I use a master list that has my favorite recipes under each day of the week. Each day is a type of food.

 On Sunday nights, I pull out my master list of recipes, my dry erase marker and my days-of-the-week board. I just look at the list and fill in what we haven't had in a while or what we are craving.

This process took all the pain out of thinking about what to have when, what recipes we haven't had in a while etc. Seriously, this was a GAME CHANGER FOR ME. I hated meal planning and this process is not bad! At all.

This is basically a monthly habit tracker but for cleaning. A cleaning tracker! At the beginning of the month I fill out a sticky note, I know! real professional right!?! THEN, I write all the chores I want to do in the month. 

Then, I put a hollow circle for each Monday of that month next to the chore. If the chore only needs to be done once a month, like mopping, dusting, etc, there only needs to be one circle. As I finish the chores I fill in the circle. Easy peasy. AND who doesn't love the satisfaction of checking off a TO-DO from a list?

I clean every Monday. Mondays are THE day, or it doesn't happen. ONE DAY... I get myself motivated that morning, do it and then its done. Re-motivating in the week is hard with everything else that needs to happen. You pick a day that works for you (I grew up as Saturday as our deep clean day, I choose to reserve that day for all the BIG projects I want my hubby to help me with). Motivate yourself and get it done. I am definitely a list person! I love checking something off my list, so Mondays end up being really awesome and productive days for me, and a great way to start off the week. Kinda the same concept of the military “make your bed” motto! When you start off your day/week getting things done you move forward with momentum in that motivation!

As you can see in the pic ... I use a bullet journal to stay organized! This is a great way to track cleaning and habits. For a crafter, my journal is a sad excuse for a bullet journal. The thing is... I go through them pretty fast, and I simply choose to use my creative powers in other areas like cards and scrapbooks that can be loved and admired. My bullet journal is about organization and functionality, I do not have time to make it pretty and frilly. Sorry. Read more about my bullet journal here. 

My kids have a daily chore chart. They have their morning chores (brush teeth, make bed and get dressed) early in the day. And then they have their afternoon chores. They know that they CANNOT turn on the TV nor have any screen time until they do their chores. It eliminates my nagging and their complaining. They know what they need to do.

That said, it did take me ONE strict week to lay down the law, set clear boundaries and that mom means business. If they turned on that TV without finishing chores they lost that privilege for the day and still had to do their chores. After the week of disciplining and holding firm, the rules were clear and my life was easier. WAY EASIER!

We made our chore charts for Monday through Saturday. Sunday is our day of rest. TO make the charts, the kids picked out a clip art pic from google search for each task and I copied and pasted it into a 7 x 10 table on word! They know what each picture means! But they’re old enough now for me to just do the words which I might change up next time. I laminated the sheet, they mark with a check mark and we wipe clean with 

Paper towel/magic eraser on Monday when we are ready to start off fresh! We also have Monday chores they have to help with on deep clean days.

My 5 year old has the following chores:

Get dressed

Make bed

Brush teeth

Dishes (empty/ load/ set table)

Pick up toys

Read 5 books (at least one read out loud by himself)

Homework (what school assigns or what I have printed)

Clean room

Check mail

On my Monday cleaning days he has to help:

Clean toilets

Wipe counters

Dust

Wipe table/countertops

Vacumn

Put laundry away

My 7 year old has the following chores

Dressed

Brush teeth

Make bed

Set table

Pick up toyhomework

Read 15 minutes

Pick up dog poop

Read scriptures

He helps with the same Monday chores as his brother.