third, payday is on Fridays for our household. Okay, so I (generally) shop on Fridays... but how do I get from my odds and ends to full weekly meal planning and then to the store?

One reason I really like my steno pad is because it is set up in a two column format. On the left side of the sheet is where I keep track of the groceries, and on the right side is where I plan my meals. It's as simple as simply writing out the days of the week, and sticking the name of the meal beside it! Before I plan all of my meals I rummage through my freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what I have and what needs to be used soon. I come up with as many meals as I can from that first. No need to spend money on more than what you need! Next I pull out the circulars.

I guess I should back up just a little bit here... I usually get the circulars in the mail on Wednesday (sometimes on Thursday). When they come in, I will browse through them making mental notes of what I've seen, and check dates of extra great sales that may or may not include Friday. For some reason around here Albertsons will do 2 day sales that only include Saturday and Sunday... on a rare occasion it will include a Friday, and this will impact my shopping schedule depending on how good the sale is! Thursday, throughout the day, is when I actually formalize my list.

Alright, so it is Thursday now, I have my notebook with the odds and ends I need and the meals that I already have the makings for (or most of the makings for)... now I take a much closer look at the circulars to see what they have to offer (and/or any coupons I have). I start with looking at the meat. Depending on what is on sale, I finish out my meal plans. This is also the time I go ahead and print out any recipes I might need for the week that I don't have memorized! Next up I check to see who has the best prices for the stuff I NEED. After I've gone through those (and I usually mark the price down or the deal like buy one get one free kind of thing next to my item on the list), next I decide if any of the specials they are running are better than normal and if I should stock up on a few things while the price is so low even though I may not need them at this very moment. This is one step that is a little tricky for me. We have limited storage space, so before I buy any substantial quantity I first have to decide whether or not I have a place to keep it... or should I wait till I need that item and by then will it have gone through the cycle and be back on super sale?! I have one other mantra that goes for all types of shopping...

Just because it's on sale, doesn't mean it's a good deal for me or something that we need!

And I mentioned the notion of a competition... knowing I have a budget, and working at coming in right on budget or under... well I always find great satisfaction with that. I suppose I look at it kind of like a goal or requirement for a job. Do I meet target (sadly, fallen short), or have I in some way beaten the target for my job description?! Plus, working so hard on this type of thing really gives me a sense of contributing to the family... while I don't contribute financially... I contribute by being fiscally responsible with the purchases made for our family!

There you have it friends... happy planning and shopping to each of you!

Around the barnyard #4

I mentioned in my first post about our barnyard, that in order to find success within your vocation of keeping house... you must find the joy in it. If you can't, then I would say that it will be next to impossible to maintain a clean - clutter free - happy home.

So how do you find that joy? Well, there are lots of places and ways. There are countless books out there that can help you, that can teach you, and that will encourage you! You can always find blogs and websites that help focus you on your tasks.

For me it comes down to prayer. Let's face it, our days are busy... filled with enumerable things that need to happen, and the one thing we should be doing more than all other things is the one thing that we shuffle to the back of the list and never actually get to. PRAYER!

Instead of 'whistle while you work'... pray while you work!
--Pray for your kids with every set of socks you pair up, and every shirt you hang. Think of it like blessing each of those items.
--For every shirt you iron for your husband, pray that his work environment will be stress-free... or that he can better deal with those stressful times.
--As you cook the meals, pray that this meal will help nurture your family and provide them with the healthy bodies they need in order to be successful.
--While working on bathrooms, give thanks for your childrens safety... thank their guardian angels for all the effort they make each and every day to keep our littles one safe and in our arms.
--Pray the rosary... it is easy to keep track when you are vacuuming or mopping... and there's no harm in losing track :-).
--In all things, ask the Holy Spirit to help you be a joyful homemaker! Ask and ye shall receive... right?!

I enjoy pondering the life of Mother Mary as I work. In my mind's eye I can see her doing the same kinds of chores that I do daily. When I'm baking bread, I think of our little Lord Jesus and how excited He must have gotten to get a nice warm slice... just like my boys. I unite my chores with the work she did for her little one, and what she does for us each and every day to make our lives more clean when we allow her to work within us!

And on top of all of that, I've found certain things within my day that actually please me (this will definitely be different for everyone). My most favorite thing is a made bed. Every morning I get up and make the bed (on the weekends sometimes this includes making it while my dear spouse is still in it :-).

There is just something about a made bed that says... "I'm ready to go for the day!" This morning was a prime example of how much I like my bed made. I woke up feeling AWFUL. I could hardly speak, or swallow... my throat seemed completely closed up. While Daddio got ready for work, I made the bed, got a cup of coffee, and then back to our room to relax for a little while. While my throat didn't feel any better, my perspective on the day had completely changed. I went from... "I have no idea how I'm going to school the children or do anything else"... to... "I feel crappy, but hey, I can get through this!"

I encourage you to look around your home and find the thing that pleases you the most, and helps you go through your day!

Around the barnyard #3

Clutter... let's have a discussion about clutter!

I am of the opinion that the majority of problems that moms have when keeping up a home is clutter! Sometimes clutter gets out of hand... and can even lead to hoarding (you've all seen those shows on Oprah or Dr. Phil, right?)! This is a slippery slope to go down, and one that is hard to return from. This type of room is not healthy... for you or your family!

So what can you do? Well, when things get this bad... the experts recommend literally removing everything from the home and putting it in the front/back yard... clean... then only bring back in what is necessary to live. Everything else ... CHUNK!

Maybe your home isn't this bad, but you know that your situation is more cluttered than you wish it to be... what do you do?

---Go around your home and identify everything you have out that you either don't need or hardly ever use...

---Next look around at all the spaces in your home that are poorly organized and have wasted space. Now you need to get down to business. You need to decide how you can re-evaluate those closets, pantries, and/or garages (or if you're really lucky and have a basement).

---The next step may take money, but based on how our home is built... most homes in the last 10 years, there is tons of wasted space, and sometimes the only way to make things more usable is to drop some cash at your local organizational store!

---Once you have the space the way you want it, it is time to fill it. As you put each item in, spend a few minutes really thinking about if you should REALLY keep it. Could you find a better home for it (someone else maybe that would benefit from it, or maybe donate it to a local charity, or is it just junk that should be thrown away)?

Most common areas for wasted space... tops of closets, and pantries. Look at different options to maximize what is there!

Start with one room. Once it's done move on to the next room/closet. Remember not to try an accomplish it all at once. This a big and important job, and you don't want to neglect the steps just because you are in a hurry to be done with it!

Around the barnyard #2

Top o' the mornin', and Happy St. Pat's day to ya all!

So here's another round of what happens in the Llama barnyard. And once again let me re-iterate the notion of 'what works for me'... meaning, it works for me, but it might not work for you. You should experiment and come up with what works for you... but feel free to use this as a springboard for your process!

Dinner:
Remember to take the meat out for the evening... or as is the case for me today... start the roast in the crock! (Done)

Laundry:
Dedicates. Also, if for some reason you didn't finish up anything from yesterday... you know that pile that didn't reach its home... now is the time to jump on that! Once the dedicates are done, strip the beds and get those sheets in there. If you work quickly on this process, then you won't need to fold... simply clean and replace (work smarter not harder!).

Bathrooms:
Tubs. If you do this on a weekly basis than you will notice that the process doesn't take long at all! And while your at it, wipe down those vanities one more time... nothin says clean like a sparkling sink and mirror!

Vacuuming:
Yes, I generally vacuum every day. Carpet vacuum lines make me happy. Plus we have two dogs who have a slight shed... and while I might not be able to see the hair... I know it's there! Plus it seems to cut down on the general dust in the house. If you are not a big vacuumer, today is the day to hit your dusting in its place.
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Now for a recipe:

Crockpot Java Roast
--3 lb chuck roast, trimmed of fat
--3/4 cup brewed coffee
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--1 red bell pepper, chopped
--8 oz sliced mushrooms
--1 t garlic powder, or 4-5 chopped cloves
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 black pepper
--1 T Worcestershire sauce
--3 T red wine vinegar
--4 oz cream cheese (to add at the end)

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart or larger crockpot.

I opted to not brown the meat and onions, and instead plopped everything in to the crockpot. I put the vegetables on the bottom, and then the meat.

Add the coffee, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and spices.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. I cooked our meat on low for exactly 8 hours, and then it was on warm for another 3.

Carefully remove the meat from the pot, and stir in the cream cheese. I'd cut the cream cheese in slices and add it one at a time, if you can, to help it from separating in little white dots the way mine did. I got impatient. If you do get a bunch of little white dots, they will taste fine, but annoy you.

Around the barnyard #1

Over the last few years, I've had different moms and/or friends ask me how I manage my own home. Some have been to our little home, while others have seen pictures of different areas... and are curious about my routine for housewifery! So I've decided to do a series of posts (I don't know how many or how often at this moment) that talk about how I keep house and how it works for me and my family.

First, my home is hardly perfect in its cleanlyness... but it is well ordered and I do my best to keep it up. Now, there are definitely those out there that are smarter than me and have helped others with their style...

Motivate Moms

Flylady

Totally Together Journal

just to name a few...

Second, keeping a clean and well ordered home is hard work. It takes daily effort, not only from you - the primary keeper of the home, but also your children (especially if they are home all day creating their own piles of this, that and the other). YES, your children must be involved. Remember you are training them up... not their maid! You should be both modeling a healthy behavior about your home... but also teaching them how to do it! I truly feel this goes for both boys and girls. Plus once you have a good system with them helping... some of your work will be eliminated! At least that is my plan!

Third, (and quite personally) I believe that keeping up this sort of home, we must take up a joyful heart about our vocation in the home. Maybe this concept should go first, because if you can't find the joy in your daily life then you will not be able to maintain the home you so desire. How can you find that joy... well, we will talk about that a little later.

I've felt it in my own heart and mind, and I've seen it in others... feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. For me, pick one thing! Don't try to plan an entire cleaning schedule at the get go... there is a much higher chance of failure, and once again you are in the pit and don't know how to get out. So pick a corner... or one pile, or one surface and focus on that until it is completed then move on.

Need a place to start?

Monday:
Dinner. While you are preparing breakfast, go ahead and pull anything out of the freezer you will need for dinner (meat). This way it will be ready to prepare later in the day!

Laundry (my least favorite chore). After breakfast, Bubba goes to the master bath and collects the laundry basket and brings it to the laundry room for me. Now all the dirty laundry is in one place (the boys room is right next to the laundry room, so every evening they deposited their dirties directly there). Once I have them working on the first assignments for school, I start a load of whites/lights (at the moment that is what I'm always short on... white socks for the boys, so white are needing to be cleaned most often around here). These are usually moved while the boys are still working on school... and then I start a load of darks (jeans are the second most needed items, especially after a busy weekend... and I don't do laundry over the weekend).
After darks I work on my sanitary wash pile (towels/rags and underpants). I save the sanitary wash for last because by then I've worked on my bathrooms and so that rag can be thrown in with that load. Also this category takes longer to cycle and is the perfect thing to start before you need to start working on lunch and won't be available for a while. Now if your laundry situation is beyond 3 loads (one of each), only pick one category and work it until its done, then the next day tackle the next category.
Important things to note about folding and putting it away:

• Fold somewhere uncomfortable and that will need to be used for its intended purpose SOON! If sitting in the living room is comfy, sometimes it is easy to allow the unfolded laundry piles to just sit there and never be finished (finished is the desired effect... completely put away)! Try folding on a bed that someone will have to sleep in sometime that day. Stand to do it (if you can), you are much more likely to get through it quickly and move on to something else! If you are schooling- bring it to that area, and fold while you are watching over their work.
• Get the kids involved. Depending on their size, they might be able to move laundry from one machine to the other, or from the dryer to the folding location (my boys love this project... I haven't figured out why yet). If they are old enough to fold or hang, let them be involved. Have them put away their own clothes. This saves you a step of the process, and gives them responsibility in the current laundry arrangement... it's their clothes after all.

Bathrooms.

• The toilets are always on Monday! Usually in between laundry shifts I go to the two bathrooms and administer the toilet cleaner. A clean toilet (and surrounding floor) will keep your bathrooms smelling fresh and clean! A helpful hint is to keep cleaning supplies in each bathroom so you don't have to constantly bring them from one place to the next!
• Clean up the sink/vanity area (this is the sink, counters and mirrors). Mondays I actually use a cleaning solution, and scrub them. I do this again on Thursday or Friday. On the in between days I use Clorox wipes to wipe everything down. This is also a good time to check supplies you might need to add to your grocery list. Take stock of tooth paste, makeup, shaving cream, hair products... as well as put away any clutter that might have shown up over the weekend (like leaving brushes, hair products, makeup or what not just laying around... I like to keep things put away as much as possible)!

Vacuuming. I'm a stickler for vacuuming during the week, but let it go on the weekends (usually). So Monday is a big day to get everything back in shape for the week. I spend some time going around the house sweeping the hard surfaces into the carpeted areas (this way you don't need a dust pan... work smarter not harder :-). Then I wait to vacuum until right before my husband comes home (the timing is also somewhat dependent on the dinner I'm making and if I can break away to do the whole house. If I know that isn't possible I will vacuum the whole house at some other point of the day, leaving the livingroom for the end of the day). This is just our thing so you can fit it in at any time... but I know how much we both enjoy coming home to a freshly vacuumed house... well, that is something that is within my power to do for him.

This is how my Mondays are usually spent when it comes to the housekeeping part of my vocation!

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You Must Not Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're traveling seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow;
You may succeed with yet another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

~author unknown~

Jobs...

If you were to walk into my house right now and noticed the vacuum lines on my carpet (everyone notices, don't they?), you would think that a drunken sailor must of been hired to clean my carpets...

Close, but it was actually Bobcat.

This was his first whirl with my precious. It is somewhat heavy for the little guy, and he had to find his own technique for maneuvering it... but all in all he did a good job and he was pleased with his work.

Side note: If you are pleased with your work, you're more likely to continue on right... it's half the battle if you will.

Our kids have jobs around the house. First it's school! That will always be the priority... but since they live in the household they are required to pitch in (with out monetary reimbursement). They've always had to pick up after themselves. Maybe once or twice have I actually had to go behind them and pick up their toys. We made that important from the time we brought them home. We also worked on the notion of 'put it away when you are done with it', this way clean-up was never more than a few toys at any given time (also going from one to the next just because has always annoyed me... pick something and play with it for crying out loud).

We've since moved on to putting away laundry. I fold and hang it in my room, then call to them and they come and retrieve their items and put them away... this has been a huge help when it comes to laundry time! Then we got a front load washer, and now I can ask them to unload the washer and put it into the dryer... and from the dryer they can bring it to my room. I still don't like laundry, but with their help it makes it easier to manage.

And in the last year we've added even more responsibilities to their plate, and they actually seem to thrive on their jobs. In the mornings Bobcat and Bubba team up getting the dogs outside (one opens kennel doors, the other mans the backdoor). After breakfast Bobcat takes to dog bowls back out to the garage, and brings the dogs in. Bubba gets the dirty laundry basket out of my bathroom and dumps into the laundry room, and empties the little trashcans around the house (bathroom cans). And in the evenings Bobcat and Bubba load the dinner dishes into the dishwasher, and I've even shown Bobcat how to put the soap in and set it (I love having a delay feature on there!).

If you've noticed, Snookie doesn't seem to have any jobs. We're working on that, he mainly helps me with laundry... that's about his level (Mommy's little helper).

Why am I saying all of this... well first, I'm always so amazed at how old they are getting, and how well they take on the challenge (and the satisfaction they have with themselves when they help me out)... but also to vent a little. I see and hear moms all over the web and in my real life complain about how tired they are, and what a mess their houses are. Usually after a few questions I find out that their children don't help out (at all, or very little). Moms think that their kids aren't capable, or shouldn't be bothered with such menial work... um, they live in the house and contribute to the chaos and so therefore should help keep it tidy. I think a pitfall for a lot of moms (well both moms and dads) is not seeing their children for how old they really are. It is interesting to watch families with small children who could be doing more (jobs, behavior, etc.), but aren't because the expectation isn't there. We did have an advantage, I think, in this area because when we brought the boys home they could walk, talk, and understand us (for the most part). We never had to figure out the earliest stages of life, and what they were capable of.

Advice: Set the bar HIGH! They want to please you, and they will work to reach that goal if they know that you will be overjoyed by their success! When it comes to setting up jobs for the kids, know that it will take a little time in the beginning... but it is so worth it when they get the hang of it. And (this one is hard for me) perfection isn't going to be achieved, but let them work on it anyway.

And no, Bobcat will not be taking over vacuuming duties (it is part of my cleaning therapy :-)... but will from time to time get to that job for me.

I couldn't agree more!

This afternoon I slipped out of the house to check them, and sorting through it on the way back in I noticed one of those 'Current Resident' pamphlets. The message on the side:

The Wrong People Are Cleaning Your House!

Well... this current resident couldn't agree more... unfortunately I signed the lifetime nuptual contract which hasn't expired yet!

What do I do?!

I been asked a few times in my course so far of mothering and house wifery how I do what I do as far ask keeping the house and all that jazz. So I thought I would take a few minutes do give kind of a run through of what I do!

The first thing I do in the morning is make the bed! For me, if making the bed is the only cleaning I do in the day... well, I can still feel accomplished. Why? Because it showed me that I got out of bed and didn't plan on hanging out in it till the end of the day. Plus as an added bonus I love folding clothes on a made bed.... there's plenty of room and you can see what you are working with!

Then comes getting the kiddos up and fed around 7:30 - 8:00. Once breakfast is done, the dishes go right into the dishwasher. Usually while the kids are eating I take out the clean dishes from the dishwasher, so that their breakfast items can go right in. I don't like having dishes pile up in the sink... while it has been known to happen, I don't like it and am usually quick to take care of it when the moment presents itself! Now that Bobcat is older, he is learning how to load it. He can't reach things in the sink, but he will clear the table and place things in the dishwasher! Like the FlyLady says... every thing is always better with a nice shiney sink!

Also, I don't like clutter on my counters... so when ever a meal is finished, everything is cleaned... nothing is left out! Everything has its place!!!!

Once the kitchen has been picked up from breakfast, and while the boys are still finishing up I take a few minutes to get laundry going. I don't always do laundry every day. Probably 4 days a week, and sometimes on Saturday if we've done yard work... I don't like sweaty clothes to just sit in there and smelly everything up! And while I'm in there I will make sure everything is tidied up. Daddio was nice enough to install a set of cabinets (above my machines) last year, and we put in that shelf when we got the new machines, and behind the door there are a set of hanging baskets! This way there is plenty of storage for all my odds and ends and things don't have to be left sitting out!

Next it is time for school (or Mass then school depending on the day). Depending on the work for that day, I either sit the entire time with the boys, or if I'm able to leave them to work independently I head off to the laundry and get a load folded and ready for them to put away. Otherwise I fold the laundry done that morning once school is done... and the boys will come and put their own things away. I'm not perfect (by any stretch), so there are times when clean clothes my spend some time in a basket in my room till I'm ready to tackle it (even with the new machines, laundry is still one of my least favorite tasks).

That takes us up to lunch and naptime... PAPER PLATES! If I can feed the kids on paper... I DO... so I don't have to do as many dishes! And then they are down for a 2 hour nap. During nap time am able to clean bathrooms(Tuesdays and Fridays), mop the floors (once or twice a week), finish up any more laundry (specialty stuff like sheets and towels on Thursdays or Fridays) that I want to get done for the day, eat my own lunch, cook dinner, and depending on the weather and I can even get yard work done! Oh, and check email, read blogs, and blog myself.

Let me introduce you to my little friend! I call him Purpie (uh... cause he purple)... and I LURVE HIM!!!! After nap time (around 3 - 3:30) I vacuum. (I've already swept the hard surfaces into the carpeted area so that can just be vacuumed up). And vacuuming usually happens everyday around here!

Now, you might be asking yourself why I vacuum everyday... meet reasons 1 & 2:

Maggie (part Pom and Australian Sheperd) and Daisy (100% beagle):

Dog FUR!

Now, during most of this cleaning someone is usually with me... one of the boys that is. Playing with toys near my feet, helping with folding, reading me stories, helping me cook stuff that couldn't be done ahead of time... I try to make the most out of nap time working as quickly and efficently as possible so that I am nearly done when the boys are up, and during the time they are up and I'm cleaning it is happening in between play sessions with the boys.

There are days things don't go according to a tidy schedule, and Daddio will come home to laundry still piled on the bed, or me still vacuuming with Snookie hanging on to my leg. But at the end of the day I'm a happy mom when I have a clean house, and I know that Daddio likes to come home to a clean house.

I happen to be one of those people who likes a certain amount of control and order, and over the years I've found that life is crazy, child rearing is messy, homeschooling can be chaotic... but a clean and orderly home gives me order and a sense of clarity! Cleaning calms my nerves, and actually makes me a better person!

So there you have it! Throw in grocery shopping on Fridays and you pretty much have what we do, playing in the rain in the front yard, making bed forts, sitting on Mommy's back while I read and you play, making up songs... and some sort of music always on... that's my day till Daddio returns home from a day at the office!

Lest you forgot

My washing machine finally arrived today... 10 days post purchase... and none too soon!

What was the first load you might ask youself, having 10 days of laundry waiting (mostly camping, smokey, red dirt covered laundry)... that would the pee sheets from last week, and the puke sheets from this morning! Bubba was the cause on both counts! He just wanted Mommy's new machines to have a real doozey for the first cycle!

AHHHHHHHHHHH...

They have lights!!!! SWEET.

Oh, and the first load due to the nature of it was washed on SANITARY mode, which is a 2 hour cycle... and yes, I sat there basically the whole time watching it! I am that easily amused (and Daddio joined me for quite some time too).

The saga continues

They delivered the machines... and when they opened the box for the washer there was significant damage, and was not able to be installed. The dryer was fine.

ETA on a new washer... NEXT TUESDAY! I could just spit nails right now.

9:00am-1:00pm

This is my four hour window for Thursday! YIPPEE... granted it annoys me somewhat that it is such a long window... but even if delivered at the end of the window it still gives me plenty of time to wash and actually have clean laundry in time for us to attend the party we are going to! YEAH the children will not smell funny (I mean, funnier than normal for a clean BOY in clean clothes)!!!!

And my world will return to NORMAL!

As far as the comments in regards of getting appliances for Mother's Day versus jewelry... I'm totally cool with it and don't feel bad for me (oh and he if our flowers aren't in bloom it is not umcommon for him to come home with flowers just because)! A few years ago I begged for a Dyson (the purple Animal to be exact) for Mother's Day, but alas I received an amazing diamond necklace (three large diamonds to be exact - props to Daddio and the boys for a great gift) in honor of my first Mother's Day with our three sons! (I did get the Dyson later that year, actually it was our first time out looking for a new washer/dryer but decided that it wasn't time to throw in the towel on the ones we had ... on the way out I mentioned again that our vacuum cleaner wasn't cutting it so we picked up the Dyson.) I enjoy cleaning... I enjoy life when the house is clean, and I don't mind waiting for an anniversary of something to ask for a big ticket item! I know I want it, he knows I will use it... so it works out. Kind of like every year for Daddio's birthday he gets some sort of electronics or camping thing... he wants it, it will benefit the whole family, but is something usually more expensive than a usual picked up weekend item!

Anyway... yay for tomorrow... yay for clean laundry... and yay for energy savings!!!