Domestic Goddess "upgrade?"

I follow Home Made Simple on Facebook in addition to getting their newsletter via email and I have to say - I actually get a little bit of joy from being able to implement the tips they suggest.

Also, if I haven't mentioned it before, I really like vacuuming and dusting my own home (though I HATE doing dishes and never use enough plates at one time to justify actually running the dishwasher.) I truly enjoy being domestic and on more than one occasion have chosen cleaning up over a night out at the bars.

Still, I find myself growing slightly weary of watching odds and ends pile up until the weekend, when I would typically devote most of Saturday or Sunday to attacking all my domestic projects. Recently, HMS posted an article about "Chunky Chores: Fun ways to break up house cleaning" and I found a few tips that I decided to adopt immediately.

Fifteen Minutes of Clean: I'm generally a pretty busy girl; I work my 40+ hours a week and either run errands after or come straight home to Skype with bear, take care of the kitties, cook dinner, work out, etc. and by that time it's easy to get sucked into blogging or playing around on Facebook before I head for bed. By devoting a 15 minute chunk to one task, I seem to find that the projects actually aren't as overwhelming as they may appear in my tired, post-work state. Pick a task, work on it for 15 minutes and then move along; it's a simple concept with surprising results.

Television Time: I don't watch a lot of TV these days, and when I do it's typically commerical free, but I find I can accomplish quite a bit if I don't just park my rear on the couch while I'm catching up on my favorite shows. It can be difficult to hear over tasks like washing dishes or vacuuming, but it's a great time to fold your laundry or clean the counters! Even using the commercial break to start your laundry in the washer or dryer can get you ahead of the game.

Those two new habits alone have kept my lovely apartment seeming much tidier throughout the week - add in taking a few minutes to make the bed every morning and I've got a place that is clean enough for impromptu guests and doesn't cause a subconscious "man, I've got to CLEAN" everytime I walk through the door.

Le sigh. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Domestic Goddess Sundays, but before Bear left it was clear that they didn't necessarily fit all that well in my no-longer-single schedule, once he returns and we eventually find a place together it will be that much more necessary to stay on top of the clutter.

Also, with the weather getting nicer in Seattle who the heck wants to spend their whole day off cleaning? Not this girl.