New Season, New Adjustments

If you visited my house this past week, you would never believe I have a blog with the word "homemaking" in the title. The kitchen=mainly dirty. The laundry=piling up. The checkbook=unbalanced. I haven't planned a single meal.

Simple reason: I'm in my 1st trimester. Plus the fact that Squishy is cutting his canines. And my husband is in a highly stressful time-consuming grad program. Add that all together and there's quite a bottleneck effect.

Don't get me wrong--in the end, these are all good things. In December, we'll have a sweet baby. Squishy will one day chew more effectively. And Andrew will soon have the credentials behind his name that will enable him to land a good job!

But for me right now, it means the following: I cannot grow a baby, raise a toddler, and keep everything else together. I can't do it all. I shouldn't do it all. To have a peaceful home right now, I have to accept that...and give up frustration.

For this busy season, our family is making the following adjustments:

1) I'm taking a break from doing so much baking/cooking. For now, it's store-bought bread, not homemade bread. A few more "convenience items" from the grocery store. Plus some extra items to help fight nausea.

2) Which means our grocery bill may increase slightly for the next month and a half. Did I mention that I have not been the greatest couponer lately?

3) When Squishy naps, I nap.

4) Focus on the basics: everyone fed, clothed, bathed. That does not necessarily mean the kitchen is clean or the clothes are folded!

5) Work in spurts. Take advantage of energy when it magically appears. Rest/survive at other times.

6) Accept help. Friends and family have offered their services...and I know I need to take them up on it (even though a million prideful reasons for refusing pop up in my head). My father-in-law cleaned my kitchen this morning and it has been a bright spot in the day!

That's the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants plan of action around here. I'm reminding myself to be grateful and working to remember that Jesus is with me--nausea, fussy baby, messy house and all!

My question for you: Are you trying to "do it all" when maybe there's something you should give up for the sake of sanity?

New Season, New Adjustments

Recipe Organization {Vlog!}

During Spring cleaning, I finally tackled the task of organizing my recipe binder. A little demonstration for you:



I think my Southern accent comes out in vlogs. I'm pretty sure I said "yer." {blush}

How do you organize your recipes?



Linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Homemaking Link-Up.

Recipe Organization {Vlog!}

Spring Cleaning For The Win!

After a 2 week lull in spring cleaning, my husband and I plowed into purging/organizing mode last weekend.

What was this:

Went to this:

Joyous sighs of relief! This is the doorless closet in Squishy's room (really people, closets are supposed to have doors! Not sure who decided that these apartments didn't need them...). We organized his entire room and got rid of a HUGE pile of stuff, including a bulky stroller and carseat. It is now pleasurable to walk into his clean room.

The bathroom also saw improvement...

Before:                                                                    After:

The curtain that normally hangs in front of these shelves is temporarily pulled back for the purpose of this demonstration. There is still a ton of stuff in these deep bathroom shelves...these shelves comprise some of our only storage in this house, and they hold everything--bulk cleaning supplies, tools, medicines, towels, toiletries. It's difficult to "prettify" this area, but I did purchase two cloth-lined baskets at Ross (much cheaper than Target or Wal-Mart!), and they help a bit. When all else fails, hang a curtain in front.

Our bedroom was also subjected to purging--especially the closet filled with boxes of books! We got rid of some, and listed the nicer ones on Half.com. Have you ever tried to sell unwanted books on half.com? I'm always surprised at how successful it is! We have already made over $80 selling some unneeded textbooks.

Other resources for selling unwanted items: 

Ebay: We listed our very first item on ebay after our purging spree, and it just sold! I will say that is was somewhat complicated figuring out how to list my item. But it was worth it.
Craigslist: Especially nice for big items, such as furniture. We sold our second set of couches and our television on craigslist before we moved.

It's been very nice to clean our house of clutter and make some extra money! Definitely worth the effort we put into it.

Do you have a favorite resource for selling your unwanted stuff?

Also among my spring cleaning victories...I organized my recipe binder! More on that soon.

I just won Sarah Mae's ebook, 31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way, so I'm excited to go through that, one small task at a time. In fact, there is a Homemaker's Challenge starting on May 1st, for those who want to go through the ebook together. I love the focus this ebook has on having a "Mary heart" for our homes.




For everyday cleaning, I rely on my cleaning schedule based on Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule.

Where are you in regards to spring cleaning? Finished? Half-way? Thinking about tackling it?



Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Linked to Homemaking Link-Up.

Spring Cleaning For The Win!

Spring Cleaning: Week 1 Update!

Dirty dishes from all my baking...

When I got all gung-ho and decided to start spring cleaning last week, I thought it would only take me a week. One room per day 'til it's all done. Like so. 

Ha! Not sure where I got that ambitious notion. In order to accomplish that, I really would have to put everything besides the basic daily tasks aside, which I have been unwilling to do. In fact, after a couple of days of diligent cleaning, I got on this baking kick and wanted to spend lots of time in the kitchen cooking scrumptious things (and dirtying dishes!). It was lovely...I made banana chocolate chip muffins, peach pie, and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Spring-time gives me a baking itch!

But--*AHEM*--back to the topic at hand (now that I need to finish spring cleaning and work out!).

Here's how my list of spring cleaning tasks is going (crossed-out items have been completed!):

1. Squishy's Closet.
2) Our closet and chest of drawers.
3) Bookshelf in Squishy's bedroom
4) Squishy's chest of drawers
5) The bathroom shelves
6) The bathroom cabinet
7) Bathroom drawers
8) My recipe binder
9) The kitchen cabinets 
10) The refrigerator

So, I'm actually half-way done! Whoo-hooo!

All of my before/after pictures aren't ready for you yet, but I'll give you a little peek at what I've accomplished and save the rest for next week's update (super suspenseful, I know...hang in there with me...ha!).

Bathroom cabinet before:

Bathroom cabinet after: 

*sigh of relief* That was just a little job, but doesn't it make everything so much better? I found the basket at Goodwill for 97 cents, and it definitely helps things stay more orderly.

I probably won't get much cleaning done today (besides the basics!), because I'm baking bread and canning jam! Yay! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. Who knew someone could get so excited about fresh strawberries and canning supplies? My husband thinks I'm hilarious.

Ok, I'd better sign off now before I turn this into a cooking post.

How's your spring cleaning going? Any small or big successes?

Linked to WFMW and Homemaking Link-Up.

Spring Cleaning: Week 1 Update!

Pre-Spring Cleaning Confessions

In spite of introducing a cleaning schedule to my homemaking, this winter it was a struggle to stay on top of cleaning. This was primarily because we were sick more often this winter season than I ever remember. Combine sickness with the holidays, multiple trips out of town, and a funeral, and you don't have a good equation for keeping things organized and spotless.

Oh yes, and I have a one year old. He makes for some fabulous cleaning excuses. He wrote on the wall for the 1st time yesterday...

Excuses aside, now it's Spring! We are all healthy, the air is warm, and I have been in cleaning/purging mode. My house needs some serious organization.

Are you ready to see some of the nitty gritty? Prepare to lose all delusions in which you thought I had it "all together."

The top 10 things that need to be organized/cleaned in my house:

1. Squishy's Closet. The Christmas decorations are stashed haphazardly, and the space is ill-used. Ill-used space is a crime in a tiny apartment.

2) Our closet and chest of drawers. A taste of the clutter to be seen there...

3) Bookshelf in Squishy's bedroom.

4) Squishy's chest of drawers. He's growing fast, and many of his clothes need to be sorted.

5) The bathroom shelves. Oh deary me. These deep shelves are wonderful, but easily fall into disarray.

6) The bathroom cabinet. This is a shocking state of affairs. Especially since there's no door to cover this up. However, I do spy a cheery love note...so that's nice. :)

7) Bathroom drawers. Time to organize all the stockpiled shampoo, tampons, deodorant...you name it.

8) My recipe binder. My number of go-to recipes has multiplied at a crazy rate and my binder is bursting at the seams.

9) The kitchen cabinets. I tackled the kitchen yesterday and it's almost done. Here is a before and after of my "catch all" cabinet. The first picture makes me thankful that cabinets have doors.

10) The refrigerator--done! Did you hear the hallelujah chorus after this baby had a good scrubbing yesterday?

All cleaned out and ready for condiments again.

My game plan for this week of Spring cleaning is to tackle one room per day. Yesterday I spent most of my time in the kitchen and today is dedicated to the bathroom.

Now that you've seen the true state of my house, what's on your spring cleaning list? Want to clean along with me?



Image Credit

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday,Tackle It Tuesday, and Homemaking Link-Up.

Pre-Spring Cleaning Confessions

Revamping The Cleaning Schedule {Giveaway!}

Image Credit

One of the ways I'm starting the new year off fresh is by revamping my cleaning schedule. When my hubby and I sat down to think about goals for 2011, I made three homemaking goals:

1. Continue monthly meal planning.
2. Continue having a monthly freezer cooking day.
3. Figure out a cleaning schedule that works for me.

Previously, my cleaning schedule consisted of a brief list of weekly chores, such as mopping, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, laundry. It was far from comprehensive, and lately I had fallen into a "system" of simply cleaning whatever looked dirtiest first and almost ignoring the bathrooms (and the *ahem* microwave) altogether.

So, I was excited when my blogging friend, Christine (from iDreamOfClean) offered to let me review her new ebook, Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule.

In this ebook, Christine walks you through the why, what, and how of creating a cleaning schedule. One that is appropriate for your house and your current scheduling method in general. My favorite part about this easy read is the master cleaning list that has an all-inclusive list of cleaning tasks, broken down into categories of how frequently they should be performed (what a time-saver)!

Using that master cleaning list, I formed my own schedule, which includes daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and bi-annual cleaning tasks.

Um, yeah. I couldn't have done that without some help! :D I used the blank printable chore sheets from Money Saving Mom for plugging the different chores in, but Christine also includes printables you can use in the ebook.

My sheets are tucked into my Household Binder, which stays open on my kitchen table during the day as a visual reminder. And guess what lovely thing happened yesterday? The oft' neglected bathroom received a nice shining! Today, in addition to my daily chores, my tasks are to change/wash the sheets, vacuum, and do a load of laundry.


*This Giveaway is now closed*
Would you like to win a copy of this helpful ebook? Christine is giving a copy of Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule away here!

To enter: Leave a comment with your email and tell me if you have a cleaning schedule/system that works for you. :)

Extra entries:

Tweet about this giveaway!
Follow iDreamofClean on Facebook.
Follow Alicia's Homemaking on Facebook.
(leave a comment for each entry)

Giveaway will end on Jan 26th.

If you don't want to wait to put your cleaning schedule together, you can go ahead and purchase Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule. Christine is offering a 30% off discount to my readers only (the regular price is $7.99). Use the discount code AliciasHomemakingJan11. If you buy the ebook but subsequently win this giveaway, your money will be refunded. :D



Linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Homemaking Link-Up and I'm Lovin' It.

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule to review. I am now an affiliate for this ebook. All opinions are 100% mine. 

Revamping The Cleaning Schedule {Giveaway!}

Monday = A Fresh Start

Someone's gotta do the cleaning around here!

I know everyone bemoans Mondays.

But personally, I kind of like them. A new week, an unspoiled beginning.

Well, except for those last few dishes lingering the the sink. But we'll get to those in a minute.

This weekend, I spent some time drafting some pre-made to-do lists, mainly focusing on chores that need to be done daily. While I was at it, I revamped my cleaning schedule to make it (hopefully!) more efficient and all-encompassing.

Because last week, I cleaned my microwave for the first time in....a loooooong time. It was bad. Let's just leave it at that.

But more about master cleaning schedules later this week (with a giveaway!).

For my daily chores, I used this awesome customizable daily "To-Do" sheet from Money Saving Mom.

My personal list looks something like this:

Before Breakfast:

• Quiet/Planning
• Breakfast Prep

After Breakfast:

• Minimum Maintenance--Kitchen (15-20 minutes)
• Min. Maint.--Bathroom (5 minutes)
• Min. Maint.--Bedroom (5 min.)
• Min. Maint.--Squishy's Room (5 min.)
• Min. Maint.--Living Room (5 min.--approximately 40 minutes of cleaning total)

After Lunch:

• 5-10 Minute Kitchen Clean Up
• Sweep House
• Water Plants

Before Dinner:

• Dinner Prep

After Dinner:

• Kitchen Clean Up
• Breakfast Prep
• 5 Minute Pick Up

____________________________

While we're on the subject, I've been loving minimum maintenance lately. Five minutes can do a lot of good:

Before.......................................................................and after!

Before                                                                                               After!

When it comes to cleaning house, I have to be realistic. Life is full of important things people. To give them the time they need, I can't obsess about my baseboards. That's why I love the results a quick 5 minute sweep-through can bring.

Try it! Set a timer and you're off!



Linked to Make It Happen Monday over at Ammie's place! This girl gets some serious stuff done on Mondays.

P.S. I totally forgot that this Monday is a holiday. So perhaps you're not bemoaning it after all. ;)

P.S. Again: Just wanted to say thank you for all the awesome interaction in the comments lately. Such fun...I enjoy getting to know you all more and hearing your take on different subjects. :)

Monday = A Fresh Start

My Motives and Housework

{Image Credit}

Sometimes getting the housework done is all about me. 

Sounds strange to say that...isn't it love for my family that motivates me to wash their clothes and clean their dishes?

Yes. But, I personally love a clean house. When everything has a place and everything is in it's place, I let out a sigh of contentment. Cleaning isn't my favorite pastime, but the results are grand. 

My husband enjoys a clean living space, too (and, in general, he's a clean kind of guy...and I'm so grateful!). But you know what he likes more? Me, sitting on the couch beside him, despite the dirty dishes piled high in the kitchen.

The perfectionist in me wants to clean because that's how I like it...focused on my agenda and my plans.

What is love? Sometimes love is laying aside my carpet-beater (er, I mean...my swiffer-sweeper!) and being relaxed. Reading a book next to my hubby. Not getting under pressure because of all the tasks I expect myself to perform.

What is love for your family today? Is it picking up the broom or setting it down?

I find that my answer to that question typically involves a good deal of both...but it's my motives that have to be in check.

My Motives and Housework

Makin' It Happen

On Mondays, I am typically ready to tackle the week. A fresh start, a clean slate. I think I get more accomplished on Monday than any other weekday (when we're talking about housecleaning/cooking sort of accomplishments).

The most structured part of my day is the morning. I have a set time for waking up, time with God, feeding Squishy and working out. After that, the day has more eb and flow.

Just before feeding Squishy in the morning, I (hopefully) write out a daily to-do list. On Mondays, I write out both a weekly to-do list and a to-do list for the day.

Why all the lists? 

1) I like lists. I'm just quirky like that.

2) I am forgetful.

3) They help me prioritize.


On my daily list, I write down all sorts of little details that I need to remember. The weekly list contains less detail and focuses on the bigger things that can tend to get shoved aside because I feel like I have too many dishes to wash.

Here's an example of my bare-bones weekly to-do list for this week. I'm going out of town to visit my parents Monday-Wednesday, which will be an awesome break from the typical Monday housework routine. Best of all, I'm carpooling with a dear friend and her two youngsters. 

In the midst of all my list making and doing, I always have to remind myself that it's not checking off the list that validates my day. I am not measured by how clean the floors are...or even if I paid the bills on time. I'm looking for ways to be efficient, but if my eyes aren't on Jesus, no amount of efficiency will matter.

(My perfectionist side has to be retold. Do you need this reminder, too?)

What's the biggest task on your list this week?




You can post your To-Do list over at Ammie's place, where she hosts Make It Happen Monday each week! If you're a list-lover, you should check it out (haha, no pun intended!). :D

Makin' It Happen

Getting Comfortable At The Sink {with a Giveaway!}

Besides receiving a thorough shining and losing it's dirty contents to this handy bin, my dishwashing nook experienced one other change this month.

I like to save the best for last.

If you stand over the sink for prolonged lengths of time, you probably experience tired feet or an achy back on occasion. I was routinely complaining about both to my husband last month. I had taken to wearing supportive shoes whenever I worked in the kitchen because my feet were KILLing me.

Then Sublime sent me an Imprint Comfort Mat.

You know that lovely memory foam that makes your bed delicious to sleep in? This mat is like memory foam for your feet.

Not my kitchen...but isn't it cute?

I love it! My Comfort Mat has found it's home right in front of my kitchen sink and it has made such a difference.

Pros: 

• My feet (and back!) feel so much better. The mat is comfortable and supportive.
• The mat doesn't slide around, unlike most rugs I have had in my kitchen before.
• The Imprint Comfort Mats are so simple to clean. No shaking dirt out or washing it in your washing machine. Just wipe it off with some soap and water! To me, this is a huge perk. I love the feeling of having something clean under my feet.
• The mats are waterproof, antimicrobial, and resistant to mold and mildew.

Cons: 

• The regular sized mat costs $69.99. That's more than you would typically pay for a standard, run-of-the-mill kitchen rug at Target. But even I (cheap, coupon-crazy me) think this mat is worth every penny. And this would be such a wonderful gift for the loving women in your life who spend hours on their feet in the kitchen (or the laundry room...).

I'm excited to tell you that Sublime Co. is giving one of these awesome mats away to one of my readers!

How to enter:

Mandatory entry: Visit Imprint Comfort Mats and check out their mat selection! Leave a comment telling me which one is your favorite (please leave your email address!). 

For an additional entries (Leave a comment for each):

• Leave a second comment telling me that you "like" Sublime Co. on facebook!
• Tweet about this giveaway!

This giveaway is only open to US Residents and will run through November 17th.

What do you do to keep your feet/back from hurting when you work long hours in the kitchen?

~Alicia

Disclosure: I was provided with an Imprint Comfort Mat by Sublime Co. I was not paid to publish positive comments. All opinions are 100% my own. I heart this mat. 

Linked to WFMW and Things I Love Thursday. 

Getting Comfortable At The Sink {with a Giveaway!}

Kitchen Space and Kitchen Scents

My small (and well-loved!) kitchen

My kitchen is teensy. I can literally stand in one place and stir something on the stove, put something in the fridge, wash a dish in the sink, and get something out of a cabinet. It's a one-stop shop. :)

On the other hand (you know, the one still stirring something on the stove!), my kitchen counters get cluttered in the blink of an eye. I find myself in middle of cooking a big meal, pulling food out of the oven, and having absolutely no place to put it because the counters are covered with onion scraps, cutting boards, and mixing bowls.


Did I mention the kitchen has no dishwasher?

So when I read Flylady's suggestion for storing dirty dishes under the kitchen sink, I knew I had to give it a try. For several weeks now I've been sticking dirty dishes not in the sink, but in this handy plastic bin which I keep tucked under the kitchen sink, filled with sudsy water.

What an awesome space-saver for my genie-bottle kitchen!

Have you ever tried something like this? Or does your dishwasher serve as your "dirty dish disposal"?

To go along with this kitchen sink mini-series, Gain (in partnership with My Blog Spark) sent me some of their new dishwashing liquid to try out. The "Original" scent that they gave me has a apple-fresh fragrance that is very pleasant.

In addition, my hands (which are prone to breaking out after I wash dishes) have not shown any signs of breakout while I have been using the Gain dishwashing liquid in the last month, which is a definite plus for me (Note: I'm not making any medical claims here, just sharing my experience).

I keep my eyes peeled for coupons, because sometimes P&G releases a $1/off any Gain dishwashing liquid coupon. My local Wal-Mart typically sells the 11 oz bottle of Gain for $.97, making it free after the coupon.

You don't have to wait for the coupon, though, because P&G has provided me with a $10 Wal-Mart gift card to give away to one of my readers. Just leave a comment on this post to be entered (with your email addy!).

Tomorrow I'll share the improvement to my kitchen sink nook that made a recent house guest of mine exclaim, "This makes me want to wash dishes!" You know it must be good to make someone say that...

(You can find the first part of this kitchen sink mini-series here.)

Disclosure: P&G provided me with Gain dishwashing liquid, 3 t-shirts, and a gift card through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are my own.  

The last day to enter this giveaway is November 16th. The winner will be chosen using random.org.

There are two other giveaways currently running:

Enter to win a $5 Amazon gift card.

Enter to win a $15 Starbucks gift card. 

These giveaways end on Friday, November 5th!

Linked to Tackle It Tuesday.

Kitchen Space and Kitchen Scents

Me, My Kitchen Sink, and Windex

As homemakers, the majority of us spend exorbitant amounts of time planted in front of our kitchen sinks. I stand there for at least an hour each day, considering that I cook often and we do not have a dishwasher.

This month I set out on a mission to see if I could improve my kitchen sink experience (I know that's a stretch, but hang with me here). I started with the illustrious job of shining my sink.

Which I had never, ever done before.

Or at least not properly.

Flylady (of course) was there to guide me through. Have you ever shined your sink? Here's how it goes...

My un-shined sink. The real, dirty deal. Yes, I know you see that sponge. I use a new one every day, promise! Don't hate.

I had my work cut out for me.

Keepin' it real here...

So! The solution. First, per Flylady's instructions, I removed all the dirty dishes and filled one side of my sink with really hot water and a cup of bleach:

The bleach solution sits for an hour, then you remove the plug with tongs and rinse out your sink. Repeat on the other side, rinsing well when you are done.

Then I scrubbed my entire sink with baking soda, using a pan scraper to get in all the cracks and crevices. Then I rinsed well (Flylady emphasizes that you should rinse after each step!!).

The final step is to shine your sink up with window cleaner. And look!

A vast improvement.

Now that I've done nitty-gritty work of thoroughly shining my sink, all it needs is a little maintenance each day (window cleaner to keep it shiny). Flylady says she keeps a clean towel next to the sink and dries it out after running water at any point. I must confess, I can't seem to attain to that level of discipline just yet. But I'm still loving my {overall} shiny sink.

Tomorrow, I'm going to share a fabulous kitchen space-saving tip that I have been utilizing for the past 2 weeks and loving. Plus, I'll have a little giveaway! Stay tuned for the second part of this kitchen sink mini-series...



Linked to Homemaking Link-Up.

Me, My Kitchen Sink, and Windex