Tomorrow we turn the calendar page to February.
There's 7 or 8 inches of snow on the ground right now, but it's time to start thinking ahead. Purim is 4 weeks from today.
Set a deadline for yourself - before Shabbos comes around again, you will make a decision about your Shaloch Manos (if you haven't already).
Decide on your theme, or decide not to have a theme. Decide what can be bought, and what needs to be made. Decide to send mostly tzedakah cards this year. Whatever you want, but come to a decision.
Once decided, start getting all of the things you need that can be bought in advance. Avoid those awful pre-Yom Tov rushes and lines in the stores. Stop making something that's supposed to be joyful, so dreadful.
If you don't enjoy it, send cards and fulfill the mitzvah with the required 2. Don't do something because you feel you have to. Or because you are feeling peer pressure from your neighbors or from your super-woman friends.
Over the past 15 years of marriage, there were several years when I just couldn't do creative or fancy or delicious. Store-bought was just fine. Know your limitations and what is just going to put you over the edge.
It's time to get started and make decisions, so "busy season" is a lot more manageable, and dare I suggest...enjoyable.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
10 Commandments of Leave-Ins
1. A fair system needs to be put into place to ensure equitable distribution of the "Who's turn is it to do the leave-ins?" question.
2. Leave-ins need to be done before breakfast is served. (Correct - nobody eats until the dryer is empty.)
3. Dish towels, tablecloths, and bibs (kitchen things that don't have a bin) need to be brought to the kitchen before breakfast and a parent will fold them/put them away.
4. A good faith attempt must be made to put the items in the correct bin (see "labeling clothes" below).
5. If you receive an item in your bin that does not belong to you, you must return it to the correct bin.
6. No fighting, yelling, hitting, kicking, or arguing at or with the person who made the "offensive" bin error. (A violation of this will be dealt with in the strictest of manners by The Management - Ta and Ma.)
7. Bins must be emptied and put away before Shabbos and whenever they are so full that no more items can be put into them.
8. Socks must be put into the sock graveyard when they come out of the dryer.
9. It's a big mitzvah to bring up the contents of "Ma and Ta's" bin when it's full and they are busy with doing the million other things that they do.
10. A good attitude about the leave-ins, the bins, and helping out in general, will be heavily rewarded with generous amounts of praise and compliments.
*A short note on labeling clothes:
I have labeled most items that go into the leave-ins. Yes, the underwear in my house is labeled. (Yes, even my husband's says "Ta".) Yes, that is a bit odd. Okay, very odd. You know what? Everyone gets the correct underwear, undershirts, pj's, etc. in his or her bin (98% of the time). Is this worth it? Absolutely.
So after you label your bins with every one's names, keep that Sharpie handy, and start labeling. You won't regret it.
2. Leave-ins need to be done before breakfast is served. (Correct - nobody eats until the dryer is empty.)
3. Dish towels, tablecloths, and bibs (kitchen things that don't have a bin) need to be brought to the kitchen before breakfast and a parent will fold them/put them away.
4. A good faith attempt must be made to put the items in the correct bin (see "labeling clothes" below).
5. If you receive an item in your bin that does not belong to you, you must return it to the correct bin.
6. No fighting, yelling, hitting, kicking, or arguing at or with the person who made the "offensive" bin error. (A violation of this will be dealt with in the strictest of manners by The Management - Ta and Ma.)
7. Bins must be emptied and put away before Shabbos and whenever they are so full that no more items can be put into them.
8. Socks must be put into the sock graveyard when they come out of the dryer.
9. It's a big mitzvah to bring up the contents of "Ma and Ta's" bin when it's full and they are busy with doing the million other things that they do.
10. A good attitude about the leave-ins, the bins, and helping out in general, will be heavily rewarded with generous amounts of praise and compliments.
*A short note on labeling clothes:
I have labeled most items that go into the leave-ins. Yes, the underwear in my house is labeled. (Yes, even my husband's says "Ta".) Yes, that is a bit odd. Okay, very odd. You know what? Everyone gets the correct underwear, undershirts, pj's, etc. in his or her bin (98% of the time). Is this worth it? Absolutely.
So after you label your bins with every one's names, keep that Sharpie handy, and start labeling. You won't regret it.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Leave-Ins
I love the leave-ins. They are effortless. They are quick. They are easy.
After they come out of the washer, they go into the dryer where they spend the night.
They are greeted in the morning by one (or more) of my children. It is then that the leave-ins begin their clean journey back to their permanent homes in their respective drawers.
The best part - I don't have anything to do with the sorting! My husband has nothing to do with the sorting! It's the kids' job, and they are responsible for the sorting. Have I convinced you to try this method?
Where do these children put all of the underwear, socks, undershirts, pjs, tights, etc.?
The answer, quite simply is - The Bins.
What are The Bins? Easiest thing is for me to show you a picture. The link below shows the exact bins that are in my laundry room. Our bins came from the Container Store, but I have seen different brands from different stores that serve the same function.
(Credit goes to Leah Marcus for the idea many years ago. She has almost double the amount of kids as I have and she came up with the brilliant idea of kids sorting their own laundry using these bins.)
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/cubesBins?productId=10006897
We have 8 bins, one for each member of the family ("Ma and Ta" share a bin.) Everyone's name is written in Sharpie marker on the front of the bin.
As each piece comes out of the dryer, it gets put into the right bin. No folding or neatness involved. They just throw it in. Depending on the speed of the child, an entire load gets sorted in 5-8 minutes. When 2 kids do it, it's must faster.
(Socks are put in the sock graveyard. I will discuss socks at a later time.)
If you are the type of housekeeper that needs perfectly folded and neat laundry, this is not the system for you. If you need to have control over how neat your kids' drawers are, look elsewhere. But if you need to have a more efficient system with family participation, read on.
Next post will continue with more leave-in "policies and procedures".
After they come out of the washer, they go into the dryer where they spend the night.
They are greeted in the morning by one (or more) of my children. It is then that the leave-ins begin their clean journey back to their permanent homes in their respective drawers.
The best part - I don't have anything to do with the sorting! My husband has nothing to do with the sorting! It's the kids' job, and they are responsible for the sorting. Have I convinced you to try this method?
Where do these children put all of the underwear, socks, undershirts, pjs, tights, etc.?
The answer, quite simply is - The Bins.
What are The Bins? Easiest thing is for me to show you a picture. The link below shows the exact bins that are in my laundry room. Our bins came from the Container Store, but I have seen different brands from different stores that serve the same function.
(Credit goes to Leah Marcus for the idea many years ago. She has almost double the amount of kids as I have and she came up with the brilliant idea of kids sorting their own laundry using these bins.)
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/cubesBins?productId=10006897
We have 8 bins, one for each member of the family ("Ma and Ta" share a bin.) Everyone's name is written in Sharpie marker on the front of the bin.
As each piece comes out of the dryer, it gets put into the right bin. No folding or neatness involved. They just throw it in. Depending on the speed of the child, an entire load gets sorted in 5-8 minutes. When 2 kids do it, it's must faster.
(Socks are put in the sock graveyard. I will discuss socks at a later time.)
If you are the type of housekeeper that needs perfectly folded and neat laundry, this is not the system for you. If you need to have control over how neat your kids' drawers are, look elsewhere. But if you need to have a more efficient system with family participation, read on.
Next post will continue with more leave-in "policies and procedures".
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
What's the hang up?
To hang or not to hang? That's the question.
Here's my answer, with some questions:
Are the dresser drawers in your room or your kids' rooms stuffed? Do you frequently get frustrated by the condition of the clothes in those drawers? Are you ironing more than you'd like? Are the piles of clean clothes taking over your life? Are you or your kids doing the "getting dressed in the laundry room" thing?
Does this sound like an infomercial???
It is very hard, if not impossible, for kids to keep clothes in drawers neat. Is that really a goal anyway? To have neat drawers?
This is the happy home - not the neat drawers. We just want the process of doing laundry to be time-efficient and as easy as possible. This will make all involved in this process happy.
Keeping whatever can be put on hangers hung up is good for 4 reasons:
1. Kids can take more responsibility for their own laundry by having them be in charge of everything but their skirts, shirts, and pants.
2. You will have a more organized room when you properly utilize all hanging space.
3. Once the clothes are on hangers, the put away is just carrying them to the closet and hanging. No arranging clothes in too-small drawers, no separating clothes by room and by kid (I do this on the bar as I hang the clothes up), no folding and re-folding of clothes when the basket gets tipped over, etc.
4. Clothes look neater and less wrinkled when only put in the dryer for 20 minutes and then hung up damp to dry. I believe it also extends the life of a garment by not having it tumble in the dryer for an hour.
The hang-ups are the parents' responsibility in my house. (Although, my husband has been known to enlist the help of a child or two in the hanging process, adults generally do this job quicker, neater, and more efficiently.)
All clothes hang in the closet. If you will argue you have no closet space in your kids' rooms, I will argue that your kids have too many clothes hanging in their closet. (Remember the big question - "Have I worn this in the past year?") Too many things, too much stuff is what really gets in the way of an organized house. (Off the topic, I digress...)
Hang-ups done. Post any questions or send me an e-mail. The kids do the leave-ins. More about that with my next post.
Here's my answer, with some questions:
Are the dresser drawers in your room or your kids' rooms stuffed? Do you frequently get frustrated by the condition of the clothes in those drawers? Are you ironing more than you'd like? Are the piles of clean clothes taking over your life? Are you or your kids doing the "getting dressed in the laundry room" thing?
Does this sound like an infomercial???
It is very hard, if not impossible, for kids to keep clothes in drawers neat. Is that really a goal anyway? To have neat drawers?
This is the happy home - not the neat drawers. We just want the process of doing laundry to be time-efficient and as easy as possible. This will make all involved in this process happy.
Keeping whatever can be put on hangers hung up is good for 4 reasons:
1. Kids can take more responsibility for their own laundry by having them be in charge of everything but their skirts, shirts, and pants.
2. You will have a more organized room when you properly utilize all hanging space.
3. Once the clothes are on hangers, the put away is just carrying them to the closet and hanging. No arranging clothes in too-small drawers, no separating clothes by room and by kid (I do this on the bar as I hang the clothes up), no folding and re-folding of clothes when the basket gets tipped over, etc.
4. Clothes look neater and less wrinkled when only put in the dryer for 20 minutes and then hung up damp to dry. I believe it also extends the life of a garment by not having it tumble in the dryer for an hour.
The hang-ups are the parents' responsibility in my house. (Although, my husband has been known to enlist the help of a child or two in the hanging process, adults generally do this job quicker, neater, and more efficiently.)
All clothes hang in the closet. If you will argue you have no closet space in your kids' rooms, I will argue that your kids have too many clothes hanging in their closet. (Remember the big question - "Have I worn this in the past year?") Too many things, too much stuff is what really gets in the way of an organized house. (Off the topic, I digress...)
Hang-ups done. Post any questions or send me an e-mail. The kids do the leave-ins. More about that with my next post.
Monday, January 25, 2010
A Work Vacation
It's been a week since my last post. I went to "work" in Tampa for 4 days. It was very exhausting...sitting in meetings and presentations all day, having very adult conversations with very smart people, and making a presentation or two. Then I had to go back to the hotel room to get into a king size bed with a least 8 pillows and a delicious down comforter. Did I forget to mention the humongous TV? No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry. No noise, no dishes, no kids. It was rough, I must say.
I brought my laptop and started a project that I've desperately been trying to do. I am typing in all of my Pesach recipes from my notebook that is nearly in tatters after making Pesach for a lot of years. I am hoping to finish by Purim. Send me an e-mail if you would like me to share the file with you when I am done.
Back to laundry.
So we established that laundry gets done everyday. Tonight, I want to start with the 2 basic loads that get done daily - the leave-ins and the hang-ups.
First come the hang-ups. To refresh your memory, the hang-ups are the ordinary pants, shirts, and skirts that we wear everyday (I don't include my work clothes in this load - those go in the delicates.)
**Disclaimer: I am not a wash expert. I don't work for Maytag, or even Tide. If you know how to wash the clothes better, by all means. It's the system that I feel works well, not necessarily the temperature of the water, the machine setting, or the detergent. I must say, though, I swear by Tide with bleach alternative!**
The hang-ups go in the machine, I run them on the delicate cycle (warm wash, cold rinse). After the load is finished, I put them in the dryer for 20 minutes on the permanent press setting.
While that starts, I empty the leave-ins basket into the machine, carefully checking to make sure there are no escapees from the other baskets that were mistakenly put into the leave-in basket. I run that load on a hot wash. After that's running, I spend a few minutes on the sock graveyard (that's a whole megilla for a different night), and then start pulling things out of the dryer to hang up.
While I am hanging a few things, the dryer keeps running, then I pull out a few more things, until it's all hung up. At some point later in the night, the leave-ins go into the dryer on a cotton towels load, and are left in (hence - leave-ins) until the morning.
I will go into the morning laundry sorting tomorrow. Also, I will talk about the reason for hanging up all of the clothes. (More work initially, less work on the back end, and much neater results.)
It's getting late, and the leave-ins have to get put into dryer.
I brought my laptop and started a project that I've desperately been trying to do. I am typing in all of my Pesach recipes from my notebook that is nearly in tatters after making Pesach for a lot of years. I am hoping to finish by Purim. Send me an e-mail if you would like me to share the file with you when I am done.
Back to laundry.
So we established that laundry gets done everyday. Tonight, I want to start with the 2 basic loads that get done daily - the leave-ins and the hang-ups.
First come the hang-ups. To refresh your memory, the hang-ups are the ordinary pants, shirts, and skirts that we wear everyday (I don't include my work clothes in this load - those go in the delicates.)
**Disclaimer: I am not a wash expert. I don't work for Maytag, or even Tide. If you know how to wash the clothes better, by all means. It's the system that I feel works well, not necessarily the temperature of the water, the machine setting, or the detergent. I must say, though, I swear by Tide with bleach alternative!**
The hang-ups go in the machine, I run them on the delicate cycle (warm wash, cold rinse). After the load is finished, I put them in the dryer for 20 minutes on the permanent press setting.
While that starts, I empty the leave-ins basket into the machine, carefully checking to make sure there are no escapees from the other baskets that were mistakenly put into the leave-in basket. I run that load on a hot wash. After that's running, I spend a few minutes on the sock graveyard (that's a whole megilla for a different night), and then start pulling things out of the dryer to hang up.
While I am hanging a few things, the dryer keeps running, then I pull out a few more things, until it's all hung up. At some point later in the night, the leave-ins go into the dryer on a cotton towels load, and are left in (hence - leave-ins) until the morning.
I will go into the morning laundry sorting tomorrow. Also, I will talk about the reason for hanging up all of the clothes. (More work initially, less work on the back end, and much neater results.)
It's getting late, and the leave-ins have to get put into dryer.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Daily Wash
I have a friend with a large family (8 kids) who does laundry 2-3 times a week.
I don't understand how that is possible, but she is super-organized and put together, and her kids appear to be wearing clean clothes. In her house, laundry is a project. It's one of those things that need to get done a couple of times a week and it takes time (a few hours) each time she does it.
It works for her.
That does not work for me. The point being, if your current laundry system is working for you, keep it. Don't change a thing.
It not, read on. Remember though, what works for us, may very well not work for you.
In my house, laundry is one of those daily things we must do each day. It's like brushing your teeth, packing lunches, making and serving dinner, and cleaning up the kitchen at the end of day. These things need to get done at some point every day before my head hits the pillow each night.
I can, however, go to sleep if toys are a mess in the playroom and if the dishwasher needs to be emptied. I also have no insomnia issues if the mail lies unopened or the bills need to be paid (unless of course they will be late). These are examples of things that can get done as they need to happen. There is no schedule.
Laundry needs to get done everyday. If not, the clothes appear to reproduce while we sleep and I wake up to a room where the baskets can no longer be seen because they are blanketed with clothes.
By doing it everyday, it is not "a project" - I have too many projects.
I am blessed to have a mother who has come to my house on many occasions to pitch in. With my first, she stayed a week. With my second, I got two weeks. Of course, I always wanted her to stay longer, so I had quadruplets for 3-6 and she stayed for 6 months! When I would complain about doing the laundry, she would joke, "How hard is it to do laundry??? What? Do you take it to the River Nile and beat it?" I am positive that after number 7 was born (I was bumped back down to 2 weeks), she was no longer making any laundry jokes.
It's a lot. It's a huge job. Part of the battle is to acknowledge that it is not easy to keep up (no matter how many children), and any success needs to be recognized.
Make a schedule that works for you. More importantly, stick to that schedule. No matter what. Laundry should not overwhelm you. If it does, whatever you are doing needs to be fixed.
Next post, I will tell you how it works in my house.
I don't understand how that is possible, but she is super-organized and put together, and her kids appear to be wearing clean clothes. In her house, laundry is a project. It's one of those things that need to get done a couple of times a week and it takes time (a few hours) each time she does it.
It works for her.
That does not work for me. The point being, if your current laundry system is working for you, keep it. Don't change a thing.
It not, read on. Remember though, what works for us, may very well not work for you.
In my house, laundry is one of those daily things we must do each day. It's like brushing your teeth, packing lunches, making and serving dinner, and cleaning up the kitchen at the end of day. These things need to get done at some point every day before my head hits the pillow each night.
I can, however, go to sleep if toys are a mess in the playroom and if the dishwasher needs to be emptied. I also have no insomnia issues if the mail lies unopened or the bills need to be paid (unless of course they will be late). These are examples of things that can get done as they need to happen. There is no schedule.
Laundry needs to get done everyday. If not, the clothes appear to reproduce while we sleep and I wake up to a room where the baskets can no longer be seen because they are blanketed with clothes.
By doing it everyday, it is not "a project" - I have too many projects.
I am blessed to have a mother who has come to my house on many occasions to pitch in. With my first, she stayed a week. With my second, I got two weeks. Of course, I always wanted her to stay longer, so I had quadruplets for 3-6 and she stayed for 6 months! When I would complain about doing the laundry, she would joke, "How hard is it to do laundry??? What? Do you take it to the River Nile and beat it?" I am positive that after number 7 was born (I was bumped back down to 2 weeks), she was no longer making any laundry jokes.
It's a lot. It's a huge job. Part of the battle is to acknowledge that it is not easy to keep up (no matter how many children), and any success needs to be recognized.
Make a schedule that works for you. More importantly, stick to that schedule. No matter what. Laundry should not overwhelm you. If it does, whatever you are doing needs to be fixed.
Next post, I will tell you how it works in my house.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Baskets of Laundry
I hope everyone had their batteries recharged for another week.
It's been a couple of days, but I want to continue where we left off...with laundry. Specifically, where does all the laundry go now that it's being brought to the laundry room and not being left in baskets throughout the house???
Enter into my laundry room...oh, that's where all of the baskets are! Six to be exact.
1. Leave-ins
2. Hang-ups
3. Delicates
4. Whites
5. Dry Cleaning
6. Rags
Each basket has its name in bold, Sharpie-written letters for all to see. (My youngest is 3, of course he can't read, but still knows where the leave-ins go.)
1. Leave-ins - at least half of the laundry - these are things that are washed warm or hot and are left in the dryer (hence, leave-ins) until completely dry.
(towels, underwear, pjs, tights, socks, undershirts, etc.)
2. Hang-ups - everyday shirts, pants, and skirts - these are washed warm, put in the dryer on permanent press for about 20 minutes, and then put on hangers to dry completely.
3. Delicates - a once or twice a week wash consisting of the nicer clothes which say delicate or hand wash on the label - they are washed cold and put on hangers to dry.
4. Whites - anything that gets bleach - Shabbos tablecloths and white uniform or Shabbos shirts - this load tackles cholent, grape juice, and grass stains all at once.
5. Dry Cleaning - exactly what it says. We use this to transport our stuff to the cleaners. You can put your coupons on the bottom so they don't get lost!
6. Rags - a small basket for all the dirty rags that accumulate each week from not having a cleaning lady - this is a once a week load that gets no fabric softener (which I am told is better for cleaning rags).
For this laundry system to be successful, correct sorting is important. My kids really do this. It took some teaching in the beginning (Ma, what basket does _______ go in???), but they really got it.
Why is sorting laundry so important? Why not throw everything into one load?
It comes down to the putting-away process. That is why it is so important to sort before it gets washed.
The goal is to have clean clothes. We all have times in our lives when that is the most we can do.
A higher goal is to have clean clothes that are taken out of the laundry room and returned to their owners. In a relatively short time.
Get your baskets ready...tomorrow we start washing.
It's been a couple of days, but I want to continue where we left off...with laundry. Specifically, where does all the laundry go now that it's being brought to the laundry room and not being left in baskets throughout the house???
Enter into my laundry room...oh, that's where all of the baskets are! Six to be exact.
1. Leave-ins
2. Hang-ups
3. Delicates
4. Whites
5. Dry Cleaning
6. Rags
Each basket has its name in bold, Sharpie-written letters for all to see. (My youngest is 3, of course he can't read, but still knows where the leave-ins go.)
1. Leave-ins - at least half of the laundry - these are things that are washed warm or hot and are left in the dryer (hence, leave-ins) until completely dry.
(towels, underwear, pjs, tights, socks, undershirts, etc.)
2. Hang-ups - everyday shirts, pants, and skirts - these are washed warm, put in the dryer on permanent press for about 20 minutes, and then put on hangers to dry completely.
3. Delicates - a once or twice a week wash consisting of the nicer clothes which say delicate or hand wash on the label - they are washed cold and put on hangers to dry.
4. Whites - anything that gets bleach - Shabbos tablecloths and white uniform or Shabbos shirts - this load tackles cholent, grape juice, and grass stains all at once.
5. Dry Cleaning - exactly what it says. We use this to transport our stuff to the cleaners. You can put your coupons on the bottom so they don't get lost!
6. Rags - a small basket for all the dirty rags that accumulate each week from not having a cleaning lady - this is a once a week load that gets no fabric softener (which I am told is better for cleaning rags).
For this laundry system to be successful, correct sorting is important. My kids really do this. It took some teaching in the beginning (Ma, what basket does _______ go in???), but they really got it.
Why is sorting laundry so important? Why not throw everything into one load?
It comes down to the putting-away process. That is why it is so important to sort before it gets washed.
The goal is to have clean clothes. We all have times in our lives when that is the most we can do.
A higher goal is to have clean clothes that are taken out of the laundry room and returned to their owners. In a relatively short time.
Get your baskets ready...tomorrow we start washing.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Busy Bees
We take a break from laundry and filing...
I attended the first meeting of the Tiferes group - a project of the Chafetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. Thank you to Chani Mendlowitz for opening up her home for this group.
Just to mention one short concept from the video that applies to this blog...
A comparison was made between bees making honey and having a happy home. There are so many intricate tasks involved in the process of honey making. A lot of team players, all working hard together to get the job done. Each bee has their role, no job is more important than the other. Day after day, night after night, so much goes into the production. The end result is honey, sweet and delicious.
So too, think of all the effort we put into our homes and our families. Tireless days, and many long nights. Hopefully, the end the end result is sweet as well...A Happy Home.
More on laundry tomorrow.
I attended the first meeting of the Tiferes group - a project of the Chafetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. Thank you to Chani Mendlowitz for opening up her home for this group.
Just to mention one short concept from the video that applies to this blog...
A comparison was made between bees making honey and having a happy home. There are so many intricate tasks involved in the process of honey making. A lot of team players, all working hard together to get the job done. Each bee has their role, no job is more important than the other. Day after day, night after night, so much goes into the production. The end result is honey, sweet and delicious.
So too, think of all the effort we put into our homes and our families. Tireless days, and many long nights. Hopefully, the end the end result is sweet as well...A Happy Home.
More on laundry tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Introduction to Laundry
A front loading, large capacity washer and dryer stacked on top of each other to maximize space. Beautiful, clean shelves lined with Tide, Downy, and Bounce sheets. Organized baskets filled with stain removers and bleach pens. A pristine bar where the clothes hang, crisply ironed and ready for wear. A shiny counter to fold the warm clothes as they exit the dryer. Unsoiled baskets for perfectly folded garments to rest until being happily toted off to the room in which they belong.
The above is my laundry room fantasy. It is not real, but merely imagined on a daily basis.
My laundry room is not pretty. It does not belong in a magazine. The floor always needs a good washing. The inside of the washing machine could use one as well (how does that make sense?). The dripless spout on the industrial-sized Tide drips onto the top of the washer, leaving the indelible, slimy, blue residue. Some days, the sock graveyard looks mountainous, like an entire country of people went barefoot and left their socks in our laundry room. Other days, the kids' laundry bins are so full they need a crane to get the clothes back to their rooms.
This is my reality.
BUT...
6 days a week the laundry gets done.
My kids (99.7% of the time) have clean clothes to wear.
My husband and I do not fold laundry.
I do not iron (maybe 5 times in the last 15 years).
With the exception of clothes that hang in the closets, I do not put any of my kids' laundry away.
I do not bring dirty laundry into the laundry room (and I don't use a laundry shoot).
Step by step, sock by sock, your laundry system can (and will) get easier. Most importantly, the massive responsibility of laundry will not fall solely on your shoulders. It will become a family affair where each member participates at some level.
The hour is getting late, but let's start with Rule #1:
THERE ARE TO BE NO LAUNDRY BASKETS OUTSIDE OF THE LAUNDRY ROOM.
Crazy idea, huh?
Think about the amount of time you spend schlepping baskets of dirty laundry to your laundry room. Is that when the call to do laundry sounds? When those baskets are full?
If you are burdened by a lot of laundry, it usually means you are blessed with a family. It's time for the family to help.
Make the announcement in the morning, all laundry needs to be brought into the laundry room. Not left on a chair. Not shoved under the bunk bed. Not left on the bathroom floor. Into the laundry room.
How this gets done will be up to you.
In the Feldman house, the kids have worked this out. The girls who sleep upstairs take turns each week as to who brings down the laundry. Sunday they switch. The "laundry girl" brings all the girls' clothes (and her Mommy's and Tatty's as well) down to the laundry room in the morning after all are dressed, and again in the evening after pj's are donned. The boys have adopted an "each man for himself" mantra, and take care of their own (they also are either on the same floor as the laundry room, or a 1/2 flight up).
Is this a big deal? It's a huge deal. You decide to do laundry, and it's already in the laundry room. It saves time, energy, and it gets the unsightly and full laundry baskets out of the bedrooms and hallways.
You try it and see what a difference it makes.
Where do they put they laundry when they are in the laundry room? To be continued...
The above is my laundry room fantasy. It is not real, but merely imagined on a daily basis.
My laundry room is not pretty. It does not belong in a magazine. The floor always needs a good washing. The inside of the washing machine could use one as well (how does that make sense?). The dripless spout on the industrial-sized Tide drips onto the top of the washer, leaving the indelible, slimy, blue residue. Some days, the sock graveyard looks mountainous, like an entire country of people went barefoot and left their socks in our laundry room. Other days, the kids' laundry bins are so full they need a crane to get the clothes back to their rooms.
This is my reality.
BUT...
6 days a week the laundry gets done.
My kids (99.7% of the time) have clean clothes to wear.
My husband and I do not fold laundry.
I do not iron (maybe 5 times in the last 15 years).
With the exception of clothes that hang in the closets, I do not put any of my kids' laundry away.
I do not bring dirty laundry into the laundry room (and I don't use a laundry shoot).
Step by step, sock by sock, your laundry system can (and will) get easier. Most importantly, the massive responsibility of laundry will not fall solely on your shoulders. It will become a family affair where each member participates at some level.
The hour is getting late, but let's start with Rule #1:
THERE ARE TO BE NO LAUNDRY BASKETS OUTSIDE OF THE LAUNDRY ROOM.
Crazy idea, huh?
Think about the amount of time you spend schlepping baskets of dirty laundry to your laundry room. Is that when the call to do laundry sounds? When those baskets are full?
If you are burdened by a lot of laundry, it usually means you are blessed with a family. It's time for the family to help.
Make the announcement in the morning, all laundry needs to be brought into the laundry room. Not left on a chair. Not shoved under the bunk bed. Not left on the bathroom floor. Into the laundry room.
How this gets done will be up to you.
In the Feldman house, the kids have worked this out. The girls who sleep upstairs take turns each week as to who brings down the laundry. Sunday they switch. The "laundry girl" brings all the girls' clothes (and her Mommy's and Tatty's as well) down to the laundry room in the morning after all are dressed, and again in the evening after pj's are donned. The boys have adopted an "each man for himself" mantra, and take care of their own (they also are either on the same floor as the laundry room, or a 1/2 flight up).
Is this a big deal? It's a huge deal. You decide to do laundry, and it's already in the laundry room. It saves time, energy, and it gets the unsightly and full laundry baskets out of the bedrooms and hallways.
You try it and see what a difference it makes.
Where do they put they laundry when they are in the laundry room? To be continued...
Mail - Part 2
It's still very quiet in my house as I type (a miracle in itself).
To continue with the conundrum of mail...
After you have sorted through and gotten rid of the junk, look through the pile you are keeping. To further reduce the paper that you will allow entry into your living space, open up all bills, letters, statements, etc. (still while standing next to the trash).
All open envelopes, bill inserts, and even return envelopes can go right into the recycle bin (everyone uses online bill pay, right???). Save only the papers you absolutely need.
Then comes the filing system.
To start off easy, designate a spot for things that need attention (to be paid, to RSVP, to call about, etc.). Then make a spot for things to be filed.
Challenge for the day - Collect all papers that are strewn around your house.
Sort into 3 piles:
1. trash/recycle/shred
2. to do's
3. to file
Take care of #1 immediately. Start working on #2. Designate a place in your home for #3, your filing system. 2 file drawers should be sufficient (for real). To be continued tomorrow...
Tonight we will start with laundry by request of a friend.
Have a good day.
To continue with the conundrum of mail...
After you have sorted through and gotten rid of the junk, look through the pile you are keeping. To further reduce the paper that you will allow entry into your living space, open up all bills, letters, statements, etc. (still while standing next to the trash).
All open envelopes, bill inserts, and even return envelopes can go right into the recycle bin (everyone uses online bill pay, right???). Save only the papers you absolutely need.
Then comes the filing system.
To start off easy, designate a spot for things that need attention (to be paid, to RSVP, to call about, etc.). Then make a spot for things to be filed.
Challenge for the day - Collect all papers that are strewn around your house.
Sort into 3 piles:
1. trash/recycle/shred
2. to do's
3. to file
Take care of #1 immediately. Start working on #2. Designate a place in your home for #3, your filing system. 2 file drawers should be sufficient (for real). To be continued tomorrow...
Tonight we will start with laundry by request of a friend.
Have a good day.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The USPS is running out of money, but that doesn't mean you need to hold on to all it delivers to you...
Do you ever get overwhelmed by piles of mail? I was speaking to someone today who can't seem to take control of the mail. It is (literally) taking over her kitchen (and even bathrooms).
To avoid this problem:
SORT YOUR MAIL NEXT TO THE TRASH CAN.
It's simple. Take it out of the mailbox and walk straight to the trash can. Anything that says "presort" can be dumped.
So can the myriad number of catalogues you really will never order from. (Do not keep them if the thought of "one day..." pops into your head. You will get 4 more before that happens anyway.)
On top of those can go the dozens of free offers, gutter cover ads, and time share invitations.
DUMP THEM, RECYCLE THEM, SHRED THEM - but don't invite this unwelcome junk into your living space.
Junk mail can reproduce, and will, all over your kitchen counters and tables if you don't stop it.
I don't know about you, but this is at least 90% of my mail each day.
Tomorrow I will talk about what to do with the important stuff.
Good night. Pick out what you are wearing tomorrow before you go to bed. It will save you time in the morning.
To avoid this problem:
SORT YOUR MAIL NEXT TO THE TRASH CAN.
It's simple. Take it out of the mailbox and walk straight to the trash can. Anything that says "presort" can be dumped.
So can the myriad number of catalogues you really will never order from. (Do not keep them if the thought of "one day..." pops into your head. You will get 4 more before that happens anyway.)
On top of those can go the dozens of free offers, gutter cover ads, and time share invitations.
DUMP THEM, RECYCLE THEM, SHRED THEM - but don't invite this unwelcome junk into your living space.
Junk mail can reproduce, and will, all over your kitchen counters and tables if you don't stop it.
I don't know about you, but this is at least 90% of my mail each day.
Tomorrow I will talk about what to do with the important stuff.
Good night. Pick out what you are wearing tomorrow before you go to bed. It will save you time in the morning.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
A little progress is better than none.
A gut voch to all. Hope everyone is relaxed to start a new week.
The best laid plans...
Right after havdalah, I put up a batch of challah dough. Always good to get an early start on next Shabbos (which seems to roll around much faster than one expects).
The dough didn't rise. What a waste.
My plans for finishing up closet cleaning in my bedroom didn't happen.
But I made progress. That's the point...just do a little. It's better than nothing.
A friend sent me an email before Shabbos saying that reading about cleaning her closet WAS giving her heart palpitations. She thought that she could only take on 1/4 of it. Okay, so it takes 4 days instead of 1. That's pretty good. JUST START.
We are about 2 1/2 months away from Pesach.
Tomorrow, I plan to start tackling my shopping list. No, I am not cooking yet. Or even Pesach cleaning yet (just winter cleaning!).
I am going to get pans and paper goods tomorrow and store them packed up in bags in my basement. I will certainly beat the pre-Yom Tov rush, and I will spread out the exorbitant expense of Pesach. The 9x13 tins certainly won't spoil, but it will be 1 less thing to do a few weeks before Yom Tov.
My plan is to figure out how to post files on this blog so I share my Pesach lists. I will let you know when that happens.
Have a productive Sunday.
The best laid plans...
Right after havdalah, I put up a batch of challah dough. Always good to get an early start on next Shabbos (which seems to roll around much faster than one expects).
The dough didn't rise. What a waste.
My plans for finishing up closet cleaning in my bedroom didn't happen.
But I made progress. That's the point...just do a little. It's better than nothing.
A friend sent me an email before Shabbos saying that reading about cleaning her closet WAS giving her heart palpitations. She thought that she could only take on 1/4 of it. Okay, so it takes 4 days instead of 1. That's pretty good. JUST START.
We are about 2 1/2 months away from Pesach.
Tomorrow, I plan to start tackling my shopping list. No, I am not cooking yet. Or even Pesach cleaning yet (just winter cleaning!).
I am going to get pans and paper goods tomorrow and store them packed up in bags in my basement. I will certainly beat the pre-Yom Tov rush, and I will spread out the exorbitant expense of Pesach. The 9x13 tins certainly won't spoil, but it will be 1 less thing to do a few weeks before Yom Tov.
My plan is to figure out how to post files on this blog so I share my Pesach lists. I will let you know when that happens.
Have a productive Sunday.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Cleaning Closet #1 - postmortem
It's done. 1 closet. It feels good. There are many more to go, but it is important to focus on the accomplishment of beginning a task.
A couple of notes about what I found last night:
A lot of dust. How does so much dust collect in a closet? Why don't the doors keep it out?
Crutches - these are an exception to the "Have I worn this in the past year" rule. I am thanking God everyday that I haven't had to use them, but still keep them as an odd kind of ayin hara protection. No, you cannot apply this logic to your fat clothes you are keeping, you know, just in case.
Holey underwear. Does this need a comment? Are you going to sew them, or is this for some kind of primitive ventilation system?
I hope everyone has a restful Shabbos. Tomorrow night, my plan is to move on to another closet and maybe the armoire (thanks, Ann!).
It's all about getting started. You can do it.
A couple of notes about what I found last night:
A lot of dust. How does so much dust collect in a closet? Why don't the doors keep it out?
Crutches - these are an exception to the "Have I worn this in the past year" rule. I am thanking God everyday that I haven't had to use them, but still keep them as an odd kind of ayin hara protection. No, you cannot apply this logic to your fat clothes you are keeping, you know, just in case.
Holey underwear. Does this need a comment? Are you going to sew them, or is this for some kind of primitive ventilation system?
I hope everyone has a restful Shabbos. Tomorrow night, my plan is to move on to another closet and maybe the armoire (thanks, Ann!).
It's all about getting started. You can do it.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
I need to lose 20 lbs. to fit into that sweater...
And 10 lbs. (okay maybe 15) to wear that jacket.
Oh! I love that suit! I can't wait to wear it again. Maybe after 3 months in the gym.
Uh huh...
This is not about weight loss. I won't go there. Maybe one day, but not tonight.
Tonight, it is time to go into your closet (or closets if you are very lucky). I started on Tuesday. Wednesday I was busy with other things, but tonight I am headed back in to finish a closet (if not, my room is going to be quite the mess on Shabbos).
Remove everything. EVERYTHING. Really, everything.
Get a rag (or 7) and start spritzing away. Wipe down every surface. Now get the vacuum . Vacuum the bottom. Don't forget the corners.
Take a step back and admire your work. Inhale the fresh smell. Look at this amazingly clean closet. Emptying and cleaning shouldn't take you long at all.
Now turn around. Mount Everest right in your bedroom. Now comes the hard part...putting it all back.
(At this point you need to think about the following before you proceed...this is only hard the first time. I promise. After the first year of good spring closet cleaning, it will get easier.)
The following takes a lot of discipline for you closet hoarders out there. With each item you pick up from the heaping mound of clothes, you must ask yourself the following question:
HAVE I WORN THIS IN THE PAST YEAR?
You can't lie. You can't make excuses. You need to be honest.
If the answer to the above question is "no", you need to say good-bye. Au revoir. Sayonara. Adois. Auf Wiedersehen. Shalom.
If the answer is "yes", return it to the closet. The "no"s should be put into trash bags. Donate to an organization that gives you a tax-deduction. Give them to a gemach. (Only current styles, please. No gemach wants your large-print, indigo and plaid over-sized sweater you once wore with teased hair and frosted pink lipstick.) Do something with them, but get them out of your closet.
I know this is causing heart palpitations. I know some of you are trying to convince yourselves that you are really going to lose all that weight this year and get back into those clothes.
Really? You know when those pounds are shed you are no way going to wear that skirt again. You are definitely buying a new skirt. And shirt to match. Really you are.
Post your issues with closet cleaning. Let's come up with a solution. I am going to finish closet #1 right now. My bags are ready.
Oh! I love that suit! I can't wait to wear it again. Maybe after 3 months in the gym.
Uh huh...
This is not about weight loss. I won't go there. Maybe one day, but not tonight.
Tonight, it is time to go into your closet (or closets if you are very lucky). I started on Tuesday. Wednesday I was busy with other things, but tonight I am headed back in to finish a closet (if not, my room is going to be quite the mess on Shabbos).
Remove everything. EVERYTHING. Really, everything.
Get a rag (or 7) and start spritzing away. Wipe down every surface. Now get the vacuum . Vacuum the bottom. Don't forget the corners.
Take a step back and admire your work. Inhale the fresh smell. Look at this amazingly clean closet. Emptying and cleaning shouldn't take you long at all.
Now turn around. Mount Everest right in your bedroom. Now comes the hard part...putting it all back.
(At this point you need to think about the following before you proceed...this is only hard the first time. I promise. After the first year of good spring closet cleaning, it will get easier.)
The following takes a lot of discipline for you closet hoarders out there. With each item you pick up from the heaping mound of clothes, you must ask yourself the following question:
HAVE I WORN THIS IN THE PAST YEAR?
You can't lie. You can't make excuses. You need to be honest.
If the answer to the above question is "no", you need to say good-bye. Au revoir. Sayonara. Adois. Auf Wiedersehen. Shalom.
If the answer is "yes", return it to the closet. The "no"s should be put into trash bags. Donate to an organization that gives you a tax-deduction. Give them to a gemach. (Only current styles, please. No gemach wants your large-print, indigo and plaid over-sized sweater you once wore with teased hair and frosted pink lipstick.) Do something with them, but get them out of your closet.
I know this is causing heart palpitations. I know some of you are trying to convince yourselves that you are really going to lose all that weight this year and get back into those clothes.
Really? You know when those pounds are shed you are no way going to wear that skirt again. You are definitely buying a new skirt. And shirt to match. Really you are.
Post your issues with closet cleaning. Let's come up with a solution. I am going to finish closet #1 right now. My bags are ready.
Why Spring Cleaning Should be called Winter Cleaning
Right now it is freezing outside. I am a person who would much rather be cold than hot, and even I am having issues with this weather. Oh, and the forecasters say that an Arctic blast is heading our way for the weekend. Huh? It's not already here???
A couple of my kids came home from school this week and asked to put on their pajamas. At 5 pm. !?! There's no playing outside when it feels like 5 or 10 degrees. The bikes are tucked away, the swing set looks lonely, and the neighbors' trampoline still has snow on it from the big blizzard of '09.
NOBODY WANTS TO GO OUTSIDE.
This is the time to be in the house. When the trees and flowers bloom in the spring, who wants to be cleaning the cobwebs? Or the 7 inches of dust that have made their happy home under the bed? Or my favorite, the ring around the honey that seems to be crazy glued to the pantry that needs brute strength to remove it, you think you have definitely taken some of the shelf with it.
Another big deal - this is the Jewish Happy Home blog. Have you noticed what has been noticeably absent these past 2-3 months? And what's not going to be here for almost another 2 months?
The holidays. The Yamim Tovim. The Chagim. Whatever you call them - they are not here. While it makes some sigh with longing and others leap for joy, this is our reality. This is the time that we have to be doing things other than dipping apples, building sukkos, polishing menorahs, frying latkes, covering counter tops, and whipping up cheesecakes and blintzes.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PESACH CLEANING.
This is about doing the things we stress about doing at the time when we should be doing real Pesach cleaning and preparations. We've heard it a million times - dust is not chametz. Yet, we all (myself included) often forget that as we stay up until all hours of the nights preceding our Festival of Freedom. To become slaves to projects that could have been done at a much quieter time of the year.
This is about getting our houses together. We need to start now so it can be done in a manageable way. Fine, we'll start after the kids go to bed...
A couple of my kids came home from school this week and asked to put on their pajamas. At 5 pm. !?! There's no playing outside when it feels like 5 or 10 degrees. The bikes are tucked away, the swing set looks lonely, and the neighbors' trampoline still has snow on it from the big blizzard of '09.
NOBODY WANTS TO GO OUTSIDE.
This is the time to be in the house. When the trees and flowers bloom in the spring, who wants to be cleaning the cobwebs? Or the 7 inches of dust that have made their happy home under the bed? Or my favorite, the ring around the honey that seems to be crazy glued to the pantry that needs brute strength to remove it, you think you have definitely taken some of the shelf with it.
Another big deal - this is the Jewish Happy Home blog. Have you noticed what has been noticeably absent these past 2-3 months? And what's not going to be here for almost another 2 months?
The holidays. The Yamim Tovim. The Chagim. Whatever you call them - they are not here. While it makes some sigh with longing and others leap for joy, this is our reality. This is the time that we have to be doing things other than dipping apples, building sukkos, polishing menorahs, frying latkes, covering counter tops, and whipping up cheesecakes and blintzes.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PESACH CLEANING.
This is about doing the things we stress about doing at the time when we should be doing real Pesach cleaning and preparations. We've heard it a million times - dust is not chametz. Yet, we all (myself included) often forget that as we stay up until all hours of the nights preceding our Festival of Freedom. To become slaves to projects that could have been done at a much quieter time of the year.
This is about getting our houses together. We need to start now so it can be done in a manageable way. Fine, we'll start after the kids go to bed...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Happy Home
I have been asked many times to start a blog. On what??? "You know, organizing. Running a house."
Yes, my house is organized (most days). Yes, my meals are planned in advance (most weeks). Yes, Erev Shabbos in my house is fairly calm (most weeks).
Does this make me an expert in running a home? Certainly not. However, I am blessed with certain strengths, and there is a sense of responsibility to share them with others. After my Aunt Irene called me and told me that I absolutely must start a blog (the whole world must be blogging now after Julie and Julia), I finally acquiesced.
Why "The Happy Home"? Why not "The Organized Home" or "Cook for Shabbos on Wednesday"?
An organized home is really not the goal. It is a means to achieve the goal. What is the goal? Haha...don't think I am going to expound on the purpose of creation in a blog. But I will say, the way to accomplish our purpose here is best done by living in a HAPPY HOME.
What is happiness? Another haha...philosophers for thousands of years all have different ideas. Wikipedia defines happiness as "a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy". That sounds goods to me.
Practically speaking, you KNOW what a happy home is.
It's when everybody gets out in he morning and gets to where they need to go - on time, with relatively clean clothes, and with whatever they need to get through their day (lunch, homework, trip money, etc.) - without screaming or tears.
It's when the kids come home at the end of the day and they ask you "What's for Dinner?" - and you ACTUALLY have an answer for them, AND it will be able to be served before those same kids start eating the expensive "school only" snacks you just bought from Costco, AND you don't need to go to the store first to get the ingredients to make that dinner.
It's when you finally get those kids to bed, and you are able to get the house back to baseline (you know, how it was in the morning before they all woke up) without tears of exhaustion and frustration and the feeling of not having accomplished anything that day.
Dictionary.com defines happy as "favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky" - that's a happy home. It's time to get happy. It's time to pull our houses, and ourselves, together. We'll do it together.
Yes, my house is organized (most days). Yes, my meals are planned in advance (most weeks). Yes, Erev Shabbos in my house is fairly calm (most weeks).
Does this make me an expert in running a home? Certainly not. However, I am blessed with certain strengths, and there is a sense of responsibility to share them with others. After my Aunt Irene called me and told me that I absolutely must start a blog (the whole world must be blogging now after Julie and Julia), I finally acquiesced.
Why "The Happy Home"? Why not "The Organized Home" or "Cook for Shabbos on Wednesday"?
An organized home is really not the goal. It is a means to achieve the goal. What is the goal? Haha...don't think I am going to expound on the purpose of creation in a blog. But I will say, the way to accomplish our purpose here is best done by living in a HAPPY HOME.
What is happiness? Another haha...philosophers for thousands of years all have different ideas. Wikipedia defines happiness as "a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy". That sounds goods to me.
Practically speaking, you KNOW what a happy home is.
It's when everybody gets out in he morning and gets to where they need to go - on time, with relatively clean clothes, and with whatever they need to get through their day (lunch, homework, trip money, etc.) - without screaming or tears.
It's when the kids come home at the end of the day and they ask you "What's for Dinner?" - and you ACTUALLY have an answer for them, AND it will be able to be served before those same kids start eating the expensive "school only" snacks you just bought from Costco, AND you don't need to go to the store first to get the ingredients to make that dinner.
It's when you finally get those kids to bed, and you are able to get the house back to baseline (you know, how it was in the morning before they all woke up) without tears of exhaustion and frustration and the feeling of not having accomplished anything that day.
Dictionary.com defines happy as "favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky" - that's a happy home. It's time to get happy. It's time to pull our houses, and ourselves, together. We'll do it together.
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