DAY SEVEN – Today we start to break down our zones and figure out the tasks needed to clean them. You remember that we should spend 15 mins per day cleaning our zone… at the end of the week your zone/focus area should be nice and clean. But, you may need to do some major decluttering first. OK, let us get our lists going.
Zone work is that deep cleaning stuff:
Windows
Window Sills
Wash Linens
Shampoo Carpets or spot clean them
Dust
Fan Blades
etc

Go into the following rooms:
Living Room
Entrance (like if you have a Foyer)
Front Porch

Put each room on its own sheet of paper and look around, what all needs doing in these rooms? Make your list – this is Zone/Focus #1 The first week of the month gets devoted to this area.
For the curious, here’s mine:

#1 The Entrance: Front Porch & Living Room
Front Porch Detailed cleaning.
Sweep down cobweb and spider webs
Sweep off porch furniture.
Sweep the porch.
Throw away any dead plants.
Wipe off tables, banisters, and light fixtures.
Get rid of unwanted items.
Empty Trash Can
Empty Ash Tray
Add personal touches to welcome friends and family

LIVING ROOM/ FAMILY ROOM/ DEN
CLEAN COBWEBS
CLEAN WINDOWS
STRAIGHTEN BOOKCASES
WASH ORNAMENTS AND WHAT-KNOTS
CLEAN OUT END TABLE
WIPE FINGERPRINTS FROM WALLS
POLISH FURNITURE
CLEAN UNDER CUSHIONS
MOVE FURNITURE AND VACUUM
SHAMPOO CARPET
Vacuum Couch
Fan Blades
Hallway
Wipe Baseboards
Clean light fixture
Dust What-knots
Vacuum

Day SIX: How is it going? Is your Manual Coming together? Do your chores look overwhelming? Now, you need to learn to delegate.
Today we are going to set up some chores for our kids to do. The INTERNET has tons of free printables everywhere. Just Google “free printable chore chart”. My older two have chores, they are 9 & 6.

Here are their chores:
Both Tripp 8 & Zack 6:
Brush Teeth AM (Daily)
Brush Teeth PM (Daily)
Supper Dishes (Daily)
Homework (week days)
Pick up playroom (4 days per week)5
pieces of trash (3 days per week… days they don’t pick up playroom)
Clean Bedroom (one day per week)
Collect Laundry & Dishes around house (one day per week)

Just Tripp (8)
Take Meds (Daily)
Trash Can To Road (one day per week)
End of Hall (1 day per week… they have a small bookshelf that gets a bit wild, he has to straighten this)

Just Zack (6)Feed Annie (Chihuahua) (Daily)
Wipe Table (Daily)

It isn’t much and they make 5 cents per each completed chore. I know five cents isn’t a whole lot but since they are so young I don’t feel they need to make much and they are very happy with their 2 dollars a week
Straighten Dishes (1 day per week – they have plastic dishes they can reach and it gets really messy)
Straighten Tupperware (1 day per week)

DAY FIVE: Hi! Today you need your weekly brainstorm list. We need to decide which days to devote to which weekly chores. My schedule is set up for me, you may find that doesn’t work for you.

Sunday: Beginning and End – this is the day that I complete any uncompleted weekly & zone/focus chores. If I have worked like I should on the other days, this day is pretty empty.
 
Monday: Plants & Trash – our garbage use to be picked up on Tuesday so I wanted to be sure all garbage cans were empty and the can was out at the road by then end of the day. Now, the trash isn’t picked up until Wednesday but I have not changed my schedule. Since I pretty much always work on Monday I have left it this way. These are quick and easy chores.

Tuesday: Weekly home blessing – This is the day I sweep, mop, vacuum, swish & swipe, clean out fridge, and really clean my kitchen counters (move things to clean them).

Wednesday: Rumbles – this is typically another work day for me so again, I need an easy day.

Thursday: Clean Home Projects – on this day I spend a bit more time on my zones/focus and projects that any other day. Technically I want all that done today so I don’t have to worry with them over the weekend.

Friday – Family Fun Night – I like to do something fun each week with the boys: movie & popcorn, go to Daddy’s game (he is a coach), play a game, go out to eat, something. I also prepare for Saturday’s chores on this day. So, my menu gets made and my shopping list gets finalized.

Saturday – Zone & Errands day – Saturday works best for errands for me because my husband is usually home so he can watch the kids while I run around. I also try again to finish up weeklies. Also, since my husband is home on this day I try to get some office work done. That is it… plan your days to fit your schedule.

DAY FOUR: How did yesterday go? Is your Manual coming together? You should have your dailies, morning routine, afternoon routine, & evening routine all set and have done them. Do you need to change some things? Don’t forget to do your 7-UP before continuing on.

Today we are going to get started on our weeklies…what are the tasks that you want done on a weekly basis? I know lots of people wash their sheets weekly… I do not do this. We all go to bed clean so unless there is an accident, my sheets only get washed during zone/focus times. You might not like that.

Here is the list of things that I get done weekly:

Clean out van

Water Plants

Empty Trash Cans

Sweep

Mop

Vacuum

Swish & Swipe Bathrooms (toilets, sinks, tubs)

Clean kitchen counters (not to be confused with wipe them off during supper clean up)

Clean Out Fridge

Room Rumbles (5 minutes in each room making it better than it was)

Check Chore Chart & Pay Kids

File Papers

Ball game or other fun thing

Grocery List / Shopping List

Make Weekly Menu (we will cover this)

Check Form status – from MHM do I need to print new ones for next week?

Shopping / Groceries

Check homeschool schedule

To keep me on track, some of these are broken down individually.. example: my list says:

Sweep Kitchen

Sweep Dining

Mop Kitchen

Mop Dining

Empty Trash in Kitchen—you may not need to be quite as specific as me but I found that if I don’t list each thing I may forget some. You only want to brain storm these things. We will figure our days later. Brainstorm your weeklies and share with us!

Day Three: How is your day going? Have you had your 7-UP first? Is your afternoon routine ready for you? Are you working on your dailies each day?

Today we are going to set up our “Clock Out” routine. If you work outside the home or ever have, then you know there are certain things that have to be done before you can go home… you may need to turn off your computer, or clean your area…everything has to be done before you can leave. Well, there are a few things that have to be done before you can “Clock Out” at home, too. Let us figure out what those things are.
Here is my Clock Out routine:
__ 1. Supper (approx 6 pm)
__ 2. Clean up from supper
__ 3. Boys: chores complete?
__ 4. Baby in bed at 7
__ 5. Older Boys in bed at 8
__ 6. TV time with DH (work on letters or craft project)
__ 7. My bath (ahh me time)
__ 8. Relax with DH (maybe more craft time)
__ 9. Face, teeth, birth control
__ 10. Bed by 10

This should give you a jumping point. Obviously you need to make it fit you but the basics need to be the same. Some people like to start a load of laundry before going to bed or put breakfast in the crock pot. You will notice that I don’t have “turn off lights and lock up” on mine that is because my husband does that each night while I am doing face, teeth, birth control. Plans yours, share it with us, add it to your Manual and do it tonight!