Once A Week Master List

Once A Week

Dining Room

Clean Vent Hose

Sweep

Wash Floor

Wash Top and Outside of Freezer

Wash Top and Outside of Fridge

Wash Top and Outside of Washer

Wash Inside Washer

Wash Top and Outside of Dryer

Wash Inside Dryer

Move Shoes to Shoe Bin

Make Sure Backpacks, coats, etc are put away

Clean Out Fridge

Pick Up Trash In Back Yard

Rake Back Yard

Trim Grass etc. in Back Yard

Kitchen

Bake 3 loaves Amish Bread

Bake 2 loaves Wheat Bread

Wash Floor

Wash Floor

Bleach Countertops

Clean Out Fridge

Clean Stove and Hood

Volcano Sink

Living Room

Stock Diapers

Clean off Mom’s Table

Clean Off small Couch Table

Clean Off Large Couch Table

Put Shoes in Shoe Bin

Put Toys Away

Clean off and dust TV (includes putting movies away)

Move Dad’s Chair, Sweep Underneath

Move Small Couch Table, Sweep Underneath

Move Large Couch Table, Sweep Underneath

Move Small Couch Table, Sweep Underneath

Move Small Couch, Sweep Underneath

Move Large Couch, Sweep Underneath

Move Toy Bins, Sweep Underneath

Straighten Books on Bookshelf

Move Kids’ Table, Sweep Underneath

Wash Visible Floor (Including Under kids table and small couch table)

Lysol Couch Bed

Dust Electronics and CDs

Hallways

Sweep Back Hallway

Wash Back Hallway

Mom and Dad’s Room

Strip, Lysol and Make Bed

Wash Floor

Make Sure lost toys are returned

Straighten Closet

Return Empty Hangers

Sweep Floor

Pick up Misc. Stuff

Lysol Curtains

Lysol Kayla’s Blanket

Bathroom

Clean Mirror

Clean Sink and Vanity

Clean Out, Organize and Wash Aimee’s Drawer

Clean Out, Organize and Wash Saren’s Drawer

Clean Out, Organize and Wash Nikki’s Drawer

Clean Front of Cabinet

Clean Toilet

Clean Tub

Wash Floor

Change Trash Bag

Girls’ Room

Strip, Lysol and Make Aria’s Bed

Strip, Lysol and Make Aimee’s Bed

Lysol Curtains

Pick Up Aimee’s Clothes

Pick up and Put Away Aimee’s Stuff

Make Sure All of Aimee’s Clean Clothes are Away

Return Aimee’s Empty Hangers

Consolidate Aimee’s Pants

Beat Rugs

Sweep Floor

Straighten Aimee’s Desk

Straighten Aimee’s Dresser

Straighten Nikki’s Vanity

Straighten Nikki’s Dresser

Pick Up Nikki’s Clothes

Pick up and put away Nikki’s Stuff

Make Sure all of Nikki’s Clean Clothes are Away

Return Nikki’s Empty Hangers

Consolidate Nikki’s Pants

Straighten Aimee’s Shoes

Wash Big Mirror

Straighten Bookshelf

Clean and Sweep Under Bunk Bed

Clean and Sweep Under Aria’s Bed

Wash Floor (Including under beds, desk, vanity, toy bin)

Clean and Sweep Under Toy Bin

Clean and Sweep Under Aimee’s Desk

Clean and Sweep Under Nikki’s Vanity

Sort Laundry Saturday

Sort Laundry Wednesday

Strip, Make and Lysol Nikki’s Bed

Clean and Sweep Behind Door

15 Minutes In Room

Boys’ Room

Strip, Lysol and Make Roan’s Bed

Strip, Lysol and Make Saren’s Bed

Lysol Curtains

Pick Up Saren’s Clothes

Pick Up Toys

Make Sure All of Saren’s clean clothes are put away

Return Saren’s Empty Hangers

Consolidate Saren’s Pants

Sweep Floor

Clean Off and Organize Saren’s Dresser

Clean Off and Organize Roan’s Dresser

Clean Off and Organize Shelf

Clean Off and Organize Table

Clean and Sweep Under Bunk Bed

Clean and Sweep Under Dresser

Clean and Sweep Under Shelf

Clean and Sweep Under Table

Clean and Sweep Behind Door

Wash Floor

15 Minutes In Room

Sort Laundry Wednesday

Sort Laundry Saturday

Spring Cleaning: Redoing Chore Lists

Part of our Spring and Fall Cleaning is redoing chore lists. This allows the children to rotate chores they aren't particularly fond of, to make adjustments for schedules, as well as adjustments for increased abilites (for instance, this time around, our two year old, Roan, has one daily chore, picking up toys, and one weekly chore, making sure all assorted shoes scattered about the house make it to the shoe bin).

Now I have yet to find a chore system that really works smoothly for us. Oh sure, most chores get done, but some always fall to the wayside and in general it's a hot button issue around here. So I have yet again come up with some different chore sheets, that require each chore to be checked off. Checking something without actually doing it results in punishment. Not checking when it's not done results in punishment. Not checking when it IS done results in "Please remember to check these off" discussion. Then twice a day (the kids have AM and PM chores) I can go through and check to make sure it's done.

I did things a little differently this time. I made a master list, room by room, divided by Daily, Weekly, and Monthly. I also included DH on the chore list-even though he's working, he can take out the trash and deal with the yard. And if it's on a list he will remember to do it. Once I get the master list done, I sit down and assign chores. I used to have the kids volunteer, but the harder or ickier chores always got left to me. Not that I mind doing my share of the work, I mean, that's my job, but I do need some help with more time consuming stuff. The master list seems long, but I have broken down things like "Clean Bathroom" and "Clean Bedroom" into specific tasks, as the middles are always asking "What should I do next?" Once chores are assigned, I create individual daily, weekly and monthly chore lists. Each month I print new ones. Chore lists are stored in a notebook with dividers so each person can get to their list every day (they quickly get memorized, so all they usually need to do is check them off when they're done).

So today I will include the Master List. You'll see "Food Assignment 1, 2, 3, 4" on there. What that is, is food prep stuff that isn't needed for the next few days' meals, such as making biscuit mix or gatorade mix, cooking bulk chicken broth or baking treats for summer when it's too hot to bake. I try to fill the freezer with cookies and muffins and cupcakes-supplemented with no bake treats, so that we don't have to "buy" treats and snacks.

Over the next several days I will post the actual chore lists-they aren't completely done yet and I'm also working on next month's menus.

Once A Day

Dining Room

Fold Laundry

Wash/Dry Laundry

Wash/Dry Laundry

Wash/Dry Laundry

Wash/Dry Laundry

Kitchen

Load and Start Dishwasher

Load and Start Dishwasher

Load and Start Dishwasher (as needed)

One Prep Item

Take Tomorrow’s Food out to thaw

Veggies out to thaw or chop fresh

Dinner

Fix Breakfast

Pack Lunches

Wipe Down Counters and Sink

Feed Sourdough Starter

Wipe Down Stove

Take Out Trash (AM)

Sweep (AM)

Sweep (PM)

Unload Dishwasher (AM)

Unload Dishwasher (PM)

Make Ice

Living Room

Febreeze Furniture and Drapes

Pick up Toys (AM)

Pick up Toys (PM)

Sweep (AM)

Sweep (PM)

Clean Off Kids’ Table After Breakfast

Clean Off Kids’ Table After Lunch

Clean Off Kids’ Table After Dinner

Hallways

Pick up and Sweep Main Walkway

Feed and Water Kayla (AM)

Feed and Water Kayla (PM)

Mom and Dad’s Room

Febreeze Furniture, Closet and Drapes

Pick up dirty clothes

Put Away Dad’s Clean Clothes

Put Away Mom’s Clean Clothes

Put Away Aria’s Clean Clothes

Bathroom

Lysol

Clean Sink

Dump Trash

Straighten Vanity

Pick Up Towels, Rags, Clothes etc from floor

Girls’ Room

Febreeze Furniture, Closet and Drapes

Make Aimee’s Bed

Put Aimee’s Laundry In Basket

Make Nikki’s Bed

Put Nikki’s Laundry In Basket

5 Minute Room Pick Up Aimee

5 Minute Room Pick Up Nikki

Put Away Aimee’s Clean Clothes

Put Away Nikki’s Clean Clothes

Boys’ Room

Febreeze Furniture, Closet and Drapes

Make Saren’s Bed

Saren’s Laundry In Basket

5 Minute Room Pickup

Put Away Saren’s Clean Clothes

Put Away Roan’s Clean Clothes

Also, a note on our dining room...because we're in an apartment, we have an apartment sized portable washer and dryer, located in there. Also in there are our chest freezer, our second refrigerator, a hoosier and several bins of clothes. There is a hanging rack and an aisle down the middle. It's essentially an all purpose room. So that's why laundry is assigned there. The washer is moved into the kitchen for use but most other laundry chores are done in the DR.

Click here for once a week master list
Click here for once a month master list

Chicken Prices Expected to Rise

According to this story, the price of chicken will decrease sharply in the next several weeks due to plans to slaughter large amounts of chickens because chicken farmers can’t afford to feed as many with the rising costs of corn and fuel. But once that supply is gone, the prices will go up exponentially. So when you see chicken on sale the next few weeks, buy as much as you can, because in the coming months it will be hugely expensive!

Frugal Money: Laundry Tips

How much per year does it cost to run your dryer? While the amount per load can seem small, it sure adds up over time. I do approximately 20 loads of laundry per week-that’s 1040 per year. I wanted to share some laundry tips that our family uses to help cut down on the cost of laundry.

Let’s start with the basic: Laundry Soap. I was buying the inexpensive Purex, and found that it did a superior job on most loads. Especially icky or smelly loads (remember, Larry is a firefighter) needed a little help, so for those loads I use a higher end soap like Tide. There are numerous recipes online for home made laundry soap, and most of them do a wonderful job. Plus, because you choose the soap base, you control any ingredients and scents in your soap-so allergy issues decline. I have switched to making my own laundry soap, again except for those icky or smelly loads. I still use the higher end soap for those, but I only need to buy it once, maybe twice a year. I probably save about $100/year doing this.

Then there’s the washer. Consumer Reports did a comparison of washers, and found that they all work pretty much the same. So if you’re in a market for a washer, purchase what you can afford, but don’t worry about the higher end models, because you aren’t going to get any more bang for the buck. I’d bet the same goes for dryers.

Fabric softener is something we all use a lot of. I don’t use liquid fabric softener-I don’t remember to put it in at the rinse cycle because I’m usually doing something else, and I forget to fill those little balls. I do add vinegar to jeans, and that helps with the stiffness when they are being air dried. I do, however, use the little sheets for the dryer. To help save money, I cut them in thirds. They still work just as well, I don’t have static issues and the clothes are nice and soft. I buy the large boxes that do 120 loads, so I’m getting 360 loads out of them (actually more because I don’t use them if I’m using the dryer for jeans). If I used them full size, I’d use about 9 boxes a year, at about $5.00 each, for $45.00. Because I cut them in thirds, I use about 3 boxes per year, saving $30.

Now onto drying. Using your dryer can be one of the largest energy costs for a family. Over the course of a year, I probably dry 50% of my laundry. It’s much more in warmer months, much less in the winter. I have a clothesline outside, but if it’s under about 40 degrees outside then it’s useless. That takes out about half of December, all of January, and a good chunk of February. Where we live right now, my clothesline is surrounded on three sides by dirt roads, so when it’s windy, which is most of spring, afternoons in summer, and a good chunk of fall, I can’t use the clothesline or my clothes come in dirtier than before I washed them! I solved that problem by using two indoor hanging racks (I’ll be adding a third one before this winter). The average dryer uses about 5 KW of energy per hour. Our KWH price is $.14. So to dry one load costs about $.70. Not too bad for one load, but at 1040 loads per year, I’d be spending $728 per year. By drying half my laundry, I’m saving our family $364 per year.

Using these methods has helped me save our family almost $500 per year. Now, that’s not going to pay for a vacation, or fund our retirement, but it is money that can be used in other areas, such as gas or paying down old debt.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Today will largely be spent playing outside and putting the house back together. After the last day of school, and our whirlwind kid exchange, everything is in chaos. I’m going to help Nikki make herself a treasure box, thanks to KimC at Life In a Shoe. I’m hoping this will cut down on some of the clutter in the girls’ room.

But before we do, I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our men and women in Military Service today, as well as to all of those Veterans out there who don’t get nearly enough praise. And to the families of service members who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice, my prayers are with you every single day. Thank you so much for fighting for my freedom, those who came before me, and those who come after me. May God’s will be done.

Did you know that Xerox sponsors a site where you can send a card to a soldier? It’s at LetsSayThanks.com. Take a few minutes today to send a card to a soldier to thank them for what they do!

Frugal Money: Three meals in one, Beef Roast

Being on a tight budget, for whatever reason, means you need to make the most of your food usage, limiting waste and cutting down on portions of the more expensive parts of the meal.

On Sundays, we generally have what I call "Big Hunks of Meat Night". That means instead of our usual casserole or some dish that uses less meat, we have what most of America considers a regular dinner. Roast, chicken, meatloaf, etc. I use more meat on those nights, but then try to use less throughout the week, supplementing protein with beans, cheeses and eggs. However, even on those nights when we have a lot of meat, I try to make the most of what I'm preparing. Those two extra pieces of chicken will get frozen with some side dish for Larry's lunches. If we're doing hamburgers on the grill, I will make some extra for lunches.

Roast presents many unique opportunities (by the way, I often use brisket as a substitute for roast-it's usually half the price of what I can get roast for even on sale, and while it's a small bit dryer, it's just as tasty-just cut a large brisket {not corned beef brisket} into thirds for roast sized portions). When I cook a roast, I do it in the crock pot with enough water to cover. I add salt, pepper, garlic and onion, and let it do it's thing all day. When it's done cooking, I take two cups of the very flavorful broth to make gravy with cornstarch. I take about half the meat out for serving that night. I remove the rest immediately-if it's still in the crock pot, someone will try to take it! If I have time, I process a bit that night, if not, I put it in a large bowl and put it in the fridge to do the next morning.

When I process it, I take half the remaining meat, and one cup of broth, and set aside for stroganoff. I will add the meat and broth to a mushroom broth, thicken with cornstarch, add sour cream and a bit of worcestershire sauce, and then serve over noodles.

The remainder is set aside for soup or stew. When I"ve let it sit in the fridge overnight, I'm able to skim the fat off, making it a much healthier meal.

Those additional meal portions are either frozen or served later in the week. This time of year I definitely freeze the soup portion, as it's generally too warm here for soup...but it sure is nice to have after that first cold snap in the fall!

I hope this helps you make better use of your food budget!

The Kid Exchange

Oh, how I hate kid exchange. I've posted that I was married before, and divorced...at least I think I have. That was a long time ago, and it's been dealt with between God and I. So, for the summer, my two oldest kids go to see their dad. I absolutely hate it. It feels like I've lost an arm or something. They are a part of me and now they aren't here.

This summer, just Saren goes. Aimee, at 16, is working, and there is summer basketball this year, so she wants to stay here. Saren had planned on staying, but decided last minute that he wants to go. The kid exchange has to be today, due to other summer plans that dad has going on. Saren decided...last night.

So I was up until 3 am doing laundry, and am still doing laundry this morning. Larry wants to leave in 20 minutes and laundry isn't done LOL. The last load is in the dryer, but still. I will still have to fold it and put it into bags. I am quite OCD about how I pack, so it's all laying out in neat piles on the bed right now. I'm highly emotional after 2ish hours of sleep and I know it's because I had gotten my heart set on Saren staying here. It would be the first summer they've been here in five years.

I know that's selfish, and I'm really trying hard not to be. Their dad doesn't see them very often. They don't live tremendously far away, but his days off are stable and he's subject to call in, so we can't just take them down for a weekend. We meet about 2 hours away and drop them off. And I hate it every single time. He gets them every other holiday and spring break, and as much as he wants during the summer. Saren will be gone for two months. I know that he will have a good time with his dad, and I'm not at all worried about his dad's ability to take care of him. I just hate him being gone.

So I'm sitting here at the computer working on my blog because if I go sit down on the nice comfy couch in the living room I will be asleep in about 3 nanoseconds. It's going to get real fun around here once Larry leaves and Aimee goes to work. Me and Nikki and the two littles. Just how little sleep can one get through a day on?

I love you, Saren, have a great time.

My boys, Saren and Roan.