Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Helpful How-To: It's in the Little Things

Yo, peeps!

I'm back and doling out advice like it's candy at a 4th of July parade....

You should be just as excited as every single 4 year old at that parade.

Not that the candy is every really that good.

But it's still candy.

And well, you're there!

Getting candy.

For free.

Not that there is ANY correlation between bad 4th of July candy and my HHT's...

NONE. 

Whatsoever.

Right?

Ahem...RIGHT?

Moving on....

This year has been full of new beginnings for me.

We all know about my resolutions that I mentioned here.

But there were a few things that I hadn't even thought about at the time of that post.

Like my constantly messy house.

Our close friends will AMEN this one.

It's so not pretty.


Constant state of chaos....

But let me tell you, thanks to the help of a few simple steps, I have been doing much better about keeping it cleanER.

Here are some things that have made all the difference in my world.

Step 1.  Dishes/dishwasher control.

I DESPISE doing dishes. I despise even loading and unloading my dishwasher.

My dog, much like this dog, however, LOVES it when I load or unload my dishwasher. 




I have seriously caught my dog doing this on multiple occasions...GAG ME!

But yeah, I hate loading and unloading the dishes.

There was a time when I tried to make it Techy's job.

But he's extremely forgetful.

I love the man, but I can only go so long without clean plates....

And then, Melissa, over at the Inspired Room gave me a brainstorm....

At the beginning of the year, she posted about her 5 minute morning routine that helps her keep her life under control.

People.  It changed me.

She said that every morning she unloads her dishwasher before she gets going.

Yep.

Changed.

Forever. 

(Hopefully)

Been doing it faithfully since.

Truthfully?

I love it.  (Totally head-nodding, Paula Deen style, just.for.emphasis)

Now, when I get home at night, I don't have to empty the dishwasher in order to cook dinner.  I just get going.

It's amazing.

Step 2.  Sorting the silver...

This tip comes from my mother in law....

And again, changed.

Forever.

And it's so stupid that I have never thought of it until now.

I may be building it up too much.

Beware, though, cause if you don't already do this, you are going to smack your head against the screen and scream "DUH!!!" at the top of your lungs.

Please be careful.

I don't want to be responsible for anyone going to the hospital over their "DUH!!!" moment....

You ready?

Sort your silverware.


That way when you go to unload your dishes, you pick up one section at a time and quote throw it in the drawer end quote.

Hello?

Back in your chair yet?

It's ok.  I had the same response.

Amazingness.  (Again, Paula Deen nodding.  Just.for.the.dang.emphasis.)

3.  It's a given...and it involves blankets....

Can you guess it.

Probably.

Because you probably already did this every day.

But we didn't.

Because we are busy.

Or lazy.

Or like to sleep in.

Or have a not so new baby...

So, what is it?

Making my bed, of course!


For the past 26 days, we have made our bed every.single.day.

This is the longest run since we put our old house on the market back in 2008.

And we love it.

Totally lifechanging.

Totally.

So. 

Yeah. 

Only 3 steps for you.

But let me tell you, if you employ those 3 simple steps, your life may be changed.

FOREVER.

Also, I will warn you, your obsession with tidiness may spread.

It certainly has for us.

Every week another once-cluttered room becomes cleaner.

Because I we are managing the little things so much better.

You can thank me later.

Signed.

The RULEBREAKER.

WHAT? 

Can't blame me for trying...

Still no??

Oh, ok, fine.

Signed.

PLAIN.OLD.ME

4 comments:

Sarah said...

I tried to google "Paula Deen head nod" so i could visualize, and ended up finding a video of Paula Deen getting hit in the head with a ham instead. Just thought you would like to know.

Roberta said...

OMG...the hairs are standing up on the back of my neck...BECAUSE I also read Melissa's blog post and actually BLOGGED about it today as well! It's a small world after all...lol Oh yeah...another note on the sorting of the silverware...I did this for years and then I read that when you group like silverware together they cling together and don't get clean in the dishwasher...yah! yah! My rule of thumb...do whatever works for you ;)

Cortney said...

We don't have a dishwasher, but I really wish we did. I always hated to empty it when we did have one but I loved filling it....strange right? We have to hand wash everything now and I'll be honest the washing doesn't always happen as soon as it should. We had a really annoying house guest a few months ago and he would say, "If you got time to walk it to the sink you got time to wash it", we really tried to live by that saying, but now we just make fun of the guy in his hick accsent.

I can't make the bed because my husband sleeps in everyday until 9 and I am long gone by then. Oh well.

Unknown said...

So, I'm super proud of myself for already grouping the silverware in the dishwasher (and as a side note, they rarely get stuck together and not clean)
The empty your dishwasher in the morning would be helpful to me if I remembered to run it at night, so I think I need to start there...

I think my hate of laundry runs as deep as your hate for dishes, so I need to work on that...I'm currently staring at a basket of clean clothes that has been in said basket for about 3 days I think...