Living Simply: A Cleaning Schedule that Actually Works!

Haha NOT! Image from Google Images :)

Being a successful homemaker means making everything happen from cleaning, managing finances, taking care of and nurturing your children, and being a wife to your husband. For me and a lot of other mom and housewives out there, I know I always put cleaning on the back burner to focus on something else that is more of a priority in our household. However, from looking through other mom's cleaning schedules on Pinterest and such, I have come up with a successful cleaning schedule that I can actually manage and keep up with every day. And most of my daily cleaning happens during Lilly's nap which makes knocking it out super easy. 

So here it is:

Cleaning Schedule

Takes about 1.5 hours to complete everyday

Daily

Make bed

Dishes

Organize/tidy up something for 10 minutes before bed

Laundry- one load a day wash, dry, fold, put away

Monday

Master Bedroom and Bathrooms

Vacuum

Swiffer floors

Dust

Change bed sheets

Wipe off counters and sinks

Clean toilets

Clean showers

Tidy up towels

Organize cabinets-this doesn't happen every week

Sweep floor and mop

 Take out trash

Tuesday

Kitchen & Laundry Room

Wipe down counters and cabinets

Clean out fridge

Wipe down microwave and oven

Clean off, tidy up, organize coffee bar

Sweep and mop floors

Wipe down washer and dryer

Tidy up storage baskets above washer and dryer

Wednesday

Living Rooms

Vacuum

Swiffer floors

Dust

Tidy up Lilly's toys and put anything laying around away

Thursday

Lilly's Room and Guest Room

Tidy up both rooms

Swiffer

Vacuum

Dust

Friday

(No cleaning besides daily work because this is the day 

Lilly and I are usually out of the house for a majority of the day)

Saturday

Clean out car

Clean and tidy up carport

Yard Work- Josh

Any Outdoor or Indoor Home projects

Sunday

Meal Plan and Grocery Shop

Rest

This schedule honestly works for me and I am able to do it every day and feel good even if my house isn't 100% spotless, at least it's hygienic haha :) I hope this helps you if you are struggling to figure out how to get it all done. Whatever you do, don't try and squeeze all your cleaning work into 1 day, you'll drive yourself crazy and I guarantee you won't finish everything you wanted to clean in that 1 day. And I'll be honest, some weeks we are so busy or distracted that this doesn't happen every week, but when it's time for me to really get back to it I always come back to this schedule I have created and keep in my life planner. 

Do you have a cleaning schedule that really works for you and your family? I'd love to know :)

Mommy Confessions: Having it All

C.S Lewis Quote

Okay, so let's be really honest here, I was completely terrified when I made the decision to leave work and become a stay-at-home mom. I have been working since I was 14 years old, from babysitting...to temporary summer jobs in high school...to working at a local restaurant...to a receptionist...to working in retail... then back to office work, I don't know what it's like to not have a job. I mean when I was in college I had an almost full-time retail job plus a full-time internship while still going to class. I don't know how not to work. So this endeavor to say the least is a challenge, not a difficult challenge because I love being at home with the little one all day, but I'm only 3 months in and I'm not satisfied. Yes, I love being able to be home and take care of Lilly and watch her develop and keep our house functioning, but I feel like I'm not fulfilling my potential. I had all these hopes and dreams to open my own store or move up in the corporate retail world, but right now neither are feasible. I have all these ideas and creative juices flowing and I'm trying to find ways to hone in on those while I stay home and ultimately try and "have it all."

The Holstee Manifesto

But really...can we have it all? I know a lot of you moms out there have experienced this or are going through it right now as well. I'm still adjusting to the stay-at-home-mom thing and trying to figure out a way to make it all work. I'm hoping to find something I do that I'm passionate about and am using my skills toward while also fulfilling my duties as a wife and mother. How have you made it all work? Can we have it all? What are some ways you adjusted to staying at home full-time?