Have you ever wondered how laundry and meals happen in our home? (It isn’t fancy, but it works…) Watch this segment of our “Run Solid Routines on Autopilot” resource to find out!
Eric is our “Laun-peror” – mix of “laundry” and “emperor.” 🙂 He does the laundry every Thursday morning. Our three oldest children are doing their own laundry now, so that leaves the laundry for Eric and I, our 10-year-old, and any household laundry. By mixing the mediums and darks together, he’s been able to simplify the batches down to two, and he folds clothes straight out of the dryer to avoid the need for ironing. He turns on Pandora and listens to comedy while folding, and he is able to finish up within about three hours (with some work done in between loads).
When our children were little and I was in charge of laundry, the children and I would have “laundry parties,” wearing underwear on our heads and turning on music to make it more fun. We’d listen to music, and fold to the rhythm of each song.
Alia and I are in charge of meal planning and groceries. One person in our family is in charge of cooking each night (but if we have a lot going on–and people are getting home late, going to evening practices, etc., we simplify). Every Friday, Alia asks each person what they will be cooking the following week, and then puts in an order at our local grocery store for any of the ingredients we will need for those meals. For $5, our grocery store will do all the shopping for us, so all we have to do is pick it up! (Check your local stores – so many stores are starting to provide similar services!)
And then Saturday morning, before we pick up our groceries, Alia is in charge of cleaning out our fridge. (We rotate jobs annually.) That way, every time our groceries come in the door, we have a clean, open fridge. The meals go on the calendar so everyone knows what we are making – and we are ready to go!
Do you want to learn more about establishing routines that will work for you family?
As ages and stages change, we need to adapt, but the principles of establishing those routines are the same. The video above is a snippet of the one-hour Routines presentation Eric and I created where we walked through our professional routines, how we plan as a couple, how we organize our children’s routines, and how YOU can make it all work together. We even provided the Excel template that outlines annual and quarterly responsibilities inside our home.
All that (and more!) can be yours!
***To get access to the whole Routines class that Eric and I taught, simply share our free webinar training, “How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles” (http://LearnDoBecome.com/STEP) on your social media account–or email it to 30 friends. You can create your own message or edit the one below!
“I’m helping to spread the word about this free training that teaches how to clear clutter and overcome procrastination. It’s a powerful class–totally free and totally worth your time, whether or not you purchase the program that they offer at the end. If you do watch it, let me know what you think! We can all use extra productivity tips, so I thought I’d pass it along! http://LearnDoBecome.com/STEP”
Once you’ve shared, let us know by filling out this form – and we’ll send you the full class, “Run Solid Routines on Autopilot!”
***This special offer is part of our larger, “Share the STEP Love” promotion that is running for a limited time. If you want to potentially win some other other great prizes, click here or on the image below! Can’t wait to have you take part. 🙂
Hi!
I have a question! I’m looking back into my emails and trying to find the software or website you recommended that can help with finances. Tracking expenses etc. My boyfriend and I live together and have a child together.We keep finances mostly separate but pay 1/2 of everything with house etc. I want us to see how we are spending our ?….on the go since saving receipts aren’t getting us to sit down and do it together.
Pam
Hi Pam! Great question – April & Eric use YNAB (You Need a Budget). Thanks for being part of our community!
Great ideas! I spent a year hand-washing everything in a third world country with no applicances. I swore I’d never complain about doing laundry once back in the USA and that’s been true for over 30 years. Laundry is a breeze (except in year one of marriage when hubbie shrunk my favorite rayon pants – good idea to do your own handwashing!)
We had a household of 6, 5 were “adults”. I didn’t want them to do ONLY their own laundry UNLESS it was special care. I feel that it’s wasteful. If you want “that” black shirt you do the whole dark load. (It helped a little with making sure clothes were put in the hampers, not in the hamper, doesn’t get washed.) It was like winning the lottery if someone did the laundry before you needed it!
That’s a great option! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer.
For my two eldest they started washing their own clothes at 10 and 12. So the consequence of not putting clean clothes away was on them. It worked pretty well as even now (they are 26 and 24) they won’t let me do their washing.
So one success! (I wasn’t so good at the dishes though. Whenever they come over there is always a glass or coffee pot that gets dirty.)