Week 4- It's Cleaning WEEK!

I few years ago, a book found me at a consignment shop titled The Happy Housewife. It was a breath of fresh air for this harried housewife. You could say it became my Housewife Bible!
No one really hands you over a "how to manual" on this line of work... you just get thrown into the water and shouted at to swim! I found the book helpful, eye-opening and my therapist; all rolled into one. One thing that I LOVED about this book, was the simple take on house cleaning... gone were the ONE day of cleaning the house.. and (GASP!) you could clean the house in a week. Every day would be a task or two, and by the end of the week, you'd have a clean house and a happy housewife!

So, this week's change isn't a "new" change but a "revisited" change. As many things do, when one thing in life changes, other things follow. I had to roll with the punches and adjust. My "old" cleaning schedule wasn't working.. so I had to change it; add some things in, take some things out and see what works best.

So here is my NEW and IMPROVED Weekly Cleaning Schedule!! (Tada!)

Monday- Manic Mopping Monday!
*Vacuum & Mopping in Playroom, Dinning Room & Living Room

Tuesday- Toilets & Towels Tuesday!
*Clean bathrooms & wash towels

Wednesday- DUST you forget about me Wednesday
* Dust, dust, dust!

Thursday- Sheets & Shopping Thursday!
*Change & wash sheets. Grocery shopping!

Friday- Finally Floors Friday!
*Vacuum & Mop all bedrooms

I do a load (or 2) or wash everyday to keep up. On the weekends, I don't do much... just some picking up around the house (especially Sunday night) and just enjoy the time with my boys.

Some changes aren't new, but they are improved! :)

Week 3- Securing the Air Mask

I have to say that this has been a tough change, but as many changes go they get easier as days go by. Right?

First, let me explain the title... when you're flying, the flight attendant always tells the parents, in case of emergency, to secure their own air mask first before securing the air mask of their child. As parents, it's a tough thought... you're asking ME to put MYSELF before my child?! But when you think about it, it makes complete sense... what good are you to your child, if you have passed out trying to get their air mask on? Think about it.

So, my "air mask" is making sure that I am up, dressed and 80% ready for the day BEFORE my kids wake up. Yeah, I said BEFORE...

Many of you that have known me "BK" (Before Kids) know that sleep is my favorite thing... ever! I would always sleep until one kid or both kids would wake me up... they were my alarms and our days would go from 0-60 before my feet even hit the floor... not to mention before I had my first cup of coffee. Our house was hectic, me rushing this way, yelling something that way and trying to get 1,000 done before we walked out the door in 15 minutes. It was impossible and not fun. I would say to myself, "I HATE when my days start like this!" And here I had the choice to change it... so I did.

Now, is it hard waking up when it's still dark outside, and the temp is a chilly 32 degrees AND The Hubby is snuggled under the covers... YES!! IT'S VERY HARD! But, I push myself.. and know that the end result (happy mommy, happy kids, happy family) is well worth it.

And of course, I give myself a lazy day... one day to just sleep until I hear 'Mommy, mommy, MOMMY! What are you going to make me for breakfast?" And those are the days that I nudge The Hubby and roll over for 15 more minutes of snooze.

Week 2- Me Time

As mothers of little ones know, the words "me time" are distant memories. Even using the restroom alone is a thing of the past. A little me time is something that we all want.. something we all need. It refreshes us. It gives us a time to take a breath. Time to take a nap! Many mothers have a hard time with this... they feel as if they are abandoning their children, but in reality, they are doing the best for them by giving THEM some "me time" too.
So, this week, LC started "school" one day a week... every Thursday, I will have 4 hours of "me time"... four hours for grocery shop in peace... four hours to clean the house without stopping.. four hours to do whatever I'd like! And when those four hours are up, I will pick up my little man and be a new and refreshed mommy; which is a BIG chamge that will affect our whole household. As the saying goes, ' When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Week 1- Volunteer

I like the thought of volunteering. I look at the Sunday paper of the volunteer opportunities and say to myself. "I should do that!" or 'That would be great to take the boys to!" But, after that brief moment, life continues and the thoughts are pushed into the dusty corners and are left there until next Sunday when I walk out to pick up the paper.
But, this week, I took the first step int he right direction to make this change. I joined a Woman's Giving Circle that my cousin and I are co-founding together. Every month, we are going to give our time, our talents or our tithing to help local organizations that we feel pulled towards. We have a great group of diverse ladies that will meet monthly and share in the act of volunteeing. And best yet, we named ourselves the Volunteer Vixens!! How perfect, right? I'm excited to make this change... which will make myself and my community better.

****UPDATE!!****

Thursday, January 20th was our first Volunteer Vixens Project- Feeding the Homeless in Downtown Orlando. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but as we pulled up to the site where the event was taking place, but heart leaped... with joy, with saddness and with hope. I was nervous and I was excited. It was an experience that I will do again. I left filled with God's love... and a happy heart!

My friend Natalee, my cousin Christy & myself after our first Volunteer Vixens project

Welcome 2011

As we said good-bye to 2010 and embraced 2011 like a new friend, I decided that this year would be a year of change for me and my household. I'm not a resolution type of gal; in my opinion, you're setting yourself up for failure and then you spend the rest of the year, upset that you didn't follow through. So, I decide that I am going to pick a word for 2011.. and that word is CHANGE! This can be so many things and it makes me so excited to know that the adventure that I'm going to embark on is going to make myself and my family better people.
Cheers 2011!!