Dear Friends,

Can you believe we are already into the third week of the month? This week we are going to focus on the Main Bathroom and the Laundry Room. If you are doing your daily swish and swipe, I hope you won’t need a lot of time in the Main Bathroom. If you have been missing your daily swish and swipe, this is the week to jump back on the bandwagon!

Here are you missions for the week:

Zone 3 Missions: The Main Bathroom and Laundry Room

Monday – Declutter empty bottles from the Main Bathroom and the Laundry Room. Swish and Swipe.

Tuesday – Toss old towels and linens; clean behind the washer and dryer. Swish and Swipe.

Wednesday – Toss old cosmetics. Toss single socks. Swish and Swipe.

Thursday – Check bathroom supplies. Check laundry supplies. Swish and Swipe.

Friday – Shine the tub/shower. Wipe down the washer and dryer. Swish and Swipe.

Set your timers for 15 minutes and then take a break when it goes off!

Weekly Menu Plan

Monday – Chicken with a salad

Tuesday – Birthday dinner for one of the boys

Wednesday – Zucchini noodles and salad

Thursday – Chicken and a salad

Friday – Take out

Enjoy your week! Keep your routines simple.

It’s January 14, and many of you started new routines on January 1. Did you try to do too much at once? If you are finding it hard to keep your new routines going, I want you to check yourself. If you try to change too much at once, it makes it harder to maintain.

Let me share a quick story. When I started running in 2013, I had to work my way up in both distance and in the number of days a week that I was able to run. If I tried to add to much time or distance, I was more prone to injury and overuse of my muscles. I had to take it slowly over time.

At that time, it was a lot for me to run 3 miles, and as the years have gone on, I have built my endurance up for longer runs. Over the weekend, I ran a half marathon, and I would not have been able to do that without persistence and tenacity in my training plan.

Your routines are like that. If you are working on your routines, start with the Habit of the Month. This month, we are shining the kitchen sink daily. Once you develop the habit this month through daily practice, you will be ready to add more to your routines.

As you develop your daily habits, you will be able to do them because you are taking it slow and not jumping straight into all of them at once. I started out the same way.

Now, I am not telling you to dump the things you are already doing successfully. If your routines are going well, I want to caution you to not keep piling on things on yourself. I hear from homeschool moms regularly who are struggling with time and routines. Most of the time, it is because there are extra things in their routines, or they are spending too much time on one thing in the routine.

Use your timer. Most of you have one on your phone, but there are many kinds of timers you can use. I have the FlyLady’s timer in my kitchen and use it regularly.

Today’s Zone Mission is quick and easy. Go to your bathroom and toss the empty bottles. Look in the shower and under the sink. Check the closet. Then go to the laundry room and do the same thing. Only spend 15 minutes or less on this mission.

Tell me what you have the most problem getting done in your day?

Your Home Blessing for today is to wash the sheets.

Your Zone Mission for Monday is to toss empty bottles from the main bathroom and laundry room.

My menu plan for Monday is chicken with a salad.

Have a blessed day!