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My Split Personality When It Comes to Chores

It has become a joke in my house about my split personality when it comes to chores. Depending on the season and sometimes the day, I may either be demanding that others help, I play the role of a martyr or I just feel like doing it all. When I demand that others help, it often comes out of left field. It’s as if I suddenly realize how overwhelmed I am and how little everyone has been helping. It doesn’t usually come out in a nice way. If I play the role of a martyr, I mutter and complain under … Continue reading →

Creating an Annual Chore List

We are wrapping up our chore lists with today’s final one, the annual chore list. Hopefully by now you have discovered that keeping your home in order is not as difficult as you thought, once you organize everything. Your housekeeping binder will be helpful for other things but I will touch on that in a bit. Let’s first consider some of the chores that can be done on an annual basis. Go through your house and look for minor repairs that should be done. This includes tightening screws on cabinets, drawers, doors and furniture. It could also include caulking around … Continue reading →

Chore Wars: A New Way to Do Housework

Is there a way to making cleaning more fun? When I first heard of Chore Wars, I admit that I was a little skeptical. Sure, it might be effective for a day or two, but would it really have any long-term effect on the housework? In this blog post, I’ll share information about Chore Wars. What is Chore Wars? Chore Wars is an online “game” that keeps track of chores that you do around the house and rewards you in a very simplified manner. It uses a sort of Dungeons and Dragons type model in that you form a party … Continue reading →

Home Chore List: Annual Cleaning Chores (1)

Wondering what cleaning chores need to be done when? We have been compiling lists as guidelines to all those tasks that need to be done on a routine basis to keep our homes sparkling. It looks like we are finally in the home stretch (pun intended) of our lists. Here are the cleaning chores that should be done on a annual or once a year basis. Wipe down the walls. Dust or wipe down the walls of you home. You can use a dry cloth or a sponge with cleaner, depending on the amount of grime or dust that needs … Continue reading →

Home Chore List: Twice-A-Year Cleaning Chores (3)

Ready for the next set of twice-a-year cleaning chores? We are plugging away at those things that need to get done every six months or so. We’ve been in the kitchen and then outside. Here is our list so far: Clean the oven Clean the stove hood and exhaust fan Clean out the freezer Wash all of the plastic furniture and outdoor toys Wash down sidewalks, walkways and driveways. Let’s head back inside now to do something that I have been wanting to get to get to for a long time. Ready? Dust the books and shelves. In my house, … Continue reading →

Inexpensive Bathroom Cleaners and Tools

How can you get your bathroom clean without spending a fortune on harsh chemicals that don’t do much anyway? Here are my best picks for bathroom cleaners, based on value and effectiveness. Comet Comet cleanser has been around since, well, I don’t know when. But I do remember my mother using it all of the time. A can of this cleanser is less than a dollar. It contains a little but of bleach and is great for cleaning up stains on tile, including water stains and mildew. Toothbrush An old toothbrush is my favorite tool for bathroom cleaning. You can … Continue reading →

The Money Saving Benefits of Spring Cleaning

With the exception of Kate from Jon & Kate Plus Eight and the British ladies on “How Clean is Your House,” I’ve never seen anyone who really enjoys cleaning. Maybe I am watching too much reality television and not getting out enough, but tell me, do you like to do heavy cleaning? If you are like me and need some extra motivation, here it is. There are actually money saving benefits from spring cleaning. I’m serious. Here they are. The obvious benefit is by doing a good spring cleaning, you are eliminating a lot of allergens that might otherwise go … Continue reading →

Is Your Home Ready for Company?

Yesterday, we were having a quiet day at home. The kids were playing, my husband was puttering around, and I was trying to catch up with writing work that fell behind because of the holidays. We were just about to get the younger kids down for a late nap when my husband got a phone call. His best friend that he hadn’t seen in a long while was in the area. Could he stop by with his girlfriend? This was a rare chance, and there was no way that we could say no. We also would really enjoy seeing him. … Continue reading →

Attack of the Stinky Trash Monster

“It creeps upstairs, alone or in pairs, what’s that horrible smell? A thing, a thing, a horrendous thing, everyone knows it’s stinky.” Does the stinky trash monster live at your house? Here is an account of my ongoing battle with this beast, and all of the ways I try to conquer it. In my home, the stinky trash monster sits there innocently in the kitchen, waiting to turn on me and let its presence be known to one and all. Usually, it does its work in the middle of the night or while our family has been out of the … Continue reading →

Having a Clean Home Might Be Bad for Your Baby

Did you go through a period of nesting before the birth of your baby? Where you frantically cleaning and organizing? Most of us go through that time, close to birth, where we want to make sure that we are prepared and that everything is ready for our new little one. After baby is born, we try to balance all of that newborn care with creating a clean and safe environment. We scrub and sanitize to keep our babies healthy. But having a home that is too clean might be bad for your baby. There is a lot of research to … Continue reading →