the end of the week and a big secret
Even though I'm home during the day, I still do love a good Friday.
I caught up on my Virtual Quilting Bee squares yesterday. Hooray! I was feeling pretty guilty about them. September people. That's how far behind I was. You can click through to Flickr to see details about the squares and the group if you'd like.
The house is still clean which makes the livin' eas(ier). It was one of my big goals last year to keep the house more "drop in" ready. And we did well. Some of my friends (you know who you are) will say our home is always clean, but oh how wrong you are. I'm a SLOB at heart. I kid you not. Ask my mom. Ask my college roommates. But we have found the secret to keeping it clean. I swear. Are you ready?
It's the 20 minute power tidy at the end of every day. After the kids are in bed but before we plop down on the couch, we BOTH (and that's an important part) spend 15-20 minutes putting all the stuff away that found its way out during the day: toys, dishes, laundry, papers, books, mail, the list goes on and on. If we work together, it's so much quicker and makes life more peaceful. It even makes the next morning go more smoothly. And I can handle the vacuuming, dusting, mopping more quickly if there's not so much stuff to pick up. If, for whatever reason we don't do it, the next day always starts off badly. So that's it. That's the big secret! I am just positive that we are the first people ever to discover this. ; )
Anyway, it's Friday and we have some fun plans for the weekend plus we're getting further on the basement project all the time.
Happy happy Friday, friends.
Comments
that has been a life saver in this time of drop-dead fatigue and crazy children and their crazy migrating toys. sadly, it usually takes us a little longer than 15 min but i totally here you about how much better it makes the next day. incomparable.
Posted by: melissa f. | January 9, 2009 12:34 PM
OH, good for you! Really, I've gotta get on that, because GAH! our house is a pit. I need a week to stay home and purge. That would help a lot.
Posted by: laeroport | January 9, 2009 1:24 PM
I love the tree square!
Posted by: Jess | January 9, 2009 1:32 PM
I wonder if I can get Stefan on board with that?
Posted by: Mama Urchin | January 9, 2009 2:04 PM
so the trick is both of you? Hmm. Maybe that's where I've failed.
Posted by: Sarah Jackson | January 9, 2009 3:02 PM
From one secret slob to another, I am so with you on this girl! It's all about the teamwork...thank goodness for helpful husbands. :)
Posted by: Rachel | January 9, 2009 3:52 PM
We used to do this, then got out of the habit. I'm going to hide the TV remote from Hubby tonight and make him do 10 mins with me. Thanks for the shove!
Posted by: Ali | January 10, 2009 2:57 AM
My problem is that the toys are stored in the kids' rooms, so when I do the nighttime tidy, they are sleeping, and I can't put the toys away. We are working on getting the basement in order so the toys live down there...
Posted by: amy h | January 10, 2009 11:57 AM
we started a new routine this 'new year' of all of us pitching in as a team cleaning up from dinner together. it's AMAZING! emily is eleven so she's at the age where she can do pretty much all that we do... in 15-20 we can have the entire meal put away/composted, dishes done and the kitchen shiny. this is a big deal as i'm a pretty messy cook. ;)
it has changed my life. seriously. happy weekend!
ps ~ good luck in the basement!
Posted by: heather | January 10, 2009 12:50 PM
I just LOVE that tree block that you did. Wow.
And. That's the secret?!! I need to get in on that, I think. (I'm a real slob. Not just at heart, I think.)
Posted by: Grace | January 11, 2009 10:29 AM
good secret - but i need the secret to getting my other half to participate :)
Posted by: molly | January 11, 2009 3:24 PM
i'm emailing fatty the link to this post. he'll wonder why he should be reading about the vqb and then he'll see the secret. wahoo. thanks for sharing, alicia.
Posted by: erin | January 11, 2009 9:30 PM
Hmm, I think I need to give matt the link to this post too. We're both so messy (but he's worse!).
Posted by: beki | January 12, 2009 9:20 AM
your blocks are great! it feels good to catch up, doesn't it?
Posted by: amandajean | January 12, 2009 6:10 PM
i love to know secrets. :)
Posted by: leslie | January 13, 2009 6:06 AM
love that secret. my aunt taught me one about the kitchen - when d. and i were newly married. she said, never go to bed before you finish cleaning the kitchen and putting everything away. then you start your new day fresh and ready, instead of behind. and i've done it ever since. i try to do yours, too. it doesn't always happen, but mostly.
Posted by: emily | January 16, 2009 7:27 PM