Weekly Planning

Happy Easter Everyone!

Have you ever thought of the things you do around your home as little parties? The floors get to party when they are all clean. The kitchen is at its finest when everything is put away and the counter tops shine. Your clothes get a party every time they are laundered and put neatly away. Why don’t we set aside some time to celebrate our homes on a weekly basis? Let’s make a weekly PARTY plan. (No, I have not gone off the deep end. Stay with me for just another moment.)

Designate a certain time each week for “Putting Things Away Day”. I know many of you do easy Friday dinners, like take-out pizza. After the pizza is gone, turn on the music and get busy! Assign everyone a zone. When the whole family is done, have a snack or do a fun family activity together like watching a movie or playing family video games. Wii anyone? (This is the way we pick up our clutter so late Friday evening.)

Not only is this a great way to remove the physical clutter from your home and get the whole family involved, this is the start of a great weekly plan to tame your paper clutter, clean your home, stock your pantry, and regain some “ME” time and some family time.

Laundry Day vs A Load a Day! There is one day a week where I schedule nothing else but laundry and hanging out at home. I love this day. It is restful. There is no real agenda. We can stay in our pjs all day if we wish. When my son was a baby this was the Monday plan. Neither of us looked forward to Mondays. Weekends got us thrown out of our scheduled, routine groove. Daddy was gone back to work on Monday and that really upset the applecart. We refused to “do” Monday. For these reasons Monday was spent getting life as we knew it back to normal. Since there was such a strong pull towards regaining normalcy and being home, I decided to be productive while we were at it. If you are unable to have such a break in your weekly schedule, then strive to do a load a day. Start laundry in the washing machine before work. Toss it into the dryer when you get home. Fold the clothes while your dinner cooks. Put it all away when dinner is over. (This is the way we wash our clothes so early Monday Morning.)

Grocery Day! Personally, I like to do this early in the morning on a weekday -- Tuesday to be exact. I know that this is not feasible for everyone. I am blessed to have my Tuesday mornings free of other commitments. By the end of the workday most of us are too tired to get the weekly grocery shopping finished. As an alternative I suggest getting it done as early in the weekend as possible so that you will have the majority of your weekend free. Say “YES” to a scheduled grocery shopping date and you will be saying “NO” to the stress of last minute shopping and running out of essential items. (This is the way we shop for food so early Tuesday morning.)

Desk Day! Set aside one day to spend on the paper work maintenance for your home. Paying bills, marking important dates on the calendar, making phone calls, etc are all great items to save for Desk Day. Having one Desk Day allows you free time the rest of the week when you don’t have to think about office-y things. Unless it is a pressing matter, just put it in your ACT file and do it on Desk Day. (This is the way we fight paper clutter and make our calls so early Wednesday morning.)

Cleaning Day(s)! (Kitchen Day, Bathroom Day, Vacuum Day/Floors Day)! I am here to tell you that it does NOT have to get done all at once friends! If you have been spending every Saturday as your own personal maid, STOP! Spend a little time each day doing some zone cleaning in your home and take back your Saturdays! Whether you take a few extra minutes in the morning or in the evening, it will be worth the time given to gain back your weekend. (This is the way we clean the house by making zones important.)

Following a weekly plan makes it easier to keep things put away on a daily basis. In the long run following a plan will keep things in your living space serene and clutter free. When done with the right attitude, it may even help your children learn valuable lessons like taking care of their own property and being a blessing in the home.

This week, take 15 minutes and… create a weekly plan to get on track for a clean and clutter free home. Really. Sit down with your planner, spreadsheet, whatever it takes. Just make a plan. Isn't it time for your home to party?