Are You Totally Together?

If you enjoyed A Year of Slowcooking then you need to hop on over to Totally Together Journal soon because Stephanie O'Dea going to helping us again.

Not only are there some really great tips for getting your act together but each day this year she's posted a quick tip or reminder for how to keep things pulled together around the house.

The one that I'm working on, in a modified form is the Daily 7, which are:

Number 1: Make Beds Right Away

Number 2: Do One Complete Load of Laundry

Number 3: Empty All Garbage Cans

Number 4: Keep Your Kitchen Sink Empty

Number 5: Clean Up After Yourself and Help Children Do the Same

Number 6: Bathroom Wipe-Down

Number 7: Before Bed 10-Minute Clean Up

But this is how I works in reality for me.
#1: I don't care about beds. I never have. This comes from the fact that no one ever spent any portion of the day at my house growing up. I generally pull up the duvet when I get out of bed and that's the extent of it. I do the same to the girls beds.
#2: This is a reality in our house. I set the washer late at night - a habit I got into when we were on the critical-peak power pilot - and I put it away in the morning after the girls go to school.
#3: Um, not so much. Trash gets taken out when I get a chance or it gets too smelly. Which is usually the same thing.
#4: This is the way I am already. I empty the dishwasher at breakfast time and load it as I go throughout the day. I am, however, the only one in my house who does this. Not that I notice.
#5: We're working on this. Comfort and Joy are 4 and 3, respectively, so it's a slow process but I never forget to clean up after myself. It's reality in my house.
#6: I'm working on this and finding it easier to get in my pattern than I thought I would. I mean, with potty training it's not like I'm not in the bathroom a great deal of the day. Instead of just sitting around uttering encouraging words I get out the Clorox wipes and do the wipe down.
#7: This was something we started doing over the holidays while the girls were home from school. Too much indoor playtime had turned our living room into a total wreck. Now we have clean up time when we change activities, like moving from coloring time to eating or reading to bedtime. It's still mostly me putting things away but the girls are doing their part and that's the point.

The point is to do a little bit all along so that it's not entirely overwhelming. Also, it's good to get the kids involved as soon as we can. They learn from us and their future roommates and spouses will thank us for instilling good habits in them at this early age. Believe me. I know.