Money Saving Mom®

Today was SUCH a good day. I’m still not getting this posted early evening like I’d hoped, but that’s just life.

It was so great to wake up to a clean house, the laundry all caught up, and a day with fewer to-do’s. I really feel like we’re starting to get into a great rhythm here with our new schedule… and I’m just hoping that the momentum continues!

Also? I finally got my hair washed and fixed, a nicer outfit on, and a little make up on — which was the first time that has happened since I got sick on Saturday. Yay!

I’m still somewhat dragging and not 100% yet, but I’m improving each day and am hopeful to be back to full capacity again soon. In the mean time, I’m trying to make sure I take care of myself, get a good night’s sleep every night, and eat and drink well.

I love using the diffuser!

Today, we diffused the Harmony essential oil blend. I pick different ones each day — mostly depending upon what mood I’m in or what mood I want to help us all be in! 🙂

After I read my Bible, I came downstairs and we ate a quick breakfast and then started cleaning up the kitchen while the kids did their morning chores. Since we’d gone to bed with a really clean house, this didn’t take long at all.

And I even had time to make my bed… the second day in a row!!

I got the kids started on their morning school projects, switched the laundry, and finished a few more cleaning projects. Then, I exercised and helped Silas with his Kindergarten work.

After that, we all met in the living room and I read aloud while the kids worked on different things — Kathrynne on LEGOS, Kaitlynn on drawing/coloring, and Silas on practicing writing his letters.

A little after noon, Jesse got home and he made lunch. I ate quickly and then headed upstairs to finally get a shower.

They all left for Kathrynne’s swimming practice and I blow dried my hair and then got busy on my afternoon blogging work. Today, I had some posts to write, some emails to answer, a meeting with my executive team (we meet every Wednesday afternoon via Zoom), and then more emails and posts to draft, comments to answer, and some odds and ends of projects.

I headed down to the kitchen around 5:00 p.m. to make apple pie.

Jesse left (again) to take Kaitlynn to her ice skating practice.

Kathrynne and Silas finished up folding and putting away the laundry and then played in the backyard for awhile with the neighbor children.

Once the pie was in the oven, I called the kids back in and they got to watch a movie because their chores and school were done for the day.

I had planned to get a little more blogging work done, but I kinda got distracted online and ended up doing basically nothing for 45 minutes. Well, I mean, I visited lots of sites and found out some interesting information, but had little to show for that time. 🙂

So I decided I’d be better off getting up from the computer and starting in on the kitchen cleaning…

I cleaned up from my apple-pie baking and then cleaned out the refrigerator.

When I was finished, Jesse and Kaitlynn got home. They’d picked up Chili’s for dinner and we sat down to eat.

Then, it was back to the kitchen cleaning again!

The Lazy Susan really needed to be wiped out and it felt so good to take everything out, wipe it out, wipe the appliances off, and put them back again.

I also tackled the junk drawer in the kitchen.

Silas helped me organize the batteries in the junk drawer.

Much better!

I also cleaned out the pantry and a few more shelves and cupboards… and ended up with a box full of things to get rid of/trash. Yay for de-cluttering!

When it was all said and done, it was only 8:30 p.m. and I’d finished everything on My Morning Plan. Woot!

Leave a Comment & You Could Win This Stack of Books!

In my cleaning today, I found some more books and cookbooks to get rid of, most all that are ones I’ve loved and just want to pass onto someone who could be encouraged by them! Plus, I threw in a copy of both my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and a copy of my new Choose Gratitude Blessings Journal and a box of tea that I love!

Who wants to win them? To win, just leave a comment on this post and I’ll choose one winner tomorrow evening and will mail them to you so you’ll have them in time for Christmas. Some of these books are great condition and might even work as gifts for people on your Christmas list!

Did you work on cleaning your house today? If you blogged about participating in this Clean Your House For Christmas Challenge, leave the direct link to your post below that is specifically about this challenge. Or, leave a comment telling us how your cleaning went today.

The winner of yesterday’s stack of books is Michelle (kmosmond@) — I sent you an email tonight to ask for your address.

Welcome to the 5-Day Clean Your House for Christmas Challenge. Otherwise known as: Crystal really needs to deep clean her house and she needs the public accountability to get it done. Ahem. 🙂

{Thank you for humoring me. If your house is in great shape, please just skip over these posts. I may be the only one who has kind of let my housework and decluttering slide a bit the past few months.}

Today, I wanted to pick an easier room. But then I realized that I should probably save the easier stuff for the end of the week. So instead, we’re starting with one of the hardest rooms… or at least the rooms that have been the most-neglected for me these past few months.

And that is… drumroll… the bedrooms!

{I’m trying to sound all cheery about it to psyche myself up for this job that I’ve been avoiding and even dreading for too long! :)}

If your bedrooms are spotless and clutter-free, pick another area of your house that you’ve been putting off and tackle that today.

Here’s my plan for this morning (feel free to follow it somewhat, if you find it helpful… or you can get a laugh out of how detailed I am!):

This Morning’s Plan

1. Read my Bible, exercise, and shower.

2. Get dressed to my shoes. (Thanks, Flylady!)

3. Eat some breakfast, read aloud to the kids, start a load of laundry.

4. Morning chores with the kids.

5. Get the kids started on their schoolwork. Kindergarten with Silas.

6. Switch the laundry.

7. Attack the bedrooms:

• Pick up/remove clutter — either throw out or put in Goodwill pile.
• Organize things that need to be organized.
• Vacuum thoroughly.
• Dust — especially fans/light fixtures.

8. Celebrate a job well done… by noon, hopefully!

So, that’s my morning plan. I’m hopeful to have it all done before lunchtime. I’ll take pictures and will post an update late afternoon to let you know how it goes.

Want To Join Me?

Are you joining me? If so, what room(s) are you planning to tackle today and what’s your morning plan? Let us know in the comments. If you are blogging about it, I’ll have a link-up that you can link your post to this afternoon. It should be up by 6 p.m. EST.

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