Developing a Homemaking Schedule

I have been so inspired lately in my blog reading by some of the more established homemakers, Elizabeth, Mrs.Catherine, Crystal, and Kara and have been introduced to the FlyLady tactics by several of them . . . and feel inspired to revamp (or vamp? Is vamp an option if they’ve not been established before?) my homemaking schedule to more consistently maintain my home for my husband and family, allow me more time with my husband and baby and more time to pursue some of the things I’ve been wanting to do, from writing to reading to exercise to prayer. I also am revamping LL’s schedule (or at least writing it down) so that I can keep him on track more effectively and he feels secure in his home.

I want to ultimately build a household notebook like Kara’s or Elizabeth’s, and am looking forward to doing so (I received Adobe Elements for Christmas and will be using it, once we download the software onto our computer this weekend, for digital scrapbooking, card and stationery production, recipe card making . . . and my household notebook) but know that it’ll be a fun design project for me and I don’t want to rush it. I’m a bit of a techie geek and love fonts, colors, brushes . . . but hate clutter which is why I’m looking forward to the DIGITAL scrapbooking art since I won’t have to keep track of buttons and ribbons and scissors and scraps of paper.

In the meantime, I’m using my iCal calendar on our Mac laptop to organize my household chores, menu planning, even the Church’s liturgical calendar and John’s milestones!

What I did today was sat down with a piece of paper and a cup of coffee during John’s nap and wrote out the chores that I wanted to focus on daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly. I then considered my schedule and what days the new grocery sales start and our Farmer’s Market is open for shopping/errand day (Wednesday) and Friday’s I often have a Friday Club event so wanted to do less on that day, just primarily Weekend Prep, and so I focused my weekly schedule around those events.

I then categorized my monthly tasks into four zones and assigned them to one week a month (on iCal, the Kitchen Zone starts on the first Monday – Friday of the month, Dusting Zone on the second M-F, etc.) and set up the tasks to repeat every month.

Here is what I have so far, by area with details, first weekly:

Entry and Kitchen

• Put away all shoes, mail, newspapers, items on the stairs
• Sweep stairs from top to bottom and dust baseboards and window frame
• Sweep and mop first floor
• Wash all dishes and run dishwasher, leaving a clean sink
• Put away all hand-washed dishes
• Spray counters and backsplash of sink and stove with AP cleaner and wipe down with warm washcloth
• Move coffeepot, tools, etc. (everything off the counter) and wash counters
• Wipe down cupboards, and drawer tops
• Wipe down microwave, appliances, refridgerator and stove
• Change dish towels
• In the afternoon, unload dishwasher

General Weekend Cleanup

• Put away books, games and magazines
• All dishes/glasses to the sink, wash and put away
• Clear tables and put away all items from tables and countertops
• Clip and file coupons and throw away newspapers
• Send back Netflix movies, if applicable
• Pick up any dirty clothes and put in laundry basket

Bathrooms (one half bath on the first floor and a full bath on the second)

• Toilet bowl and outside of toilet
  
• Mirrors
• Counters
• Wash off cabinets
• Shower/bath scouring
• Replace hand towels
• Sweep & Mop floors

Plan out menus/shopping list & clean out fridge for tomorrow’s shopping day

Weekly grocery shopping & Farmer’s Market
Dining Room/Living Room
Dining Rom

• Clean off and put away anything on buffet
• Clean off and put away anything on table
• Wash buffet and table with AP cleaner
• Dust chairs and bookcase in dining room
• Deep clean John’s highchair with hot washcloths
• Spot clean floor, especially around John’s highchair

LIVING ROOM

• Clean off and put away anything on side table and sofa table
• Spray with wood cleaner and dust tables, TV armoire and leather sofa
• Dust bookshelves
• Put away all toys
• Dust/clean TV
• Review drawers in side tables, armoire and white buffet and organize.

Bedrooms & Linens

• Change bedsheets first thing in the morning when making bed and throw in laundry
• Change towels in main bathroom and throw in laundry
• Pick up any dirty clothes on floor and put in laundry basket
• Close all drawers
• Organize and clean all dresser tops and nightstands
• Dust dressers, desk and nightstand
• Sweep and mop second floor

General Weekend Prep

• Clean off counters in kitchen, leaving a clean sink
• Put away all shoes, magazines, books, etc. where they go
• Make sure entry is clean
• Put out a new, clean kitchen towel
• Dust living room table and put away any DVDs or anything from on top of TV armoire
• Consider weekend breakfast preparation (special bread? Cinnamon rolls? Sausage to defrost?)
• Clean out coffee pot with vinegar and water
• Sweep and mop lower level

On a daily basis, I also do the dishes, leaving my sink and counters clean before going to bed, laundry and try to sweep the floor on our lower level (John is excelling at his pincer grasp so we consistently have Cheerios rolling on the floor endangered of being ground into dust by an errant foot) and have developed my morning routine to include making the bed and starting a load of laundry.

Then here are my monthly zones:

KITCHEN ZONE – First Monday through Friday of the month
Clean Fridge – remove all food and clean and sanitize all shelves, doors, etc. Throw away any food that needs to be thrown away. Update grocery list.
Clean and dust off the top of the fridge
Clean inside and outside of oven and de-grease vent and hood
Scrub grout
Reorganize pantry, sweep floor and update grocery list

DUSTING ZONE – Second Monday through Friday of the month
Dust blinds
Wash/dust fans
Wash, iron and replace curtains
Clean baseboards and walls
Take all books off bookshelves and dust

UPSTAIRS ZONE – Third Monday through Friday of the month
Flip mattress when changing sheets
Remove everything from linen closet and reorganize.
Clean washing machine & dryer with AP cleaner
Restock under sinks and re-organize
Clean walls of any marks

OUTSIDE ZONE – Fourth Monday through Friday of the month
Sweep front and back porches
Sweep off any cobwebs, etc.
Clean off front door of dirt
Wash windows on screen door
Add/update any seasonal decor

And then, once a quarter, I set up the following Quarterly Zone for the last week of the month of March, June, etc.:
QUARTERLY ZONE
Change seasonal flowers/decor/change candles
Move out off-season, too-small clothes. Store or give-away
Review magazines, tear out and file any good articles and recycle
Check status of medicine chest and buy any needed supplies
Check status of cleaning supplies and buy any needed supplies
Reorganize/clean kitchen cabinets

These schedules and tasks are, obviously, up for review and tweaking as we go but it is a good start! If there is anything that I’ve missed, please let me know and feel free to share your schedules for inspiration! Best of luck!