Routines Rule!

I have new routines neatly listed in my control journal, and I am faithfully marking off each task as I go through my day. It's working! My house is neater and I feel so proud! Many of my daily chores are things I do even on my laziest of days, such as "Eat breakfast." I find including them in my list adds structure because I am doing the same things every day in the same order.

Here are my daily routines:

Morning Routine

Rise at 7 am

Make bed

Wake baby

Change baby’s diaper

Take dog outside

Feed baby

Breakfast

Feed dog

Empty dishwasher

Put baby to bed for a nap

Drink coffee

Wash face

Put on makeup

Brush teeth

Take vitamins

Get dressed

Fix hair

Put in a load of laundry

Clear Hot Spots

Check e-mail

Evening Routine

Clear table from dinner

Put away leftovers

Finish packing dishwasher

Clean kitchen counters and sink

Lay out clean kitchen towel

Wipe off Control Journal sheets

Put away items in family room

Put shoes in closets

Change into pajamas

Put away clothes

Brush teeth

Floss

Wash face

Celebrate the end of a productive day!

I have entered the second week of my new weekly routine. More on that later.

Control Journal

I am excited to share with you a picture of my new Family Control Journal!

I bought some office supplies, unearthed my favorite wrapping paper, and put them to use today to create the marvel you see before you. So far, it contains my Morning Routine, Evening Routine, and Emergency Information inside sheet protectors. FlyLady recommends using a dry erase marker to cross items off the routines each day as they are completed. I'm looking forward to my evening chores so I can start crossing things off the list!
     The Emergency Information tab includes my address, home and cell numbers, and phone numbers of our emergency contact family members, friends, physicians, vet, poison control, insurance agent, plumber, and handyman. If things in the house went haywire and I misplaced my cell phone, it would be a blessing to have all these numbers in one spot. I'll also use it as our info sheet for babysitters.

Daily Routine

It's been a full few weeks since my last blog post. (Off to a roaring start, aren't I?) If you must know, there have been some pressing matters requiring my attention. For instance, I discovered that Netflix finally released the previous season of Desperate Housewives. I also had a few important birthday parties to attend and several interesting books checked out of the library. Now that my schedule has, ahem, cleared, I plan to blog more regularly.

I need to get into a better routine. My current routine is set around my son's naps and feedings, and I'm very happy with it. I get up at 7:00 with the baby, make myself presentable during his first nap at 8:30, then I usually do stuff around the house until he wakes up from his second nap around 3:00, at which point I may take him out to run errands. The only housework I have fairly firmly set into my day is the post-dinner kitchen cleanup.

I would like to add more housework to my daily routine so that I know what to do and when I'm going to do it so I can stop procrastinating. The only other chore I can think of that should be done daily is laundry. (My dear husband cooks the majority of our dinners. Yes, I know how lucky I am.) I use cloth diapers and wash them every other day, so I should be washing, drying, and folding at least one load of laundry every day.

Are there any other chores I should be doing every day?

Motivation & Shoes

This is my sweet 6 month old baby boy. He is spending a lot of time on the floor and is starting to scootch around. I need to get my things in order so he has a safe, comfortable house to explore and enjoy.

I am reading Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley of flylady.net and working on her "BabySteps" to start developing some routines. The one that is taking the most effort for me is wearing shoes. I have always preferred to be barefoot around the house, and as I am writing this, I am again shoeless, having discarded them this afternoon. (Ironically, I can't even wear my favorite sneakers because they have gone missing somewhere in the house!) Having worn shoes in the house for the past few days, I felt more motivated. I was also unable to curl up on the couch in my favorite spot. I may be messy, but I still don't put my shoes on the furniture. I'll save cozy couch time for intentional breaks.

Introduction

I am a messy person. I have always been this way, but now I want to change.

Haven't I wanted to change before now? Of course I have! Many times I have attempted to alter the course of my housekeeping. My dear Mom was always after me about keeping my room clean as a kid and teenager. I think I flabbergasted her with my innate clutterdness. Every time I moved, from college, to my newlywed rental, to my own house, I vowed to tame my habit. Now I am taking it to a new level by creating this blog. I hope that by publicly "coming clean" about my tendency toward messiness, my friends and acquaintances and maybe even a smattering of strangers will encourage me to develop and keep new habits. Okay? Okay.