I have been working on my homemaking notebook and my daily routines. I tweak them from time to time, adding some things to the lists and removing others. Right now I am trying to switch around a couple of days due to a change in the day of the boys art lessons. But I don't know if I'm going to like the new schedule as much as I like the old one. I can see advantages and disadvantages both ways.

I have my chores divided up into days, kind of like Grandma used to. Right now it looks like this: Monday; Upstairs and Laundry, Tuesday; Kitchen, Wednesday; Cleaning and wash clothes, Thursday; Office, Friday; Errand and clothes washing, and Saturday; Garden.

I also have a seasonal list (one extra chore per day) that I work on which keeps me from forgetting things like changing the water filter or the furnace filter, changing the back up batteries in the smoke detectors and washing mattress pads and pillows (helps with allergies.) I know these tasks seem overwhelming, especially if you haven't been keeping a schedule. If I take some time off, which I occasionally do in the summer, it feels overwhelming to me when I try to get back into my normal routine. I just take a deep breath, set the timer for an hour (or for 15 minutes 4 times, though I much prefer an hour all at once) and do as much as I can. In just a few weeks, I'm right back to where I was and the tasks are easy once more. This week I thought I'd take you through a typical week, describing my plan and telling you what I actually accomplished. I'll probably stay more on track than I otherwise would too, but Shhhh! Don't tell me that! So stay tuned for Upstairs and Laundry tomorrow.