New term chores list

Today is the first day of term with children for John and we are also back off to baby college today.  I have just been doing my Monday jobs.  I didn't really see do my chores thoroughly while it was the holidays, but started them again last week while John had a week of inset days.  I realised that there were some I forgot to do as I was no longer checking the list on the blog so decided to make a list that I could have out.  I sat down to do that this morning when I remembered the blackboard with days I had.  I also added on the other jobs that I have been wanting to do which I put down to specific days last week to help me get them done.

I am still enjoying this and finding it manageable and helpful.

Expanding weekly chores

I started my weekly chores and wrote the blog post about them not knowing how I would get on. I am proud to say that I have been doing them for three weeks now and haven't missed a day.  It has also really helped me to relax in between times knowing that I will see to it on its designated day. Sometimes I might have done something a day ahead if I know I'm going to be busy that day, which is a nice feeling.  Bins I have found hard to do when I am at home during the day with Bonnie so sometimes I have done that on a different evening, but it is a good mental check for me on a Tuesday to see if they have been done or still need doing.  I have also noticed the slight stress over areas that aren't covered on the weekly schedule feeling I ought to be seeing to them.  So I am keen to expand the list to include some additional chores that I will hopefully get done on the designated day.  So here is the new list:

Daily
wash up
laundry
prepare tea
clear work top area (as clear surfaces are good for John's mental health)

Weekly
Monday - clear out/clean fridge and freezer, clean microwave, kitchen cupboard doors
Tuesday - bins (empty and wipe out), tweezers, oven
Wednesday - bathroom (at least sink and toilet.  include these on a rotation, probably in decreasing order of frequency: end of bath, shower unit, shower screen, floor, towel rail, shelving unit
Thursday - Bonnie's room, bedding/towels wash
Friday - hoover (ready for any visitors at the weekend!), wipe room doors, tidy up lounge, patio window area.

I feel really happy about this list.  I think it has pretty much everywhere covered now and the days seem do-able.  I also really like the mentality that I don't have to do everything for the day every week.  As long as some of it gets done and I do the most noticable and pressing bits for that day, then I will feel good.  For example today, Monday, I have looked through food in fridge, cleaned one door shelf, wiped entire front of fridge and freezer, cleaned microwave, wiped one cupboard door.

I found it interesting that I haven't put anything down for the weekends.  That did make me feel rather lazy this weekend, especially as John had a big sort of some places.  But I do think I want to try and keep weekends flexible.

Hope to come back with an update at some point.  It's three weeks till the summer holidays so I would definitely like to keep it up till then, but not sure what will happen after that. 

Weekly chores

I'm enjoying blogging on my new blog, but felt this was a post more suited to here than there. I have now given the new blog address to two people and I think from the stats that one of them has looked at it, but that could just have been me!

Anyway, back to the chores.  When John first went back to work, my aim for the day was a shower and to do the washing up.  I had a list of other things I would like to get done at some point but they were non-essential and could be done at any point if the situation arrived. I was also really lucky that my mum and in-laws were very keen to help out and do jobs when they visited.  Aren't I a lucky new mummy.  So I started a list of things that I used to do, but wasn't doing anymore.  It included things like cleaning the inside of the microwave. 

Now that I was 6 weeks into this new routine, I decided I could start a daily household chore and I lay in bed coming up with ideas.  So I wrote them down, stuck it on the fridge and I have now done a week of it and am feeling very pleased to have accomplished them all.  I am not giving myself a particular time to do it during the day, the hope is that just at some point time (or Bonnie) will allow me to do it.  So here's the list:

Daily
wash up
laundry
prepare tea

Weekly
Monday - clear out/clean fridge and freezer
Tuesday - bins (empty and wipe out)
Wednesday - bathroom
Thursday - Bonnie's room
Friday - hoover (ready for any visitors at the weekend!)

Now I don't have to clean the whole bathroom every Wednesday.  I just need to do a bit of it each week. So this week I did the toilet, sink, outside of shower screen and end of the bath.  Hopefully next week I will do some of those and the shower head or inside shower screen.  And obviously I don't only empty bins on Tuesday but I want to make sure I clean some of them on a Tuesday.

Last weekend I also redid the meal planner with two weeks worth of simple meals that I felt I'd be able to prepare, more or less anything without a recipe.  I did an online order and have managed to make some of them this week. Here's that list:

Monday - Vegi haggis, vegetable biriyani
Tuesday - CCC
Wednesday - jacket potato, laksa noodles
Thursday - meatballs and linguine, pancakes
Friday - sausage and mash, pasta bake
Saturday - salmon tikka, fish finger baguette
Sunday - veg lasagne, wraps

I did slightly more complicated ones (well, the lasagne) at the weekend, thinking we might be out and so I wouldn't have to make it that much, but if so would hopefully have more time!  I am keen to keep these meals for a while, but I know John tends to get bored of the same thing after a while.

I wonder how long I will keep all of this up?!