House Help: Daily Duties

Last Thursday, I wrote about creating lists for each person in the house for tasks that need to be completed each day/week.

Today, I am going to go over the daily items or tasks that I have listed for myself to do. These are things I strive to do every single day, regardless of scheduling or additional assigned items. When I miss doing these tasks, I really feel off. They help me maintain a routine around here, which is absolutely necessary with 3 1/2 little ones running around. :)

On my daily to do's, I have listed:

-Shower
-Dress/Makeup
-Make Beds
-Quick clean upstairs bathroom
-Empty dishwasher
-Quick clean downstairs bathroom
-Blog (ok, so this is a fun one for me, but chores can be fun, right? lol)
-15 minute tidy up (this happens around 5:30 or 5:45 right before my husband gets home)
-Run dishwasher

These are in addition to the obvious To Do's of breakfast, lunch, dinner, meal cleanup, and naps. I figured those would be understood as items we have every day. :)

As I explained last week, I am pretty particular about having clean bathrooms. My girls touch EVERYTHING, and I shudder at the thought of them touching dirty bathroom things. Ew! As for the other items, I do them because it helps us stay on top of things around here.

If I don't run the dishwasher before bed at night and empty it before breakfast in the morning, we are usually scrambling for a certain dish or utensil or cup, only to find it dirty and sitting in the washer. But, when we stay on top of running and emptying it, getting breakfast on the table in time for us all to sit down together is sooo much easier!

Making beds actually burns calories. I forget how many, though. I just know that doing it right when we get up actually helps us get some motivation to start our day. Same with showering, dressing, and doing makeup right away. I feel motivated to get my list done if I'm dressed with makeup on. And then when we need to leave the house later, I don't have to go back and put on makeup or find an outfit. It's already done. :)

So, my advice would be to think of the items that you would like to see done every day, that will help you stay on top of the clutter or dirty dishes or schedules. The littlest things, done daily, can help reduce stress when trying to get out the door for school or work or appointments.

My husband and I have a pretty nice routine in the morning and (if we stay on track) for the evening:

4:45/5:00 - he's up and out the door for his marathon training (running, swimming, whatever)
5:45 - i'm up and in the shower, getting dressed, doing makeup and making our bed; Arthur's back and starting the coffeemaker and pouring the girls' drinks for breakfast
6:00 - Arthur showers, while I start breakfast (I usually cook breakfast, so it takes a little while; some days we do cold cereals for a break)
6:15ish - Iris and Lily are up and SUPPOSED to be getting dressed...we struggle with that transition often. :)
6:30 - Arthur, Iris, Lily and I sit down to eat (Addy has been sleeping in lately, so we let her)
6:45/7:00 - breakfast cleanup, Arthur brushes teeth with the girls, i pack his lunch (usually leftovers, great time saver!)
7:00/7:10 - Arthur leaves for work; girls get cartoons; Addy wakes up and eats; I clean bathrooms
7:30 - Addy is dressed, and I finish breakfast cleanup
7:45 - I sit to blog, girls do whatever - read, play, or homework (if any); I pull out anything frozen we'll need for dinner
8:25 - we start to get ready to leave for school (Tues, Wed, Thurs) - everyone potties, jackets, bookbags, shoes, load in car
8:40 - leave for school
9:00 to 11:30 - school for girls, errands or housework for Addy and I
12:00 - lunch for the girls (planned out ahead of time, makes for easier service!)
12:30 - lunch cleanup
12:45 - potty and naps for the girls, I sit down to eat, blog, read/watch news, email, etc.
2:30/3:00 - girls are all up from naps usually; craft, movie, books, whatever we decide to do that day
4:30 - dinner prep
5:30/5:45 - 15 minute tidy up - girls have to pick up all toys and books in living room and their room and sit  to relax until Arthur gets home (helps relax the hyper-ness they have!)
6:00ish - we sit to eat all together
6:30/6:45 - dinner cleanup for me, girls and Dad play together. :)
7:15(lately) - pajama time, teeth brushing, baths (every other day), kid devotions, bed for girls
9:30 - start dishwasher; bed for Arthur and I

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In addition to the routine daily items, I do have certain tasks designated for each day. I wrote them in last week's post, but here they are again:

Monday  - Laundry

Tuesday - Groceries, Garbage collection

Wednesday - Garbage day (out to curb), Change all beds' sheets

Thursday - Dust, Vacuum, Windows

Friday - Wipe down appliances (stove, microwave, dishwasher front, washer/dryer fronts and doors), kitchen and Bathroom floors

These tasks take longer than the little everyday items, so I try not to combine any of these on the same day or I start to feel overwhelmed. :) Plus, with my big pregnant belly, if I get behind and have to make them up on other days I am SUPER tired by the afternoon. So, having them divided up on different days really helps maintain my stress levels!

So, these are my routines and my schedules. Anyone want to share theirs?