Quick Clean Ups


Do you sometimes feel like you don't have time to do ANYTHING? Or you get overwhelmed at the thought of all the cleaning that needs to be done. I know I do! But if you really think about it there is so much you can get done in 10 minutes or less...or 5 minutes...or even 2 minutes. Really...there is...




You can get alot accomplished without ever really losing any time. In the time it takes to cook something in the microwave you could have knocked an item off of your to do list instead of watching the food hoping it will get done faster.



Here's some ideas:

2 minutes or less

Unload the dishwasher

Wipe down the kitchen counters (unless you have a really big kitchen)

Clean the faucet and mirror in one bathroom

Wipe a small spill in the refrigerator

Wipe down the washer and dryer

Clean the lint filter in the dryer

Wipe down your coffee pot

Wipe the switch plates in 1 room

Shake out door mats

Disinfect the door knobs in 1 room



See how much you can get done?



5 minutes or less

Dust 1 room

Sort through mail

Take out the garbage

Clean the kitchen sink

Clean out expired or unwanted items from refrigerator

Make the bed in 1 room

Wipe the fronts of cabinets in the kitchen

Set the table for the next meal

Rinse out kid's lunch boxes

Spray air freshener throughout the house

Fold a load of laundry

Make tomorrow's to do list

Balance your checkbook

Check your cleaning supplies and make list of what you need



Now we are making progress !!!



10 minutes or less

Sort through a junk drawer

Scrub the toilet, bath tub, and sink in 1 bathroom

Clean all the mirrors in your house

Vacuum 1 room (or more depending on the room sizes)

Sort dirty laundry

Load dishwasher

Organize 1 cabinet in the kitchen

Clean out your purse

Make a shopping list

Group all the clothes in your closet by category (pants, shirts, dresses...etc)



See how easy that was!!



By just taking a few minutes here and there throughout the day you can get so much done that you didn't think was possible! In just 10 minutes you could get 1, 2, or even 5 things marked off your to do list! If you are a fast worker you could possibly get even more done! The time for procrastination is gone...get up and get something done...now!!

Don't put off what you can do NOW!

This works for me! Go to We are THAT family to see what works for others!
Ashley

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How to Make Mornings Easier

In my house weekday mornings are not the best time to be around any of us! Everyone still wants to sleep and no one wants to get ready for school! So it happens that sometimes we are running a little behind schedule. We live about 15 minutes from the school so we have to make sure that we have plenty time to get loaded in the truck and drive (safely) to school without being late!


So what works for us??

I’ve found that getting ready for the next day the night before makes everything so much better!

-I get out everyone’s clothes and put them in the laundry room.

-We make sure that shoes, back packs, and jackets are where they are supposed to be by the back door.

-I get out whatever dishes we will need for breakfast and have them sitting on the table.

-I look at the calendar to see what, if any activities, appointments, etc. are the next day and make sure that we have everything together for those.

-I make sure that the house is picked up so that we aren’t tripping over anything too!



It doesn’t seem like a lot but it sure does make our mornings easier! Being organized and prepared is definitely the way to go! This works for us!

What works for you to make mornings easier??

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Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or however many you need)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce (more as you want)
4-6 frozen corn on the cob
foil

Pour a little bit of BBQ sauce on the bottom of your crockpot and spread around.
Place chicken breasts in crockpot and cover with BBQ sauce.
Wrap each ear of corn in foil and place on top of chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.


This is an easy dinner that you really don't even have to think about! If you aren't forgetful like me then you can defrost your chicken over night in the frig and it will be ready to go when you are!

Hope you enjoy!


Ashley

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Weekend Wrap-Up

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Ours really wasn't that exciting!

Friday morning I picked up Little Girl and we came home to watch Dora. That child LOVES some Dora!!! We pretty much sat on the couch most of the day and cuddled...which is unusual for her because she normally won't sit still long enough for that! Aunt C (which is Drew's sister) came by to visit with us after she got home from work. After that Little Girl and I went to pick the boys up from school. It was actually pretty chilly outside but the boys wanted us to stay outside and play with them...so we did.

Saturday the boys played outside ALL day. Usually they will stay out there for about an hour at a time before wanting to come in the house...track dirt in...get a toy...get something to drink...and go back outside. Yesterday they wouldn't even come inside to eat lunch! It really surprised me. We do live in the country but sometimes you wouldn't think we had country boys! I spent most of the day really deep cleaning the living room...from top to bottom wall to wall. And I was exhausted. But when it came time for supper Drew decided he wanted to go eat fish...big surprise...it's his favorite! Aunt C had come over again so she went to eat with us. It's a small, family owned restaurant about 20 minutes from our house and I believe when they saw us coming they wanted to close (just kidding)! They actually have great fish(catfish that is) so I was happy too. When we got home Drew and I finally got the baby bed put together!

Today the boys played outside ALL day again. The weather was nicer today and they enjoyed it! Of course being little boys they decided to see just how dirty they could get...and oh boy laundry is going to be fun tomorrow! I cleaned out Little Girl's room and reorganized it! Now we can actually walk in there without tripping over toys! I'm still pretty exhausted from all the cleaning I did yesterday so I tried to take it easy today! There is still so much to be done to get ready for Baby Boy to be here but slowly it is coming together. Ohhh yea...how could I almost forget...Boy #1 lost his second tooth this morning! He was sooo excited!!

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Pregnancy update: Today I am 34 weeks! I can't believe Baby Boy will be here in such a short amount of time! I can't wait though! He is getting pretty cramped in my belly and actually hurts me when he moves. He is such a picky little boy too...he doesn't like ANYTHING touching my belly and he will kick hard until whatever is there moves!! I certainly hope he is not this picky when he gets here!

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I know this has been so interesting to read but I really need to go pick up the house before I go to bed! And I'm pretty sure it won't be long until I'm ready to go to sleep!

Once again I hope you had a great weekend!

Ashley

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