Amy: Home Management Makeover

The transition back into the home after working for the last 4 years has been different.  For the first few weeks it felt like a vacation.  Staying in my sweat pants all day, snuggling my son, spending quality time with my daughter, and enjoying naps during the day.  But a vacation can only last so long before the work starts to pile up, and in my case, it really did!

In the months leading up to my son's birth, I had done a lot of reading about home-management and tips for creating and maintaining an organized and healthy household.  We're making a lot of changes and are about to make a lot more.  Not only is our house getting an overhaul, so is our family.  Below is my plan to a healthy family and home, I call it my Home Management Makeover.  I put all the info into my Home management binder (Click HERE for Melody's Post on making your own Home Management Binder!)

• Step One: PURGE
• Take the time to go through all the clutter in your home and ditch anything you don't need, don't have room for, or don't need.
• PROTIP: Take all the clothes hanging in your closet and hang the hangers backwards.  When you wear a garment, hang it back up facing the correct way.  At the end of a year go through and purge anything that's still hanging backwards.
• Step Two: ORGANIZE
• Make sure that everything has it's place.  If it doesn't have a place, make one.
• PROTIP: Clear Shoebox containers are only $1.00 at target and make a great container to organize small toys, craft and art supplies, etc.
• Step three: CLEAN
• Getting everything in your home clean.  A clean home is a happy home!
• PROTIP: Try a cleaning plan.  Clean your house in cycles, aside from the small things that need to be done every day or once a week (dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc.) things like scrubbing finger prints off the walls, cleaning baseboards, and cleaning ceiling fan blades usually only need to be done in a 2-3 month cycle.  Divide your house into 8-12 Zones or sections (e.g. Kitchen, Bathroom, Living room, etc.) chose one zone for each week.  For each zone, break down that zone into seven separate areas to do one small area each day (you can also break it down to a smaller number to give yourself days off during the week.

MY CLEANING PLAN

• Zone 1/Week One: Living Room
• Area 1/Monday: Cat's Corner (where we keep our cat-tree, cat beds, and the cats' toys)
• Area 2/Tuesday: Entertainment center
• Area 3/Wednesday: Bookshelf
• Area 4/Thursday: Kari-Lynn's Nook (a space under our stairs where our daughter keeps her toys.)
• Area 5/Friday: Couches/Behind the couch
• Weekend Off
• Zone 2/Week Two: Kitchen
• Area 1/Monday: Cabinets
• Area 2/Tuesday: Drawer
• Area 3/Wednesday: Stove/Oven/Microwave
• Area 4/Thursday: Fridge/freezer
• Area 5/Friday: Sink and counters
• Weekend Off
• Zone 3/Week Three: downstairs Bathroom
• Area 1/Monday: Catbox
• Area 2/Tuesday: Sink 
• Area 3/Wednesday: Mirrors
• Area 4/Thursday: Toilet
• Three Day weekend!
• Zone 4/Week Four:Stairs and Upstairs Hallway
• Area 1/Monday: Stairs Landing
• Area 2/Tuesday: Stairwell
• Area 3/Wednesday: Bookshelf in hallway
• Area 4/Thursday: Wall of Fame (we use the walls in our hallway to display Kari-Lynn's Awards, achievements, and artwork along with chore lists, calendars, and family business.)
• Three Day Weekend!
• Zone 5/Week Five: Upstairs Bathroom
• Area 1/Monday: Vanity
• Area 2/Tuesday: Cabinet
• Area 3/Wednesday: Shower/Tub
• Area 4/Thursday: Floors/Walls
• Area 5/Friday: Toilet
• Weekend Off
• Zone 6/Week Six: Kari-Lynn's Room
• Area 1/Monday: Closet/Dresser
• Area 2/Tuesday: Barbie Corner
• Area 3/Wednesday: Under the bed
• Area 4/Thursday: Bookshelf
• Area 5/Friday: desk/behind the door
• Weekend Off
• Zone 7Week Seven: Andrew's Room
• Area 1/Monday: Dresser
• Area 2/Tuesday: Changing Table
• Area 3/Wednesday: Shelf
• Area 4/Thursday: closet
• Three Day Weekend!
• Zone 8/Week Eight: My Room 
• Area 1/Monday: Closet
• Area 2/Tuesday: Desk
• Area 3/Wednesday: Nightstand
• Area 4/Thursday: Bed Drawers
• Three Day Weekend

 So there you have it, how I manage my happy healthy home.  How do you manage your home?  Do you keep a home management binder?  I'd love to hear your tips on how you run your home!

Check out our other post that Melody made about her Household Management book!