Another year has passed. Did you do all things you set out to do? Me neither, but I will say I did a majority of the things I said I would do. I feel good about that, for sure, but there are some things that got left out that are important to me, so I am reassessing these last few days of 2015 and planning for 2016.I work a ton and as a result my house has suffered at times. Even maintaining a Tiny House can be tough when you get super busy with living. Jobs such as cleaning out the fridge, wiping down kitchen shelving, cleaning windows all got overlooked until they couldn't be overlooked any longer. I used to be so much more on top of these things, but all the change in the last year and a half has left me floundering and off routine. Even decorating for holidays, which I happen to enjoy, went by the wayside. So I have decided my first goal of this new year will be mapping the mundane.
Using my calendar program, I am going to schedule all of my chores for the year in advance. All of them including daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annual.
The list I came up with looks like this:
Weekly Household Chores
Monday
- Vacuum carpeted areas
- Bristle broom baseboards
- Sweep non-carpeted areas
- Polish mirrors (bathroom and decorative)
- Swish toilets
- Laundry: Lights
Tuesday
- Shopping list
- Organize/straighten drawers
- Vacuum upholstery
- Change linens
- Laundry: Towels and linens
Wednesday
- Grocery shopping
- Sweep non-carpeted areas
- Vacuum carpeted areas
- Organize/straighten closets
- Recycle bin to curb
- Laundry: Darks
Thursday
- Wipe down door frames, doors, and light switches
- Wipe down washer and dryer
- Scour sinks
- Donation bag/box/items to Goodwill
- Laundry: Colors
Friday
- Dust
- Dust ceiling fans
- Sweep non-carpeted areas
- Water plants
- Laundry: Lights
Saturday
- Wash car
- Brush dogs
- Change sheets
- Clean bathtub
- Organize/straighten vanity
- Laundry: Towels and linens
Sunday
- Calendar Consult - plan upcoming week
- Empty trash can
- Put trash can to curb
- Clean out fridge and freezer
- Sweep/spray down front porch, driveway, and patio
- Laundry: Darks
Weekly Rotation List
1st Week
- Windows inside and out
- Clean out car and vacuum
- Check tire pressure and fluid levels in cars
- Clean top of fridge
- Sweep/tidy up garage
- Dust above kitchen cabinets
2nd Week
- Clean/wipe out shelves in kitchen
- Dust silk plants
- Wash bath mats/rugs
- Clean Oven
3rd Week
- Vacuum under couch, behind furniture, under beds
- Clean window tracks
- Dust Windowsills
4th Week
- Rake yard, add to compost pile
- Trim trees and landscaping
- Stack firewood
- Dust/wash knick knacks
Quarterly (Jan, April, July, October)
- Dogs to groomer
- Wipe out kitchen cabinets
- Touch up paint and caulk around house (as needed)
- Rotate tires and oil change in vehicles
- Replace toothbrushes
Bi-annually
- Detail car
- Wash blinds on windows
- Wash curtains
- Upholstery cleaning (professional as needed)
Annually
- Purge and donate
I like to stay on top of my laundry because I live in a small space. By doing a load each night, drying it in the morning, and putting it away immediately, I forgo large piles of laundry and spending all day once a week doing wash.
Monthly Theme decorating
January
February
- Hearts
March
- Baskets and Eggs
- New wreath on door
April
- Baskets and Eggs
May
- Fresh Flowers
June
July
- Red, white, and blue
- Flags
August
September
- Apples
October
- Pumpkins
- Witches
- Day of the Dead
November
- Turkeys
December
- Yule Log
- Xmas Tree
- New Years
As I go about adding in my list of things to accomplish, I schedule other things such as family member's birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates I may otherwise overlook. I set a reminder for one week in advance so I remember to mail a card or make a phone call. I am sure I will come up with even more things to add, but you can get the idea from this list. The next step will be to put all of these in to my calendar so they will show up on my daily list of things to do on the appropriate day or date.
What do you think? Many think my approach is rather OCD. What's your opinion? Do you have a plan of attack for the new year?
