Cleaning Tips! *Daily Chore Log Idea Too!*

When people visit our home I often hear “This place is so clean… How do you do it all?” Then I get the rundown on how much I have on my daily plate. Which are a lot and I know that.

The mass majority can’t stand cleaning (a good example is my husband) but I’m one of the few who loves to clean. I’m in charge of all the cleaning. Bryce spends all day at the office; it just doesn’t seem right for him to work all day and then come home to do chores. Don’t get me wrong, my job isn’t easy. I’m in charge of tending to Holly all day and night during the week so Bryce can rest, plus all the other projects I have. But I’m very fortunate that Bryce works a job that can support me being a “FTM”.

Anywho, cleaning is the best stress reliever for me. I have a weekly chore log that’s broken into daily cleans. The breaks help so I’m not overwhelmed, doing the same thing every day, and still have my weekends to relax. My cleaning list might not work with everyone’s lifestyle but I’m happy to share for anyone who needs ideas on how to create a cleaning log.

Daily:
Make the beds
30 minute pick up before Bryce comes home and/or pick up before bed
fold bathroom towels after baths

Monday
Laundry
Mop floors
Clean kitchen

Tuesday
Clean bathrooms
Clean towels

Wednesday
Dust
Vacuum
Clean livingroom + office
* Once a month (normally the last Wednesday of the month) I dust the baseboards, crown molding/molding around the doors, etc. This takes a lot of work but its a chore you only need to worry about once a month to get the extra dust. 

Thursday
Recyclables ( I take our recyclables to a center because this Condo we currently live at doesn’t provide recycling; and personally I’m a big supporter of helping the planet)
Clean bedrooms
Clean bedding sheets

Friday
Mop floors
* I try to do the least amount of work on Friday’s so I can relax for the weekend!*

Saturday
This is a day we relax. Bryce normally goes to the gym and I can have “me time”. It’s also a day we head to Destin, Seaside or visit family.

Sunday
Meal plan for new week
Grocery shop for the new week
We mainly relax on Sundays as well. We almost always do our grocery shopping this day but sometimes we bump grocery day to Monday. 

Extra tips: 
- When cleaning an area do everything within that area. For example: when I plan to clean the bathrooms I always throw the bath towels in the wash first. Then by the time I have the entire bathrooms cleaned the towels will be clean/dry as well.

- If you have small children like me do the bulk of your cleaning during their naps. I also knock out some good cleaning when Holly is having her ‘tv time’, eating lunch in her high chair, or when she’s having her “alone play time”.

- Keep the clutter down -> clutter is the root of all evil. We trash and recycle as many items as we can. When clothes and shoes are worn out, we pitch em. If it's something we never wear, we donate.

- If you have a busy week, meal prep or make large portions to have leftovers. Bryce isn’t big on leftovers but I grew up on leftovers. I think for families large portions + leftovers help keep the stress of meal planning under control.

- Do a deep clean day once a month. For people with children try to have a relative watch the kiddos so you can focus on deep cleaning with the products needed. Take advantage of a rainy day to do the deep cleaning too! 


My Cleaning Products:
Here's a photo of the cleaning products I use when cleaning. DISCLAIMER: These products are the ones I select and use. They fit my personal lifestyle and I’m not pressuring anyone to purchase these. 

For cleaning tools, I use the rubber gloves I have shown below (purchased at Dollar Tree!), A few brushes and sponges (from Dollar Tree as well) and some paper towels (We get whatever is on special) and/or some reusable towels.

Stress-Free for the Holidays TIPS!

This is a post I was very excited to do... Why? I love helping people; especially if it’s something I’m familiar with. Stress during the holidays is something I know all too well. 

FLASHBACK: in my retail management days I was having to balance a stressful work and personal life. So many associates calling out or no showing, strict bosses who expected the store to look spotless during the busiest shopping months of the year, and THEIFT. Then my life of having family members to see, presents to purchase+wrap, at the time I was single so having to have the perfect excuse why I’m STILL single, and making sure I don’t pick up any ‘holiday blues’. 

As you can see, I dealt with some Holiday stress and over time I discovered the magic recipe to have the “Stress-Free” holiday spirit!

Below you’ll find some tips and tricks I do to keep my life Stress-Free during this busy and beautiful time of year!

1. DON'T wait till the last minute!
This is a major and I mean MAJOR. I always witness the most stress on folks who wait the week... day... hour before Christmas to shop for gifts, wrap gifts, or prepare their house for guests. Today this post is going live at 7:00AM central time Tuesday... You have 3 weekends (3 Fridays, 3 Saturdays, 3 Sundays = 9 full days) don’t waste that time!

2. Get your rest.
Rest is important for being positive. Even if you have a million and two things to do remember to get a good nights sleep.

3. Calendars and Sticky Notes.
Have A LOT of holiday parties to attend? Worried you’ll forget them? Bookmark it! Sticky Note it! Calendar it! I like to hand write on a calendar and at breakfast time I glance over to see what my week has in store. When I see an event is approaching I’ll double check to make sure I have everything I need.

4. Don’t drive out of the way in holiday traffic for something unnecessary.
Okay, gotta have coffee to get the day started; thats fine. But if you’re having to drive 20 minutes out of the way to get your red Starbucks cup before you walk into HomeGoods it might not be top priority and is cutting into your time (which is stressing you out). 

5. Ask for help when needed!
For some reason everyone thinks help is non-existent... But it’s not! If you’re need to buy the Holiday Ham and your Mother-in-Law is on her way to pick up a prescription; simply ask for her to pick on up and pay her back. It saves time, money, and gas! This is also important if your have a Toddler like me. Ask for help or hire a sitter for a few hours to get all your tasks complete without chasing down a little one!

6. Not EVERYTHING is important. 
When planning out your holidays there might be some things on your list “To Do” that A: isn’t important or B: can be combined with something else. 
Example: My 13 month old is too young to understand Christmas lights; so take that off the “Holiday To Do” list. 
BUT instead of wrapping some presents on 12/4 and the rest on 12/12 maybe try to combine the dates and wrap them all at once!

7. Know when to DRAW THE LINE.
Sometimes you’ll catch yourself adding more to the list of things to do and forgetting to enjoy the Holidays. Know when to stop and say no. 
Yes, it's fun to help the Preschoolers do their Christmas class party - go out and buy those mini Christmas stockings and popsicle sticks to make homemade Christmas ornaments... But maybe leave the Christmas play to the Church instructors so you can sit and enjoy the show. :)


I hope these tips help! Also don’t forget that sometimes Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) can be more of a distraction and can get in the way. Turn the phone off and I’m sure you’ll see a big difference in how much you get completed before Christmas Eve!

Best,
Brittney “Pomp and Palms"