Housekeeping Help or Why Are my Feet Sticking to the Kitchen Floor?

When I was a young mom, someone (probably my mother) gave me a little paperback about organizing housework. My full-time teaching job, three children, four or five dogs and cats, depending on who brought an animal home, and all those extracurricular Saturday activities like soccer, an educational class now and then, and the occasional road trip planned by Don, kept our home in a constant state of questionable cleanliness. I can remember watching a shaft of sunlight as it illuminated millions of dust particles floating everywhere, and the constant questions: “Mom, where’s my underwear!?” “Have you seen my math book?” and the worst, “Why are my feet sticking to the kitchen floor?” 

That small book with its simple plan to lighten the housekeeping drudgery brought a welcome change to our lives, at least until I lost it, probably along with someone’s math book. By that time, however, I’d pretty much put the plan into action, the kids had become older and more self-sufficient, we quit having litters of kittens, and our oldest was no longer in soccer. Life became a bit more doable. I’d love to have that system again, but perhaps I can remember and write a simple outline. Who knows? It might help someone who’s struggling with dust motes, dust bunnies, or worse.

To start down the road to organizing housework, buy a pack of 3 x 5 cards with seven dividers, and the file box in which to store them.

Put a day of the week on each divider card.  On the top of each of seven 3 x 5 cards, write one large task such as “Change sheets,” or “Clean toilets.”  In the middle of each of the seven cards, write another semi-large task such as “Vacuum living room,” or “Dust furniture.”

Now you have seven cards, each with two tasks to file, one under each day of the week. Fourteen jobs accounted for.

Do the same with another set of seven cards, two tasks to each card, and file those. How many cards filed for each day depends on how much you expect of yourself, and how much there really is to do. I believe the plan also called for every-so-often cards for jobs like cleaning out the pantry or  drawers, dusting blinds, and organizing linens. The most important part of the system was to actually look at the cards and perform the listed tasks.

I do know I was more satisfied with our home when it looked nice and the kids didn’t have to hunt for essentials. If anyone has a copy of “That Book” please let me know!

Manners?

To my great satisfaction, I received a thank you card this week, written in the person’s own distinctive hand.  Short and sweet, grateful, and timely, I couldn’t ask for more.  Giving little gifts has always been one of my favorite activities, and while there truly are no strings attached, an acknowledgement of my offering is like frosting on the cake.

When we receive a present, sometimes even just a card, in the mail, the need to say, “Hey, I got_____, just wanted to let you know it arrived, and that was so nice of you,” floats at the front of my brain until I sit down and write a note. These days, it isn’t always a handwritten, mailed-at-the-USPS note because email is so much faster, but it does go out.  That way, the sender doesn’t have to ask if ________ got there. Just manners I guess, which we hopefully learned from our parents. One of my earliest memories is of a crayon-written thank you note to my grandmother for “the purfumg” she had given me. Couldn’t spell it, but knew I needed to say “Thank You!” When one of my granddaughters calls to thank us for something, it's perfect... no written note needed!

While I’m at it, I might as well write down my preferred answer to a verbal expression of gratitude. “You’re Welcome!”  Old fashioned I suppose, but much nicer to hear than, “No problem.”