Saturday Chores

Thanks for the comments, ideas, and questions about the laundry detergent! I love hearing everyones tips and suggestions! One question was that was asked was:
"Does this soap work in an HE machine?"
Answer: I don't have an HE machine, so I guess officially I don't know, but the ladies that taught me how to make it said it does...so maybe make a small batch and try it? Or if anyone knows, please leave me a comment!
Another question: How do I make the soap smell good?
Answer: add essential oils!! Any that you like!
Another question: does the soap have to be shaken up or stirred before use?
Answer: If you make a giant batch of the liquid kind, it will need to be stirred occassionally. Another great idea is to make it in smaller quantities or to store it in smaller bottles, so that it can be shaken up before each use. If you make the powder version, you won't have to worry about this.

I thought for today I would talk a little bit about the Saturday chores that I mentioned. Each Saturday, we pick a few odd jobs around the house to do together as a family. Some of these things include:

• Cleaning base boards -- We usually do this every other week so they stay nice and clean. This is a great chore for kids to do because they can crawl along the floor and wipe a little easier than us adults :)
• Dusting ceiling fans -- this is something that doesn't get done very often, but when we do it, I get so grossed out at how much dust collects up there!
• Vacuum edges of carpet -- I vacuum a couple times a week, but the vacuum never gets right along the edge where the carpet meets the wall, and dust does collect there over time. I use an attachement on my vacuum that can get right up to the edge, and go all around the house, including in closets.
• Lemon oil wood cabinets -- kitchen, bathrooms, etc.
• Wash curtains, dust ruffles on beds, etc. (This happens very rarely!)
• Clean windows/window sills --  I love to get outside and clean the outside windows as well! (Tip: try to clean the windows on a cooler, cloudy day. There's more chance of streaking if the windows are warm.)

These are just a few things we do, and keep in mind, we only pick one or two so it only takes about 15-20 minutes, then we never have to devote the entire weekend to deep cleaning the house!
Happy Cleaning!

Let's Get Organized!!!

This week I'm devoting one post every day to organizing/cleaning. It's the new year, we've all made some goals and resolutions, and maybe some have to do with getting your house together? Maybe not...either way, organizing and cleaning my home are some of my very favorite things to do. Really. I'm not lying! I love the feeling of getting something organized and having a fresh, clean house. To start the week off, I thought I'd share with you my weekly cleaning schedule. I realize that this may not work for some, and that there are lots of great ideas out there for keeping your house clean--some of you may like to have one day a week devoted completely to cleaning and laundry for example--but this is what works for me!

I like to do one or two things every day so that there is always a clean feeling in my house and so that it never feels overwhelming. I used to clean the whole house every Saturday, but now that I have a toddler, I've found that by the end of the week the house is such a mess and so overwhelming, and it's also hard for me to devote a whole day to cleaning when I have a two year old that needs lots of lovin!
So here's what I do!

Monday--Vacuum carpet, swiffer hard floors.
Tuesday--Clean bathrooms (I have two bathrooms, so I rotate which bathroom I deep clean and which one I lightly clean
Wednesday--Dust (this includes wood surfaces, any windows that are gross with fingerprints, blinds, etc.
Thursday--vacuum,swiffer
Friday--Clean bathrooms (other bathroom gets the deep clean)

Every night I clean the kitchen, which only takes a couple minutes because it stays clean! This includes wiping down counters, sweeping floors, and bleaching sink

Saturday--I get the hubs help and we spend about 15 minutes doing some kind of cleaning that doesn't get done often, like cleaning the baseboards, cleaning light fixtures, etc.

Does it seem like a lot? Well it's not! The trick is, to always keep up on it, and then it never becomes overwhelming. And it never takes more than a few minutes a day! And the great thing about keeping up on it is, if you have to miss a day, you won't even notice!

A few more tricks:
Laundry--I do one load a day. I rotate whites, darks, towels, and on Saturday I wash all the sheets. Doing one load a day keeps all the laundry done and I never dread doing it!

Empty dishwasher before you go to bed or first thing in the morning, so that as dishes get dirty during the day, they can easily be loaded in the dishwasher instead of sitting in the sink.

Basically, my philosophy is to just do a little bit each day and your house will always stay clean!
I love hearing others' advice and tips, so if you have any, feel free to leave me some!!!