Chores!!!

People always ask me about chores...what age? How much?

Well I am known for having the world's largest job chart...
My motto is: "If it needs to be done...then find someone to do it!"
The funny question is, "how do you get them to do it?" Well, you gotta be mean...you were not put on this earth to be your kids buddy...but to teach them responsibility and a good work ethic.

One of my favorite stories was when my Barbara was about five. I was sitting on the couch nursing the baby at the time. When I told her to do her jobs...she looked at me and said, "What are your jobs!!!???" I looked her in the face (trying not to laugh) and said, "I am doing my job...the most important job of all. Feeding the baby and making sure you guys do your jobs!" Well, she is almost 16 now and she still has a mouth on her!

Does your kid have a life? Don't they want to play with friends, the computer, an ipod, the wii, use their phone, go on facebook? If they want a life...than they do their jobs!!!

By best advice about how to make a job chart is to sit down a couple of nights and look around your house. Think about what frustrates you...what frustrates your husband? (cuz, it isn't gonna work if you don't tailor it to your family, your house, your circumstances!)

Me: I looked around my house and saw...the front hall a mess...so when a friend or neighbor came by I was too embarrassed to let them in...so, I keep my front room clean and the hallway. No one is allowed upstairs for various reasons and we try to tidy up the downstairs as much as possible. Also, I am very disappointed at the end of the day if I didn't have a chance to read to the babies or play a game with the preschooler...

So some jobs on the job chart are: clean front hall/clean living room/read to kids/play game with kids

My Husband: He hated pulling up the street after a long day at work and seeing our house look like an orphanage with bikes, strollers, scooters, helmets, car seats, balls, etc...all over the yard. He also hates when he opens the van door and three shoes and five water bottles fall out...

So some jobs on the job chart are: clean front yard/clean front porch/clean car

So make it work for your family. I really like what Mommy Matters Blog says about jobs:

From Barbara Curtis:

AGE APPROPRIATE CHORES

Each child has his own timetable, so ages are suggested and approximate. Ages given are on the early side; for boys, who mature more slowly, add six months to ages given.

1 1/2 years:

Getting diaper for self or new baby
Putting disposable diaper in trash
Picking up small items from floor
Shutting cabinet doors
Turning on dishwasher

2 years:

Putting away toys
Unloading dishwasher — putting away plastic dishes and cups

2 1/2 years

“Folding” napkins
Helping set table
Putting away silverware
Peeling carrots
Pouring measured items into mixing bowl
Putting away broom and dustpan.

3 years:

Dusting lower shelves
Emptying small trash cans
Carrying stacks of clothes to rooms

4 years:

Feeding baby
Putting away books
Further dusting
Sorting recyclables

5 years:

Making bed
Setting table
Feeding pets
General straightening of rooms

6 years:

Pouring milk for family meals
Clearing table
Emptying trash
Weeding
General folding
Polishing silver, brass.

7 years:

Vacuuming
Loading dishwasher
Sweeping floor
Opening cans
Cleaning windows
Helping with grocery shopping

8 years:

Washing pans
Cleaning bathrooms
Beginning cooking skills
Sewing buttons
Helping with grocery list

9–10 years:

Changing baby’s diapers
Helping with meal planning
Further cooking skills
Washing car

At this age, the child should be able to learn any housekeeping skill, as long as you are willing to teach him. Certain skills, such as ironing, mowing lawn, and babysitting for siblings depend on maturity level and/or family circumstances. Parents know best.

------isn't she so wise!

See some of my older posts on this subject here! Or of course my hubby will make you laugh when you read this!

I could talk for days about this...but, I gotta go do my chores!!!
THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Window Cleaner?

What's your favorite?

I like:

2 cups rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup ammonia
1 tsp dish detergent (liquid)
top with water until you have 1 gallon of window cleaner

See all sorts of suggestions here:

Window Cleaning Tips

• Spray windows with preferred cleaner solution then wipe clean with crumpled newspapers. The newspaper helps prevent streaks.
• Avoid cleaning windows and glass when the sun is hot and shining on the window–glass will dry too fast and there will be streaks.
• Also wash one side of the window in an up and down direction, on the other side scrub side to side. This will help determine which side of the glass has the streaks that need to be polished out.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Change of Season Advice:

1. If it doesn't fit another kid next year...give it away.

2. If it is torn, stained, ripped, or needs repair...get rid of it.

3. After you have stored away clothes, put a under the bed storage box for those remaining seasonal clothes that keep showing up. Then next season you wont be in a hurry to get out the next season, you will have about 3 outfits to wear before you need to get out all of the clothes.

4. Really we all have way too many clothes...me especially. I think 10 outfits per season is good for the little guys. My teens have way-way too many clothes. But take 10 times 14 and you get a messy house like me. This place looks like a consignment shop most of the time.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

CLEANING WITH VINEGAR:

I FOUND A COOL CLEANING WITH VINEGAR SITE HERE.

Windows - Cleaning with Vinegar

Many different vinegar cleaning solutions have been used for dirty windows. Here are two of the easier ones:
Window

* 1) Use a 50/50 white vinegar water solution for normal dirt.
* 2) Use full strength warm vinegar for very dirty windows or windows that have dried paint or hard-water mineral spots.


Spray on the vinegar solution then wipe dry with a paper towel.
Alternatively, some people use crumpled up newspapers dipped in or sprayed with vinegar solution to wipe the glass, followed by a dry paper towel or crumpled up newspaper.
Why newspapers? Because they don't leave any lint behind, they are readily available, cheap and recyclable.

Another widely used vinegar formulation that is my favorite for cleaning windows, involves mixing white vinegar, water and rubbing alcohol(70%) as follows:

* 2 cups Water (500 ml)
* 1/2 cup Vinegar (125 ml)
* 1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol (60 ml)


Those who use it claim that it works just like expensive commercial products and I certainly agree!

SPRING CLEANING:

LENT=GOD'S SPRING CLEANING

Here are some "real" spring cleaning tips.

But I really need these:

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE


1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
-Do I give God time every day in prayer? ***
-Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
-Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
-Do I seek to surrender myself to God´s word as taught by the Church?
-Have I ever received communion in the state of mortal sin?
-Have I ever deliberately told a lie in Confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in Confession?
-Are there other "gods" in my life? Money, Security, Power, People, etc.?

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
-Have I used God´s name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
-Have I been angry with God?
-Have I wished evil upon any other person?
-Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord´s Day.
-Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
-Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest? ***
-Do I do needless work on Sunday?

4. Honor your father and your mother.
-Do I honor and obey my parents?
-Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
-Have I given my family good religious example?
-Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
-Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives? ***

5. You shall not kill.
-Have I had an abortion or encouraged or helped anyone to have an abortion?
-Have I physically harmed anyone?
-Have I abused alcohol or drugs?
-Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading him or her into sin?
-Have I been angry or resentful?
-Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
-Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
-Have I encouraged or condoned sterilization?
-Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against human life such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization?
-Have I participated in or approved of euthanasia?

6. You shall not commit adultery.
-Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
-Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage?
-Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
-Has each sexual act in my marriage been open to the transmission of new life?
-Have I been guilty of masturbation?
-Do I seek to control my thoughts and imaginations?
-Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as mere objects?
-Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
-Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words,actions?
-Am I careful to dress modestly?

7. You shall not steal.
-Have I stolen what is not mine?
-Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
-Do I waste time at work, school, and home? ***
-Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
-Do I pay my debts promptly?
-Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
-Have I cheated anyone out of what is justly theirs, for example creditors, insurance companies, big corporations?

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Have I lied? Have I gossiped?
-Do I speak badly of others behind their back?
-Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
-Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others? ***
-Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?
-Have I injured the reputation of others by slanders?

9. You shall not desire your neighbor´s wife.
-Have I consented to impure thoughts?
-Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, television, conversation or curiosity?
-Do I pray at once to banish impure thoughts and temptations?
-Have I behaved in an inappropriate way with members of the opposite sex: flirting, being superficial, etc.?

10. You shall not desire your neighbor´s goods.
-Am I jealous of what other people have?
-Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
-Am I greedy or selfish?
-Are material possessions the purpose of my life?

Wow...Isn't Lent amazing...If I could get my soul and my house in order...All would be well!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

House cleaning:

People ask me how I do it all the time...especially housework---it bothers me-after my 8th I couldn't believe how much time I spent nursing. I have never been a good housewife...too sangiuine for that. I have found a couple of tricks to help maintain sanity around here:

1. leave front room/house clean...everything else whatever
2. ask friends/neighbors/etc to help fold, or read to kids/etc while you do it...
3. have kids do it/ the fly lady says a poorly swept kitchen is better than none at all...it gets better when they are older...
4. I do have a lady come clean my bathrooms once a month...she charges $21 an hour and an older lady helps with school who charges $5 an hour but I pay her $10 because I love her so much she comes about 3 hours a week sometimes once sometimes twice...
5.I also have had teens over to play with the kids, even 10 year old neighbors who love kids can play with a toddler while I clean up the house.

Don't have too high expectations. But try to maintain order...I am a happier mom/teacher when I can find my stuff+++

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Declutter? Who me?

I have found out my problem (see below)...I am really bad about cleaning...I will take an outing at any time over cleaning. I am very bad about up keep of my home. I am a big time stash and dasher!!! I also don't ever let anyone up stairs...It is one thing to get downstairs picked up, but one day I dream of my entire house clean at one time.

I know it is a problem, but I also am happy to entertain or have over company at the drop of a hat, and for my kids to envite over friends. We have guests over almost every day...I will continue to thank God for my patient husband and hopefully chip away at my cleaning problem.

So come on over...and btw...watch your step!!!

Simplify your domestic church

“Sanguine Stash and Dash”

The Sanguines are social butterflies and tend to put community in front of domestic duties. A woman with this personality will excuse her mess with a wave of her hand...


THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

House keeping:

I have been asked how I keep my house clean...well after my 8Th i couldn't believe how much time I spent nursing and had to reevaluate some things...at that time I used the flylady and tried to reclaim my home...I try to live day by day to these ideas.

By no means is my houses neat but to those of you without big guys to help try this:

1. leave front room/house clean...everything else whatever (upstairs is last to get clean)
2. ask friends/neighbors/etc to help fold laundry, read to kids/etc... while you clean
3. have kids do it/ the fly lady says a poorly swept kitchen is better than none at all...it gets better when they are older...
4. I do have a lady comes clean my bathrooms once a month...she charges $21 an hour and an older lady help with school for a ministry who charges $5 an hour but I try to pay her more because I love her so; she come about 3 hours a week.
5.I also have had teens over to play with the kids, even 10 year old neighbors who love kids can play with a toddler while I clean up the house.
6. Have a flexible schedule, with a job chart!!!

90% of the time the front room is clean...kinda my haven and the first thing my husband/others see.

EXCEPT THIS DAY:

Well the other morning I got caught totally off guard...I had early morning unexpected guests. Usually I love "pop in hellos" but this time I looked like a slob, my kitchen area was a disaster...(eggs still in pan, cereal out, stuff on the floor, kids everywhere doing school, and piles of stuff laying around) Pretty much typical but definitely not company ready!!! The worst part was it was my oldest child's gorgeous god-mother who looks like a model and is due with her 3rd the same time I am. Of course she looked typically stunning and me in my jeans and ponytail!!! She hadn't stopped by in years...days of all days!!! To make matters worse...her husband, an ex-boyfriend of mine was with her. So I just welcomed them in and kinda kicked the stuff out of the way!!!

Maybe it will motivate my to keep on top of things more...Just thought I would share some real life blogging with you!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

The muck of sin...

Do you have sin build up? I do...As I was cleaning the window behind my kitchen sink today, I noticed how much muck and build up had accumulated in just a short time. Wow, after I cleaned it, I could see better and clearer. The window area had such a nice shine to it.

All I could think about was my life of sin...how one small sin builds upon another and another. Or weight...one pound here, another here...one cookie isn't so bad, but how much easier it is to grab another and another...Life is a constant battle of wills...saying no to our self and yes to God or to the "healthier" decision. And Wow, after a good confession, I can see better and clearer!!! My life has such a nice shine to it.

So, it is time to get back to my "Hot spots" that I learned about seven years ago from the FLYLADY. Those hot spots in my home and in my soul. Lent is a great time to renew these problems I have!!! Baby steps...

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

House cleaning:

I have a confession to make: my kids do most of the cleaning...

Oh yea, the cooking too!!! Yes, that is my 12 year old hugging the blender she got for Christmas...

Now you know..."how I do it!!!"

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

CLEANING AND DECLUTTERING...

As I clean up stairs...my husband watches the baby!!!

oh yea...I'm the mom...

I am the youngest of nine...I always had someone cleaning up after me...I just realized that I am the mom...I know-I have been a mom for over 18 years...but, when I see the junk on the floor...I'm the mom...and someone bigger than me is not going to automatically pick it up!!! (so, I need to build the HABIT to just do it, or tell my kids to do it)

I hate cleaning...I am not a natural neat person...I would love to be more like Martha...but, I am much more like Mary...I have just come to the realization that I need to be neater, but accept that I WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO WORK ON IT!!! I just can't buy the right stuff to clean, organize, or help me(trust me I am always looking for the magic wand)...I have to just work on it each and every second of every day!!!

OUCH!!!

After reading Elizabeth Foss's blog about homemaking, I felt as if she had just been at my home...I have ll children, I find it important to do apostolate that fits my state in life...I also try to keep the "social" parts of my home tidy...people think my house is together and sometimes wonder how I do it. My family doesn't get the "treatment" our guests do...our upstairs is scary...my room is usually the last to clean, and I have LOTS of hiding places for my junk.

My mom was an amazing cleaner and was a wonderful example of homemaking to me...I guess I just wasn't interested in learning those traits. Being the youngest of nine and the fifth daughter I wasn't expected to do as much as I should of.

I agree with all Elizabeth says and I am slowly spending time trying to rid my house of my clutter...room by room. I have tried organizational tools over and over again...but, in a day everything is back to its crazy messy self. So, I decided to start over. I will spend this spring and summer gutting the entire upstairs, so to start over. This way I can start from scratch. I will post along the way...it is good to be accountable.

People are VERY generous to us!!! They give us everything. Clothes, toys, furniture, shoes, toys, and some more toys...I plan on monitoring EVERYTHING that comes in. I need to watch my own weakness and be prudent on what we keep. I have talked with the kids about Christmas...we will just get new bedroom furniture, bed spreads, the necessities...we also celebrate seven winter birthdays...so toys and stuff are usually everywhere!!!I have always wanted to do a post on the perfect toy...guess what...there isn't...I have decided the perfect toy is a sibling!!!

I pray that someday I too will be able to give my family "Guest Treatment"!!!
+JMJ+

Job Charts...

We have used job charts for about six years. Mainly because I forget what I had for breakfast more or less who did dishes yesterday...So to remain sane and fair in most respects I have used different job charts. The last couple of years it has become INDUSTRIAL due to the size of our family and house.

My advice about making a JOB chart is to see what bothers you at the end of the day...look around your house...what is a mess? What didn't get done...

The next if not first thing to do is to see what bothers your husband? What would he like done before he gets home? Or what things bother him about your home...or "his castle"?

My list looked something like this to start:

1. upset that I didn't get to read to little ones

2. didn't get to play a game with ...

3. didn't have time to work on...with...during school

4. needed to do this...but, was too busy doing...

So I established jobs like:

1. read to kids

2. play game with kids

3. teacher helper

4. helper

Than I looked at what I wanted accomplished before my sweetie got home, because I knew it would make him happy if...

1. the front yard didn't have 4 bikes, 5 helmets, 2 car seats, 3 balls...

2. when he walked in the front door to coats,clothes, and shoes...

3. someone who greeted him and showed excitement

4. dinner being prepared

5. kitchen not destroyed

So I came up with these jobs to help:

1. Front Yard

2. Front Entrance

3. Greet Daddy

4. Dinner Prep

5. Kitchen Helper, sweep, counters, kitchen check

6. Wife being wrapped up in saran wrap to await lover boy...(that's for you sweetie...now everyone knows why we have ll kids!!!)

So It has worked pretty well the last couple of years, with the key being flexible...

EASIEST COOKIE RECIPE IN THE WORLD...

THE EASIEST COOKIE RECIPE IS: 1 Cake mix, 1/2 cup of oil, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup anything (chips, nuts, raisins, etc...) Be creative with mixes and addition. cook 350 for 7-12 min-they will look undercooked but are good and chewy.




COOKIE BARS: 1 carrot cake mix, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of vanilla chips. Cook for 15-25min on 350.

Todays small accomplishment: exercised for 1/2 hour on treadmill...and 10 minutes of doing Denise Austin's BLAST AWAY the pounds indoor walk, while holding my two year old-wow was that a challenge!!! Does that count extra? I figured it did, so I had a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for a treat!!!

CLEANING...

All of you don't know me...I am totally new to this entire blog stuff...but if you did you would know how much I hate cleaning, especially after my 11 kids. Well, since we aren't doing school this week I decided to do some cleaning. It started with the big bathroom mirror, I hate cleaning windows and mirrors...within seconds one of my sweet children touch them, shake their wet hands on them, kiss them, or decide to touch with their grubby hands. So I usually let them stay that way until company. I remembered I bought some glass wet wipes at the Target $store and thought, "what the heck" it can't hurt to try...so I did the mirror and it turned out great!!! Than the windows in the living room...pretty good-just as good as the other stuff I used. It was well worth the $ I spent.

Then I started wiping down the walls behind the dinner table-yuck! I was using a rag with soap on it and scrubbing away, when I remembered my sister gave me a box of those eraser sponges. I had heard they worked great but never seem to find extra money for stuff like that. Well, I did the walls-worked great, tried the white trim-worked great, why not try the wood floors-wonderful...than off to the cabinets-still worked, than to the dishwashers (both of them) still worked great!!! After getting a new sponge I went to the ovens, than the refrigerators, wow, I couldn't believe it. Then off to the scuffs on the front door-no way they could get that...yep, they did!!! Even the outside shutters!!! OK...I got to go and clean some more...HEY HONEY, can't wait till you see the house!!!

Day 2 with my Brawny eraser sponges...gunk off bottom of dishwasher...kick marks off bathroom door: from siblings in need of a potty-quick...marks off wall where green leather chair hit, Christmas tree scrape marks off new kitchen ceiling..GONE-GONE-GONE...Now off to see if I can do commercials for this product...

http://www.frugalfun.com/cleansers.html

Cleaning tip of the day: Open mail in front of the trash can so you can throw away most of it...