So the laundry. I’ve mentioned numerous times here how laundry-challenged I am. I know it’s probably premature to say I’ve figured it all out as I’ve only had my new system in place for two weeks, but I’ve just got to tell somebody: my kids have not had empty jammy or sock drawers for those entire two weeks. And, they’ve had pants hanging in their closet every single day. Clean pants. This is a big deal.
Here’s what’s changed: I’ve never had a good laundry system. I’ve tried various things, different places to fold, different times of the day to haul everything up, down, or in-between. Over Christmas, Craig encouraged me to put this free iGTD application on my computer (actually, he didn’t encourage me to put it on my computer as I’m notorious for screwing up my computer when I install things; he encouraged me to let him put it on my computer).
Basically, I pull everything I have to do out of my head (this is key – it must come out of my head) and into the program. From there, I can organize it by project and/or place in the house. I can prioritize things by importance on a scale of 1-5 (I just use 1, 3, and 5), and I can check them off when they are done. The checked off things leave the main list and appear on a list of completed items. I love that.
I think the program was invented for people who do other kinds of work, but it’s really working for this stay-at-home mama. I put “Laundry” in the program as something with a priority of 1 that recurs every single day.
So that’s the backstory; now for the implementation. In the past, I would just wash and wash and wash all week, and then eventually get around to folding things. But I wouldn’t always put things away right away because I would want to wait for another load to be done to put it all away at the same time. This usually meant that by the end of the day I had a half-finished job spread out all over my bed that would then get restacked in a basket. I was making more work for myself.
Now I’ve made a deal with myself: two loads have to get put away every day. Only two. I have to do two. But I also have permission to only do two (this is key for me). To ensure this happens, I make sure I’ve washed and dried two loads the day before and that two dry loads are ready for me to to fold and put away in the morning. Once those two loads are put away, I’m off the hook for folding for that day. I check it off my list. I then make sure to wash two more loads sometime that day so that I have two more dry loads for the next day.
It’s a small thing, I know, but it has been a major improvement for my family. They get clean clothes every day, and I get to check it off my list every day.
Now then, to tackle the bathroom and playroom in a similar fashion…
Half-Pint House 
Sounds like a great plan! Doesn’t it feel good? It’s such a great feeling to find a system that works for you. Then even if life gets crazy and the laundry piles grow (after traveling, vacations, family emergencies), you know you can play catch up for a few days then reinstate the system to get back on track.
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P.S. I was truly proud of myself for having washed and folded five loads of laundry before 3 pm … actually PUTTING IT AWAY hadn’t even occurred to me until you mentioned it. Gee, thanks!
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You let me know when you get the playroom tackled and maybe I can steal your system. Someday, I’m going to implement the family closet too : )
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You are my role model. Perhaps you could come over here and practice on our laundry????
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This makes me tired just thinking about all the dirty clothes that the halfpints generate. Way to go if you have found a system that works. (How can I load that to my MAC?
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wow…i’m going to check that out. priorities. i guess i would need to figure that out. thanks for the info. i despise the laundry monster.
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Congrats! This is no *small* thing… this is *HUGE!* Laundry has been defeating me on a daily basis since at least 2002… any step forward is a BIG step forward.
I’ve been working on the theory that our dressers are just for show, because nothing ever gets into them. I’ve wondered about putting them all in the basement next to the laundry piles, just to give them a shot at being used.
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oh man. i know the laundry monster is hard to tackle. my solution: i wear the same clothes for a few days. ! % ? #. hehe.
jason has a theory he wants us to try: having one central family closet…where we keep all the clothes…the dressers…and the hung up clothes. then we only have one room to visit when putting the laundry away. i wonder if that’d work, too.
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Sounds like a great plan! Doesn’t it feel good? It’s such a great feeling to find a system that works for you. Then even if life gets crazy and the laundry piles grow (after traveling, vacations, family emergencies), you know you can play catch up for a few days then reinstate the system to get back on track.
LikeLike
P.S. I was truly proud of myself for having washed and folded five loads of laundry before 3 pm … actually PUTTING IT AWAY hadn’t even occurred to me until you mentioned it. Gee, thanks!
LikeLike
You let me know when you get the playroom tackled and maybe I can steal your system. Someday, I’m going to implement the family closet too : )
LikeLike
You are my role model. Perhaps you could come over here and practice on our laundry????
LikeLike
This makes me tired just thinking about all the dirty clothes that the halfpints generate. Way to go if you have found a system that works. (How can I load that to my MAC?
LikeLike
wow…i’m going to check that out. priorities. i guess i would need to figure that out. thanks for the info. i despise the laundry monster.
LikeLike
Congrats! This is no *small* thing… this is *HUGE!* Laundry has been defeating me on a daily basis since at least 2002… any step forward is a BIG step forward.
I’ve been working on the theory that our dressers are just for show, because nothing ever gets into them. I’ve wondered about putting them all in the basement next to the laundry piles, just to give them a shot at being used.
LikeLike
oh man. i know the laundry monster is hard to tackle. my solution: i wear the same clothes for a few days. ! % ? #. hehe.
jason has a theory he wants us to try: having one central family closet…where we keep all the clothes…the dressers…and the hung up clothes. then we only have one room to visit when putting the laundry away. i wonder if that’d work, too.
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way to go megan! for me, 1/2, maybe even 3/4 of the battle is coming up with a system that works! glad this is working. considering it has worked for you for 2 weeks, you are close to having a habit developed. cool! m
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Hmm, this reminds me – I was supposed to wash our sheets today…
Congrats!
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way to go megan! for me, 1/2, maybe even 3/4 of the battle is coming up with a system that works! glad this is working. considering it has worked for you for 2 weeks, you are close to having a habit developed. cool! m
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Hmm, this reminds me – I was supposed to wash our sheets today…
Congrats!
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I’m always better with the laundry when we have a student living with us…honestly I’m pretty much better at everything when we have a student living with us. The extra filter, so to speak, helps me make better decisions. Anyway, I’ve been doing one load a day for a while now – start to finish – washing, drying, folding, and putting away. That way, the student can always have access to the machine without hurting themselves in the process (and he doesn’t have to look at my dirty PJs and undies lying on the laundry room floor. SUPER EMBARRASING! 🙂 Glad to hear your laundry crisis is over. About the ironing…I say you sell your services as “Most Industrious Women of the Century” and pay for dry cleaning! 🙂 Love you!
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I do go through spurts where I justify dry cleaning to myself and our budget. We are currently not in a spurt where I can justify it…
The last time I ironed, I set everything up in my room and the girls came in, sat on my bed, and we played Apples to Apples together while I ironed. I got it all done without really thinking about it.
That’s my new ironing plan. Once I can pull them away from Monopoly…
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Small steps are the best steps, because they are the ones that are most likely to work themselves into habits in our lives. This time last year, I was in the same spot. Part of our morning ritual nearly every day was digging through Mount Washmore on the living room sofa for clean socks and underwear. One of my goals for 2007 was to make sure everyone had clean necessities in their drawers every day … a little step here and a little step there, and I am thrilled to report one year later that there is no Mount Washmore anymore, and we managed to get through the entire fall semester of school without any empty drawers! Such an answer to prayer …
Best wishes as you tackle your laundry monster!
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See Megan. My 1000 notepads/sticky notes Mom gave me for Christmas aren’t so crazy afterall!! I just check things off of my PAPER list and you can check things off of your COMPUTER list. Doesn’t it feel good to see those checkmarks? I am kind of OCD when it comes to things like that. Just ask Craig….
Jill
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I’m always better with the laundry when we have a student living with us…honestly I’m pretty much better at everything when we have a student living with us. The extra filter, so to speak, helps me make better decisions. Anyway, I’ve been doing one load a day for a while now – start to finish – washing, drying, folding, and putting away. That way, the student can always have access to the machine without hurting themselves in the process (and he doesn’t have to look at my dirty PJs and undies lying on the laundry room floor. SUPER EMBARRASING! 🙂 Glad to hear your laundry crisis is over. About the ironing…I say you sell your services as “Most Industrious Women of the Century” and pay for dry cleaning! 🙂 Love you!
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I do go through spurts where I justify dry cleaning to myself and our budget. We are currently not in a spurt where I can justify it…
The last time I ironed, I set everything up in my room and the girls came in, sat on my bed, and we played Apples to Apples together while I ironed. I got it all done without really thinking about it.
That’s my new ironing plan. Once I can pull them away from Monopoly…
LikeLike
Small steps are the best steps, because they are the ones that are most likely to work themselves into habits in our lives. This time last year, I was in the same spot. Part of our morning ritual nearly every day was digging through Mount Washmore on the living room sofa for clean socks and underwear. One of my goals for 2007 was to make sure everyone had clean necessities in their drawers every day … a little step here and a little step there, and I am thrilled to report one year later that there is no Mount Washmore anymore, and we managed to get through the entire fall semester of school without any empty drawers! Such an answer to prayer …
Best wishes as you tackle your laundry monster!
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See Megan. My 1000 notepads/sticky notes Mom gave me for Christmas aren’t so crazy afterall!! I just check things off of my PAPER list and you can check things off of your COMPUTER list. Doesn’t it feel good to see those checkmarks? I am kind of OCD when it comes to things like that. Just ask Craig….
Jill
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You are one of our runners up! Please email me your address so I can pass it on to the company so they can send you out your loot! Woo hoo!
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You are one of our runners up! Please email me your address so I can pass it on to the company so they can send you out your loot! Woo hoo!
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