Friday-Cleaning Day

I think it's funny that I have a day specifically called my cleaning day, because obviously I clean all week long. But this is a day where I do try to make sure we do a bit more in depth cleaning, and get to those areas that don't really get very much attention during the week. I usually have a focus area that I try to work on during this day as well. The kids and I all work together to get our home nice and clean for the weekend, so we can enjoy our time together without worrying about the mess. Here's what we try to do on Friday:

Morning

-Read Bible and pray
-Pack hubby's lunch, and fix his breakfast, if needed
-Make bed and straighten bedroom
-Yoga/stretching, get dressed, fix hair/face, and straighten bathroom (I try to dress according to what I'm going to be doing, so Friday, I usually wear something comfy and not too pretty to clean in, or else I make sure and wear an apron)
-Start kettle
-Start laundry, if needed
-Take dog out and feed her
-Make breakfast and tea/coffee
-Wake kids
-Eat breakfast, drink tea/coffee, and take supplements
-Table time-Proverbs reading, character study, and memory work
-Table chores
-Prep food for lunch and dinner, if needed
-Kids do bedroom and bathroom chores

Daily Chores-to be done by 4pm

-Wash laundry, if needed (I usually end up doing a load or two on Fridays of bedding and such. I'll also probably be doing baby/diaper laundry on this day as well)
-Dust, sweep, vacuum, and mop throughout the house (My kids are each responsible for their assigned rooms and their bedrooms. I help them as needed and take care of extra mopping in the kitchen. Their assigned rooms right now are N12-playroom, M10-living room, and E7-family room. J4 usually helps his big brother.)
-Declutter, organize, and/or deep clean focus area

Homeschool-to be done by 4pm

-Reading, writing, and arithmetic with E7
-Reading-at least 1-2 hours a day (In addition to read alouds)
-Writing-copywork, dictation, and writing
-Arithmetic-Math on the level, 5-a-day, and new concept
-History/Bible
-Geography
-Science
-Music practice

Noon Hour

-Lunch prep and eat
-Table chores
-Dinner prep, if needed
-Family read aloud

Afternoon Chores

-Kids do quick pick up in assigned rooms
-Tea time
-Finish up daily chores
-Finish up school work and put away for the day
-Go for a walk
-Start dinner

Dinner Hour

-Fix dinner-clean as you cook
-Dinner and family devotions
-Table chores
-Plan menu and prep food for the next day

Evening

-Family time-Movie night (We have a weekly movie night where we all sit down with some popcorn and watch a movie together)
-Quick pick up in assigned rooms and bedrooms, if needed
-Kids wash up, brush teeth, and get ready for bed
-Poetry and Psalm reading
-Kids in bed at 9pm, reading, lights out by 10pm
-Wash up, brush teeth, and get ready for bed
-Free time-reading, watching tv/movie, spending time with hubby or working on a project
-Take dog out
-In bed by 10pm, reading, lights out by 11pm

This is a main area I really need to work on. If I am going to be able to get my home clean and organized by the time this baby comes, I need to make sure I'm spending a good amount of time each Friday really working on the focus areas. You can see from my previous posts, that the laundry room and kitchen each sort of already have their focus day. The kids help me to keep daily clutter picked up out of their assigned rooms and their bedrooms, and Saturday you will see we spend time working outside, and with daily routines much will get done throughout the house, but there is still a lot to be done. Those little areas that just don't get any attention, the toy clutter that needs to be dealt with, the cabinets and hall closets that are a mess, and so much more. Also the deep cleaning, such as cleaning baseboards, sweeping cobwebs down, etc. I hope to spend at least 1-2 hours working on a focus area each week.

A note about the bathrooms....the kids have bathroom chores every day, which helps keep the dirty laundry out of the bathroom, the sink wiped down, and the potty wiped off, and I take care of the master bathroom each day, but I work on doing extra cleaning in there on nights when we take baths/showers, wiping down mirrors, decluttering cabinets, organizing, and doing extra cleaning that needs done.

Just like the rest of the week, the kids help, and we work back and forth between school stuff and chores. And if we stick with it, we usually get a lot done.....and I am usually very exhausted by day's end, but always feel it's worth it.

Blessings,
sara