Yesterday, I was off my rhythm.
Which reminded me how incredibly important rhythm is for me.
When the timing of my dishwashing routine gets wonky, the kitchen stays out of Disaster Status, but it doesn’t look as nice.
But I did the dishes. Sometimes, being off the ideal rhythm makes me want to throw in the towel. I think I’ll wait until the “best” time, but by that time things are way more overwhelming and I want to give up completely.
I also did a five-minute pick-up. Again, I had to get over my ideal scenario. It’s summer. The kids are home. 5 minute pickups should be a family affair. But at the moment when I dug in my heels and decided to tackle my ultra-basic checklist, they were at various activities.
Oh, how the good mama in me wanted to wait until they got home to do things right.
But the realistic me won. Realistic Me knows there’s a 50-50 80-20 chance that Good Mama will totally forget about doing the five minute pickup later. And then it will never happen.
So I did it. All by myself. I knew that if I did remember, our house can always benefit from a second 5 minute pickup anyway.
And it was a good thing, since it never even occurred to me to do another one.
It’s SUMMER!!!
I love this fun and crazy and unscheduled time of year with my kids, but the lack of routine sends my house into chaos!
For the summer, I’m focusing on the four simple habits that will keep (or bring) any home out of Disaster Status.
Here’s how we did:
Do the dishes
Sweep the kitchen
Check bathrooms for clutter
Do a five-minute pick-up
Our extra task for today:
Nada. Still enjoying the fruits of Monday’s labor!
How did you do today?
Share your own success and failures in the comments!
Don’t forget that you can get your own copy of my Surviving Summer Checklist by subscribing to my email list. You can sign up for daily emails (only sent if I’ve posted something) or weekly summary emails. Plus, you won’t miss a post! Click here to sign up for free.
If you’re completely overwhelmed at even the thought of the four habits listed here, don’t worry! I totally understand! I recommend my books: How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind and Decluttering at the Speed of Life for a step-by-step guide to getting your home out of Disaster Status.
If it’s your first time at ASlobComesClean.com, welcome! Right now, we’re totally focused on helping our homes survive the gloriously routine-free summer! Regular blogging will resume when school starts in August! Until then, find out what goes on around here the rest of the year by checking out my decluttering strategies (based on WAY too much personal experience) and my free printable checklists. See my advice on getting started.
And if you’re worried about whether you’ll fit in here, read this.
--Nony
I was ill yesterday, but I did unload the dishwasher at about 4pm and reloaded it with all the dishes for the day. Hubby made dinner and then when I went to bed I reminded him to start the dishwasher. It was nice to wake up today to a clean kitchen. And I did get the dishes unloaded this morning since I’m feeling a bit better.
Good for you getting that pick up done even though the timing wasn’t perfect!
Yes, I figured that half an hour after the kids got home, the house could probably use another 5-minute pickup as a teaching tool for them. Keep at it; everything helps.
June 13 check in: OK: I did one rack of dishes (but there’s still more to do), I swept the kitchen floor, checked one bathroom (took laundry to the basement) and did not pick up the house for five minutes.
I finished! I’m all caught up to today! Oh no! What do I do for motivation now? Oh yes. I still can go back and watch the episodes and listen to the podcasts. Shew! I also plan to print and use some of your checklists. Thanks for all this that you do to help us all!
Thank you for reading, Amanda!!
Great job sticking to the checklist when your schedule is out of whack. I’m having a baby TOMORROW so we’re off routine too, but I keep having the troops (our older children) do various tasks and the house isn’t a disaster. There are things that aren’t perfect, but we’re managing to keep our heads above water.