I am impressed with OTHER people's blogs. Well, most of them. I was jealous, until I realized I CAN DO THIS. Thus the name of the site. Try to be different.
What I've learned from other people's blogs is....even the most mundane chores can become more mindful if you pay attention to your own habits. I have been inspired to try this for myself.
So I am starting some practice blog entries.
First Practice Blog: How I organize my housekeeping for 2 people and 2 elderly special needs cats.
I have been trying to be both more frugal and more organized. I am not a good housecleaner. I tend to focus so hard on one or two projects or tasks that all the rest fall by the wayside. I want to be more balanced. So I have been assigning major tasks to days of the week, as a starting point. Here's where I am now. Remember, I tell myself, it's a PROCESS-BABY STEPS are good too.
Monday: laundry and maybe using the electric dishwasher to do dishes. As part of our way to save money, we have a timer on our water heater, so the water is maximally hot only until about 3 pm. Plus, we wash alot of dishes by hand...with only two adults, it's not that hard.
Tuesday is special project day. Closets or cabinets cleaned, bathroom floor washed, clothes put into or gotten out of storage, reorganize and inventory my grocery stockpile, so I know what I have when I go shopping.
Wednesday is doctor appointment day. I have go to doctor offices twice a month, a roundtrip of 16 miles. If I can't organize it on the same day, then I do them on Wednesdays. It keeps me from missing appointments through forgetfulness and is early enough in the week that I can get results of my tests, make adjustments before the "can't find the doctor" "the office is closed" weekends. I also review our medical supplies, insulin syringes for my husband, and order refills.
Thursday is grocery and household shopping day. I make the rounds, using coupons and sale fliers to buy groceries for the week. Thankfully, we have a small chest freezer, so I can buy in bulk and make our own packaged dinners. On Thursdays, I plan to go to at least 3 stores to get the best deals. Once a month, I make the rounds at the warehouse store, BJ's, where I can use coupons.
Friday is financial day: I review online bill pay, make sure the scheduled payments are the correct amounts, watch for duplicate payments, and do any research. On Friday nights, my husband and I have our weekly "business" meeting, where we talk about budget. Although I do most of the bill paying, I definitely want him to stay abreast of the issues. And when there are disputes, he helps out.
Saturdays are vacuuming, dusting, and bathroom cleaning days. It sounds like alot, but once I get rolling, it's actually easier to finish. Thank goodness for baby wipes to clean bathroom porcelin.
Sunday is go out to breakfast at Diner day. Only chore is coupons, unless Saturday's did not get done. This is the time I clip and file Sunday coupons, review fliers, make preliminary shopping lists for the week.
There may be better ways to organize, but for now, this fits us. This is not to say these are the only things I do these days. I volunteer, work on the computer, do online learning.
