Good news, I hope.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I've sent the beta version of "Creating Your Forever Home" to an editor. 

I know, I've shared the file with all who want it, but hey, I want it to be good.

Writing this blog has kept me plugging on and I hope all who have checked it out came away with at least something that helps in their daily lives.

More later, even if it is Off-topic.

Cleaning up before the cleaner comes?

 I try to keep my house tidy. Please note that cleaners should have a clause in their contract stating that they are not responsible for breakage—your valuable curio things, etc. Most do not move to clean behind stacks of boxes. Some will not clean or dust collectibles. They will work around the mess.

I keep my home “picked up” because I like it that way.

But, if you need help in keeping the home clean, doing the simple things like putting dirty clothes where they belong, dishes in the dishwasher and cabinets, putting up clean clothes, and making the bed. It gives a neat appearance without the house being cleaned.

When you are paying a cleaner, doesn’t it make sense to do the easy things for yourself and let them do the things you cannot or don’t want to do? They budget a certain amount of time to work in your house. If they spend their time picking up after you (i.e., I’m picturing a slob here in my head), how much of the nick picking actual cleaning do they have time to do? You know, under the bed, behind the furniture, in the corners, large surfaces, etcetera!

Discuss what you want the cleaner to clean in the house, office, or building. Some specialize in certain things.

For instance, you might want the carpet cleaner to come after a spring cleaning so that everything is dusted and tidied.

Window washing is usually specialized, too, especially outside the house.

There are cleaners for renovation projects and those that clean after a tenant leaves.

Clean is

• dirty clothing/linen/towels in hampers
• clean clothing in drawers/baskets/closets
• shoes in shoe racks
• fully dusted and polished furniture
• all those curios in the open or behind glass dusted or cleaned
• the floors swept/vacuumed/mopped—under, around, and behind the furniture [including the beds]
• the insides of the windows sparkling and the sills and area above the drapes vacuumed
• vacuum drape and blinds too
• side tables cleared, cleaned/polished
• kitchen table and counters cleared
• dishes in dishwasher or drainer or put away
• surface cleaning of all appliances, including both large and small
• behind the fridge and washer dryer vacuumed
• range hood cleaned-filter too
• cabinet doors, surrounding wood, handles cleaned
• backsplashes cleaned
• counters cleaned
• ceiling corners vacuumed
• fans vacuumed or cleaned
• light fixtures dusted if needed
• sinks cleaned-kitchen and bathroom
• fixtures cleaned
• trash cans emptied, washed, lined
• baseboards cleaned
• tubs and showers cleaned
• commodes cleaned
• all nooks and crannies cleaned
• inside of washer and dryer cleaned
• inside of dishwasher clean
• doorknobs cleaned
• the inside of the fridge and its shelves cleaned and expired food trashed—no science experiments here

Leaving this post with a side note: Date leftover foods when you put them into the fridge with the pull date. Anything not dated gets tossed.

Have a calendar on the fridge door. Dates on a dish don’t matter if the contents are moldy or stink or the container is not sealed. Things will get tossed—including the gross container.

Off topic: How often do married or committed couples fight or argue with each other?

 How often do married or committed couples fight or argue with each other?

We fight or argue as often as we want!

Now, I am going to assume the couples are "in like" as well as "in love," and there are no control or abuse issues or illegal drugs involved.

As a relationship between two people develops over time, the frequency and nature of arguments will change.

Money, the budget, lack of help in helping around the house, the cooking and cleaning up afterward, going out to venues, clothing, vehicles, and etcetera are all fair game in an argument.

The arguments change to things about the children or the partner's time spent at work or home. One partner does not feel appreciation from the other partner and feels hurt. You argue about family dynamics with the in-laws, or grown children not moving out or doing chores. You discuss having the children move back in and their bringing more people with them and how it will affect your budget.

Once again, we have a change in arguments; an in-law loses a partner or needs someone's help to stay at home or even help when they have to stay in managed care. Or a partner loses a job, and the other party does not think the unemployed partner is seeking work.

Things and arguments change once again. One of the partners has a health issue requiring surgery or develops an ongoing health issue, which will be an issue for the rest of that party's life. Work, insurance, bills, lack of assistance in daily matters come into play.

The longer a relationship lasts, if a couple truly grows into a mature relationship of love, the fewer things about which there will be arguments. A couple learns things, and circumstances change. Many times there is nothing either party can do to improve the outcomes of those circumstances.

The important thing is this; you love your partner. You cannot imagine being without this most crucial person in your life. Or, if you can imagine, it scares you to death.

So you let the little things you used to argue about go by the wayside. You are thankful for another day to hold, to kiss, to love, to appreciate your life's partner.

You support one another and pull together as a couple. Your strengths support the other party's weakness and vise versa. You become frail and less able to do the things that you once were able to do easily.

However, you thank God for every day that He blesses you with your life's partner's presence. The inevitable will happen; one of you will be going home.

Always hug your loved one, and kiss and make up after an argument. Never leave each other or go to sleep without saying, "I love you."

My husband and I will be married 51 years this coming June. We have large extended families and have seen first hand the ups and downs in marriages. We have had trials and tribulations within our marriage. Our faith and our love (and like) for one another keep our marriage strong.

Note: I wrote this a year ago and edited it to reflect our upcoming wedding anniversary of 51 years in 2021.  The statements today are as relevant as they were over a year ago. 

File Cabinets? Why do I recommend them?

 Offices need file cabinets to keep up with their client information, contracts, overhead, maintenance, and government mandates.

Everyone should have a small filing cabinet or a plastic box, or a “go file” in their home.

Reasons? My reasons?

• I reconcile the bills at least once a month in my checking account.
• I can pull the last bill’s statement to compare to the current account statement for accuracy.
• I’m not drowning under a “mudslide” of paperwork to find a due bill.
• When I file taxes, I know the necessary paperwork location.
• My “Go file” is where my husband and daughter can find it in case of my incapacity or death—I handle the paperwork!

The filing system can be as simple or elaborate as necessary for you to maintain.

I maintained an office file for my employer for over 23 years. The secret: each vendor, or utility, or entity had a file—filed alphabetically.

• File the last bill statement to the front of the file. If you are searching for a bill, it is easy to locate them in reverse order.
• Use a sizeable incoming file folder for incoming mail and sort out junk mail as it comes into the home or office—no need to file junk.
• Handle urgent mail immediately.
• File paid bills immediately.
• Record drafted payments in the correct payment bank or account and file.

I keep a shredder, and a recycle can close to my filing cabinet.

• Maintain as you go when handling paperwork.
• Unsubscribe from unnecessary publications and vendors.

That’s pretty much it, from a quick “off the cuff” response.

Today, I just don't feel like it!

 

When you let your house get cluttered and messy, what are some ways to get started to get everything back in order?

 

Some days I do not feel like cleaning or tidying up. However, here are a few things that make me think that my house is cleaner.

Speed cleaning? Clean in a circle-top to bottom and left to right.

·         Make the bed

·         Close the curtains over the closet doors and windows

·         Remove all dishes in the living room

·         Place all trash in trash cans in each room

·         Hang on towel rack or place into the hamper all used bathroom towels

·         Place dirty clothing in clothes hamper

·         Put clean clothing in the proper destination

·         Sweep floors, vacuum rugs

·         Wash all dirty dishes or place them into the dishwasher

·         Wipe the kitchen counter, stove, and sink clean

·         Keep Kitchen Clean

 

If I have done most of the above things, I will not beat myself up on what still needs doing.

Extra steps for keeping the kitchen clean

·         Clean as you go when prepping or cooking

·         Wash, rinse, and dry cooking pots, pans, serving dishes

·         Never put a knife in a sink and leave it in the sink

·         Always have your hand on the knife handle, rinse, dry, and put up safely

·         Use gloves

·         Use hot water, soap, bleach, or food-safe sanitizer

·         Wipe up spills as soon as they occur

·         Organize cabinets and pantry; everything has a designated storage space

·         Clean countertop appliances immediately after use

·         Keep counters as uncluttered as possible

·         Wash service dishes and utensils, rinse, dry, and put away

·         When handwashing dinnerware, wash, rinse, dry in the order listed; then store.

      Glasses

      Cups

      Plates

    Utensils

·         Clean Table/counter

·         Clean Chairs/bench

·         Set up a schedule for regular cleaning tasks

   

1. Stove hood
2. Backsplash
3. Windows
4. Stovetop
5. Oven
6. Microwave
7. Cabinet and drawers outside surfaces
8. Inside cabinets & drawers
9. Refrigerator
10. Inside shelves/drawers, out of date food
11. Outside surfaces
12. Floors
13. Under/behind large appliances---stove, dishwasher, refrigerator
14. Use spray cleaning bottles as necessary
15. Use cotton dishcloths
16. Clean wash/dry cloths after use
17. Clean potholders as necessary

 

Off topic: Are you a Clean Plate Club Member?

 

I answered the following question on another forum, "Were you made to finish your dinner when you were a child? As a result, do you make your children finish theirs?"

I was made to finish whatever was put on my plate, and no, I didn’t make my daughter do so. She did, however, have to take at least 3 small bites of something new. She didn’t have to finish it, just taste it. As a result of the three-bite method, some of the foods are now her favorite foods.

A word of advice to parents, don’t set up your child for diet failure. Learning good eating habits is more important than cleaning the plate. Get smaller plates, serve less food. Lunch plates look fuller than dinner plates. Dessert plates might be a better choice for smaller children.

As a clean plate club member, the hardest thing I have had to learn is to give myself permission to throw away food.

Learn to love yourself enough to trash that food when you don’t like it or have eaten enough to satisfy your hunger. If you didn’t like it when eating out, Why, take it home?

When eating out, order less than you think that you might want to eat. You can always order something else.

At buffets, put smaller amounts of different foods on your plate. Varied textures, taste profiles, and food temperatures will help sate your appetite more quickly. Plus, you can always go back for more.

Your waist, heart, and health will thank you.

Off topic--a special helpful friend

Here's  My answer to the question, “Should you pay someone for helping you with house chores when they do not live with you regularly, such as a visiting relative?” 

Here’s my heartfelt answer, “No.”

Your question implies that they are staying temporarily. They don’t have to pay over $125 a night at a hotel. They are getting that bed for free. And I’ll bet you; they are enjoying your food, heating, air conditioning, internet, tv, phone, and wifi services, too.

So, why shouldn’t they be helping around the house?

Now, another scenario. You have a helpful friend who comes once a month to help out. To do the cleaning that you are not capable of doing anymore. They are spending their time off work, gas, car wear & tear, and their physical efforts to help you. They say they are going by the “golden rule,” maybe even the “platinum rule,” and you need to pay their actions forward to someone when you are able. Fair enough.

You are talking together, enjoying each other’s company while the tasks are being done. But you feel that they shouldn’t be out-of-pocket for helping you, and you can afford to pay someone for help.

So, how about a gas card, a gift card to a favorite grocery store or restaurant.

If that won’t do, do you have a marketable skill such as painting, writing, sewing, quilting, woodworking, baking, etc.? Could you gift something they’d enjoy from the talents that you can do? Maybe even teach them a skill that they don’t have?

Hum that doesn’t work either? Have they especially admired something unique in your home, suggesting they’d love something similar in a different color? Then search until you can find that item as a gift for them.

Do the two of you have a wish bucket list of things to do together? How about planning things for both of you to do together. You are paying—a new restaurant, a play, a movie, a historic visit, etc.

None of the above fly? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the truly marvelous friend you have in your life. More importantly, please return the favor when this unique individual needs some help in their home!