Well a dear friend and I were chatting yesterday about Schedules and Routines and Time Management...

She was asking about how I do what I do--  How I got here?

So I thought I'd make a little packet for her of some of my most encouraging "reads" that I have used and implemented over the past 3-4 years.

I thought I'd add those links here too...

The first 3 articles I printed are really the backbone of my Daily Schedule:

1-   Laine's Letter- Harvesting My Time -  Laine's Letters are really what helped me make my mornings FIRST priority-  To wake early (before the boys) and have my Quiet Time with the Lord-- and to make the most of those first hours of the day. 

2-  The second article I cannot locate on line any longer-- it was from Large Family Logistics and showed her Morning/ Afternoon and Evening Routines.

3-  I really have implemented this system a lot since starting the "challenge" in December.  Biblical Womanhood's Making Your Home a Haven. 

Then I included what I am Currently using on a DAILY basis:

4-    My current Making My Home a Haven check list

Making My Home a Haven

Step 1-  Time with The Lord

Brew a cup of tea or coffee, and sit down and be still before the Lord. Pray, read His Word, thank the Lord for His goodness and blessing in your life.

What I learned today:

Step 2-   Morning Routine                                                              To Do List

1.       Quiet Time                                                                                1.

2.       To Do lists for all                                                                      2.               

3.       Get Dressed                                                                              3.

 – make bed                                                                     4.

- straighten bedroom                                                        5.

- put laundry          away                                                           6.                                   

4.       Feed Stephen                                                                            7.

5.       Lunch/ Dinner plans                                                                   8.

6.       Start Laundry                                                                           9.

7.       Entry Way check                                                                      10.

8.       Take vitamins- drink 2 glasses water (ck e-mail 10 min).

9.       Animal Chores (Goats/Chickens feed/water)           

10.     Breakfast

11.      Devotions with boys                                                                  

Step 3-  Do Something- ZONE WORK-     Current Zone:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Step 4-  BOYS TO DO LIST:

Zach                                                         Joshua

1                                               Get Dressed 

2                                                                                              Patch eye- Take Medicine

3                                               Brush Teeth                    

4                                               Make Bed

5        Dinning room                                                                    Living room

6        Goats                                                                              Chickens

7                                              TAKE OUT TRASH

8        Fill water buckets                                                            Clean bedroom

9        Put dishes away

Step 5             Late Morning/ Early Afternoon Routine

1-                 Continue with Laundry

2-                 OUTSIDE WORK or ERRANDS (see monthly to do list)

3-                 Lunch

Step 6               Late Afternoon / Evening Routine

1-                    School Work- Zachary

2-                  School Work- Joshua

3-                  WEAVER School Work  

4-                  READ ALOUDS                            

5-                  Zone Cleaning

6-                  Dinner

7-                  Kitchen Clean up (floor)

8-                  Shower                                                                   BOYS- Put laundry away

9-                  Jason’s lunch/ coffee

10-                Boys Bedtime story                                               BOYS- Brush Teeth- PJ’s

5-  This is the list of Chore Options I use-- It isa great list of child appropriate chores.  

6-  A copy of my ZONE list  (see above Making My Home a Haven)

Zone 1-Week 1               Kitchen

KITCHEN: DETAIL CLEANING LIST

1. WASH FLOOR

2. EMPTY REFG/CLEAN THOROUGHLY

3. CLEAN STOVE/OVEN

4. WASH CANISTER/KNICK-KNACKS

5. STRAIGHTEN DRAWERS/CUPBOARDS- Declutter!!!

**6. WIPE FINGERPRINTS OFF WALLS

**7. SCRUB DOWN CABINET FRONTS (only a few at a time)

8. CLEAN LIGHT DEFUSING BOWLS(GLASS GLOBES OVER LIGHT BULBS)

9. CLEAN UNDER SINK/THROW AWAY OLD RAGS

ZONE 2-WEEK 2      DINNING ROOM / BATHROOM

Dining Room Detailed Cleaning List

Start at the ceiling and work your way down to the floor.

1. Clean the cobwebs

2. Dust window sills

3. Clean the window

4.  Clean school dresser

5. Clean and straighten any drawer

6. Clean off top of Dining table and Polish

7. Clean school book cupboard

**8. Clean the chairs.

**9. Dust the baseboards

**10. Move furniture and vacuum underneath

11. Add your own personal touches to the table (table cloth, pretty bowl, flowers)

Office Detailed Cleaning List

1. CLEAR OFF THE SURFACE OF YOUR DESK

2. THROW AWAY PENS THAT DON'T WORK

**3. SHARPEN PENCILS

4. CLEAN OFF THE MONITOR SCREEN

5. FILL PRINTER CADDY WITH PAPER

6. DUST FURNITURE

7. CHECK SUPPLIES OF PAPER/ PRINTER INK, STAMPS/ ENVELOPES

Bathroom Detailed Cleaning List

1. WASH AREA RUGS

2. SCRUB/WAX FLOOR

3. STRAIGHTEN DRAWERS/ CABINETS

4. CLEAN SHOWER STALL

5.  WASH SHOWER CURTAIN

6. CLEAN MEDICINE CABINET

7.  CLEAN WINDOW AND WINDOW SILL

**8.  EMPTY TRASH

ZONE 3-  WEEK 3-  LIVINGROOM / HALL/ STAIRS/ OUTSIDE/ VAN 

LIVING ROOM/ FAMILY ROOM/ DEN

1. CLEAN COBWEBS

2. STRAIGHTEN BOOKCASES

**3. WIPE DOWN STAIRS

4. DUST FURNITURE / PIANO

**5. STRAIGHTEN UP BOOK RACK

**6. CLEAN UNDER CUSHIONS

7. SWEEP AROUND FIREPLACE

8. MOVE FURNITURE AND WASH FLOOR

**9. STRAIGHTEN SHOES AT BACK DOOR

**10.  WASH HALL FLOOR

Outside / Front Porch Detailed cleaning.

1.  Clean Grill

2. Wipe off porch furniture.

3. Sweep the porch.

**4. Pull Weeds on/around porch

**6.  Clean out VAN!

7.  Wash van windows

**8. Wipe off tables and banisters.

9. Get rid of unwanted items.

10. Add your own personal touches to welcome friends and family (wreath, welcome mat, bell)

**11.  Declutter lawn toys

 13.  Chicken house- fluff

ZONE 4-WEEK 4        Bedroom /  BATHROOM

MASTER BEDROOM - DETAILED CLEANING

1. POLISH FURNITURE

2. CLEAN COBWEBS

3. FLIP MATTRESS-   WASH SHEETS

4. WASH WINDOW SILLS

5. CULL SOME BOOKS FROM BEDSTAND

6. STRAIGHTEN DRAWERS

CLOSET - DETAILED CLEANING

1. STRAIGHTEN THE TOP SHELVES

2. ARRANGE THE SHOES

Children's Bedrooms Detailed Cleaning List

1. DUST FURNITURE

**2. STRAIGHTEN DRAWERS/ CLOSET

3. CLEAN COBWEBS

**4. WASH MATTRESS PAD AND SHEETS

5. FLIP MATTRESSES

**8. STRAIGHTEN TOY SHELVES

**9. CLEAN UNDER THE BED

**11. PUT AWAY STRAY ITEMS

12. SORT OUT-GROWN CLOTHES

**13. WASH FLOORS

**14. DUST BASEBOARDS

15. CLEAN FINGERPRINTS OFF DOOR/ WALLS

16. REARRANGE GAMES/BOOKS

7-  I also really enjoyed Biblical Womanhood's 2 hour QUICK CLEAN UP-- so I also printed that for her..

Lastly-- I included a few just really encouraging articles from various sources:

8-  Laine's Letter- My Master's Miadservant

9-  Getting it All Done- What can a 2 year old do?

10-  Getting it All Done with Many Littles

11-  A Dangerous Immune Disorder  - the easiest way to keep a clean / organized home-- declutter-  simplify!!