The Good, The Bad, The Organized

Trying to keep everything running smoothly while homeschooling can be a challenge, at least it is for me. I have a detail oriented brain that's really OCD, so my "brain hurts" when things aren't the way I like them. That being said, I have children and a life, so my house doesn't always look the way I wish it would. I found that tasks were getting overlooked or given up on, and that made me even more frustrated and overwhelmed. I wanted time for personal reading and reflecting, homeschool planning, and just some hang out time with the kids and my husband. So I decided to make a master schedule that would help me see what had to be done and when.
First off, I had to make a list of everything I wanted on my schedule. All the jobs, chores, tasks, etc. that I wanted to be done on a regular basis. Then I had to divide them up into frequency lists. There are lots of master lists for these on the internet, but I made up my own using a grid. I divided the tasks into daily, weekly, 2x a week, monthly, 2x a month, quarterly, annually, and semi-annually. Finally, I put them all on a grid so I can see what needs to be done and when. This also allows anyone else (such as my husband or a visiting relative) to quickly assess what is required of the day. I have the grid posted on the inside of one of my cabinets so it can be checked quickly. I plan on making a Household Binder with all sorts of good info, and this will be in it. But I wanted a copy I can check off, so I put it in a page protector and taped it up.

Daily/Weekly Division

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1 load laundry quick clean dishes empty trash clean bathroom	1 load laundry quick clean dishes homeschool planning clean kitchen/vacuum	1 load laundry quick clean dishes flush drains clean living room special projects (ASQ)	1 load laundry quick clean dishes sort bills empty trash clean upstairs	1 load laundry quick clean dishes ironing vacuum kitchen clean BR2 special projects	1 load laundry quick clean dishes change kids sheets clean BR1 special projects	quick clean dishes take recycling out

Quick clean: pick up stray items and return, wipe kitchen and bathroom surfaces, straighten couch and beds

Monthly	Monthly x2	Annual	Annual x2	Quarterly
wipe down ceiling fans dry cleaning mending	clean out car change upstairs sheets clean basement blog sort recipes into binder shark wood floors	clean pantry and cabinets  (remove items)	wash windows, blinds switch and sort wardrobe wash dust ruffles wash carseat covers wash light fixtures sort toys	clean oven (inside) clean out refrigerator wash comforters (as needed) flip mattresses

The first page lists out the tasks and frequency of each. I included some "definitions" in case it is needed by a third party. Each day I can see what needs to be done. I am not a person who wants the hour by hour schedule right now, so I just have the list and I get it done when I can (during nap or morning reading, sometimes after the kids go to bed). You will notice "special projects"  and "special projects ASQ" on some days. Special projects are the monthly and 2x a month projects that need to be fit in during the week. These include wiping fans, mending, and cleaning out the car.  So on Friday and Saturday, I look at the "special projects" list for that week and see what I need to do during that time. Special Projects ASQ are special projects from the Annual, Semi-annual, and quarterly list. These include cleaning the oven and washing the windows.

Monthly Breakdown into Weekly Schedule

	1x a Month Special Projects: Fridays	2x Month Projects: Saturdays
Week 1	wipe fans	clean, car, change MBR sheets, clean basement
Week 2	dry cleaning	mop wood floors, sort recipes, blog
Week 3	mending	clean, car, change MBR sheets, clean basement
Week 4	catch up	mop wood floors, sort recipes, blog

Annual, Semi-Annual, Quarterly Special Projects (ASQ)

January wash comforters sort toys	February clean fridge flip mattresses	March clean oven wash windows, blinds	April wash comforters clean cabinets
May clean fridge wash dust ruffles & carseat covers	June clean oven wash light fixtures	July wash comforters sort toys	August clean fridge flip mattresses
September clean oven wash windows, blinds	October wash comforters clean pantry	November clean fridge wash dust ruffles & carseat covers	December clean oven wash light fixtures

I know what you may be thinking...crazy train!! My mind really works best this way and this system has really helped. Some days I miss a few items, but they all get done by the end of the week. Good enough. I found that since I am cleaning more often around the house, it doesn't look as dirty to me anymore (yes, Mom, you were right). I do miss the "whole house is clean at one time" look, but I just can't dedicate the time to that. This way, it's mostly clean, most of the time.  I get a lot more laundry done, since it's not been piling up for days. Some of the items on the list are the children's chores (such as taking out recycling and emptying trash), so I get to check those off too..yeah! All in all, this system really helps keep the house on track so I can focus on homeschool, family time, and (gasp!) some personal time as well. I'd love to hear what works in your home to keep everything on track. Happy organizing!