Getting It All Done

OK, so the title of this post is a bit misleading. It implies that I get 'IT' all done. In fact much of 'IT' never gets done, at least when it comes to housework. I think I iron once a year - well slightly more often, but not much. And I found out today that a year is too long to wait to clean the ceiling fan in the kitchen.

When people find out I homeschool, the first question I often get asked is how I get it all done. So my first answer is usually, "I don't." I have, however, picked up a few tricks along the way, most of which I stole from Flylady. I am not a faithful follower; I do not follow her schedule every day, I spend too much of the day in PJ's and my sink hardly ever shines. (If this is all Greek to you, check out Flylady's website and you'll soon understand.)

But I have learned some valuable lessons from her. My favorite is the10-minute cleanup. When the house seems a wreck, I set the timer for 10 minutes and concentrate on one room. Usually I start in the Living Room since that is the first room people enter. I clear that room till the timer goes off - never leaving to put things away. This is the key! It is so easy to get distracted in another room. Instead, I place the things to go away in another room, in the doorway of that room. For instance, if there are a pair of my sneakers in the LR, I place them just inside the door of my room, NEVER ENTERING THE ROOM. This way there is no room for distraction. It is amazing how much I can get done in 10 minutes. I do this in each room of the house for as long as I have. Voila! The house is usually clean in about an hour! (some rooms take only 5 minutes). If we are having a party or company and more needs to be done, the whole family chips in. Multiply 10 minutes for each family member (ok - more like 5 minutes for 6-year olds) subtract a few minutes for bickering and another few for keeping track of a 2-year old, and the time really adds up.

The other thing I've learned much about from Flylady is decluttering. For instance, if it takes me more than 10 minutes to routinely pick up a room, it is too cluttered. Time to drop a few bags off at Goodwill. When it comes to the kid's room, when it gets out of control and they need to declutter, I give them each 3 bags. They have to fill one with garbage, one with stuff to put away in other rooms and one with give away stuff.

Well, there is a meltdown happening in the other room, so I'd better go. Check out flylady when you get a chance and remember that you're never going to get 'IT' all done. Just try your best!