The “WHY”

Posted on March 27, 2018March 30, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

why

I was contemplating today the reasons WHY we should have a clean house. Is it really that big of a deal? How important is it, actually? If we are ok with dirty dishes, clutter, piles of laundry and a ring around the toilet then why should we even bother with trying to establish habits that will keep our house clean and tidy? If I am not a natural clean freak then what is the harm in just being a bit on the messy side?

It is hard to commit to doing something if you really have no reason in your own mind for doing it. If I told you it was very important for you to put your finger on your nose for five minutes every single day, you would have a hard time doing it not knowing why on earth you should do that!

I have my own reasons for having a clean house. For me, I know that my home represents me and shows a lot of how my mind works and I guess I am just a bit vain and want my house to show the best me. I have a hard time focusing amidst untidiness. I feel very on edge and irritable with too much stuff out-of-place. I can’t have peace in my soul with dishes in the sink. I get really out of sorts when I can not find things so that is pretty motivating as well! Part of that is my character and a lot of it is human nature. Our minds don’t function well in disorder.

But beyond just character and human nature, there are very real reasons we should be clean and tidy.

Your health and the health of your children are one of the biggest reasons you should commit to developing the habit of a self-cleaning house.

dirty-dishes-sink-37885821 (2)

An unclean refrigerator, an overflowing trash can, unwashed dishes in the sink, food left out or food particles on the counter or stove all are a breeding ground for disease and bacteria. Mmmmm….. dinner with a side of E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter!

mice

Food left out, chips or popcorn on the floor or in the couch, pizza boxes left on the coffee table all are invitations for little critters to come dine and poop and make themselves at home in a cupboard. Critters are known for spreading disease.

Dishwashers and washing machines that are not cleaned properly can harbor mold and bacteria so that washing your dishes and clothes in them can actually make you sick.

Dirty ovens are a fire hazard and the smoke they emit every time they are turned on is harmful to your lungs.

Without regular vacuuming and dusting, you are exposing yourself to dust mites, pet dander, and mold that cause or make allergies worse.

Untitled design (8)

Unclean bed sheets can hold bacteria and also mites and dander that cause a number of health conditions. The house we lived in when my kids were growing up was older and had a spider problem. Making the beds daily prevented spider bites. In other words, it kept the spiders from getting into our beds! Talk about motivation to make your bed every day!

spider

The bathroom…… ewwwww. Let’s be honest. Bathrooms are the worst. If not cleaned regularly they WILL have bacteria and parasites such as worms, E. coli, and Staphylococcus. Every time you flush the toilet bacteria and germs are dispersed through the air. (Reason number 173,593 why I always close the lid first, but even then…) The warmth and humidity from baths and showers make it a breeding ground for mold. Even the cleanest bathroom is going to have some of this nastiness in it but imagine when it is not clean! Shudder!!!

bathroom

General clutter and untidiness lead to more dust that can make allergies and asthma worse. Clutter can cause accidents and falls. I am pretty sure I have broken a toe at least five times and clutter or things like not pushing a chair back in are to blame. I left the vacuum cleaner out once and my baby toe was a victim. Clutter on the floor could prevent a First Responder from getting to you in case of a fire or other disaster. My children are still terrified of this apparently… I didn’t mean to scar them, just make them clean their rooms!

fire

Research shows a link to cluttered and dirty homes to obesity and also laziness because of the mental impact disarray and uncleanness has. A messy home can actually contribute to depression! The act of cleaning your home and then enjoying a clean home has been proven to reduce stress!! With so much unrest and chaos in the world, your home should be a clean and peaceful place to be.

So there you have it! The WHY! The reasons for establishing self-cleaning house habits.

*Your health
*Prevent pest problems
*Safety
*Mental health, clarity, and peace

If that’s not a motivator, I don’t know what is.

Now, I am going to go clean the bathroom, AGAIN!

Cleaning and Routines

House cleaning vs. Housekeeping

Posted on March 16, 2018August 17, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

This happened last weekend!!

Saturday was my husband’s birthday and what better way to spend it than with friends and family riding in the snow in beautiful North Idaho. It was a blast! We are beyond blessed that we can do this practically in our backyard.

The sun was bright, the air was clear and chilly but when we stopped for breaks it was comfortable in just a sweatshirt. There was still plenty of snow to make it fun! It was thrilling and our need for nature therapy has been met for now!

When we came home our house was clean and welcoming because we did our morning habits. We changed into comfortable clothes, started a fire in the fireplace and grilled steak for dinner. Hubby said it was one of the best birthdays he has ever had. WIN!

Those little habits can make your weekend seem like a vacation! Isn’t that what a weekend is supposed to be? It is a break from work. A time to enjoy life, enjoy and spend time with family and friends. A time for memory making and forming bonds. I don’t want you to be a slave to your house and your laundry. I guarantee that you can have a clean and relaxing house to come home to and be able to spend time on the weekends doing the things you love if you begin to establish small habits.

It is easy to make “house cleaning” a HUGE deal in our minds. A massive undertaking. We have to have six hours, twenty different cleaners, the right frame of mind, no make-up, sweats and rubber gloves and do it all at once. This drudgery is overwhelming and discouraging even before you start. I prefer “housekeeping”. Keeping your house clean rather than ruining every other Saturday scrubbing and having your house look crummy two days after all that effort and will until the next scouring session.

Housekeeping is a string of continuous small habits that are short, easy and almost unconscious. Housekeeping frees you to have weekends that are vacations rather than days of backbreaking, unappreciated work. It allows you to come home to your own bed and breakfast and feel peace and rest.

It is my passion to free mom’s and dad’s to spend more time with their kids making memories and husbands and wives to be able to do the fun things and even single people to be able enjoy life! I want to free all of you from “housecleaning”. I want everyone to able to enjoy a peaceful clean, organized and welcoming home and enjoying doing the things you love!

So, who is up for a challenge?! For the next week do these simple habits every day and see what happens! I would love to hear from you! Are you ready for a self-cleaning house?

Make your bed every day
Clean your bathroom every morning
Empty the dishwasher and put out a clean dish towel and dish cloth
Take out the trash
Start a load of laundry and put away the clothes in the dryer
Be proud of your home!

Do your habits, make memories and enjoy your weekend!

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Cleaning and Routines

Cheat Code for Life

Posted on March 9, 2018May 8, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

I did some fun studying this week. Yes, I said fun. I am weird like that. I love studying and learning new things or learning more about something I am interested in. I am fascinated by how our brains work, always have been. This week I dove into something I have studied a bit about before but wanted to learn more so I could share it with you!

study

The dictionary defines a Habit as an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until is has become almost involuntary. It is a simple form of learning. An automatic response acquired as a result of repetition. A habit does not require conscious attention.

We use habits every day. Every moment of every day! Good habits as well as bad habits. When was the last time you had to remember to breathe, or even how to tie your shoes? You just do it without thinking. It is a habit. I have a terrible habit of clenching my jaw. I have absolutely no idea I am doing it until my jaw hurts. It has become such a habit, a bad one, that it is unconscious.

My Self Cleaning House plan revolves around habits. Doing the same simple things, the same simple way, every single day until it becomes such habit that it seems your house cleans itself. It does not require conscious attention anymore. Sound good?!

In order to set that in motion, I think it is important to learn a bit more about habits and your brain and how you can control the habits you want to make or break. Lifehack right here!!!

brain with background

I am not the least bit nerdy or “science-y” so bear with me as I explain what I have learned about habit formation in my own words.

There are three different types of habits.

Motor habits: physical actions, posture, walking, standing, tying shoes, muscle memory type things.

Intellectual habits: psychological, observation, logical thinking, reasoning, common sense.

Character habits: related to emotion and feelings, trusting, honesty, friendliness, time management, work ethic, cleanliness, charitable, sympathetic.

Ok, that is sort of interesting but how do we form new habits or break old ones? How does this relate at all to having a self-cleaning house?

A habit, good or bad, can be broken down into three parts.

The cue
The behavior
The reward

Knowing that your brain works this way is almost like having a cheat code for life!

The cue. Let’s use something we all do, brushing our teeth. We get up, stumble to the bathroom and stand in front of the sink. That is our cue. We can do this still half asleep and usually do.

The behavior. We grab the toothbrush and toothpaste and start brushing. Our muscle memory even takes over here because we all know we brush our teeth the same way, every single time. Just ask your dentist.

The reward. Ahhhhhh… nothing like having fresh breath once again as you begin to feel human and slightly awake. A clean mouth is a wonderful feeling!

So in order to form a habit to begin to make a self-cleaning house we need to decide first of all what habit we want to cultivate. Let’s say cleaning your bathroom each morning. That is the behavior you want. The cue would be what you do just before this habit should be done. We are going to “attach” this new habit to an existing one making it far easier to achieve. In my case that would be finishing up my make up and washing my hands. As soon as I dry my hands I put my makeup under the sink and grab my cleaner. I take that hand towel and cleaner and give the mirror a swipe if it needs it, wipe down the sinks and countertops and get the toilet seat too. Toss the towel in the laundry. I just timed myself. I didn’t hurry and I cleaned the entire mirror. I have a large bathroom with two sinks. It took me 80 seconds. My smaller bathroom took 50 seconds!

The reward is a clean bathroom. Ok, I know it’s not like that great feeling when you brush your teeth or win an Olympic medal, but take the time to admire how great it looks! We usually don’t follow through with making habits because the reward isn’t great enough or instant. So pat yourself on the back, smile and know that you are one of few who are going to work this morning with a clean latrine! Anyone that stops by can use the potty without fear of the creepy crawling gunk and wash in a toothpaste drool free sink. You know what? Even if no one stops by, I get to use a clean fresh bathroom and so does my family. To me, that is pretty much an Olympic medal, or at least as close as I am going to get!

So, to recap.

Cue: Washing hands

Behavior in response or attached to that cue: Cleaning the bathroom in under 80 seconds

Reward: Olympic medal! Ok, it just feels that way. You have a beautiful clean bathroom to be proud of.

If you continue this ritual every day, yes, everyday, no weekends off, no “I don’t feel like it” days, no “it’s not fair I always have to do it” days, and no “I am in a hurry” days. (Remember the 80 Seconds?) you WILL develop a habit so strong and ingrained you couldn’t stop if you wanted to.

Some quick tips to make you more successful!

START! Be determined. As I always told my kids, “There is no try, Only do or do not.” I may or may not have made my kids hate Yoda.
Keep it up! Be consistent without interruption. Excuses will kill a habit formation instantly.
Have a positive environment. Help yourself to be successful. If you are cutting out junk food, having a cupboard of it will not be helpful. You know yourself best. How can you help yourself? Write yourself notes to stick on your mirror to remind you, Stay away from people who aren’t contributing to your success at your goal, etc.
Don’t quit! Even when you think you have established a habit, don’t stop.
Enjoy it! It is so important to take time to enjoy what you have accomplished by your new habit so the positive is reinforced in your brain and it will want to continue to practice the habit.

I hope you enjoyed that little study session! Now here is one of my family’s all-time favorites! Can you tell we like soup in the winter?!

pork cider stew3

Pork Cider Stew with Sage Dumplings

Serves:
6

Ingredients:

2	pounds pork cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup	flour
2 tablespoons	olive oil
2 cloves	garlic cloves, crushed
1	onion chopped
4 stalks	celery chopped
1 cup	baby carrot chopped
1	bulb fennel, thickly sliced and then chopped
1	apple cored and chopped
1 cup	apple cider plus more if needed
4 cups	chicken stock plus more if needed
2	dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon	finely chopped fresh sage leaves
	Dumplings:
2 cups	flour
1 tablespoon	baking powder
1 teaspoon	salt
1 cup	whole milk- yes, WHOLE milk
3 tablespoons	melted butter or oil
1 tablespoon	finely chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place the pork on a plate and sprinkle with flour, then gently toss to coat. Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the pork and cook, turning occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 2 more batches with remaining pork.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, fennel and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes. Add the pork, apple and cider and bring to the boil. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and 1 T of the chopped sage and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Bake, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until pork is tender. Bake for a further 30 minutes (IF necessary!) or until pork is tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Remove from oven and place on stove. Add 1-2 more cups of chicken broth/cider to create enough liquid to cook dumplings. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Heat over medium high heat.

For the Dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture and the sage leaves into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.
Drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.

Don’t forget to check out my all time favorite recipe and meal planning program here!

Source: taste.com.au

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Cleaning and Routines

Welcome Home

Posted on February 28, 2018April 5, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

It is a beautiful snowy winter morning here in North Idaho. I love all the seasons! Each has its own beauty and uniqueness. About the time I am tired of one season the next is coming up. There is always something fun to do each season. We have had a lot of snow this winter which means I feel like baking!

winter

Today seemed like a good day to make granola. It is super simple, delicious and makes the house smell like you’ve been slaving over a hot stove baking all day! Not only that but it is much cheaper to make than store-bought and tastes better.

granola

There is something about smell that makes a house “feel” clean, cozy, welcoming. All the things that you want for your family and friends.

I spend a lot of time in my home and I want to feel like it loves me! I want my home to hug my family when they come home from work. I want your home to feel like that too!

You can’t always be making granola but you can do things to make your home feel welcoming when you come home after a long day. Have dinner in the crock pot, have your favorite beverage waiting for you in the fridge, have your favorite scent in the wax warmer. Think about your future self and how you will want to feel when you walk in the front door. It can be very simple things that take only a moment. If you know it will be dark out when you return, leave the porch light on and the light over the clean kitchen sink. There is something about having a light on for you that makes you feel loved. Treat yourself (your future self) and your family the way you treat your guests. Put your favorite book by your chair. Set your coffee pot to start automatically in the morning and put your husband’s favorite coffee mug next to the pot. Have a warm fleece throw on the couch to cozy up in.

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Sherpa Flannel Fleece reversible blanket

Make yourself and your family feel like they are walking into a retreat and a refuge from the world when they arrive home. You get beat up all day, your home should be your safe place, your peaceful sanctuary. A home is more than a place to hang your hat. Your home is where you can be restored. You and your family deserve that! Your home is yours and it should love you back!

I would love to hear how you make your house a welcoming warm place to be for you and your family!
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Here is my granola recipe!

Granola

Different flavor combination ideas, or come up with your own!
Pecan pie: pecans, honey, brown sugar, vanilla
Hawaiian: macadamia nuts, honey, vanilla, coconut
Pumpkin: Pumpkin pie spice, rum extract, walnuts

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup sweetener : honey or maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup coconut opt

1 cup raisins opt

1 teaspoon spice of any kind cinnamon opt

1 frothy beaten egg white

Mix oats, nuts, salt, and spices into a large bowl.
Add honey, brown sugar, oil, and beaten egg white
Mix well.
Spread out on a large baking sheet on parchment paper
Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Give it a stir and return it to the oven for 10-15 more minutes watching to be sure it doesn’t get too dark.
Stop when the granola looks toasty brown and smells incredible.
Let the granola cool completely in the pan without stirring, then break up and store in an airtight container.
Click here to get the awesome program I use for recipes and meal planning!

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� DVO

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Cleaning and Routines

Menu planning

Posted on February 21, 2018August 17, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

Sunday is usually my “prep for the weekday”. My husband works Sundays so I have time to myself to get things prepared for dinners, our lunches for the week, start on laundry, make sure uniforms are clean and ready and gear up for daycare for the coming week. The whole family comes to dinner on Sundays too, so it’s a busy day!

This last Sunday was especially busy! Granddaughter Brooklyn had an ice skating show Sunday afternoon.

Isn’t she just the cutest Tinkerbell you’ve ever seen?! They are not very clear pictures. The plexiglass at the rink is pretty beat up from hockey! You can see that she is quite good though! Especially for six years old! We are all so proud of her! She has a competition coming up in March in Montana. She will be practicing hard for that.

The Ice Show went longer than I had anticipated Sunday evening so I was really glad I had put a roast in the crockpot for pulled pork “Frito Burritos” as Brooklyn calls them.

My pork roast was a bit small so I put a small beef roast in another little crock pot. (I have three! I don’t feel you can have too many crock pots!) I put some beef broth over both roasts and a bit of salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin and turned them on low for the day. I put some rice in my rice cooker (An invaluable appliance!) and turned that on before leaving the house.

If you don’t already have a rice cooker, click on this one to check it out on Amazon!

When we all met back at the house for dinner the roasts were ready and so was the rice. My girls helped cut up some olives and tomato while I warmed up some black beans and refried beans and shredded the roasts. We got out the hot sauce, sour cream, jalapenos and the FRITOS! We wrapped all that up in giant burrito size tortillas. YUM! I wanted to get pictures but it was gone too fast!

Menu planning is vital for a well-run house. It is important for your budget, your health and for your sanity! When you plan ahead you can avoid having to eat out. I didn’t know that the ice show would go so long but I knew I wouldn’t be home to prepare something so I used my crockpot. Had I not planned ahead we probably would have had to order pizza. That would definitely not be good for the pocket-book.

After a long day at work, no one wants to try to figure out what to make for dinner or run to the store at 5:30. The drive-thru seems like a good option at the time but your health and weight will pay for that.

To save money, be healthy and have peaceful evenings, take a few minutes out of every week to plan a menu.

Take stock of what is in your freezer and pantry. Try to use things you have first. Check out your grocery store’s ads. Buy meat when it is on sale. My grocery store’s ads come out every Wednesday so that is the day I make my menu for the next week, Sunday-Saturday.

Look at your calendar, what do you have going on? Do you need to plan a crock pot dinner? Is everyone going to be eating together? Is there a night it’s just you and you can have leftovers?

Check the weather for the week. I am very much a “what do I feel like eating today” sort of person so weather is something that I look at when I make a menu. If it is raining and cold I am not going to want a salad for dinner. I am going to want soup and I know this about me, so I plan for it.

I use an awesome tool for menu planning. I have been using a computer program, Cook’n for all my recipes for a very long time and I absolutely love it! You can import recipes with a click of the mouse and drag and drop them into your week or month’s menus. I highly recommend the program. They also have an app for Android and IOS that is super convenient! The company has been around since the early nineties and has only gotten better over time. Their support is great too! I seriously couldn’t live without this!

It makes menu planning fun! Please check them out here:

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Whatever you use, whether it be a computer program, App or a pad and pencil, just use it! Plan! It will save time and money and it will give you and your family peaceful dinners together. Take a few minutes so that you can spend more time doing what you love with who you love.

Here is a link to the Neato Frito Over-Stuffed Burritos that we had for dinner on Sunday! Check it out! They were amazing!

foodiewithfamily.com/neato-frito-overstuffed-burritos

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Cleaning and Routines

Morning Habits

Posted on February 13, 2018February 13, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

What did you do this weekend? This is what we did! In our neck of the woods this is what we enjoy doing with our free time. Making a lot of noise in the woods in the freezing cold. Seriously though, it was a blast! My granddaughter got to shoot the .22 rifle she got for Christmas for the first time. It took a lot of coaxing and a bit of bribery to get her to take the first shot. After that she kept begging for more ammo, which she so charmingly calls “gunlets”!

My husband and daughter got to shoot their brand new AR’s and then every other gun they own as well.

After spending the day in the woods we came home to warm up. I love coming home to a clean home that welcomes us! Earlier that morning, before we headed off to brunch and shooting we took a few short minutes to do our morning habits that ensured we would be returning to a clean and comfy house later that day. We won’t talk about the mud my hubby drug in on his boots when we got home …..

Morning habits are key to a Self Cleaning House!

*Make your bed when your feet hit the floor.

*Clean the bathroom before you leave it. Nothing major, just wipe the counter, sink and mirror and toilet seat.

*Empty the dishwasher and put any dishes in it.

*Take the trash out of necessary

Ten minutes tops to be able to come home to a clean house!

We were cold when we got back and hubby had started to feel a bit under the weather. I decided to make my homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner. I made mention while I was making it that I don’t have a recipe. I just have it in my head. This makes my girls crazy. So I have been challenged by them to write my recipe for chicken noodle soup and share it with you! I hope you enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons	butter
1/2	large onion diced
3 cloves	minced garlic
2	carrots sliced
4 ribs	celery sliced
2 teaspoons	dried basil
1	bay leaf
1 teaspoon	salt
1/4 teaspoon	black pepper
6-8 cups	chicken broth
1 1/2 pound	rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breast
8 ounces	good quality wide egg noodles

Directions:

In large Dutch oven melt butter. Sauté onion, garlic, carrots, celery, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper until vegetables are softened. Add 4 cups of the chicken broth and bring to boil. Add noodles and chicken and reduce heat to medium. Stir often, add more chicken broth as necessary. Turn off as soon as noodles are cooked.

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