4 week cleaning schedule

Gah!  There's so much going on that I want to share right now, but I've been told that I have to wait...

...So for now I'm sharing a cleaning chart that I made incorporating At Home With Nikki's "1 Hour Home Cleaning Routine".  It works when I remind myself to do it...

(click for a printable version)

Find more of my cleaning and organizing posts here.

Quick Tip: natural rust inhibitor

After sharing my recent post about rust removal, a friend who works with metal informed me that, while lemon juice and salt might have removed the rust from my cheese graters they would also expose the metal and make it rust again and faster.  He suggested that I oil them to add some protection.

Between my friend and Google, I found that it's best to use food safe oils in the kitchen (for what should be obvious reasons).

So, here's what I did:

I laid out a towel over my workspace
and gathered my materials
(food safe oil [I used olive], a washcloth and the stuff i'm trying to protect)...

...I put a few drops of olive oil onto the washcloth...

...I dripped oil right onto the smaller hard-to-get-into areas...

...and buffed it in...

...then I wiped off the excess oil with a clean cotton cloth...

So shiny!

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to get rid of/prevent rust?

Comment and share your knowledge if you do!

Natural rust removal...

I recently discovered a new-to-me YouTuber, Melissa Maker and her channel "Clean My Space"  thanks to one of my "old favorites" ("Organized Clutterbug") mentioning her in a video about natural cleaning.  Of course, I've spent most of my time over the past two days watching TONS of her videos!

This morning, I came across this one: "Clean My Space" - "Shine Your Flatware & Glassware | Day 5 of The 12 Days Of Clean!"  In this video, she goes over basic shining, but what really caught my attention was when she started talking about removing rust from flatware.

I have a couple of vintage cheese graters that are horribly rusted, but they look so neat that I can't bear to part with them (I only show the circular one here, as that was the rustier of the two)...

Note: none of these photos have been edited more than cropping (and text on one), I didn't want a filter to mess with how the rust looked.

This is how I cleaned them:

I started with my rusty grater...

Then I gathered my tools:

my (kitchen) cleaning toothbrush, 

a clean rag, a bowl with equal parts salt and lemon juice

and a towel or paper towel to work on.

I got some of the salt/lemon juice mixture on the toothbrush...

...and scrubbed it all over.

Then I buffed it out with the rag,

using the salt/lemon juice mixture as needed.

After washing and *thoroughly* towel drying.

NOT BAD!

Now, I will say that I probably still won't be using them for cooking,

but they look a lot prettier hanging on my wall without significantly less rust.

Check out my post about preventing rust from coming back once you've removed it!

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to get rid of/prevent rust?

Comment and share your knowledge if you do!

Making our lives easier...

While we're still (kind of) in back-to-school mode, I wanted to share a few things that I've implemented with my kids that have really helped to keep all of us on track...

Morning checklists: I used Command™ hooks on our front door to hang cheap-o dry erase boards that I happened to find in each of the kids' colors (so they know which one is theirs at a glance).  I glued a little ribbon on the back to make it easy to hang up.  On school nights (or in the morning if I spaced it out the night before), I quickly run through what each kid needs to do to be ready to leave for school.  I generally write it all out once at the beginning of the week, then just re-draw the check boxes daily.

Breakfast choices: I printed two 3x5 note cards, one with breakfast entrees and one with fruits.  If we have another kids of fruit or maybe leftover french toast, I just stick a post-it note by the other choices.  The kids stick their magnets (again, in their colors) on their choice before bed every night.

This makes my mornings *soooo* much easier!  I can do minor prep the night before and breakfast is usually on the table by the time the kids get up (I try to get up half an hour before them....  when I can...)

Snack choices: Again, I printed on a 3x5 note card.  Then I used a sheet protector to "laminate" it so that the kids can use the magnetic dry erase marker (that's next to it) to mark off what they've had.  (Note: veggie snacks are unlimited, it's just on the check list to make sure that they take at least one)

Our weekday schedule: This one is the big one...  I sat down one day and wrote out usual weekday schedule.  Then I added pictures, printed it up and stuck it on the fridge.  We use a little magnet to keep track of where we are in the day.  (I also have alarms set for most of our evening stuff)

...Here's what our schedule looks like:

6:30 wake up

7:00 breakfast

7:45 leave for school

8:00-11:15 Mom's housework time

11:20(ish) Ollie gets dropped off at bus stop

12:00 lunch

12:30 Ollie's play time

1:00 Ollie's homework time

2:00 Ollie's nap time

3:00(ish) girls come home/snack time/play time

4:00 girls' homework time

5:00-5:30 kids' housework time

5:30 kids' t.v. time/play time

6:00 play time

6:30 dinner

7:15 kid #1 showers (other kids read)

7:30 kid #2 showers (other kids read)

7:45 kid #3 showers (other kids read)

8:00 bedtime/grown up reads

8:30 lights out!

...I'm realizing as I writing that this all looks a little overboard, but I have to say that, as a mother of three who also has ADD, it *really* helps me.  Like A LOT.  It seems to help the kids, too...  plus, they think it's fun to check things off and move their magnets.  

Would you try any of this, or do you think I'm crazy?  (haha)

How do you keep your family on track?

How I go about my menu planning....

I got to thinking recently that I share my meal plans pretty regularly, but it might be useful for someone new to menu planning to understand my process...  So.  This is how we do.

There are a few things that I consider before I start willy-nilly picking out recipes for the week:

• What to we have that needs to be used?
• This means checking the fridge, freezer and the pantry
• What is on sale and/or in season right now that I'd like to take advantage of?
• This covers seasonal cravings like pot roast, too...
• What does my family's schedule look like this week?
• ...do either of the girls have Girl Scouts?  Do I have any meetings about school functions?  What does my husband's work schedule look like this week?  ...soup and salad or leftovers are usually on the menu on these nights.
• What will my family want to eat this week?
• I usually give my husband a few choices (i.e. pork chops or chicken legs?);  the kids are easier --pizza night is mostly for them

...So, this is what it might look like when I'm getting started:

Monday:  me- daytime meeting (this one really wasn't a big time-eater, but it's good to be prepared and avoid planning something huge that could require a lot of prep)
Tuesday:
Wednesday:  husband closes (my free night!!!  I can make anything I want to because the family's picky eater wont be here to complain about it!)
Thursday:  Moo Girl Scouts (when either of the girls have scouts, they need to eat early...  this could mean a sandwich before scouts and a snack after)
Friday:  pizza night (every Friday)
Saturday:  husband closes (another free night!)
Sunday:  husband off (I usually do my best to make something he won't hate)


...Now, I start filling in with our "usuals":


Monday:  me- daytime meeting
Tuesday:
Wednesday:  husband closes
Thursday:  Moo Girl Scouts
Friday:  pizza night
Saturday:  leftovers (having leftovers on Saturday gives us a little more time to play as a family)
Sunday:  soup and salad (same idea as above...  soup and salad=easy meal)



...Next, I check out Pinterest and choose from my recipe boards based on what we have and what we want to eat and fill in the blanks...


Monday:  Honey mustard pork chops (we had chops in the freezer, and the honey mustard chop recipe is one of my family's favorites)
Tuesday:  Roasted chicken (I had enough time to make my go-to chicken recipe)
Wednesday:  Quinoa chili (husband is working, which means I can make chili [that he's not a fan of but the rest of us love])
Thursday:  Curry chicken salad (made with leftover chicken, and nice and easy for a irl Scout meeting night)
Friday:  pizza night
Saturday:  leftovers (having leftovers on Saturday gives us a little more time to play as a family)
Sunday:  soup and salad (same idea as above...  soup and salad=easy meal)



I know that this looks wordy, but it all makes sense in my head...

Please, let me know what you think...
Did this help you?
Do you/will you menu plan?

Punch card reward system...

In a recent post, I mentioned another reward system for big jobs that they don't complain about and jobs outside of the house (like helping Kitty Gramma clean up around her house or emptying Miss Nikki's dishwasher).  The funny thing is, a few days after introducing this system, I saw basically the  same idea on Pinterest!  I didn't pin it since I had already done it, but I thought the coincidence was pretty funny...  great minds think alike, I suppose... or, you know, take inspiration from the eyebrow threading booth at the mall.

So, what is it?  

It's a punch card system!

They get ten punches and they get to pick something from the bucket!

The rewards!!!

(Don't tell the kids that most of it is from the dollar store.

What isn't is stuff that I've come across while cleaning)

The kids LOVE it.  *And* they get to choose from a prize bucket at home or one at my best friend's house.  HUGE motivator.

Try it.  It works on my kids, let me know if it works on yours.

My kids' current chore chart...

...I've posted about chore charts before...

...and I've shared newer ones on Instagram...

...and let's not forget our reward system...

Well, I finally seem to have found something that works...  The chores themselves have stayed pretty much the same, and the penny jars are still in place, but trial and error has given way to the latest incarnation of our family's chore chart:

...I got the idea here...

This one was a crazy amount of work (which has made me more likely to enforce it, given the amount of effort that went into making it).  Sawing the wood... sizing, tracing and painting the lettering...  painting the hooks...  designing, printing, stickering, "laminating" and outlining the tags...  etc.  Yeah, LOTS of work.

So, here's how it works...  each child has two hooks -one for chores that they need to do, and one for the chores they've already done.  The tags have a chore and a corresponding picture on the front and stickers representing the value of the chore; one sticker = one cent (for now...  doing it this way should make it easy to give the kids "raises" in the future).  Some tags are outlined in each of the kids colors, which makes it easy for me to pick out whose tags are whose, while others stayed white so I can hand them out to anybody.  When they've finished a chore, they move it down.  Simple concept.  The extra hooks on either end are for any extra chores that I'd like done, but don't expect to be done...  it gives them a chance to earn a little more if they want to.  At the end of the day (or the next day), while I set up the next day's chores, I look at count up the stickers they've earned and pay each child accordingly (payments go into their penny jars).

Here's a list of their chores (and how many stickers they have on the back)...

     These are the ones that each of the kids have and are expected to do every day:

• pick up your bedroom (1)
  
  
• pick up your stuff (throughout the rest of the house) (1)
• make your bed (1)
• put your laundry down the laundry chute (0)

     Each of the kids have these, but they're not necessarily daily chores for them:

• load dishwasher (2)
• empty dishwasher (2)
• wash/dry laundry (2)
• sort laundry (2)
• fold/put away laundry (2)

     This one is for Moo:

• practice violin (0)

     These are the ones they take turns doing:

• take out garbage (2)
• take out both bathroom garbages (2)
• take out recycling (2)
• sweep kitchen (2)
• sweep living room/dining room (2)
• sweep O's room (2)
• sweep bathroom/hallway (2)
• sweep girls' room (2)
• sweep kitchen (2)
• swiffer living room/dining room (2)
• swiffer bathroom/hallway (2)
• swiffer girls' room (2)
• swiffer kitchen (2)
• swiffer O's room (2)
• feed Fluffy morning (1)
• water fluffy morning (1)
• feed fluffy evening (1)
• water fluffy evening (1)
• litter box (3)
• scrub toilet (2)
• scrub tub/shower (3)
• wipe bathroom (2)
• wipe light switches/doorknobs (1)
• wipe dining table/benches (2)
• set table for dinner (2)
• clear/wipe both living room tables (2)
• dust living room (2)
• dust dining room (2)
• dust O's room (2)
• dust girls' room (2)
• straighten couches (1)
• fold/put away laundry that isn't yours (3)
• help with organizing (2)

I know it's a big, long list but they generally don't have more than one or two chores on top of their daily stuff.  We've been doing this for a couple of months and it's really been working well.  

In addition to this, I've introduced another reward system for big jobs that they don't complain about, jobs outside of the house (like helping Kitty Gramma clean up around her house or emptying Miss Nikki's dishwasher)...  but I'll post about that another day (I think this one is wordy enough already).

What kind of system works in your house?

Attempting to organize my home, my family and my life...

...well, I've been putting off this post for awhile...  Back in January, my New Year's resolution was a general "being a better me."  Overall, I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made.  However, I understand that life continues to change and I will continue to grow.

My health goals aren't quite what I had hoped for.  I haven't been doing cardio like I should, but I did lose those 11 lbs. since January, and I've only gained 1 lb. back...  so, not too bad, I guess.  Plus, yoga has become a part of my lifestyle at this point, which is ahhhmazing.  I love it!

Anyhoo, this post is supposed to be about organizing.  I've found a few ladies on YouTube who give great organizing tips...  there's Malitose79 (who also has her new channel, Organized Clutterbug), The Green Apple Home, Do It On a Dime, At Home With Nikki, Mridu Parikh and my current favorite, Home Organizing.  Lots of these ladies have blogs/websites to accompany their organizing channels (http://clutterbug.me/ is Malitose79's site, which has lots of great printables that I'd like to try out).

I just signed up for Alejandra's (from Home Organizing) "FREE 7-day 'Get Organized' Video Series" from her site alejandra.tv (look on the upper right side of the "start here" page).  When you sign up, you get a free video with an organizing tip every day for 7 days...  I watched the first one today, I'll do the "homework" today and will be sharing more on it soon.  My plan is to do a post for each of the videos...  I figure this might help to hold me accountable.  ::fingers crossed::

I've already gotten a lot of work done organizing the home with the tips that all of these ladies have shared...  I keep forgetting to take before pictures, but there will be a post soon with the current state of my kids' rooms in the very near future (I don't know that I would have wanted to show you the "before" pics, they were sooo bad!!!).

Check out these ladies' videos and sites and let me know what you think!

How do you control the chaos and clutter in your life?

More natural house cleaning...

Thanks to Hulu Plus, I have a slight obsession with an Aussie show called "Lush House" (you can watch full episodes here).  I swear the host, Shannon Lush, is a flippin' genius.  Who knew you could disinfect with lavender oil?  ...or tea tree oil?  I didn't, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume that you didn't either.  I really want to check out all of Shannon Lush's books now!

I also discovered an amazing resource for family friendly, eco-friendly and budget-friendly cleaning.  Howtocleanthings.com helped me seriously decrease the nastiness of a rust stain in my kitchen sink (which was left by a metal thing that the people who lived here before us used to protect the bottom of the sink)....  I think that, with another treatment or two, it should be completely gone soon!

So, here are a few things that I've tested personally and learned really do work!:

• Lemon oil works wonders.  It not only smells good, it keeps bugs away and can work as a deterrent for cats who like to make nasties on the floor (I'm lookin' at *you*, Fluffy!)
• Clove oil makes my house smell like I just baked Christmas ham and it acts as a mold inhibitor!  Taking Miss Lush's mold spray one step further, I've made an after shower spray for our bathrooms that's easy and non-toxic, so the kids can spray the shower down when they're done!
• Fill a spray bottle halfway with white vinegar, add two or three drops of clove oil and top it off with water.  Give it a shake before you spray it!  Easy peasy.
• Cream of tartar can not only be used for baking delicious goodies, but it can also be used to clean aluminum and rust (as I mentioned earlier)

Do you make any of you own natural cleaners or do you have any "weird" cleaning tricks?

Making laundry more, err, fun...?

So a few posts back (when I shared my plant markers with you), I mentioned that I'd been doing some painting...  here it is:

(inspired by this)

I still have to hang it up, but I'm hoping that this will make me smile occasionally while doing laundry...  I also have an old school wooden and glass washboard that I'd like to hang up in the laundry room.  Hopefully I'll remember to get pictures of it all when it's done.

And here I thought the stress would end after the holidays...

....and the house should be cleaned too, right?  I dunno, I guess life has been a few steps ahead of me lately.  I suppose it's normal to be in a bit of a slump this time of year...  The snow just won't go away- as soon as you think it's over, there it is the next morning.  It's getting a little frustrating.  I JUST WANT TO GO OUTSIDE.

Spring will be here soon enough...  according to accuweather.com, at least.

In the meantime, I've had even more crafty A.D.D. than usual.  I'm still trying to finish the embroidery that should have only taken a couple of days, but the idea of this craft sale I'm doing with my "wife" (best friend of many years) has me a little flighty with my crafting.  I'm doing my market bags and produce bags...  and maybe a few other things.

There are three sizes...  this picture shows (from left to right) 

a small bag and two medium ones.

...my produce bags!

I cannot stress enough just how much I love these things.

They're so tiny, but they stretch and hold SO much!

(I apologize for the slightly blurry picture, this was the best out of ten or so)

I'm debating whether or not to sell the pattern for the bags...  they're crocheted.  If you're interested, please let me know.

Homemade natural cleaners...

...I've been sharing about making these on my personal Facebook page over the past few months.  When I first started making them I was a little unsure about how well they would work, but I knew I wanted to use natural cleaners and buying them at the store was breaking the bank.  After using them for a few months, I've grown to love them.  It's also helpful that you can make so many different cleaners with only a few ingredients!

What you'll need:

• Borax
• Arm & Hammer washing soda
• bar soap of your choice
• white vinegar
• rubbing alcohol
• filtered or distilled water
• essential oil of you choice, citrus scents work well (optional)

from left to right, top to bottom: water, borax, washing soda,

rubbing alcohol, vinegar, bar soap, all natural essential oil

What you can make with these few ingredients:

• dishwasher detergent
• dishwasher rinse aid
• general cleaner
• glass cleaner
• laundry detergent
• fabric softener
• mop water

from left to right: vinegar, fabric softener, laundry detergent,

glass cleaner, general cleaner

You *will* get a lot for you money!  I promise!  ....now let's get on with how to make them...

Dishwasher Detergent

Mix equal parts borax and washing soda.  Make sure you mix them well and get out all of the lumps of washing soda - I do this in a zipper freezer bag.  Use about 1 Tbsp per load.

Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Fill the rinse aid thingie in your dishwasher with vinegar.  It's like magic.

General (Almost) All-purpose Cleaner

Fill a spray bottle with half vinegar and half purified water.  Give it a shake to mix it all up.  The vinegar disinfects and the smell goes away quickly.

Glass Cleaner

Fill a spray bottle halfway with rubbing alcohol, add one Tbsp. vinegar and fill it up the rest of the way with purified water.  Shake it up.  

Laundry Detergent

Mix one cup borax and one cup washing soda.  Using a fine cheese grater, grate a bar of soap into the mixture.  Use about 1/8 c. for each load of laundry...  do it like this:  Start your washer with HOT water (you can change it to the temp you want in a minute).  Add your detergent directly under the water while it's starting to fill.  Give it a couple of seconds so the detergent will dissolve a little bit.  Change the water temp if you like.  Proceed as usual.

NOTE: When you grate your soap, do it *slowly* and *carefully*  ...I cannot stress enough that you need to pay attention while you're doing this.  I grated off part of a knuckle the first time I did this.  It was a lot easier the second time, since I knew I had to take it slowly.  

Fabric Softener

Mix equal parts water and vinegar.  Add a few drops of essential oil, if you like - only enough so that you can just barely smell it through the vinegar.  The amount that you add will depend on the scent that you choose.  Now, you can either add it during the rinse cycle, or you can keep in in a tub and leave some cotton fabric squares soaking in it.  When you need a fabric softener sheet, just wring out a sheet and toss it in the dryer with your wet clothes.  The vinegar helps to break down any leftover detergent residue and deodorizes as well.  

Mop Water

You can add a splash of vinegar to hot water when mopping most types of flooring.  This is actually how most flooring companies recommend that you clean hardwood floors.

...I have gotten all of my ingredients at stores like Walmart or the dollar store.  I also picked up all of my spray bottles, tubs, measuring cups and the cheese grater at the dollar store.  You can expect to spend around $15-20 on everything the first time you make it all.  After that, it'll only be a few dollars at a time to keep individual ingredients stocked.