Skip to content

Feb 19

Perpetual Calendar and Time Trial Sheets

Today you get your first look at the highly efficient perpetual cleaning calendar. If it only did the actual cleaning it would be perfect!

Do you know why I like charts? Even before it was so easy to make simple computerized forms, designing a chart or writing an article ratcheted up the professional level of a home project. My charts are embarrassingly simple, functional, not made to win design contests, but to get things done efficiently in a home that could always use just a little more time. Some of you amazing design whizzes out there can surely make them fancier. . .just send me a copy when you do. I appreciate good artwork.

Here is the  Perpetual Cleaning Chart.

Remember some simple codes will help you as you insert your own cleaning tasks. I’ll list mine after the break.

For a bonus, since the sun is shining and the snow is melting and a visit to one of my two favorite sisters is only a week away:

Here is a blank  Time Tracking Activity Chart  sheet. Print one of these and carry it around timing everything in sight for several weeks; time things more than once: four, five, six times or even more. Time your Bible study, dish washing, taking showers, getting to work, grocery shopping, team meetings, bed making, resolving childish arguments (the children’s arguments, mind you–not the adults having a childish argument). I guarantee you, you will be amazed at how little time some things take that you always put off doing because you don’t have time. Have fun! Read more

Feb 16

More Odd Looking Calendar Strategies

Joshua remembers the progressive dinner as “a lot of work,” especially for a middle school age young man. But to have him have time to throw a dinner party, he had to have time to learn to cook, and to have time to learn to cook, he needed a mentor who had time to teach, and to have a mentor who had time to teach, the mentor needed time to prepare, and for the mentor to have time to prepare, routine life had to be under control, and for routine life to be under control, attention and time had to be given to planning, and to have time to give attention and time to planning, Executive Oversight meetings had to be a settled issue. Accrued Benefits. Now are you ready to finish the list of thinking strategies before scheduling the deep cleaning tasks onto a perpetual cleaning calendar? You see there is a House-that-Jack-Built connection between all this cleaning detail and the world of family frolic and fun. Read more

Feb 14

Progressive Dinner

What night is your family night? We started our family nights before most people think they have a family. Yes, even when only two of us were the family, we had family nights. We read books together,  books we’d use years later when we did have children sitting around listening. We’d make home improvement plans. We’d play games, usually Scrabble, which my husband would invariably win, even though I would have the most unusual words. If there were a day of the week named Flexible, that’s the night we would have schedule family nights, but our most popular days were either Tuesdays or Thursdays. Read more

Feb 12

An Odd Looking Calendar

When does a yearly calendar not look like a yearly calendar? When it only has twenty-four days in a month.

My perpetual cleaning calendar has only twenty-four planned opportunities each month to handle all the deep cleaning projects on the room cleaning chart lists. This schedule automatically eliminates all Sundays from cleaning (hooray!) and builds in four to seven additional “free” days for catch-up, sick days, book reading marathons, vacations, cooking sprees, puzzle building, or whatever else life brings.

Unlike the typical twelve page calendar, this calendar is only one sheet, a true year at-a-glance, to show which deep cleaning appointment you have scheduled for each day. Now all of that should make the task seem manageable, shouldn’t it? Read more

Feb 9

Dirty Clothes and Hunger Cries

All you diligent teens with only a bedroom to worry about can listen in today and prepare for the future.

Real life means household overseers cannot spend all their time tweaking strategic room cleaning plans no matter how much fun time trials are. Within a few days, someone will need clean socks and within a few hours everyone will need warm food. Read more

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →