Thursday, October 27, 2011

Keeping Up The House

John and I get really busy in the winter. It seems like we are running everywhere and we hardly see the inside of our house. This also means that cooking and cleaning go by the wayside.

I am all for having a "lived in" home. I like a little mess here and there and I do enjoy take out. However, sometimes we get into seasons where we have gone weeks without cooking a single meal and spiders have built resorts in my corners. I have found that a couple of little things (along with a really helpful husband) keep things from getting too out of control.

DO WHAT YOU CAN -
I'm only going to be home for 30 minutes. I just want to sit on the couch and catch up on Rachel Zoe.
Instead I take 5 and do what I can with that 5 minutes.
In 5 minutes I can put away the clutter on the kitchen table or load the laundry and start the dishwasher.
In just 5 minutes I can give the kitchen and bathroom a wipedown.
Take 5, take 10 - just take a little time and do what you can! You will still have 25 minutes to watch some trashy tv.

NEW SHEET SUNDAY -
I try and schedule days for certain tasks. For example - I try to wash and change the sheets every Sunday.
Monday - groceries.
Tuesday - dusting and sweeping or kitchen and bathroom.
Wednesday - pick up what you can.
Thursday - dusting and sweeping or kitchen and bathroom.
Friday - just relax.
Saturday - laundry and dishes.

This does not mean that these things get done every time or that I don't mix it up but it makes life seem less overwhelming for me. Find what works for you.
Maybe you are really organized and you would like a chore board.
Perhaps cleaning is boring and you need to spice it up making a short "cleaning playlist" with your favorite upbeat music.
I know some people that write down chores and projects on small pieces of paper, put them in a jar and then pick one out when they have a little time.

FREEZER/ PANTRY CLEAN OUT -
John and I love eating fresh produce and fresh meals. It seems by the end of the week we have run out cucumbers, salad, fruit, fresh meat and all that is left is dry goods and freezer items. It makes me want to go to the grocery early or go out to eat. So I try and do a freezer/pantry clean out. Bust out the frozen stir fry and brown rice or the quinoa and frozen veggies. It doesn't have to be a perfectly cohesive meal. Sometimes it's fun to have a hodge podge shmorgishborg!

ALMOST HOMEMADE -
I try to buy products that help me out when I'm cooking meals. I like to buy the premade turkey meatballs at Whole Foods and just add italian breadcrumbs. Cook 'em up in a pan and add some of their tomato basil sauce. It has whole chunks of basil in it! Delicous. Try the recipe on the back of a box. I finally got the nerve to try "French's Crunch Onion Chicken" recipe. It was so good and reallyyyy easy. You don't have to spend hours to cook a delicious and fresh meal. I usually cook dinner in under an hour!


Sometimes it seems like such a simple answer. And it usually is. Just take it one thing at a time and it will all get done :]

What little things do you do around your house to make the cooking and cleaning easier?

3 comments:

  1. I really like the idea of "new sheet Sunday" (and all the other ones that accompany it). I always put things off until one day and then I get stressed!

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  2. Thanks for the sweet comment! I would love to be featured on your sidebar!

    And these are some awesome tips. I definitely agree with the "take 5" thing - I usually just tidy up during commercial breaks if I'm really aching to watch a show that's on tv.

    And new sheet Sunday... man, I really need to get on that. I think washing the sheets and bedding is the thing that I slack off on the most (I know, gross, right?! It just takes so much effort to take the bed apart and put it back together again!). So maybe I'll start scheduling certain things for certain days.

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  3. I'm naturally a everything in it's place kinda girl and so if my house is messy it makes me stressed out!
    When we lived in a small apartment things seemed messy all the time because we didn't have enough storage. So I started to declutter. It's become totally addictive and now if I don't use it - it goes! It helps me so much because now everything has a place, and if there is less 'stuff' in my house, there is less stuff to get messy!

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