Saturday, May 16, 2015

30 Ways to Help Around the House

I've been cleaning up my electronic files and found a post I saved in 2011. I can't find the original online, but it included a photo by Suat Eman - if anyone can post the link to it I would be grateful.

I've modified it a bit to suit our home and share it with you in case it can be helpful in your home. The goal is for family members to look for ways to help around the house...not to always be told or asked.

The list provides a starting place to help children especially notice the many small, but ongoing, tasks that need to happen on a regular basis.


Looking for opportunities to serve around the house?

Check out the following suggestions:
  1. Are there dishes in the drainboard that need to be put away?
  2. Does the kitchen table need to be wiped clean?
  3. Does the kitchen floor need to be swept? Dustpanned?
  4. Do the hallways need to be swept? Dustpanned?
  5. Do the bedrooms need to be swept? Dustpanned?
  6. Does the carpet need to be vacuumed?
  7. Are there globs of toothpaste on the bathroom counter or floor?
  8. Any beds that need to be made?
  9. Does the garbage need to be taken out?
  10. Does the recycling need to be taken out?
  11. Does clean laundry need to be brought up from the basement? 
  12. Does clean laundry need to be sorted?
  13. Does clean laundry need to be folded?
  14. Does clean laundry need to be put away?
  15. Does dirty laundry need to be taken down to the basement? And sorted?
  16. Do books need to be gathered up and taken downstairs?
  17. How are the bookshelves? Books sticking out? A mess?
  18. Are there piles of shoes in the back hallway that need to be tidied?
  19. Are there jackets in the back hallway that need to be hung up?
  20. Does the van need to be cleaned out? Does it need a new garbage bag?
  21. Do I see any areas that really need dusting?
  22. Is the buffet drawer a mess? Could I organize it?
  23. Are there any toys out that need to be put away?
  24. Do the toy bins need organizing or sorting through?
  25. Do the cupboard faces or baseboards need to be wiped down?
  26. Do the bathroom mirrors need to be cleaned?
  27. Does the front hallway mirror need to be cleaned?
  28. Do the walkway and driveway need to be swept?
  29. How else can I help outside?
  30. If my brother or sister is asking for help, how can I be helpful?


Saturday, May 9, 2015

Date Night: March

In March we had a book store themed date and it was great and very inexpensive. The idea came from Love Actually and they provide a list of challenge ideas. There were a lot of ideas so we only used a few of them.

Find a new date idea.






Find a new recipe you'd like to try...



A place you'd like to visit:


Florianópolis, Brazil




We ended the night with treats at Starbucks.

What about you? Read any good books lately?