Moms Working at Home Tip of the Day

June 20. 2008

Here's something new I learned about organizing. It doesn't have to take all day. What I have started doing is to set the timer for 20 minutes. I then set out three large boxes (I use the plastic kind, but cardboard works fine, too) and one large trash bag. In one box I place the things I want to keep there, in the second, I place things that go in other parts of the house, and in the third I place things I want to give away. Of course in the trash bag goes....trash. For twenty minutes intervals I will organize things this way and when I'm finished, at least I have one drawer or one shelf organized and can move on to the next section when time permits. I'm having so much fun. To learn more about this method, check out the book above!

June 10, 2008


If your microwave is like mine, you often have unidentified stuff stuck on. To easily remove this, we place a bowl of water in the microwave for three minutes. I then remove the bowl using hotpads and easily wipe down the interior as the stuck-on stuff has been loosened by the steam! My eight-year-old does this every Saturday, but I always make sure I am the one to remove the bowl of water or serious burns could occur.








June 7, 2008

Dusters come in many shapes and sizes, but my favorite is the Swiffer Duster. You know I tend to stay away from disposables, but since these dusters can be used over and over again, I don't mind putting them to good use. It seems that the dust adheres to them much better than with feather dusters and they are easier to maneuver than an old sock. The kids love to use them, too!



June 6, 2008
Before I (or one of the kids) clean the kitchen after dinner, I begin by spraying certain surfaces with a spray bottle filled with water, such as the stove or any other surface that may have caked-on food. By the time I get to wiping it down, the food is already loosened for easy removing.

June 5, 2008

Because I have nine children, including a set of three-month-old twins, it is a challenge to keep up on the housework. One trick I use to get a head start on the next day is this: Once all of the children go to bed, I set my kitchen timer for twenty minutes. Even if the babies don't go to bed until midnight, I am rigid about doing this. I use that time to finish up kitchen chores, fold laundry, separate our cow's cream from the milk, straighten up the living room, etc. When the timer goes off, I stop in the middle of whatever I am doing, or I have a tendancy to go overboard and stay up too late. I reward myself by getting a bowl of ice cream (you could probably take or leave that tip!) and sitting down to the computer to listen to The Book of Mormon being read if I haven't done that yet, or reading friends' blogs, or sitting in my recliner to look at a gardening magazine.

Try it! You might like it!