Tuesday is Laundry day. I know it's not anywhere near Tuesday now, but I started writing this post while doing laundry...
Laundry is really hard for me to get done in one day. While I start on Tuesday, but often it's Saturday before all the laundry is washed. And putting them away? Let's just say there have been many weeks where I've had to dig the laundry baskets out of clean clothes so I can pick up the dirty ones off the floor for wash day.
Not a pretty picture at all! Not at all where I want to be as far as taking care of my castle.
A couple of weeks ago, I gave myself a challenge. On my way to bed that Monday night, I hadn't cleaned the bathroom (That day's task) and I realized that I hadn't been using my time very efficiently that day. I decided that $50 said I could get both Monday & Tuesday's chores done in one day. I got it done though- and learned a few things on the way.
I thought I'd share a few of the laundry tips that I've got floating around in my head while I'm working on it... and if you've got any to add, please let me know! This is a work in progress, and my one success a couple of weeks ago does not make me anywhere near close to having mastered this beast.
The tips:
1) Start with the loads that have small stuff.
This way, the first loads to come out are the most painstaking of them all- you can get them out of the way while you've still got your head in the game. I like to start with the whites (Lots of little things to fold- it takes some time) and end with sheets or towels (big items = not as many things to fold. :D )
2) Fold & put them away right away. I really struggle with this part. Clothes are easiest to deal with while they are still warm from the dryer. At least take them out, dump them on a chair/bed and pull out the things that wrinkle easily.
3) Make a list
This is what I did the day I completed my challenge. It helped to have a list of things I want to get done in between the loads of clothes. I get more things done that way, and the laundry is more like a timer for my other work. A 30 min wash is the perfect amount of time to tidy a room up, or start supper, or wash the dishes...
4) Fold small towels lengthwise first
While this doesn't have anything to do with making Laundry day go faster, I find that folding hand towels and dish towels/tea towels lengthwise first saves me a step when I get them out to use them- they are ready to hang over the towel rack, with no re-folding necessary
5) Wait until the very end to match socks
I know- this sort of contradicts the first point of ordering the loads so that all the small things are out of the way first. If you're always really careful with your socks, this probably won't help you any. But if you're like me, somehow those socks get their mates thrown in a different load of laundry than they are- so waiting until all the laundry is done to fold all the socks increases their chances of finding each other again (how romantic)
.
I'm sure there are many more laundry tips than the ones I've just shared, but these are the ones that were floating around in my head while I was working on the laundry. To be perfectly honest, I didn't get all the laundry done in one day this week- like I said, I'm still a work in progress.
Anyone have more ideas for me?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
It is a New Year
It's a New year, with new goals, new hopes, and new dreams.
I'll admit, I'm a little slow getting some things started this year. Budgeting and record keeping one of them- I really need to work on that soon.
But let me tell you a little bit about what my plans & goals are for this year. Let me share how I am approaching things.
I have four main areas that I am focusing on this year, with the most important listed first:
1) Grow in the Lord
a) Daily devotions- reading His word & praying.
b) Get plugged in at our church
2) Care for my Family
a) David- make sure his needs are taken care of (meals, rides to school, etc)
b) DJ- Make sure his needs are taken care of (feeding, changing, loving him. Hard job eh?)
c) Keep our home as a castle- Be a good steward of what God has given us- keep it clean & tidy
3) My body as a temple
a) Eat healthfully
b) Exercise regularly
c) personal upkeep - Even if I'm not going anywhere or doing anything that day, still get ready just in case
d) Music
4) Etsy
a) weekly updates
b) keep good records
c) keep everyone up-to-date via Ravelry, facebook, twitter, and my new blog.
d) Other mis. business goals.
I'm approaching things backwards from the way New Years Resolutions often go. Instead of making a huge list of resolutions, implementing them all at once, and then watching them swirl down the drain, I'm starting slow. I've got one thing I focus on each week. The rest of them, if they happen, great. If not, no biggie- I'll get to them one of these weeks. If I mess up on one week, I'll repeat it- not always the following week, but probably within a month. (P.S.- this is inspired by Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues and how he approached self-improvement. More info here.)
To show you what I mean:
In the back of my journal, I've got 52 lines set aside. 52 weeks in a year right? Well, so far,
1) Daily devotions
2) Get into a daily schedule, including preparing 3 meals/day, on time
3) Better dental hygiene (Start using a water pic, etc) [I failed at this one- it'll be a re-do in a couple of weeks]
4) (this week:) Smoothie or fresh fruit + a cup of tea every day
As I think of things, I add them to a list of things I'd like to work on this year. Some goals I've already got in place fairly well, without having a specific week to work on it. Some goals wouldn't fit into the one week system since they are once/month goals- like reading 2 books/month, knitting a pair of socks a month, participating in monthly spinning challenges.
What were your new year resolutions? How are you approaching the hope that this new year brings? If you feel like you've failed already, may I encourage you with a phrase I used last year: "February is my new January" Hey- for that matter, ever day is a new day! A new chance to start working on something good. Why does it have to only be once a year that we evaluate where our lives are headed?
If you've read this far, you deserve a little treat:
Goodnight all!
I'll admit, I'm a little slow getting some things started this year. Budgeting and record keeping one of them- I really need to work on that soon.
But let me tell you a little bit about what my plans & goals are for this year. Let me share how I am approaching things.
I have four main areas that I am focusing on this year, with the most important listed first:
1) Grow in the Lord
a) Daily devotions- reading His word & praying.
b) Get plugged in at our church
2) Care for my Family
a) David- make sure his needs are taken care of (meals, rides to school, etc)
b) DJ- Make sure his needs are taken care of (feeding, changing, loving him. Hard job eh?)
c) Keep our home as a castle- Be a good steward of what God has given us- keep it clean & tidy
3) My body as a temple
a) Eat healthfully
b) Exercise regularly
c) personal upkeep - Even if I'm not going anywhere or doing anything that day, still get ready just in case
d) Music
4) Etsy
a) weekly updates
b) keep good records
c) keep everyone up-to-date via Ravelry, facebook, twitter, and my new blog.
d) Other mis. business goals.
I'm approaching things backwards from the way New Years Resolutions often go. Instead of making a huge list of resolutions, implementing them all at once, and then watching them swirl down the drain, I'm starting slow. I've got one thing I focus on each week. The rest of them, if they happen, great. If not, no biggie- I'll get to them one of these weeks. If I mess up on one week, I'll repeat it- not always the following week, but probably within a month. (P.S.- this is inspired by Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues and how he approached self-improvement. More info here.)
To show you what I mean:
In the back of my journal, I've got 52 lines set aside. 52 weeks in a year right? Well, so far,
1) Daily devotions
2) Get into a daily schedule, including preparing 3 meals/day, on time
3) Better dental hygiene (Start using a water pic, etc) [I failed at this one- it'll be a re-do in a couple of weeks]
4) (this week:) Smoothie or fresh fruit + a cup of tea every day
As I think of things, I add them to a list of things I'd like to work on this year. Some goals I've already got in place fairly well, without having a specific week to work on it. Some goals wouldn't fit into the one week system since they are once/month goals- like reading 2 books/month, knitting a pair of socks a month, participating in monthly spinning challenges.
What were your new year resolutions? How are you approaching the hope that this new year brings? If you feel like you've failed already, may I encourage you with a phrase I used last year: "February is my new January" Hey- for that matter, ever day is a new day! A new chance to start working on something good. Why does it have to only be once a year that we evaluate where our lives are headed?
If you've read this far, you deserve a little treat:
Why hello!
Hello Blog world.
Its been a while.
Too long, some would say.
The funny thing is that while I haven't posted in a while, I've actually been contemplating starting a second blog. You see, I started this one to be an encouragement to others in regards to home & marriage & kids & time management, and the big stuff, or little stuff, of life. I also have a tendency to want to blog about knitting - especially since I've opened an etsy store selling my hand dyed yarns. I have this feeling in the back of my mind that many of my non-knitting friends don't really need to hear all the technical details, so I don't always include them. Then I feel badly for all my knitting friends who would love to hear my tales, full of so much knitter lingo that the average person would think I started speaking German. It would be nice to have a blog where knitters can hear about all my projects & what's going on in the store, and that would leave this blog (for the most part) knitting (or a least knit-speak) free! I'll still post my finished products, but I won't go all knitting-ninja on you.
So what do you say...
Would you like to head on over to Ourhumblecastleyarn and follow my knitting & fiber business adventures, or would you like to stay here and be encouraged as I continue to tell you tales of being a stay at home wife & mom? Or, if you please, follow both! :)
Its been a while.
Too long, some would say.
The funny thing is that while I haven't posted in a while, I've actually been contemplating starting a second blog. You see, I started this one to be an encouragement to others in regards to home & marriage & kids & time management, and the big stuff, or little stuff, of life. I also have a tendency to want to blog about knitting - especially since I've opened an etsy store selling my hand dyed yarns. I have this feeling in the back of my mind that many of my non-knitting friends don't really need to hear all the technical details, so I don't always include them. Then I feel badly for all my knitting friends who would love to hear my tales, full of so much knitter lingo that the average person would think I started speaking German. It would be nice to have a blog where knitters can hear about all my projects & what's going on in the store, and that would leave this blog (for the most part) knitting (or a least knit-speak) free! I'll still post my finished products, but I won't go all knitting-ninja on you.
So what do you say...
Would you like to head on over to Ourhumblecastleyarn and follow my knitting & fiber business adventures, or would you like to stay here and be encouraged as I continue to tell you tales of being a stay at home wife & mom? Or, if you please, follow both! :)
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