Organizing Our Chaos

Have you ever had that niggling feeling that something is wrong, but can't quite place a finger on it? It's kind of like when you feel someone staring at you and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but when you look around, no one is to be found.

That's the feeling I've had for some time now. Not the somebody staring part, but that "off" feeling of unfinished business.

After nearly 24 years of marriage, I've finally figured it out.

It's called disorganization.

Thanks to a book called, "Large Family Logistics", by Kim Brenneman, that niggling is about to come to an end.

In theory anyway.

According to Kim, who is herself a mother of 9 children, (no relation), there is a way to giterdone without doing yourself in. She designates her days of the week to specific tasks. Everyone in her family knows what is going to happen on that day, and in an "orderly" fashion, tasks are completed. (Call me a cynic, but I'm still uncertain that the words family and orderly can be used in the same sentence!) Unlike her, in my house, my attention to detail and time-management issues keeps me from completing anything. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but as a homemaker, I want my home to be a reflection of who I am.

Right now, that reflection could shatter mirrors.

Using Kim's technique, my Mister and I came up with our own plan. Well, mostly we copied her plan, but it's in our house, so it's uniquely ours.

In theory.

Here's how our plan looks...

~Monday~Laundry Day

*All sheets are stripped from beds in the morning to be washed

*Vacuum mattresses

*Dog bedding gets washed

*Bath day for the dogs

*Make laundry soap, if needed

~Tuesday~Town Day~Crockpot Day

*Appointments

*Groceries

*Feed store

*Pick up medications

*Banking

~Wednesday~Office Day

*Pay bills

*Go over budget

*File school papers

*Work on lesson planners for following week

~Thursday~Kitchen Day

*Take inventory

*Clean fridges

*Make yogurt

*Bake bread

*Cook freezer meals, if needed

~Friday~Cleaning Day

*Deep clean entire house

*Mop

*Wash windows

~Saturday~Gardening/Outside Day

~Fall/Winter~

*Fill wood-rack

*Clean/vacuum out cars

*Clean garage

*Sweep porches

*Clean animal pens

*Organize the rubber boot closet

~Spring/Summer~

*Wash cars

*Mow lawns

*Weed garden/flowerbeds

*Cut firewood/fill woodshed

*Maintain animal pens and chicken coop

*Organize the rubber boot closet (Because our children wear rubber boots year-round! And yes, it gets gross.)

~Sunday~Day of rest and relaxation!

Enjoy family time

I used to think that our home was "organized chaos", but have come to the conclusion that there was nothing organized about it. Sometimes there is so much to do, that it's easier mentally to not do anything at all. There's a saying that goes something like this, "The faster I go, the more behind I get." Doing anything, without purpose, keeps our progress to a minimum.

It also keeps the bedsheets from being washed.