The Pate Palace

Before I begin I have to admit that I absolutely hate cleaning. Who doesn't right? Surely I'm not alone with that thought?? I feel like more time could be spent with my family if there wasn't so much cleaning. But let's face it...the house has to be clean presentable at all times...at least that's how I see it. There have been plenty of times though that some one stopped by my house unexpectedly and got to witness toys scattered, dishes in the sink, food on the floor, folded clothes on the couch, etc...you know what I mean. I got embarrassed at first but quickly realized that is part of having a family and kids. You can't expect perfection unless you are Martha Stewart and uhh...I'm not her nor do I wish to be.




So anyways I had decided that I needed to do just a little cleaning daily to keep the house presentable at all times. Of course there will always be toys everywhere because we have 4 soon to be 5 kids. I've tried different approaches to this "daily cleaning" but nothing ever stuck. I would do it a few days at a time then something would come up or we had early morning appointments and the cleaning got pushed to the side. For some reason I just can not get into cleaning after lunch time. I felt like if I hadn't done it by that point I wasn't getting it done...so I didn't.



Obviously that hasn't worked out too well for me. Plus with a family the size of ours we ALWAYS have something going on whether it be in the morning, afternoon, or evening so I had to figure out something that would work for me. This is one of my goals for the new year. To come up with a new cleaning schedule that worked...and stick to it! So far I've only come up with my daily cleaning schedule and I haven't really tested it out so we shall see!



I know you are bored so I'll quit rambling and give you my plan! About half is done in the morning while the rest would have to be done at night. If done according to plan the house should stay in a reasonably decent shape all the time.



Master Bathroom

This is where I start my day anyways so starting to clean here in the morning would be the most logical.

-Put up anything that doesn't belong on top of counter

-Wipe counter and sinks with a wash rag

-Using only a toilet brush (no cleaner) clean the inside of toilet (just making it white)

-Check to see if trash needs taken out

-Take dirty clothes to laundry room



Master Bedroom

-Make bed

-Put away anything that belongs in the room

-Anything that doesn't belong in room goes into basket to be put up when I make it to that room



Kitchen

Morning

-Unload dishwasher

-Reload with dishes from breakfast (and again at lunch)

Night

-Load dishwasher and turn it on

-Handwash anything necessary

-Wipe counters and table

-Sweep floor

-Change rag and towel

**Nightly kitchen duties are done with the help of children so it may take a little longer than if I did it alone.



Living Room

-Pick up anything out of place. If it doesn't belong in there put it in the basket.



Kid's Rooms

Night as part of their chores

-Clean room (toys picked up, shoes in right place)

-Get out next day's clothes and set on dresser

-Any dirty clothes to laundry room



Kid's Bathroom

-Wipe counter and sink with rag

-Wipe inside of toilet with brush

-Check trash

-Kid's take dirty clothes to laundry room after bath time



**Basket with misplaced things will be emptied as I go through each room or after I have finished everything else.**



I'm going to try to do the morning chores first thing in the morning even if we have to go somewhere early that way when we get home it is done and I don't have to worry about it. I'm going to time it in the morning to see how long it takes me without rushing to complete everything and I will update when I know. The list seems kind of long but nothing should take more than a minute

You might ask yourself why I call myself the family supervisor but I’m sure you probably already know the answer! It’s the same job you have in your house!


I’m the preparer of food. I make sure my family has nutritious filling food for 3 meals a day. I make sure they have tasty snacks in-between those meals also. It is my job to make sure their tummies are always happy!

I’m the cleaner of the house. I make sure my family lives in clean, sanitized house. I make sure there is a list of what needs to be done and when so that everyone in the house can also help out. It is my job to make sure that no one has to break a leg in the middle of the night tripping over toys.

I’m the chauffeur. I make sure that my family has a dependable means of transportation to wherever it is they need or want to do. It is my job to provide them with a safe and pleasant ride at all times.

I’m the referee. I make sure that no one is playing too rough. I make sure that everyone is playing fair at all times. I make the final decision when it comes to arguments. It is my job to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.

I’m the doctor. I make sure that my family’s well-being is always taken care of. I take temperatures, administer medicines, cover wounds, and heal unhappy hearts. It is my job to make sure my family is staying as healthy as possible.

I’m the financial officer. I (try) to make sure that our family is operating on a good budget that works for us. I make sure that our bills are paid and on time. I make sure that we have what we need. It is my job to keep an eye on our money at all times.

Those are just parts of my job as our family’s supervisor. In short, I do it all. I wake up in the morning ready to serve my family to the best of my ability. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, 2 wonderful sons and 3 wonderful stepchildren. It is my job to be the best wife, mother, and stepmother that is humanly possible. It’s not always easy…sometimes it’s downright exhausting but I would never change it for anything.

I have to make sure that I always have a plan and actually go by it.

What are your roles as the family supervisor in your home?

Ashley

I want to apologize first hand...I thought I had the site written down that I got this recipe from...but I can't find it. So if this happens to be yours or you know where it came from please let me know so I can give credit for it!

Pizza Muffins

3/4 C white wheat flour


3/4 tsp. baking powder

1 T Italian seasoning

pinch of sea salt

3/4 C milk

1 egg

1 C mozzarella cheese

1/2 C diced pepperoni

Spaghetti sauce, for dipping



Mix together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasonings and salt. Stir well.

Then, add in the egg and milk, mixing until moist.

Stir in the cheese and pepperoni.

Then, let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Scoop into 12 lightly greased muffin tins.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, until muffins are lightly browned.

Serve with spaghetti sauce.


I just made these and they were pretty good! I didn't use the white wheat flour. I also doubled the recipe to make enough for our family!

The kids love them!

Ashley

And that means it's time to start Spring Cleaning around here!

Our house is pretty small considering there are 7 of us in here so it's very important for the house to be as clean as possible at all times. Something as small as one sock left on the living room floor makes the whole room look messy (at least to me)!

Today I am starting in our laundry room/pantry. It's really more like a walk in closet off of our kitchen. We have started a shelving overhaul so they don't all match and aren't painted yet either...I guess we will finish it sometime (hopefully...)! I really would like to paint the room and add some decor but not quite sure when that will happen!

So what am I doing in there?

Starting on the laundry side...

Declutter the shelf above the washer and dryer. Organize what's left up there.
Empty and sanitize the trash can
Clean the outside of the washer and dryer

And I suppose finish the laundry that is left in there....

Then on the pantry side...

Reorganize everything on shelves grouping like items together
Throw out anything that is past the expiration date

Sweep and mop the floor
Clean the switch plate

Ok I guess that really isn't alot to do...but I should probably get started on it!

Here are some BEFORE pictures...

Every picture I attempt to take of food never turns out right. So for the recipes I post you will just have to use your imagination! HA!

These are typically made with the Lil Smokies sausages but I don't have any and I don't feel like going to the store. Tonight I am going to make it with regular sausage cut up into small pieces!

BBQ Sausage
2 pkgs Lil Smokies or sausage of choice
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 cup ketchup
Brown sugar (however much you want...I'm going with about 1/2 cup to start with)

*Bring a pot of water to boil and add sausages. Boil about 6-8 minutes and drain.
*Add everything to a crock pot and cook on low 5-6 hours.

Serve over mashed potatoes!

This is really something that you can just throw together anyway that you want! I don't think you can mess this up at all!

Hope you enjoy!

Ashley

It's a little late in the day to begin a To Do list...but oh well...better late than never huh? Since the baby was born (almost 3 weeks ago) housework has not been a priority of mine. Sleep deprivation has gotten the best of me and I have very little energy to do anything much less cleaning.

I've slowly been trying to get the house back under order but it's hard. Drew tries to help me but his definition of clean differs from mine so I would rather just do it myself. I think I will try to come up with easy things he can help with to sort of take some of the load off of me. I will also be giving the boys some chores to work on as well.

So anyways, the kids come home tomorrow and I really don't want them to come in to a mess. It will just get worse the second they walk in the house.

What all needs to get done?

*Living Room
    -pick up everything that doesn't belong and put where it goes
    -vacuum
    -dust

*Kitchen
    -Empty dishwasher
    -Clean off counters and table (put stuff where it goes)

*Master Bedroom
    -Put clean clothes up
    -Straighten room
    -vacuum

*Master Bathroom
    -Take dirty clothes to laundry room

*Laundry
   -Finish it all...wash, dry, fold, put away!!

*Misc.
   -Help Drew put together the double stroller
   -Straighten pantry

So that's what I have to get done before I go to bed tonight. I guess it's really not that much but I just don't feel like doing any of it. No energy sucks!!

Hope everyone is having a good St. Patrick's Day!

Ashley