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Show Me the Money

allowance

Chore list from age 5 – Notice no allowance listed!

As a child, I remember having some chores, but because I didn’t have to do my work alone, it never seemed to be a big ordeal.  Mom had taken the time to type a list for Lisa and me that we were expected to do in order to get a weekly allowance.  I don’t actually remember ever getting the allowance, even though there was a spot on the chore list to write down the amount owed.   Continue reading

The Go-To Kid

choresWhen I was young and living at home I was required to do a great number of chores around the house.

I have two siblings, one four years older than me and one five years younger than me.  It seemed that I was always the right candidate to impose most jobs onto.  Continue reading

She Can Do It all

She Can Do It All

This job list is from when I was about 11 years old.

Saturday mornings were for cleaning when I was a child. Mom worked in the morning and then went grocery shopping. Michelle and I were left at home to get our chores done.

I remember that my responsibilities not only included making my bed and cleaning my room, scrubbing sinks, and toilets, and vacuuming the house but also motivating my sister to get her jobs done as well.

THAT was the challenge! Continue reading

The Guilty One

choresBeing the youngest of three girls had benefits when it came to chores except for the guilt. I often felt guilty because Sandy seemed to be responsible for all the chores. If I wanted to help, I was either too little, too slow or I didn’t know how. My ability to feel guilt got overdeveloped. It never occurred to me that being five years younger than my sister did present challenges. Continue reading

My Cleaning Mishaps AKA Not Cleaning

cleaning mishapsI admit to finding it difficult to write about cleaning and cleaning mishaps because I don’t clean very often.  I pick up, I organize and I straighten but I seldom clean. Continue reading

The Consequence of NOT Cleaning UP

I was so tired that night in 1999. Instead of cleaning up the kitchen before bed, I promised myself that I would take care of the dishes and pot from our chicken dinner first thing in the morning.

Later, I woke up slightly and smelled bacon cooking. I thought, “Huh, Craig must be home.”

Still later, I woke up a little more and smelled burned bacon. I got up and walked along the hall and down the stairs. As I neared the bottom of the staircase, a thick cloud of smoke erased the landing. Continue reading

Yes! A Roomba CAN Vacuum Up Poop!

poopWhen initially thinking about getting an automatic vacuum (iRobot, Roomba or whatever you want to call it), I read the horror stories of vacuuming up shit.  In my head, I thought, “Oh – that won’t be an issue.”  Boy – was I wrong!   Continue reading

Craft the Life you Want…Start with Organizing Your Sock Drawer

The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.

 

-JoshuaBecker

It was November 1998. Tom and I had just listed out the household items that we were dividing between the two of us. We were getting a divorce. He got the leather lounge chair with the matching ottoman, the good blender, and our best set of knives. I kept the master bedroom furniture, the new sofa, and the dishes we got for our wedding 13 years prior. He took the new Acura. I kept all of my flea-market treasures. Continue reading

Time to Clean – Becoming a FlyLady

cleaningIf you are anything like me, I have a hard time wanting to clean my house.  I don’t enjoy cleaning at all.  Growing up, my mom did it right.  She had it set up that Lisa and I had jobs to do to clean the whole house by the time she came home from work.  I dusted and Lisa vacuumed.  On Saturdays, you didn’t do anything else until those jobs were done.   Continue reading