messes

One of those days…. did the dishes… it lasted through one meal. Did the laundry… the kids made mud pies. The kind of day where you find smooshed dog poop on the floor and then discover it was none other than yours truly who owned the offending sneaker. Moms everywhere know what I’m talking about.

I conducted a very unscientific experiment to see just how long a basket of clean towels (washed, dried and neatly folded) would sit on the bathroom counter before someone put them away- without my asking. Who would like to know what happened to my experiment? Any educated guesses out there? Three days later I put the towels away.

Hmmmm… time to start delegating again! What are your chore charts like? How do you manage your messes? I work part time at two jobs so I’m a stay-at-home-on-the-run mom.

Normally we reserve one day to hit our chores hard Monday (trash day). As it happens the kids and I are off school and it’s our homework day as well. It usually works out well. Chores, breakfast, homework and then maybe some errands thrown in there before dinner. Trouble is, one day a week is NOT enough. We do a daily quick pick up to put items back but not a “clean sweep”.

So, not wanting to reinvent the wheel I naturally want to see what other mamas have come up with for a fast and furious clean up during busy weekdays.

I’ve tried the 15 minute cleaning frenzy but that usually means that my son does 2 minutes of cleaning and disappears, my middle daughter cleans 30 minutes and holds a grudge, my little girl prances around “trying” to clean and ends up being more of a mess. DOES NOT WORK FOR ME.

Chore charts are great but I’m pooped when I get home and I honestly want 30 minutes to an hour to relax before I jump into dictator mode and git ‘er done.

Best thing I’ve done so far is clear out a bunch of clutter. My house feels cleaner and bigger. I can move around more freely and see what needs to be done with more clarity. Plus,…I can breathe again. There is something wonderful about the spareness of a room. It becomes a relaxing retreat and soothes the tired mind. I’m still working on it and my clutter bug comes out now and then.

What are your cleaning and clutter busting tips for busy mamas?