Today is Devotion Day, so take time to sit down and read your WEEK ONE Devotion in the organizer, as well as spending some time with the Lord, and write in your Prayer Journal.
Plan out your Weekly Menu for this week
Make sure your Challenge Plan/Schedule is ready to go so things will flow more smoothly tomorrow. Try to plan on getting a couple of cleaning hours in, whether all at once or at various times during the day. Could the kids watch a movie or educational TV? It's good to plan that out as well. If you can record some "good shows" then you can use that time as a break for the kids, and you can get some cleaning done (especially organizing which the kids really can't help much with). Choose to use the kids to help in the cleaning aspect of things and plan appropriately, so they're not standing around bored.
Speaking of kids...what's for breakfast? Making muffins tonight would make sure that you don't have a huge mess in the kitchen tomorrow morning. You can get a jump on your day (whether you decide to clean or do school first thing) and that will be great for keeping you going! Lay out clothes while you're at it so you don't have to search for them in the clothes pile too (um... just in case you'd have to do that...)
Have you filled out your Evaluation Sheet?
Is your Weekly Challenge Calendar filled out? (Which by the way... there's a boo-boo there too... when hubby gets home tonight, he'll fix that and I'll post the link (as well as email those of you on the list) so watch for that.
Print out the Detailed Cleaning List for Day 2 in our VEHICLE!
Go through your house and take pictures of every room! This is going to bless when you're done and you can see everything you've accomplished!
Get a good night's sleep and don't forget your prayers!
For Your Information:
It's been brought to my attention that some of you are a day ahead... literally... depending on where you're at in the world (yes, there are ladies from all over the globe!!), so in light of that, I'm going to be getting the cleaning lists ready for the rooms/areas and putting them on the sidebar under THE C.H.C.H. Challenge, instead of the original plan of getting those posted the day before (which would already be too late for some of you!). That way you can print them out as you need them. I'll write the days on the top so you know where they're at in your calendar.
Also... I just had to tell you to stop by Eight is NOT Enough's blog to read her poem about Spring Cleaning!
PRAY: Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to get rested tonight and wake up first thing in the morning ready to begin a new day with You. Help me to stay focused, and if things begin to fall apart, I pray that You would sustain me and pull me back into Your arms. Lord, I want to bless my family by getting things done in my home. Please guide me to get it all done, while growing closer in my walk with You. Help me Lord... I give myself, this home... and all my burdens to You. Create in me a clean heart, Lord... and renew a right spirit within me and my home. In Jesus' name, Amen. (If you'd like to be a part of The Clean Heart, Clean Home Challenge, it's not too late to join... If you'd like to receive email notifications when there's a new post for The Clean Heart, Clean Home Challenge, then contact me and just put "CHCHC Notification" in the subject line, or contact me for questions on how to get started.)
I have 4 kids under the age of 6 (which is one of the reasons I don't have a clean home hee hee!). As I'm looking at the schedule and the things we are going to clean out I'm trying to figure out how I would do things like clean out a closet with all the kids around. Generally, if I try to clean something out (especially their toy closet), they are into the stuff, messing up my "piles", etc. I don't mind them watching movies, but don't think they should do it for the next 51 days! (ya think?) I think this is one of the things I'm supposed to learn during this process - how to include them in the things I have to do.
So, what would it look like with young children? Thanks for any suggestions.
-Jennifer
I'm right there with ya! My older one has become SUCH a huge help in watching/helping the younger ones. My advice (and what I do) is to wait until nap time and quietly go in while they sleep, or have them sleep in a different room. The way the challenge is set up has the bedrooms for the whole week, so you could plan on maybe saving the closets and stuff for the weekend when hubby is home?
No... I don't think 51 more days of TV would be a good thing either! tee hee... I know this can be a "sensitive" topic for some as well, so I'll just say that I plan on having a half hour to hour show a day to get some "organizing" done. I also would suggest color books or drawing paper.
Anyone else have any ideas or advice for seekingHim?
Cleaning the bathroom. I've posted it for Michelle's contest. Don't worry, I already took before pics of Challenge #1 and #2, my bedroom and bathroom. Now I just have to work on chellenge #2 and then MAYBE I'll post them.....ahhh, I probably will, but JUST FOR YOU! :)
God Bless,
Amber
PS~ I forgot to comment the other day about the baby being breech, but the same thing happened to me and about a week later, he fixed himself in my tummy, so don't worry, but of course I'll pray everything turns out okay.
Hi Amy. Whenever I read the prayers you share with us, my heart feels so peaceful and awed that God is speaking to me through you. You are able to put your finger on the pulse of my inner thoughts. Thank You Lord for the gift of Amy V. Bless her with more grace, more wisdom, more creativity as she gives of her life to you; this pot You are shaping for eternity. Bless the little one growing in her, let him turn over and be safely delivered when the time comes. Thank You Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Here's a suggestion to keep little ones busy:
Tell them a short story which they like and embellish it with extra details. Encourage the children to change the story along with you. Then give them paper and draw a big blank rectangle on each page with space below the rectangles for lines so that they or you can add in the text later. Ask them to illustrate the "new" story. That should keep them going for a while especially if they enjoy drawing. I find that my kids love speech balloons. Perhaps you can introduce that to them.
is handy! I wasn't ready to go yesterday but today I am. Your lovely prayer has given me such a feeling of hope and strenght for this and I am looking forward to doing this now. I will be attempting to blog the ups and downs as I go!
I'm now a day behind. We had lovely weather last night and were in the basement for several hours, then had to calm the kids down with a movie (oh, and remember to get dinner for them! *laugh*). I now have hubby sick (at the doc) and 2DS4 with an infected thumb (also at the doc). Fortunately, we cleaned the outside of the cars and vacuumed on Saturday, so I have hope.
Re: children under six. I have 6 months, 2, 4, and 6. For right now, I'll comment on this week's assignments.
Vehicle: Like Amy's kids, mine think it's a BLAST to go get the car cleaned. It helps that I put a book on tape on while I'm doing the outside. I don't Armor All (Consumer Guide tests show it doesn't increase the life of your car and I have better things to do with my time *grin*). I also don't do air fresheners (hubby has allergies). This leaves the windows. I'm hoping to run out during nap/ quiet time and do 'em quick, but I know there's crayon that probably won't come off fast. Maybe after the kids go to bed.
Front yard: Either the baby goes in the front pack or her playpen and we go out together. The kids play while I start. Then we go again while baby naps. It won't be perfect, but I consider my yard a work in progress. :)
I worked ahead a day because I'm 36 weeks pregnant and needed hubby's help with my vehicle. Wow! What an eye opener! I had NO idea how dirty it was in there! It's interesting that when you "see" something so much, you stop really seeing it and it's easy to ignore the mess! Anyway, long story short, we ended up not only getting my truck sparkling clean, but we got ambitious and did his car, too! Yeah! What a great feeling! I can't wait to drive my truck today! And, we get to bring the baby home in a clean vehicle! So, one challenge down, 51 left to go! Thanks, Amy! P.S. I'm totally "nesting" right now, so this challenge couldn't have come at a better time! God bless!
My DH is a SAHD so we are going to work through this together, starting today. Please pray for our endeavors, as with 3 young children, we really need the prayers. :-)
and a woman seeking the Lord's Will (daily), a wife (striving to keep the romance alive), a "Smamma" (Step- mother) of one and a homeschooling mom of seven (I was never going to have children), who starts every day over (after messing SOME thing up the day before), knowing God's grace is overflowing (just like my laundry), and so thankful He's blessed me more than I'll ever deserve.
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•Sunday, April 2, 2006 - Looking for some suggestion
So, what would it look like with young children? Thanks for any suggestions.
-Jennifer