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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Soup / Soup

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?