Hey! I said No!

There’s a lot to do… like always. Sometimes it feels like the list of stuff is never ending! So, I wanted to talk about the things that need to get done everyday and the things that can be put off until the next day… or week.

**Disclaimer: I’ve added links to some of the products I swear by, I make a little bit of money if you click on the link and purchase.**

Shine Your Sink

I spoke about this concept the other day and wanted to impound on it more. The concept of “Shining Your Sink” is a new one to me but I’ve embraced it (even though I don’t do it properly) and it is a non-negotiable! The FlyLady… movement?… introduced me to this concept. Here’s what she says:

This is your first household chore. Many of you can’t understand why I want you to empty your sink of your dirty dishes and clean and shine it when there is so much more to do. It is so simple; I want you to have a sense of accomplishment! You have struggled for years with a cluttered home and you are so beaten down. I just want to put a smile on your face. When you get up the next morning, your sink will greet you, and a smile will come across your lovely face. I can’t be there to give you a big hug, but I know how good it feels to see yourself in your kitchen sink. So each morning, this is my gift to you. Even though I can’t be there to pat you on the back, I want you to know that I am very proud of you. Go shine your sink!

FlyLady

I haven’t done it the FlyLady way, which is totally ok! Her methods aren’t Bible, they’re just there to help keep your house clean and decluttered. After I’m done with the dishes, after dinner is finished, I make sure to wash my sink. I spray Dawn Powerwash in my sink and scrub with a Scrub Daddy sponge. I make sure to get around my sink and my faucet. During the day, if I decide to clean the dishes, I’ll just scrub it down with my Scrub Daddy sponge but no soap. Then, once a week, I’ll use The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Scrub on my sink, using a toothbrush to get the faucet and the drain. This just helps keep the sink super shiny and beautiful.

Shine your sink the way that best fits your lifestyle!! But make it a non-negotiable because coming downstairs in the morning to an (almost) empty sink that shines is so rewarding!!

Devotions

I’m currently reading through the Bible in a year, so once I get the toddler down for sleep I take some time to read my chapters and do my devotions. I used to do this before she woke up, but I felt like I had so much to get down in the mornings that I wasn’t spending enough time focusing on my relationship with God. I use devotions from “The Bible App” and they’ve been phenomenal. Short, sweet, and to the point but packs a punch of Godly information and encouragement. This is a non-negotiable!

Wiping Counters and Stove

Definitely a non-negotiable. The counters don’t always get wiped before I go upstairs to bed, but they definitely get wiped multiple times during the day. I hate when my counters get cluttered because then I can’t do anything in the kitchen! The stove gets wiped down every night before I go upstairs. Again, just like the sink, I spray Power Wash and scrub with my Scrub Daddy. I wipe it down with a towel to clean it off. I will usually spray The Pink Stuff Multi-Purpose Spray on my counters, sink, and stove at the end of my cleaning moment to help keep it disinfected and to take any residue off from the Power Wash.

Sweeping

This is negotiable. I don’t sweep my floors every night. I probably should, but I don’t have the energy sometimes. If I do sweep, it’s during the morning when the toddler is at school so that I don’t have to maneuver around her and follow after her and her crumbs. We have “wood” floors now, so sweeping isn’t just a kitchen or entryway job any more. It’s the whole downstairs and there’s toys that need to be moved, so I do a full involved sweep once a week and then maybe every other day I’ll sweep the high traffic areas and the kitchen.

Laundry

FlyLady talks about adding a load of laundry to your morning routine. While this is all well and good, I don’t do this all the time. Very rarely do I do this, actually. I need to add it into my routine, but it’s definitely a negotiable thing. I think it would help keep our room decluttered better, so it’s important, just not something I do everyday.

I hope that this post gives you a better idea of the difference between must haves and can waits… and why they’re important! It’s ok to not do everything that I do or that anyone does for that matter. It’s ok to find what works for you. If you like FlyLady’s method, amazing. If you don’t, that’s ok too!! The whole point of all of this is that you find what helps you and your family more and what brings you joy. Cleaning and organizing shouldn’t be a pain, it should be something that blesses you and your family. It should be your ministry, not your annoyance.

With Light and Love,

Eli Morr