Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice when He could do something about it. But I'm afraid God might ask me the same question.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Why I don't hate laundry anymore....

my disclaimer on this one: i am NOT an organized person,, getting organized is on my new years resolution list every year...organization does not come easy or naturally to me, but i have found a few tricks that make some of the messy things easier...especially with so many twerps 'round here.
notice i don't say that i love doing laundry :) but i have finally found a way that laundry doesn't plague my existence as a mom to such a large crew. i was complaining talking to my hubby about how the most frustrating part of my "job" is that it is never done, there is no payoff of completion. i have even been known to beg to mow the lawn so i could see a job from beginning to end, and see it stay that way for more than a day. anyone out there know where i'm coming from.... the house is never all clean at the same time, my kitchen feels like a short order diner, dishes always dirty, mopped floors are just begging for a spill... i know,,, preachin' to the choir, right?

anyhow so here is my little trick and i love it...
if it's monday....it's laundry day... so as soon as i wake up on monday i gather all the dirty clothes and linens and start a load. and just keep poppin' in the laundry room every hour to start a new one and fold the first.... everyone gets a folded pile of pants, jammies (which i don't actually fold) , and sock & undies ( i don't fold these either). i hang all the shirts. So on Monday evening everyone gets a basket and spends 7 minutes putting their own stuff away and and I am off the laundry clock for 6 more days!

i used to try to do a load a day and it just seemed like I always was doing laundry, feeling guilty about the piles in the hamper, or forgetting that i had a load in the dryer, or worse in the washer.. i just could not keep up. now seriously, i don't fret the laundry process. i am just starting this morning, and i am not cringing at the thought of my obscene piles, because i know they will be DONE today!
I would love for y'all to share your easy tips if you would...anything to make things go a little smoother :)

3 comments:

Cara said...

OK, I have a tip for you. I'm a working mama and I'm always looking for ways to make my domestic chores a bit easier since my hours at home are limited. I really like to cook, but I always dreaded trying to figure out what meals to make each week and I find compiling a grocery list very tedious. I felt like I was always making the same meals week after week (anything convenient). My whole family (including myself) was looking for some variety. So, I joined www.e-mealz.com Every Wednesday I just log on and print off the weeks menu as well as a complete grocery list for those meals. I simply add all the staples we need (milk, juice, yogurt etc) to the list, which is no big deal. The best part is it's only $5.00 a month, but my husband estimates it saves us $150 a month in wasted food and by eliminating quite a bit of take-out (from when I couldn't decide what to make so we just ate out). It gives you 7 meals a week. I usually only choose 3-4 depending on what ingredients I already have on hand, what sounds good, and what is the cheapest to make. You may need all 7 meals since your family is larger than mine. They also have gluten free meal plans, low fat meal plans etc. So, you choose the plan that suites your family the best. Seriously, it's been such a great asset and stress-reliever to my life!!

Anonymous said...

I am a creature of habit and like you I do laundry every Sunday (and Wednesday to take care of stinky gym clothes.) We make it into a family tradition...clean sheet Sundays! Giving it a name seems to help. :) Love the blog.

Unknown said...

Yeah....laundry day is a must! I love the "done" feeling too!

I always found dinner time to be a seriously dreaded time of the day, and I really disliked the kids asking what was for dinner. I tried menu planning, but I disliked it. So, instead of traditional menu planning, we just have pasta night on Monday, Mexican on Tuesday, Asian on Wednesday, leftovers or a crockpot dinner on Thursday, and homemade pizza on Friday. The kids know the schedule and I love the routine. This doesn't mean that we eat noodles and red sauce every Monday....there is all sorts of variety (pesto, lasagna, etc.) depending on what is on sale and what I feel like cooking. I also stock the freezer with soups and lasagna once per month for *those* crazy nights.

My husband and I also have "power cleaning" on Thursday evening after the kids go to bed. We clean anywhere from 1-4 hours depending on the week. We put on some music, open a bottle of wine or crack a beer, and clean together. I suppose it sounds nuts, but we love a clean house over the weekend. I also feel that the chores are more evenly split when we have the "power cleaning".

I keep a big rubbermaid bin in the basement for "clutter". Everything in my house has to have a home or it goes into the clutter bin. There is also a bin is also where the kids put their outgrown clothes. I have a bin system (1 bin for each size of clothes) in the basement (think a big huge shelving unit all along one wall in the basement). If the clothes are in good condition, I place them into the appropriate sized container. If not, I recycle the clothes into other various sewing projects. Do not think I'm ubber organized as both bins are overflowing in my basement! Ack!