One Step Closer

When I was in college, I juggled a full time job, a part time job, being in a sorority, an on air personality for the radio station, writing for the newspaper and yearbook, part of student government, a boyfriend and social life plus going to school full time. It took a lot of juggling, planning and multitasking to get it all done-and done well. You have to be able to keep all your balls in the air at all times in order to be successful. I was of the mindset I could do it all, and I did reasonably well.

The first thing was I was a slave to my calendar. I lived by it. I was almost religious in my devotion to planning my life to the most minute increment of time. Everything went in there, and if I ever lost it (or worse, had it stolen) I was toast. I tried really, really hard to use the calendar feature on my iPhone but I just can’t get into it like writing things down. I think its how my brain is wired.

The other key feature was routine. I did pretty much the same thing everyday. I was a creature of habit, and to this day I am not a fan of spontaneity or surprises. I like to do the same thing, at the same time on a consistent basis. It just makes my life easier and more predictable. Like if its Monday, its meatless. Tuesdays are taco night, and so on. Or its Wednesday so I wear purple, its Friday I wear green. Yes, I am that detail oriented. Its something that works for me, and it keeps me sane.

For a while there, I deviated from what worked for me and the results were staggering. I have totally lost control over my home and life. So its now back to basics for me. First and foremost, using my calendar-both the one in my kitchen and the one I carry in my purse. If we need to be somewhere, do something or meet someone it goes on there. Depending on what’s going on that week, I can do the following things:

Plan menus

Plan housework

Plan the rest of my life

Part of my schedule is set-I work M-F from 8-4:30 (ish) at my day job. I teach yoga Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. I have to physically be at church Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, and can do the remainder of my work from home. The third Tuesday of each month I teach cooking at a local museum, have PTO meetings, and I would love to rejoin my book group (last Thursday of the month), the autism support group (the 1st Tuesday) and possibly-wait for it-Zumba on Monday nights. It seems like a lot, but its not because I maximize my time. I am able to squeeze in library trips, date nights with my son, grocery shopping and errands plus volunteer work as well. It’s a matter of planning.

I work out in the morning from 5:30-6:15. There’s laundry swapping and litter box scooping going on too.

I shower, and while I am drying off I have a chance to swish and swipe the bathrooms, swifter and dust the upstairs.

I get the little man up and motivated. Something needs to be said about Phineas, Ferb, chocolate milk and cinnamon toast crunch to get a sleepy 9 year old boy revved up. In between, I get dressed, double check lunches and get someone else in his room to get ready.

Its out the door and on our way, him to school and me to work.

Work work work

Come home, rest a bit. Then either my husband or I get dinner going. Depending on what’s going on that night depends on how after dinner goes. Most nights there is homework and baths. Little Man has ample play time to be a kid, and that’s super important. Some nights we have activites, other nights we are just hanging out. Either way, its all good.

Little Man goes to bed somewhere between 9-10, depending on how excited he is (for some reason, kiddos on the spectrum seem to have sleep issues.) We do our yoga pretzel cards, say prayers and snuggle and cuddle. Sometimes I stay up on my own and enjoy the solitude, sometimes I go to bed right away. It all varies.

There isn’t much variance in that schedule, and that is how I like it. I like knowing that if its Thursday, the chances are pretty good for dinner to be meat loaf and I will be wearing the color blue, and I will either be going to the book group or hanging with the boys.

My system may not work for everyone, but it’s the one that works best for me. When I wasn’t using it, I was really floundering. I lost track and control over everything. Getting back on track is so incredibly hard, but each day I am getting closer and closer to achieving it.

All By Myself

I have a confession to make: I hate cleaning the house with an audience. It probably goes back to my childhood, being told by my Grama that I missed a spot. I just like to do it & be left alone.
Many years ago, I checked a book out of my local library called "Do I Dust or Vacuum First". It was all about home organization and cleaning. A certain big man thought it was both hilarious and sad that I had to read a book on something that came naturally to most women.
Apparently when they were handing out cleaning skills, I must have been off reading a book or hiking a trail or doing basically anything else but waiting in line. Cleaning doesn't come naturally to me apparently.
After all, I had to read a book to learn.
I do know that I don't particularly enjoy having people watch me clean. Its as if they are scoring me, because that's what my Grama used to do. I could have done a bang up job & shed be like the Russian ice skating judge, finding flaws.
I also like listening to my music. Loud. It helps motivate me and keep me positive. I like using my choice of cleaning products. I don't like chemically smelling products, they turn my stomach and actually make me light headed.
My system of cleaning has also been the subject of ridicule over the years. I subscribe to the fly lady system, which I discovered on the Martha Stewart boards when I was planning my wedding. My favorite part is setting the timer for 15 minutes, because you can do anything for that length of time. It's helped me overcome that overwhelmed feeling when approaching a big task. I know that when that timer goes off, I can walk away for 15 minutes and regroup or keep going.
Then there is the matter of perception. I guess there are times that I think things are clean and organized, but others don't. There is nothing like spending an hour busting your butt to do something to be greeted with a "really? You call that clean?" nothing like popping your balloon.
Working full time, plus working more than part time at church as well as teaching eats into my time. When I was at home, up to five years ago, I was able to do a lot more. Detailed cleaning-like the grout-was done more frequently, just because I had both the time and energy. Now, sometimes it's a struggle to keep up with the maintenance stuff, like cleaning up after dinner or sweeping my kitchen floor. I do my best, but there are times when I'd rather take a nap or read a book than scrubbing the bath tub. Don't get me wrong, the cleaning still gets done, it's just on my schedule than anyone else's.
Currently in my cleaning toolbox I have:
Swifter wet & dry for the tile floors
Swifter duster
Just a note on the swifter stuff: the cleaning people in my building at work use them.
Wood for good furniture polish (I love this smell!)
Method bathroom cleaner
Mrs. Meyers lemon verbena counter top spray
Bon ami scrubbing powder
Mr Clean magic eraser

If you are like me, you probably need some help to learn how to clean. My original manual is no longer in print, but there are other options out there. One is the Fly Lady's book, Sink Reflections. I love her system, but everything in her book is on her website, for free.
There are a lot of blogs that feature great tips and ideas. One is I Heart Organizing (http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/?m=1). Another is Organized Mom (http://www.organizedmom.net/category/blog/). I also read
House of Smiths http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/?m=1
Simple Mom http://simplemom.net/
Blue Eyed Bride http://blueeyedbride.com/
And Life as A Mom
http://lifeasmom.com/
These blogs are all inspiring for me to keep at the cleaning and organizing to have a happy home.