The To-Do List - Beyond the Basics

Part 3
If you've missed the beginning of this series, start with Part 1.
And for those of you who have been reading Raising Arrows for a while, you might remember my post on What Does My Day Look Like.  This post is similar, but only touches on the To-Do List and not the rest of daily life.  Read that post if you'd like to see how the rest of our day goes.

photo credit

It seems to me that for the Scheduled Family the basics are often a no-brainer.  To go beyond the basics, you need only to add a block of time that says something like Morning Chores, and the entire family knows that means Brush Teeth, Get Dressed, Make Bed, etc.  This is the beauty of the Scheduled Family.

However, the Routine Family tends to have a bit more trouble in this area.  I am not sure why that is, it has just been my experience as such.  So, this post is more for the Routine Family.

To establish the basics, see some of the tips in the previous post.  You really do need to practice the basics for quite some time before they will become the basics.  I can remember when I first implemented Table Chores with the children.  I had high hopes that within a week, they would do them automatically.  Boy, was I wrong!  It took a year and a half!  And still, I must occasionally remind them of something they missed!  So, do not become disheartened!  Persevere!!!

Once you have the basics in place--things like a simple morning routine, afternoon routine, and bedtime routine--you can consider adding in routines that repeat weekly.  This is how I get my house cleaning done.

When I had a smaller family, my weekly routine was much less involved.  I cleaned my home thoroughly on Monday, did up all my laundry, and coasted the rest of the week.  I found this stopped working after Baby #3.  But, I do want to include a little more about this method of routine since small families deserve just as much attention as large ones...

For a smaller family, a one-day-a-week cleaning spree is often enough to keep the house in working order the rest of the week.  You simply get it all done and then maintain.  Since the weekend tends to destroy a house no matter what size your family is, Monday is the perfect day to regroup. No matter which day you choose to regroup, I would highly encourage you to never schedule appointments or out-of-the-house activities on that day (yes, I know Routine Families are not known for their ability to commit to something like this, but please consider the "why" behind my reasoning.)

So once upon a time, Monday was the day I would clean the house.  I did this in the morning because I was schooling my oldest child in the afternoon during his sister's nap.  Tuesday and Wednesday, I pretty much coasted.  The house really didn't require much from me those days.  These were the days that work best for making appointments.  Now, by Thursday, I usually needed to readdress the mess.  There were some things that needed attention since I had been away the previous days.  But, quite often, the mess only took an hour or less to completely fix.  It was sort of like a mini-clean, and it was enough to get me through the weekend.  And that was how I did it with 2 children.  (By the way, I was an avid FLYlady fan back in those days as well.)

For the larger family, you will more than likely need to break up your cleaning into bite-size pieces.  My week is loosely based on the Large Family Logistics way of doing things. (The link is to Kim's old site and the posts on cleaning are on the left sidebar.  You'll need to scroll a bit.)

So, here is what we do for our weekly cleaning routine:

Monday = Laundry (try to do all of it and then maintain throughout the week) & Dusting
Tuesday = Floors
Wednesday = Bathrooms
Thursday = Basement
Friday = Van & Outside chores
Saturday = Family Day & Prepare for Sunday
Sunday = Rest and Worship

This has proven to be a very doable weekly routine for us and one that is not too time-intensive.  I still prefer to do all my cleaning in the morning with the children's help, and then start school as soon as we are finished.

I used to use my dry erase board for these chores as seen in Part 2 of these scheduling posts.  The children now have set chores that correspond with each day so I don't have to make out a list every time.  To see our set chores, click the link:

Children's Weekly Chores
(note: these chores may seem like a lot, but it really only takes us about an hour to get them all done.  You'll also note each child is color-coded.  Those are the children's colors in a lot of things...a huge help when there are a lot of littles.)

Your list will obviously be different because your home is different.  And remember, moving beyond the basics takes time and patience.  Finding a workable plan is not an easy task.  You often have to just try it one way and see how it goes, make adjustments, and try it again.  If you see something in your day that is a problem area, figure out a way to solve it.  For instance, is your house always a mess by the time dad comes home even though it is neat and tidy in the morning?  Implement a 4:30 pm mad-dash cleaning session to get the house ready for Daddy (ours is called a 15 Minute Tidy).  In fact, before you start doing a full-blown weekly routine, start out by implementing bits and pieces.  Do your 4:30 Mad Dash every day for a week.  Is it working?  Do you like the results?  If so, keep it and move forward.  Don't try to add every single thing I listed all in one week...you will burn out...especially if some piece of it doesn't quite fit your family.

So, a quick recap...

*Figure out what kind of family you are...Schedule or Routine.

*Find a daily basic plan that works for your family.

*Once you have practiced your plan for a sufficient amount of time, add in a weekly repeating routine one component at a time.

*If you find something that just is not working for your family, revamp it and try again.  Give it time.  Don't become discouraged!  Persevere!!!

The To-Do List Posts:
Part1-Schedule or Routine?
Part 2 - Getting Started
This is Part 3 - Beyond the Basics

{Hey, if you missed it (I almost did!), I was over at The Homeschool Classroom with my post on Why We School Year Round.  And today, I'm At The Well answering a reader's question on a Mom's Relationship with Her Boys.  Go check them out and subscribe to the sites while you're there!}

The To-Do List - Getting Started

Part 2
If you missed Part 1, read it here.

OK, we talked about whether you are a Scheduled Family or a Routine Family.  Now, for some ideas to get you started in making that work for you...

 photo credit

One option for Scheduled Families is a simple Daily Planner.  These work great for older children and parents alike, and they are compact enough to go wherever you go.  Simply fill in each time slot with your to-do's for the week (I suggest weekly for the Scheduled Family rather than daily because you naturally prefer your week to have a nice flow or pattern to it).  As you develop a workable schedule, you will need only to transfer the previous week into the new week.  Leave the planner laying open on the table during the day for quick glances at what is next.  Anything out of the ordinary (ie. school projects, urgent repairs, picking up your mother from the airport, etc) can be penciled in without too much disruption to your daily schedule.

 courtesy of my friend Ashley

Another great option for Schedule-lovin' families is something like Managers of Their Homes.  This type of schedule is put together in 30 minute blocks of time.  You have a neatly set time for nearly everything you would like to accomplish throughout your day.  You are able to schedule in everyone else's day as well.  All of this is put into a color coded wall chart with blocks that can easily be changed and moved around.  If you find something that does not work well in the time frame you originally placed it in or something in your life suddenly changes, you simply move it. (The Maxwells have a whole section of their site dedicated to their different schedules.  Take a look at it.)

But, if you are a Routine person, MOTH (Managers of Their Homes) is more than likely NOT for you.  In fact, I would gently suggest that it could quite possibly make you feel very badly about yourself and your ability to run a household properly.  Mrs. Maxwell never intended for this to be the case, so please do not think I am suggesting she believes her schedule is the only way to run a household.  She is merely trying to help other mamas out there manage their day with something that worked well for her household.  But, the fact of the matter is that some of our lives do not fit neatly in 30 minute boxes.  My life being a case in point. 

So, what are some things that a Routine family can try?

 photo credit

A Daily Planner may work for you too (or just a piece of notebook paper for that matter) but with two differences from the one kept by the Scheduled Family.  Yours should not be marked with times.  The other difference is that when you are first getting started your routine should be written out DAILY, not weekly.  You simply take everything that must be accomplished during that day, write it down in a good working order, and cross it off as you go.  (In the next post I'll show you how I set up a routine that stays fairly consistent so you don't have to always be writing a huge daily list).

Another suggestion comes from my friend, Sarah.  You can read about it HERE.  The basic idea is that you write everything down on separate notecards.  When you have accomplished the item listed, you move it from the TO DO section to the DONE section.  This is a great option for the children.  Even those who can't read can have picture cards that tell them what to do next.

I've used this method for myself before by putting two magnetized clips on my refrigerator...one is TO DO and one is DONE.  It feels so good to move the cards from one side to the other.  I used this mainly as a way to remember all those daily things that if allowed to become sidetracked, I will simply forget to do:  taking vitamins, giving the kids their vitamins, switching over laundry, thawing dinner, etc.

Another method that worked well for our family for a long time was using a dry erase board in plain sight.  I wrote my name and my two older children's names with our chores for the day divided up between us.  We erased chores as we went.  Once chores were done, we moved into school work.  It was a quick and satisfying way to get things done.

Ultimately, the name of the game when getting started with finding something that works for you is to brainstorm.  Only you know the real inner workings of your family.  Only you can look at your day and decide what might work and what definitely won't.

There are a million different methods.  You could literally get lost in a sea of schedules.  You also don't have to stick with one set routine or schedule for the rest of your life.  My routines and schedules have changed over the years depending on my current life circumstances.  I would highly suggest you take a look at other people's schedules and routines, but always with the thought in mind that what works for others will have to be tweaked for you and your family. (Take a look at other people's schedules in this post.)

The last post in this series before we move on to homeschool scheduling will be about going beyond the basics and fitting in weekly and monthly chores, so stay tuned!

The To-Do List Posts:
Part1-Schedule or Routine?
This is Part 2 - Getting Started
Part 3 - Beyond the Basics

The To-Do List - Schedule or Routine?

 One of my many helpers

Part 1

I recently blogged about beating the homeschool schedule blues and I told you we'd be talking about homeschool schedules.  However, homeschool schedules aren't the only schedules we moms have to deal with.  We have a home to run and no amount of positive thinking will make the house keep itself clean.  So, in addition to finding a workable homeschooling schedule, we must also find a workable Homekeeping Schedule.

The first place to begin is with assessing what kind of family you have.  There are basically 2 types when it comes to how things get done in a household:  scheduled and routine. 

Now, before you tell me that you are neither one because you are a free spirit and prefer not to commit to anything even remotely resembling something that might tie you down, let me entreat you to consider the God you serve and His attributes in this respect (remember, we are created in HIS image).  God set forth timing and order to nearly everything.  Our day is 24 hours, with a sunrise and a sunset.  We have a 7 day week, with a day set aside for worship.  The tides, the seasons, the revolutions and rotations of the planets are all in a set order.  Even God's plan for mankind's salvation and reconciliation to Himself was set forth in a certain order.  God is not a God of chaos.  So, Fly By the Seat of your Pants is not an option.

How do you determine if you are a family who prefers schedules or a family who prefers routines?  First of all, there are merits to both.  One is not right and the other wrong.  They both lead to order, just in a slightly different way. 

The Scheduled Family tends to like alarm clocks.  They feel their best when they rise at the same time every day with no variation.  Most of the members of the family work best within time limits.  They are often encouraged by accomplishing tasks on time.  There is very little deviation in life from day to day, and very few outside or spur-of-the-moment trips throughout the week.  Everyone enjoys knowing exactly when and what will happen next.  And Daddy often has a set schedule, so there is no question as to when meal times are and when Daddy's days off are.

The Routine Family rises at approximately the same time every day, but if they have been out later the evening before, they tend to sleep in later.  Things in the home do not necessarily have a designated place.  To this family, time constraints only serve to create foul moods and frustration.  The joy of finishing a task often supersedes the amount of time it took to complete that task.  Daily life includes many spur of the moment happenings:  people dropping by, quick trips to the store, an impromptu outing with Daddy, to name a few.  Daddy's schedule is not set in stone.  He is on call, or works random weekends, or later nights here and there, or possibly, Daddy works from home or has the option to be home at will.  Meal times change from day to day as do Daddy's days off.

So, now that you have a better idea of which type of family you are, you can now move forward with putting a Homekeeping Plan in place.  There is a myriad of options out there for each type of family, so I couldn't possibly touch on each one, but I will try to have several future posts that give you a place to start. 

I'd also like some input from you!  What type of family are you and have you found something that works well for your family dynamic?  Leave it in the comment section so others can benefit from learning about what has worked for you!

The To-Do List Posts:
This is Part 1
Part 2 - Getting Started
Part 3 - Beyond the Basics

This is Just Gross

For those of you fearful that I am a perfect housekeeper or super mom or some such myth...

here's your proof that I am not:

 

That, my dear friends, is the filter off my vacuum cleaner...

EWWWWWW!

Children & Chores Q&A

Q&A from post on Children & Chores:

Julie asks about chores when the children are not homeschooled and you are cleaning during the day without them. I answered in the comments section of the post, but thought I would address it here as well:

I would recommend either a "Cleaning Hour" (much like Home Blessing) once or twice a week on a weeknight or on a Saturday morning.  During this time, you can accomplish a lot.

Still divide up your chores, still require they care for their "domain" every day (ie. school stuff, laundry, beds made, etc), still post the list, just make it a once or twice a week thing rather than every day.

Also, a bed can be made in seconds...no reason they can't do it before they leave their rooms in the morning. ;)

Anna says "One thing that wasn't obvious to me, and is never mentioned in articles like this is that I do need to follow along and assist when appropriate."

You are absolutely right!  And that is what I meant when I said "teach them how to do their particular chore."  We cannot expect children to automatically know how to do something.  (ahem...remember my post on Keeping The Kitchen Clean?)  However, my purpose in working alongside them is to TEACH THEM...not to do their job FOR THEM.

Now, some chores are just beyond your child and you simply cannot expect them to be able to do the work.  That brings me to Mirage's question:

"How old do you start them doing chores and what kind do you have them do?"

I don't expect much from anyone under 5.  Not that they get to stand around and do nothing for 5 years, but turning 5 is somewhat of a rite of passage around here...the day you begin to "earn your keep" so to speak.  Prior to age 5 the chores look more like this:
Get dressed
Make your bed
Take items to the trash for me when I ask
Do specific chores I dole out during our 15 minute Tidy

I've just found that under the age of 5, their little ole brains just can't quite comprehend the idea of a set chore schedule.  And even after age 5, you have to REMIND, REMIND, REMIND and GUIDE, GUIDE, GUIDE.  In fact, it has only been in the last year that my big kids (ages 11 and 8) have learned to begin and complete Table Chores ON THEIR OWN without me constantly reminding them and they have been doing Table Chores for nearly 4 YEARS!?! (Sometimes the fruit of our labor is slow to ripen!)

My opinion on the list Mirage gave for what her 3 year old is doing...
"Chicklet just turned 3 and she washes the table, puts her dirty dishes in the sink, and unloads the silverware baskets from the dishwasher. She also does little errands for me like throws away the diapers when I change Bug and helps me feed Bug."

is this:
If she's doing those things without hurting herself (or someone else), then chore away little one!

Hope that helps to clarify a few things from the Children & Chores Post!

********

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Children & Chores

"All he has to do is take out the trash, Mom! Can you believe that?! And he whines about it. That's terrible. What would he do if he lived here?!"

I nod my head, a knowing smile on my lips.

I was that kid who only had to take out the trash (with an occasional dusting session here and there whenever I was home on a Saturday).

I was that kid who whined and complained about work...any work.

I grew up and realized that life is work and you either embrace it or you live your whole life complaining about it.

I want better for my kids.

Do I expect them to LOVE chores? NO. It wouldn't be "work" if it was easy and fun and their favorite thing to do.

What I expect is for them to learn exactly what it takes to run a household. I want them to be contributing members of the household. I want to raise responsible children who are blessings rather than cursings to their family.

But, how do you do this? So many families I talk with are at a loss. They don't know where to start with getting their children to pitch in. The fit-throwing sessions they get every time they ask for help end up leaving them feeling like it is just easier to do it themselves. They are already exhausted...why add a full-blown argument to the mix?

This is where one little word comes in to save the day...

CONSISTENCY

You cannot just ask for help here and there and expect your children not to balk. However, if there is a consistent chore schedule with a consistent knowledge of what to expect, then you set a standard in your household that minimizes the struggles (notice I said minimizes...not ends...once again, does anyone really like to work?).

So, practically speaking, how do you achieve consistency when it comes to chores and children?

1. Determine the chores that are within your child's domain.
Things like the playroom and their bedroom fit into this category. If you homeschool, their crates and/or desks and/or backpacks also belong here (you probably have these things if they are not homeschooled too). Any extra-curricular paraphernalia also fit within your child's domain. Anything in the house that directly belongs to your child is in this category.

2. Determine the chores you need help with and assign accordingly.
Repeat after me...

I do not have to clean up everyone's messes all by myself.


In my opinion, this is THE #1 way to teach responsibility (something seriously lacking in our world today). Not only is the child responsible for his own domain, but he is also responsible for pitching in to keep clean the areas he occupies throughout the day. He is not an island unto himself. His actions (and inactions) affect others.

Consider all the chores you do on a regular basis. For me, these are things like dusting, sweeping and mopping, cleaning bathrooms, laundry, dishes, yardwork, etc.

Now, think about them in bite-sized pieces. For instance, Tuesday is Floor Day here. I vacuum all carpets. My oldest son (age 11) sweeps & mops the kitchen and dining room and sweeps the storage areas. My oldest daughter (age 8) sweeps & mops the entryway and the downstairs bathroom and sweeps the front porch. My 5 year old daughter sweeps the back porch (cuz it's ok if the back porch isn't um...perfect...lol). The larger chore of sweeping and mopping is divided up in sections between many capable hands lightening my load and making the task go very quickly.

3. Type up a list and post it.
DO NOT get wordy here. Just type the general idea and get it posted in plain sight. Otherwise you will overwhelm the children and frighten them away.

My list is arranged something like this:

MONDAY:
Child's name - chore, chore, chore
Child's name - chore, chore, chore
Child's name - chore

TUESDAY:
Child's name - chore, chore, chore
Child's name - chore, chore, chore
Child's name - chore,

you get the idea...
(to read more about our daily chores, read THIS POST)

4. Plan the Work and Work the Plan.
Figure out a time of day that is good for you as a family to do chores. For us, it is first thing after breakfast. Mama, the visual one...if you remember, needs a clean home to do school in. It's a clean slate for us to start with. After that, I don't really care how messy it gets...just start me out uncluttered, please!

Once you have a time of day set...just do it! It may take several times to get them used to choring, but work right alongside them, teach them how to do their particular chore, set a timer as motivation, encourage and talk and laugh.

And don't be afraid to identify what you are doing as WORK. You can fool a preschooler into thinking cleaning mirrors is fun, but that will never fly with your pre-teen.

Work may not be fun, but it can be rewarding if done well. Encourage your child to take pride in a job well done as unto the Lord. Reward them occasionally for cheerfully going about their work. Praise them for helping out the family. Show them you value them enough to instill the solid and lasting character traits of responsibility, industry, and diligence.

Consistent chores for children foster lasting results. Don't be afraid to step in right where you are. You won't regret it!

For an amazing resource on the subject of work, read:

(It's not just for boys!)

Problem Solved!

I love simplicity and the solution to my dilemma has been answered in a very simplistic way by a fellow MOMYS and SpringMeadowsMama.

I now have an IN basket and an OUT basket sitting on my bar. The IN basket contains anything that comes INTO my home that will need my attention. Unsorted mail, things that need to be copied, things that need to be filed, etc. The OUT basket contains items that need to leave my home as well as anything that needs to go downstairs, so I can easily grab it on my way down (the bar is very near my staircase).

I periodically go through the baskets to make sure I'm taking care of what needs to be taken care of (and to insure that they themselves do not become hot spots!) I already had a bill basket and a file on the wall for papers and medical type stuff and those will remain as they are.

So, I now feel as though my dining room is finished, and yes, I am Keeping it That Way! ;o)

Keeping It That Way

Note: this is NOT my dining room! :)

One thing I have come to realize is that a space that has been thoroughly decluttered and made tidy and beautiful begs to be kept that way. In fact, it is much easier to keep it clean when every nook and cranny has been cleaned out and it has been given a proper face lift.

Over the last couple of days I have been working through my dining room. My dining room consists of a bar that FLYlady would call a HOTSPOT, a buffet, our dining table and a china cabinet.

Once upon a time, my dining table was a dumping ground. When my oldest was little we used to have to push the junk to the center or back of the table in order to eat. Those days are long gone thanks to FLYlady; however, I no longer use her methods because they are a bit difficult to follow for a large family. I am grateful for the things she did teach me in those early days.

She is one who made me aware of hot spots...those places where junk multiplies. This is what my dining table used to be and somehow of late, had become again. So, yesterday, I cleared the table, cleaned it up, and put together a nice centerpiece. It hasn't taken a whole lot of effort to keep it that way.

The buffet needed only a small amount of tidying and the china cabinet is in good shape. However, the bar...oh, the bar. UGH! It is NEVER clean. It has massive amounts of paperwork on it and I am convinced it multiplies in the wee hours of the morning. This "little" project is taking days to complete.

As I think about my hotspot nightmare, I realize it is going to take some serious organization to make it stay clean once I get it that way. But, I really am at a loss as to how to organize it. It's the place where everything that will need attention at some point in time lands. It is the proverbial "catch-all". I've set the question before the MOMYS and now I set it before you, my readers, as well. HOW do you organize a space like this? I'm hoping someone out there has an answer, because until I get this space organized and looking neat, I doubt I can keep it that way!

That said, the rest of the room is looking ship-shape and is a real joy to view. I get a thrill out of tidy rooms. I find myself smiling and sighing. As long as I position myself just right so the door to the basement hides the bar, I can look upon my dining room in utter bliss.

Regrouping

The last few days I have found myself looking about my home and my life and feeling the need to regroup, to reorganize, to regain control over what has been out of control for quite some time.

I am finally feeling clear-minded and able to juggle more than one thing (while carefully avoiding overdoing it! ;o) ). And while it is terribly overwhelming to jump into a task such as this, I am up for the challenge!

I am starting small. Decluttering being #1 on the list. I am decluttering by bits and pieces, stops and starts. Tonight the pantry was the victim of my merciless tossing and tidying.

It wasn't all that long ago that my mom came to visit and we decluttered like mad women for several days. However, shortly thereafter, my belly became much too burgeoning to haul around from room to room, getting up and down from the floor, pulling all sorts of articles from underneath beds and inside closets. So, I took up residence on the couch and sat there fat and sassy in my pregnant glory. Once I gave up the notion of trying to be super-mom I was perfectly content to sit there and allow school and housework to fall by the wayside. Christmas came and went, adding to our lovely home it's fair measure of more clutter. And since I was just sure my precious babe would be born any minute, I allowed presents to overtake our house without my customary banishment of the old clutter. Then baby did make his arrival and I found that recovering and caring for an infant are full time jobs. (Somehow I forget this nearly every time!)

But, lo and behold, Micah is easing into something resembling a routine. Or maybe it is I who have found something resembling a new normal, however shaky it may be. And of course, those who know me best, know that decluttering is what I do when I feel the need to control something. Obviously, I am walking through a period in my life when I am all too aware of my lack of control over many things. It feels good to me to be able to take the fragments of my home and command them into control, even if I cannot take the fragments of my heart and command much of anything over them. For me, this is coping.

I'm also taking a hard look at my homeschooling schedule, style, and curriculum. I've been pleased with many of the new things we've taken on this year, but I also see areas that just are not what they should be. Homeschooling is a work of art that is never truly finished. I see it as a sculpture that I am forever molding and remaking, pinching and smoothing. I know what I want it to look like, but in the end, it takes the capable hands of the Master Potter to make it as it should be. For that, I am thankful!

So, just as writing here is cathartic to me, so is this process of regrouping. Some feel disheartened when they realize all the things they want to do differently. They feel overwhelmed by the endless work ahead of them. I; however, am not one of these people. I am excited by the challenge. I like to see the curiosity in my children's faces when they realize mommy is doing something different. I like checking things off my list, setting goals, accomplishing something that makes me smile, even if it is something as menial as organizing the pantry.

I'd encourage you to join me in this regrouping! I'll probably continue to post here and there about my regrouping efforts, how I am going about it and what my results are. I'd love to hear what others are doing!

Mount Washmore

Once upon a time, I could do laundry one day a week. Once upon a time, hanging laundry was no big deal. Once upon a time, in order to have an insurmountable mountain of laundry, I would have to neglect the laundry pile for weeks on end.

No longer is this the case! A couple of days of a neglected laundry basket and I have Mount Washmore on my hands!

I may have mentioned here before the fact that I used to work off of a FLYlady-type schedule. It worked quite well until I had our fourth child (it was beginning to be somewhat difficult with 3 as well, but I did manage to keep it going).

With the birth of our 4th child, came a whole new way of life. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, worked anymore. It was at this time I ran across Large Family Logistics. It was just what I needed to make my now larger-than-normal family run smoothly.

**If you would like to take a look for yourself follow these links**
OLD SITE ~ The left-hand sidebar is where the information on her Cleaning Days is.
NEW SITE ~ As far as I can tell she does not have all the info from the old site on here yet, but it is still worth a perusal.

I decided to follow her lead and make Monday my Big Laundry Day.

The idea behind this is that you do as much as you can that day (she calls it 4 by 4) and then simply maintain the rest of the week. Maintenance for me looks like about 2 loads per day.

Perhaps you are wondering how I manage the logistics of Big Laundry Day.

First off, I am an advocate of making the laundry room as pleasant as possible. You can take a look at a post I did several months back on transforming my laundry room. Your laundry room DOES NOT have to be the most dreary room in the house!

We currently have a BOYS ROOM and a GIRLS ROOM. We used to have a laundry basket in each of their rooms (and we may go back to this at some point). They filled it and took it down every morning when I yelled "Laundry Call!" However, now, they take their laundry to a central location (a larger laundry basket in my bedroom) as they tidy their rooms every morning. My oldest child takes the basket down for me (bless his heart!)

The Girls' laundry basket and the Boys' laundry basket (as well as another laundry basket for dh and I) sit downstairs on shelving. When I take things out of the dryer, I fold and put into the appropriate basket. When the baskets are full, I call for my oldest boy and my oldest girl and they put the laundry away for their respective room. (There is a 4 year gap between my BIGS and my LITTLES, thus the reason for only the BIGS putting away laundry) When they are finished putting the laundry away, they bring the baskets back down so we can start the process all over again.

I imagine there will come a day when I will have to rethink Big Laundry Day and logistics behind it, but for now this method manages to keep Mount Washmore looking like a small hill.

Transforming the Mundane Into the Beautiful

The laundry room of most homes is a dreary place, often outfitted with cement walls and pipes in a dank basement setting. Occasionally, the washer and dryer are afforded a secret hideout behind closed doors in a hallway. Some houses even go so far as to honor them with a bit of real estate in the kitchen. But, never ever are these monstrous pieces of equipment considered beautiful, and therefore, the area that contains them, is not seen that way either. By the very nature of their existance, we consider them and what surrounds them to be either dirty or in the process of being made clean. The laundry room is a place for work, not for beauty.

No real creativity is needed to wash clothes. Folding clothes is a rather monotonous task as well. The only thing aspect of doing laundry that even remotely qualifies as an intellectual pursuit is the job of pre-treating stains. If we were entirely honest with ourselves, we would all agree that laundry rarely ranks first as a favorite household chore. So, all this said, it would be utterly ridiculous to expect the room in which the laundry and its various accoutrements preside to be a lovely, aesthetically-pleasing place. Wouldn't it?

Absolutely not! I spend a goodly amount of time in the laundry room each and every day climbing Mount Washmore. Why not make that space something that is pleasing to the eye. Could it be that laundry is even more of a chore when the area of the house we do this task in seems reminiscent of a dungeon?

I was first exposed to the idea of decorating my laundry area after visiting my cousin Tina's home. Her washer and dryer stood off the side of the kitchen and had all sorts of adorable little signs loitering about. I smiled at her ingenuity, and tucked the memory in the back of my mind where I file all those things I really hope to do someday.

Shortly thereafter, we moved. The house we now lived in had the laundry area right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen. I was appalled, but determined to make the best of it. So, with an assortment of functional and froo-froo items, I proceeded to decorate my new laundry area. I added a shelf for soap, a sorting hamper, and for a little hint of playfulness, a "laundry line" with little crocheted dresses that were supposed to be potholders that no one in their right mind would ever use for that purpose. I was pleased with the result.

However, after the next move, my creativity waned a bit. For the first time, my laundry area was in the basement right next to the hot water heater and the furnace. The walls were cement with just a tiny bit of paneling to the right of the dryer. There really was nothing lovely about this space. But, I once again, hung up my little dresses and added 2 new items to the functionality of the space. One was plastic shelving containing the 3 laundry baskets that belonged to my husband and I, the boys, and the girls. The other was another type of plastic shelving that held my soaps and stray socks. I also had started adding Scripture throughout the house, so this spot was blessed with Psalm 51: 1,2

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

So, this was the sight that greeted me each day...




















It could have been worse. But, the fact of the matter is, it could have been a whole lot better too. But how? How do you "fix" cement and pipes? Well, inspiration came at last! While watching Cat's videos on decluttering, I took special note of her laundry room and what she had chosen to do there. Now, her laundry room is nothing like mine, but seeing hers brought me to a point where I could once again brainstorm ideas for making this space a beautiful one.

So, I took some fabric from my collection (some people collect coins, I collect fabric), and took a quick measurement, cut the fabric and serged up the two frayed sides. Next, I used magnetized chip-clips and clipped the fabric and stuck the magnet to the pipes above my washer and dryer. Voila! Instant coverage of the cement and pipes.

Next, I took a length of ivy I wasn't using about the house (I love foliage because it makes me feel like the outside is inside, and there is something incredibly calming in that for me), and I taped it (yes, I said "taped it") to the tops of my washer and dryer.

After that, I hung some small baskets from the exposed wall stud next to my dryer and placed some ivy picks in those baskets. I cleaned off the top of my dryer and turned a sewing basket no one was using into a dryer sheet holder.

I was thrilled with the results! It has become a place I smile at whenever I walk by! And all this beauty cost me nothing. Everything I used was already in my home!

But, you may still be wondering why. Why go to the trouble of making the area look beautiful when there really is nothing wonderful about doing laundry. You are only there for a little while several times a day. Who cares if it is pretty?

My question would be, "Why not?" Why shouldn't the places I spend my time in as a wife and mother all be beautiful? There is nothing wrong with beauty. Look at all the beauty our Lord created! Why should this little corner of my basement be devoid of joy simply because I am there to do a mundane task? How much better would you feel about fulfilling this task if you were surrounded by things you enjoyed looking at as you worked? Isn't it possible you might even become inspired long enough by the beauty around you to forget the fact that you despise doing laundry?

Start simple: add a throw rug or a picture. Consider how that one little touch makes you feel. Add a little more, and before you know it, you will have created a space that makes you smile, even if the task that is accomplished there, does not.