Perfectly Imperfect

I recently read a really great post over at SimpleMom.net about how it's ok to not be perfect, to not have it all together. So I thought I'd fess up too and let you in on some of the stuff I don't do.

• I don't dress nice everyday. In fact, today I never changed clothes after my morning yoga session.
• I don't wear make up or do my hair. Occasionally I do or when I feel like I need something extra but it's definitely not every day!
• I don't clean the house daily or even weekly. It gets cleaned about once every 2 weeks (vacuum, dust, mop, bathrooms, etc). Clutter, on the other hand, gets dealt with on a daily basis, if not it goes in my 'in-box' to deal with as soon as possible. Clutter and cleaning are 2 different things in my book. :)
• I don't exercise regularly. I'm really trying to remedy this but having a toddler in the house is not conducive to exercising in a timely manner. lol
• I don't run errands as often as I should. It's exhausting to shop with a toddler who screams that he's 'stuck' at the top of his lungs when you buckle him in the cart while getting dirty looks from the other shoppers. Not fun.
• I don't do dishes… much. Throughout the day dishes get tossed in the sink (that's my only rule… dishes must go in the sink). At the end of the day I rinse them off & stick them in the dishwasher. Sometimes I don't even rinse. Handwashing, such as the big pots and pans, usually sit until I have a nice big stack, making it worth my time to wash them all at once.
• I don't make my bed, or the kids beds. The only time they get made is when fresh sheets get put on (which I do weekly) and then the bed gets jumped on almost immediately… gotta love those toddlers!
• I don't make Ian's school lunches anymore. I used to when he first started going to school, then he came home to be homeschooled to get him over a hump (that's another thing I don't do anymore… homeschool) and this year I applied and qualified for reduced lunch costs so I don't have to make his lunch at home anymore. This makes my morning routine SO much easier!
• And lastly, I don't feel guilty for not doing these things!

So what about you?! I'd love to hear about the things that you don't do that make you perfectly imperfect!

Day 31: Yay!

Today is the last and final day of my Flylady Series! Congrats for making it this far with me!

I want to encourage you to continue uncluttering your house and making it into a cleaner and happier HOME!

And as always, I'd love to hear how it's gone for you!

~Heather~

Day 30: Check your Calendar

Day 30 is about checking your calendar for the future.


At the end of every month, check the next months calendar for any birthdays, anniversaries, etc. If you need to buy gifts, cards or supplies put it on your errand list for the next time you go to the store. This way you'll never forget another birthday again!

Today is also for learning more about the Basic Weekly Plan. You can learn about it HERE.
My Basic Weekly Plan is as follows:

Monday- Cleaning Day
-Weekly Home Blessing
-Water Indoor Plants
-Wash White & Lights
-Wash Cloth Diapers

Tuesday- Sewing Day
-Wash Colors & Reds
-Wash Cloth Diapers

Wednesday- Planning Day
-Clean Out Frig
-Take Out Kitchen Trash
-Create Menu
-Write Grocery List
-Wash Darks & Dirties
-Wash Cloth Diapers

Thursday- Errand Day
-Run Errands & Go Grocery Shopping
-Wash Jeans
-Wash Cloth Diapers

Friday- Desk Day
-Clean Out Car & Check Car Seats
-Clean Out Purse
-Pay Bills
-Balance Checkbook
-Balance Business Books
-File Papers
-Wash Cloth Diapers

Saturday- Family Fun Day
-Wash Cloth Diapers

Sunday- Renew Your Spirit Day
-Wash Cloth Diapers
-Change Cat Litter
-Take Out Trash

My plan was developed after a long while so don't expect yours to look anything like mine immediately. I keep it right in front of all my Daily Routines in my Homemaker's Binder. I hope it gives you some good ideas though.

I'd love to hear about your weekly plan too!


~Heather~

Day 29: Pamper Yourself

Day 29 is about Pampering Yourself.

Every week, Flylady gives a Pamper Mission. You can see it HERE.

Today, though, I want you to get out your calendar (you have been using one, right?) and I want you to make an appointment with yourself. Pick a day every week. Then pick a time. Then write it down!

Do you need some pampering ideas? You can see them HERE and HERE.

Stick to it! Remember to consciously take care of yourself too so you can keep your sanity. As a homemaker, I know this can be tough. We think we don't have time or that 'Me Time' is bad because I'm not focusing on someone or something else. Well, I'm not telling you to ignore everything. If your children need you, then you probably need to pick a different time for your Pamper Mission. After they go to bed is always a great choice. There's nothing wrong with showing yourself a little TLC!

Remember to keep up with your Routines!

I'd love to hear how you pamper yourself!


~Heather~

Day 28: Taking Care of You

Day 28 is about taking care of yourself.

When was the last time you consciously took care of yourself? You can't effectively take care of your family, home, or job if you're putting yourself last. If you burn out then everything will be left in chaos! That wouldn't be good, would it?

So, today is just a reminder to take care of yourself. You matter too! Drink some water, eat something healthy, and get enough rest. And if you need to take a break every now and then, then do it, guilt free.

Check your Routines. Soon they'll be a habit!

I'd love to hear from you~

~Heather~

Day 27: What's For Dinner?

Day 27. What's for dinner?


Is it 6pm and you haven’t thought about it yet?

From now on, I want you to think about what's for dinner as part of your Morning Routine. Or if you don't have time in the morning then put it on your Bedtime Routine for the night before.

If you haven't started yet, then it's a good idea to plan a menu. This should already be part of your Basic Weekly Plan on Wednesdays or whatever day is right before you go grocery shopping. I menu plan every 2 weeks and write my grocery list to go along with it. You might want to plan for only a week at a time and some people like to plan for a whole month at a time. This will save you unnecessary trips to the grocery store and probably save a lot of money too.

I keep a separate 3-ring notebook in my kitchen. In it I keep what I've developed as a basic menu plan, keep extra menus & grocery lists, and keep favorite recipes. My basic menu plan consists of left-overs (or BBQ, if my husband feels like cooking) on the weekends and the main dishes (Monday- beef; Tuesday- chicken; Wednesday- fish; Thursday- pasta; Friday- Fun Night (a lot of times I'll cook breakfast)). Having it set up like this is a time saver. I don't have to make as many decisions and it's all in one place and ready to go.

On my menu planner I write the date, the name of the recipe, what I need to thaw, and when I need to start the meal to have it on the table at 6pm. Then the completed menu gets put in a plastic sleeve protector along with the recipes for the week and put in plain view on the frig. Every morning I'll look at it and pull out whatever needs to be thawed for that night.

I hope that gives you some help in developing your menus!

Don't forget to check over your Routines!


~Heather~

Day 26: Check your Email

On Day 26 go check an email from Flylady. At the bottom of every email she has a monthly habit for you to master. She also has a yearly theme.

September 2010's Habit is mastering your Bedtime Routine.

2010's Theme is 'My Timer is My Best Friend in 2010!'

Remember to continue checking over you Morning, Afternoon, & Bedtime Routines.

Before you know it these will become a habit and you'll do them automatically!

I'd love to hear from you!

~Heather~

Day 25: Developing Routines

Day 25 is about our Developing Routines.


It takes most people 21 days to develop a new habit. But sometimes it's a little tough for some people to change your thoughts and behaviors in such a short amount of time. Today I want you to read Flylady's personal testimonial. You can see it took her a full 6 months to set up her new habits and the last 6 months of the year her life ran so much more smoothly.

I want to leave you with one last thought for today…

We have to forget about the things we haven't done and focus on what we can do today. -Flylady

Now go do your Routines!

~Heather~

Day 24: Swish and Swipe

Day 24 is about Swish and Swipe!

Add this to your Morning Routine and every morning, in your main bathroom, swish the toilet and swipe down the countertop. This should take you all of 2 minutes but it mean your bathroom is always visitor ready. You deserve a clean bathroom too!

I actually do mine during my Bedtime Routine because that's what works best for me. You don't have to follow everything exactly but should do them when it works best for you.

I'd love to hear from you!

~Heather~

Day 23: Afternoon Routine

Day 23 is about setting up your Afternoon Routine.


I spoke briefly about my routine in Step 4 of creating your Homemaker's Binder.

I'll elaborate on mine today.

I can't stress how much smoother our days go by when we have a routine set down. My son, Ian, who is in 2nd grade, knows exactly what's expected of him. I rarely hear him complain. My routine gets everything needed done and leaves plenty of free time to play or goof off.

I have an After School Routine which basically involves picking up Ian from school, having a snack, and doing homework.

I also have an Evening Routine which walks me through everything I need to do from dinner preparation to clean-up to the boys bath time and bed time.

Most of the time I do these routines out of habit but every once in a while my mind goes blank because I'm tired or not feeling well and all I have to do is look in my Homemaker's Binder for a reminder.

I hope my routines give you some good examples on how to set up your routines! Once you have something figured out you can type it up, add some pictures, and slip it into a sheet protector in your binder/journal.

I'd love to hear how your coming along!

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 19

Step 19 is the last and final step!


This step is 'In case of emergencies'.

Make copies of insurance cards and put them in this section. Update when you get new ones.

Also, make a list of things you want to take with you in the event that you need to evacuated from your home for hurricane, tornado, fire, flood, or any kind of disaster.

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 18

Step 18 is to start an address and phone book in your binder/journal.


I keep mine in the very back under a section I've titled 'Mail'. I bought A-Z page dividers and typed up a little form. I write in pencil on this form just incase I need to change the information. You don't have to do this all at once but get started and do a few each day until everything is written in.

Also, in my 'Mail' section, I keep stamps, envelopes, writing paper, and letters I need to respond to.

Another tip I've learned along the way is to update my information at the beginning of each year. I'll send out an email requesting the information and when they respond I can double check it in my 'Mail' section. This is great information to have to birthdays and holidays!

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 17

Step 17 is learning about zones.


You can learn about Flylady's zones, HERE.

I don't do zone cleaning in my home for many reasons. I prefer Spring and Fall deep cleaning instead. I still have my home broken down into zones though and in each zone I have a detailed cleaning list which is fairly similar to Flylady's zones above. Feel free to clean your house any way you like though!

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 16

Step 16 you will continue building your emergency list.


On another sheet of paper you are going to write all the numbers for the people you might need in an emergency.

Call 911 if someone is hurt or there is a fire! If you don't have 911 in your area, then list the numbers of the Sheriff, police, and fire Departments. Now don't say to yourself, those are all in the front of the phone book. When was the last time you hunted 30 minutes for your phone book!

List the names and phone numbers of your family doctors:
Pediatrician
Poison Control Center
Husband's Doctor
Wife's Doctor
Veterinarian

This is another great list to have for your babysitter!

~Heather

Homemaker's Binder: Step 15

Step 15 is about building your personal contact list.


You may already have this but it is a great idea to refresh it every now and then. People move, phone numbers change. An updated list is a must. You might have this information memorized but it is always a good idea to have in written down in an emergency.

This is also great information for a babysitter to have.

Begin with yourself and your spouse, listing work, cell and home numbers. Continue with your children, your parents, your in-laws, close next of kin, next door neighbors and anyone else you might want on the list.

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 14

Step 14 is building the section in your binder/journal for emergencies.


On the first sheet titled 'You Are Here' write your name, phone numbers, address & directions to your home. If something ever happens, you don't have to think, just read this off to whomever.

This would also be great information for a babysitter to have too!

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 13

Step 13 is to pick a day to go over everyone's calendars.


Doing this will help you be prepared for this like baseball games, dentist appointments, work trips, school functions, etc.

I do this on Sunday night to prepare for the coming week.

Also, on your Morning and Bedtime Routines, write 'check your calendar'. This will help you be prepared for the day so you will never miss another appointment!

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 12

Step 12 you'll pick a day to do your Weekly Home Blessing hour on.


I do mine on Monday mornings. This is the best day after the messy weekend and it helps my week start out great.

Flylady gives an example of her Weekly Home Blessing which you can see in the link above. Mine is a bit different and takes a little more then an hour because I prefer to Spring and Fall deep clean instead of the system Flylady has set up.

Mine consists of:
-Change the sheets and towels
-Dust
-Clean Glass
-Vacuum/Sweep
-Mop
-Clean Bathrooms

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 11

Step 11 is a great tool in writing your grocery list.

Keeping a Master Grocery List can be very helpful.

You can find some printables here:
http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Family-Lifestyle/Grocery-List.html?node_name=ChannelHome
http://www.freeprintablegrocerylist.com/
http://www.household-management-101.com/support-files/printable-grocery-list.pdf

I prefer a more personal approach and I divide my groceries by store. I then try to group the items I need by similarity (ex: fruits, veggies, toiletries, etc). You can find more information on how to do that HERE.

~Heather~

Homemaker's Binder: Step 10

Step 10 we will continue building our Basic Weekly Plan.


Every week, the day before your Errand Day, you'll need to do a few things to prepare for grocery shopping. I do this on Wednesdays.

-Clean out the frig (get rid of any science projects & see if there is any left-over food that can be incorporated into next week's menu)
-Make Menu (be sure to check the calendar)
-Write Grocery List

~Heather~