The Silver Lining

I'm sure you've heard the phrase: "Every cloud has a silver lining". Maybe you haven't heard the phrase worded exactly that way, but something along those lines.

I have heard this phrase many times. I know I've used it myself a few times.

And I couldn't help but think of this phrase after a night we had earlier this week.

Do your kids have a "witching hour"?  Mine do.

And for my son (15 months old), that time usually spans from when we get home from work/babysitter until after dinner. Sometimes it even stretches until I can get him in bed for the night!

Anyway, a few nights ago my son was especially cranky/frustrating and I was trying to quickly clean him up from dinner and just get him in bed. All of a sudden I hear my husband yell...my daughter had thrown up. I came downstairs to see a little bit of food thrown up on the kitchen table and floor. Fun. My first thought was that my daughter gagged on some food and spit it up. As my husband and I are debating this thought, my daughter let us know this was NOT the case and proceeded to release I think just about everything she had eaten all day. In her hair, on her clothes, all of the floor, and the dog. Yes, even the dog was spared no expense in this one. I'm just glad I was standing a few feet away from her at the time!

So, with a screaming son who was already over-tired and needed to go to bed, I helped strip down my daughter to get her in the shower. My son was confined to his crib (and he let me know he was not happy about it) while my husband worked to clean up the war zone in the kitchen.

Once I got my daughter showered and and in pj's, I stuck her in front of a Curious George episode and proceeded to get my son ready for bed. My husband worked to mop the floor then give the dog a bath.

Luckily, my daughter didn't get sick again, but I couldn't help but think of the phrase "Every cloud has a silver lining".

What,  you might ask, would be the silver lining in this situation?

Well, the kitchen floor got mopped and the dog got a bath...both of which hadn't happened in an embarrassingly long time.

So see, every cloud really just might have a silver lining!

　

Being Productive in the Evening

When you're a work-out-of-the-home-mom like me, evenings and weekends are the only time you have to do anything around the house.  And honestly speaking, I don't like doing chores or work on the weekends because I like it to be family time.
So, that really only leaves me the weekday evenings to get to all of those little things that pile up around the house.

Let me share with you how motivated I usually am after I get home from work:

NOT motivated at all.

My normal routine when I get home from work is to kick off my high heels and change into some super comfy scrubby clothes.  I won't put on a pair of shoes unless I know I'm heading out for an errand or we are going for an evening walk with the kids.

So, how do I make myself get some things accomplished?

I put on my tennis shoes.




No, not so I can go play tennis (I actually don't even know how to play!), or go for a run.

For some reason, having shoes on (and not just flip flops) makes me feel like I have some sort of purpose. 

I might actually head out side and pull weeds from the flower bed.
I might sort through the endless pile of "Stuff" that accumulates on our kitchen counter
I might clean my closet to find some things to donate
I might even collect the garbage from all of the bathrooms and take it to the outside trash can


Please don't misunderstand. 
It's not like my shoes hold some sort of special power like Harry Potter's magic wand, or Clark Kent's glasses (even though that would be quite awesome).

But when I'm wearing shoes, I'm not going to just go curl up on the couch or jump into bed.
You might call it silly, but hey, whatever works, right?

Try it, and let know if it works for you, too!

The Cleaning Lady

After I was married, but before I had kids, quite a few of my co-workers had a cleaning person come to their home.  For some it was weekly, others it was every other week.

I could not  fathom the idea of paying someone else to clean my house. Frugal me couldn't imagine the added expense.

My other thought?

"Are you that lazy that you need someone to come clean your house?"

　

I now have a cleaning lady.

　

She does the basics like sweeping, mopping, dusting and the ever dreadful task of cleaning the bathrooms (showers included). And of course, I pay for this service.

Me, one of the most frugal people in my group of friends, and I'm the one with the cleaning lady.

Last summer, while about 6 months pregnant with 20 month old running around, I just could not seem to keep up with the housework. Well, not without feeling stressed about it.

I had switched jobs a few months prior, and with the raise in salary, I could then sort-of justify hiring a cleaning person. Sort-of. I was so tired though, entering my third trimester of pregnancy and keeping up with a toddler was just exhausting! So, I bit the bullet and did it.

Not all of the cleaning is done exactly how I would have do it, but admittedly, I also have some control issues.

But let's be honest. After working all day, making dinner, putting the kids to bed, doing the dishes, packing lunch for the next day, and throwing in a load of laundry, the last thing I want to do is clean the bathroom before I go to bed. And those Saturday morning hours of cleaning just aren't happening with 2 kids running (or crawling) around.

Now that my baby boy is 10 months old, and doesn't need me holding him or feeding him every second of the day, I have a little bit  more breathing room in my day. Not much though.

As I look at the budget and where to trim next, I really contemplate cutting out the cleaning lady.

Can I really give it up?

Do I really want to add the stress of needing to vacuum, dust, mop, bathroom duty, etc to my weekly routine?

How will I fit it all in?

I've thought about a "Chore Chart" but specifically for cleaning. Almost like a checklist of each specific duty that needs to be accomplished each week. Like cleaning the 2nd floor bathroom would be a separate item than cleaning the 1st floor bathroom. When I break it into smaller actions, it seems more manageable.

Then I think - "Is it crazy for an almost 30 year old woman to have a Chore Chart"?!

I guess not if it helps get the job done.

How do you manage the cleaning in your household?

What tricks, ideas, or tools do you use to make it easier?