cleaning, family, food, organizing, planning, Tips and Tricks

Twenty reasons to keep your house clean

Posted on May 24, 2018May 29, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

I love lists. I love making lists, reading lists, marking off things on lists. I make lists in my head all the time but they need to make it to paper or device quickly or I am sure to forget something. I guess that is why I like them. They give me a sense of security and peace.

I thought I would give you a list today! Just a fun list of twenty reasons to keep your house clean.

1, A clean house is peaceful

2. You can find things in a clean home.

3. Your home is a reflection of you.

4. You can truly relax in a clean house.

5. You can think more clearly in a clean environment. (Your brain has to process everything you see whether you realize it or not. Like a program running in the background on your computer. It still takes up memory.)

6. A clean house is healthier, fewer bacteria and germs.

7. A clean house attracts fewer insects and pests.

8. You will always be prepared for company, or close to it.

9. You don’t trip over things in the dark.

10. If the house caught fire, you could easily get out or First Responders could easily get to you.

11. If you get the stomach flu, at least the toilet is clean!

12. You make better diet and exercise choices in an uncluttered space.

13. People enjoy coming to your house.

14. You enjoy friends coming to your home.

15. You enjoy coming home to your house.

16. Your kids like bringing their friends over.

17. You can have “me time” guilt free.

18. You are more apt to remember things. Cluttered house=cluttered mind. (See #5)

19. You can be proud of your home.

20. You and your family deserve it!

I can’t resist sharing this little thing right here! Seriously….how cute is he?! He is our new little ball of fur and absolute adorable terror. It is a good thing God made them so cute! I mean, you can’t resist that adorable little face and his sweet little purr, until 3am and he is sticking his needle-sharp claws in your nose and wants to play!

His name is Finn and we are in love!

I hope you all have an amazing Memorial Day Weekend! Go out and make memories!

Be sure to click here to get the awesome Cook’n program I use for all my recipes and menu planning!

Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil

Serves:
4

Ingredients:

4	boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup	mayonnaise
1 cup	Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 cups	panko breadcrumbs
1 (20-ounce) jar	good marinara sauce
8 ounces	fresh mozzarella cheese
	fresh basil leaves torn
1/2 pound	angel hair pasta or penne

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix Italian bread crumbs with panko in a large dish.
Place a baking rack on a baking sheet and spray it with pan spray.
Slather each chicken breast with mayo and dredge in breadcrumbs and panko. Put breasts on the prepared baking rack.
Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature is 155*. Take out and let rest.
Warm the marinara.
Cook pasta according to package instructions and drain.
Top each chicken breast with fresh mozzarella. Turn oven to broil and return chicken to oven and watch carefully until cheese starts to melt.
To serve, place pasta on the plate pour sauce over. Place chicken breast on top and top with fresh basil.

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Chicken Breast Recipes / Chicken Breast Recipes

cleaning, family, food, organizing, planning, Tips and Tricks

Work Smart, Not Hard

Posted on May 18, 2018May 23, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

This was a lot of work. It was a labor of love. Nothing good comes without some hard work. If you ask my granddaughter or daycare kiddos, this playset is VERY good! They are delighted. This is going to bring hours of happiness and memories.

Work is a good thing! A good work ethic is something to be admired, rewarded and something we strive for in our place of employment and at home. God made us to need to work. We would be very unfulfilled without work. God worked! God worked for 6 days when he made the earth and then He rested. Do I think He needed to rest? Nope. Not at all. God made us in His image so I believe He was simply showing us how to pattern our lives. We need to have a balance in our lives between work, rest and play.

Work doesn’t stop when you clock out. It just changes form. There is no getting around the fact that there is work involved in a clean house. Good habits and routines will drastically reduce the amount of housekeeping that has to be done, but let’s face it, the vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing toilets still have to happen.

I am going to share some tips with you to help you work smart, not hard, to get that work done and still have time for rest and play.

Enlist help. Like my husband did with the swing set, get the family to help you. Kids, even little ones can help. The bigger ones definitely should help! Your children need to learn to work. It’s a life skill they will appreciate learning! (Eventually!) They need to learn how rewarding a “job well done” is. How nice it feels to have a clean room and how proud you feel of your home when it is clean. I, personally, don’t feel that rewards or allowance for doing household chores is beneficial. I don’t get paid to clean my house. The reward comes from feeling good about the job you did. Teach them to take the time to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.

2. Make it fun. Whether it is just you or the whole family involved in cleaning, make it fun! Make it a good time rather than drudgery. If you hate it, your family will pick up on that. Why would they want to help do something that is clearly a terrible thing? Fake it till you make it if you have to! Put on some music dance with the broom, sing loud and silly! Do whatever it takes to make it fun.

When my kids were elementary school age, we made it a game. I wrote every chore that needed to be done on an index card. I broke the chores down into very specific things. “Clean upstairs bathroom tub”, “Clean downstairs bathroom toilet”, “Mop kitchen”, etc. The index cards were placed upside down on the kitchen table and mixed up. A bell was in the middle of the table. We all gathered around the table. I would ring the bell and start a stopwatch. We all grabbed a card and ran to do the chore on our card as fast as possible. When the chore was done it was placed in a discard pile, you got to ring the bell and then grab another card. It was wild and hilarious! I am sure we looked ridiculous running like crazy people through the house, breathless, tripping over the vacuum, running into each other, the bell ringing loudly and often. The person with the last card got to make crazy noise with the bell and stop the stopwatch. Housekeeping got done in generally less than twenty minutes! Crazy, right? And it was FUN! It may not have been done perfectly but it was done, everyone was happy and we could go spend our day doing something really fun and come back to a clean house.

3. Break it up. Everyone’s life looks a little different. For some doing a housekeeping game on Saturday morning with the family will work. Now that my kids are adults, I have the housekeeping responsibilities myself. I do not want to spend my Saturday cleaning all alone. I choose to break up my chores and do one or two each day before or after work. The things that may take longer I do on days that I usually have more time or more energy. Most things really don’t take all that long. It always remains the same so I always know what day I am doing what. Monday is laundry and vacuuming, Tuesday is bathroom day. I clean the toilet, the tub and take out the trash and wash the bath towels. Wednesday is sweeping and mopping the house and menu planning. Thursday is the kitchen and some miscellaneous things. I take Fridays to do anything I may not have been able to get done during the week or just take the day off! That is just an example. You know your life and how that might look for you.

4. Do It Weekly. Don’t procrastinate and wait until you stick to the kitchen floor and the tub has a nasty ring around it. Do it while it still looks clean! It is so easy to clean a fairly clean tub in comparison to the full aerobic work out to clean a yucky one. It is house “keeping” rather than the house “cleaning”. The goal is to maintain, not struggle to clean what is already dirty. This saves a major amount of time!

We had some AMAZING Chicken Gyros the other night! I love Gyros and love the traditional lamb, but these were a great switch and super light. Perfect for a summer evening on the patio with a wine spritzer and family to share it with.

Speaking of wine spritzers, if you haven’t had these, you should! YUM!

Barefoot Refresh. Delish!

Here is the link to the Chicken Gyros. We grilled them outside instead of baking in the oven. Was fantastic!

Go check out a Bitchin’ Kitchen!

Chicken Gyros

Please check out the program I use for all my recipes and menu planning! I couldn’t do life without it!

Cook’n is an amazing tool!

Memories being made right here…..

cleaning, family, food, planning

Not the What, but the Why

Posted on April 13, 2018August 17, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

bible

I sat quietly preparing for my day this morning, as I do each morning before anyone is up. I was planning my work for the day, reading, praying and just getting mentally prepared for housework, cooking, and many toddlers. I looked at my chores list that doesn’t change much from day-to-day and sighed. Running a well-organized home is very monotonous. Cooking, dishes, laundry, repeat.

notes

(The books I am reading right now are “Secrets of the Proverbs 31 Woman” by Rae Simons and “Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be” by Dona Partow. I highly recommend them!)

books

“Housework” is often very devalued and looked upon as menial, less important and those that do it full-time have little to no status. In actuality, those chores that feel monotonous, unimportant and often unappreciated are some of the most important things you can do.

Having clean clothes is pretty important. Just stop doing laundry for a couple of weeks and see how everyone starts noticing! Making meals for your family is important. Important to your budget, and your family’s health. Sitting at the table eating dinner together is vital to family relationships. Having a clean home is important for many reasons!

laundry

So why do we give it such little value? When you clean your home, cook meals, wash clothes, put away toys and shoes, and make appointments for your kids and file paperwork and go grocery shopping, you aren’t just taking care of your home. You are caring for your family! It’s not about the laundry and the dusting, it’s about why you’re doing it. You are creating a safe and stable place for you and your family. A place of peace and not chaos away from the crazy world. A place that your kids can feel taken care of like God cares for us. It is being organized so that there is less stress before everyone leaves for the day and has to deal with stress at school and work. It’s planning ahead for dinner for the family when you all come home so everyone can unwind.

table

“Housework” is the most valuable thing you can do. It shouldn’t be looked down on, or resented! God has given us the very important job of caring for our families. We are blessing them and blessing God by doing those seemingly menial tasks. It is not only valuable, it’s priceless.

While I was thinking about this I decided to change my sigh into thanking God for honoring me with the responsibility of caring for my family by “housework”. He trusted me to do this!

Eph. 6:7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 9:10a Whatever you do, do well. (NLT)

Each tedious task is an opportunity to bless our families and bless God. Cleaning the toilet is still not glamorous. Let’s be real. It is still hard to be excited about vacuuming. But I am going to really try to remember that it is not about the chore, it’s about the why.

This is my “why”!

family

cleaning, family, food, Tips and Tricks

Welcome Spring!

Posted on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I hope you all took time to thank our God for allowing His Son to die and rise again that we can be forgiven and be allowed to someday be in His presence. The Bunnies and the chocolate are so fun but I never want to lose sight of the reason for the celebration!

jesus

We had a fairly quiet Easter. My husband was working, as per usual on Sundays. My oldest was sleeping because she works nights. My youngest and her husband spent time in the afternoon with his Mom.

My middle daughter and my granddaughter and I went to church in the morning and then we went to our neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. There is a great little cafe in the park across the street from us, Chomper Cafe. They put on a great egg hunt and had cookie painting. They even provided pies, lemonade, and coffee. The hot coffee was a big hit with the parents. BRRRR!!! North Idaho Easter is not your typical sunny spring day. Around here we pick out a parka to go with our Easter dress.

Easter signals Spring! I love spring. I love the fresh feeling and the clean smelling air. It is a sign of new beginnings and hope. It’s time to start fresh! It also means spring cleaning!! No groaning… I don’t want you to spend a week in sweats and rubber gloves slaving away.

570bc37441c099f88b8c703fbba7ef0f-spring-quotes-spring-renewal-quotes-e1507164654569-300x282

“Happiness spring – cleans the heart.” ~ Japanese Proverbs

seaon-of-rebirth

Here are 7 tips for spring cleaning without getting overwhelmed!!

Never do anything that will take you longer than 30 minutes at a time. If it is a huge project, break it down.
You can do more in 30 minutes that you think you can. Don’t over complicate it.
Wash all the bedding and hang it outside. The spring air is the best laundry freshener!
Buy a new shower curtain liner! Instantly makes the bathroom fresher.
Your dishwasher, it needs to be cleaned! Dump in a half a cup of bleach and run a full cycle or try a dishwasher cleaner.
When you clean your oven, put foil on the bottom that you can replace when it is dirty. (only if you have an electric oven) Self-cleaning is really hard on your oven so I try not to clean it too often. Cleaning the oven in the future will be a breeze!
Throw open the windows and let the spring air in! It will do wonders for your home and you!

Cheering-Spring-Quotes-for-Good-Mood-3

I have tried some really awesome new recipes in the last week that I am excited to share with you! I found an interesting twist on Chicken Pot Pie in my Taste of Home Magazine. Chicken Pot Pie is like the all time comfort food. It may be spring, but like I said, around here, it is still cold! I am going to use every little bit of this chilly spring to make comfort food before we are grilling and making salads in ninety-degree weather.

This “Chicken Pot Pie” is simple and almost rustic, you could say. It is open face instead of the traditional top crust. I think its simplicity is beautiful!

galette

The original recipe at Taste of Home can be found here.

Despite the cold, my brave oregano plant had plenty of new growth to offer up for this dish! I love being able to walk outside and cut my own fresh herbs.

herbs1

This is the link to my awesome recipe and menu planning program!

Here is my version of this fantastic recipe.

Chicken Potpie Galette with Cheddar-Thyme Crust Recipe

Servings 6

Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

1 1/4 cup 1-1/4 all-purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup ice water

filling:

3 tablespoons butter

2 large carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, diced

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Yield: 6 servings

Directions

Combine flour, cheese, thyme, and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; refrigerate 1 hour.
For filling, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; cook and stir until slightly softened 5-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 2-3 minutes. Add frozen peas.
Whisk together broth, flour, salt, and pepper; slowly pour over vegetables, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add cream. Stir in chicken and oregano.
Preheat oven to 400°. On a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll dough into a 12-in. circle. ( I found this to be tricky and needed an extra pair of hands to hold the parchment paper) Be sure to roll it quite thin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spoon filling over pastry to within 2 in. of edge. Fold pastry edge over filling, pleating as you go, leaving center uncovered. Don’t worry about making it look fancy!
Bake on a lower oven rack until crust is golden brown and filling bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 6 servings.

Originally published as Chicken Potpie Galette in Taste of Home April/May 2018

Source: tasteofhome.com

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� DVO

cleaning

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, family, planning

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, food, organizing

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.

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Source: taste.com.au

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cleaning, family, food

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.

Cuisinart DCC-1100BK 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black

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.
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cleaning

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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cleaning, organizing, planning

A system that works

Posted on February 6, 2018August 17, 2018 by theselfcleaninghouse

I love paper. I love index cards. I love all things office supply. Office Max practically makes me giddy! I remember as a kid in grade school wanting to be the one chosen by the teacher to go to the paper room for her. It smelled so good in there and all that fresh clean paper! I know, weird kid, huh?

I am a hands on, actual pen and paper person when it comes to lists and calendars. It’s nice to have on my phone or computer but I really need to have it physically written as well. For years I have had my housework organized on index cards. It has worked well for me and still does. I still have the chores on index cards that I made for my kids when they were young. They have memories of those cards, I want to say fond memories but I can’t be sure of that! Although they have said I can’t get rid of them.

I keep my box of index cards on my kitchen counter. I have a cat. Actually I have two cats, but one is quite mischievous. I woke the other morning to find my entire box of index cards scattered on the kitchen floor. I was extremely irritated but took a deep breath and decided to use this as an opportunity to be re inspired and reorganized.

My husband bought me new index cards, not just plain old white ones but colored ones! He said he thought I might enjoy color coding them. I think he knows me pretty well! I have been sorting and writing new cards and trying to come up with a new system all morning between loads of laundry and changing diapers and I think I have come up with a pretty good plan!

* Daily Chores * Chores that are done on specific days of the week * Chores that only need to be done once or twice a year, broken down by rooms

It’s not perfect, it doesn’t look perfect, but it works for me. Whatever you do, should work for you. Whether it is just a sticky note on your mirror reminding you to make your bed or a full spreadsheet with every possible household duty listed, make sure it is working for you. We are all different. If it is overwhelming you, it’s not working. Simplify. If lists are your jam then get some fun note paper for that. If you are weird like me, try color-coded index cards. Don’t get bogged down with the details. Just have a system that works so you can spend less time playing “catch up” on housework and more time just playing!

Now…… which one of these terrors is to blame?