How Do You Do It??

I get these questions/comments a lot - "I just don't know how you do it!" "How do you it all?" Or my favorite, "Better you than me!" I really want to come back, "with an attitude like that, yes better these children are in my care then yours".

Let make one thing very clear - I don't do it all! I have an amazing husband who always pitches in and we are blessed to have Grandparents live in town, so they help too. And several times a week I go to bed when the kitchen is still a mess, there are loads of laundry that need to be folded (or put away), paper work to do, or just the general stuff left undone. Guess what - the world didn't end and my house moved along at a slower pace but that's ok.

However, I do have a few tricks that I have picked up that does make things move a little smoother!

1. I run the dishwasher daily - no exceptions! These means if only the top rack is full but the bottom isn't, I still run it. I found if I waited until the dishwasher was full, I was over ran by dishes. There for awhile we didn't have a dishwasher and it always seemed I was over run by dishes. My Grandma for a 3rd baby/Christmas gift gave us a full size portable dishwasher. It not only was the single best gift anyone has ever given, it now one of those things I pretty much refuse to live without! Dishwasher = Cleaner kitchen.

2. My kids have chores. Chores are issues at your 3rd birthday. Hubby and I run on this logic: You are apart of this family and this house. We are not your servants and therefore you will contribute the welfare and well being of this household. The chores they are given are all age appropriate and we noticed our children take ownership in their work. Also helps things run smoothly!

3. I try and do a load (preferably two) of laundry daily. This keeps Mt. Washmore on the lower side and its easier to do one or two loads a day then doing two days straight of laundry from the last two weeks. If I find I don't have enough of one load (I try to run only full loads) then I strip a bed and wash that.

4. Meal planning while I with is one struggle with its always worth my time. When Hubby gets paid I look at our next two weeks figure out what meals need, review supplies on hand, and then shop. Total it probably takes me 3 hours but if I don't we spend WAY TOO much on eating out! Freezer meals and crock pots are my best friends in feeding my family.

5. We always try to have a family night Friday or Saturday.  It simple kids choice for game, movie, or Wii, make homemade pizza, and have fun. If for some reason we can't get those nights in, our kids miss it and often start talking about what we are going to do mid week.

This life is a blessing and what is long in days is short in years!