Day 4- Mommy Makeover Bootcamp

Today we tackle our homes. Ok, our houses. Because is your house really your home? Get out the pen and paper and think about your dream house. Come on, sky's the limit, remember?

Now that that is done I want you to walk through every room in your house and write down how you could make it into a home. Is there clutter everywhere? Cobwebs hanging from the ceiling? Dust on the furniture or cheerios under the table? Or maybe it's just an ugly couch, hideous curtains, an old bedspread, or bland wall color. What would make it your home? What could you do to make it warm and inviting and make your family (and YOU) comfortable? The best advice I ever read/heard was that your house/home is the quiet/soft place where your family retreats from the big, bad world. How can you make your home that place?

Challenge: No complaining. I don't want to hear "my house is too small" or "but there's so much stuff" or "I'm broke, I can't afford to fix up my house". NO WHINING! Just write it down and no complaining to anyone about your home. Including to yourself!!

Journal: Five things you love about your home. No kidding. Start writing.

Cleaning basics

Now that you've been keeping your sink clean and your bed made, it's time to do a little more. Everyday this week I want you to sweep your hardwood and linoleum floors and vacuum the carpet. Pick a day this week to dust the whole house or dust one room per day. Don't forget to clean the sink and make up your bed. If you have kids, try giving them a dust rag and let them dust the big items. If their old enough, get them to sweep/vacuum their own rooms. Your home is a small community. They are part of the community so they get to help. Don't feel bad asking them to help. You are teaching them valuable life skills.

Where to start?

On Tuesdays we will focus on our homes. This week I want you to work on your kitchen and your master bedroom. I chose these two rooms because: in order to make nutritious meals at home you must have a clean kitchen and in order to have some sense of peace in our lives it helps to have our bedrooms be our place of rest and not chaos.

In the kitchen, your assignment is to keep your sink and counters clean. Set your timer for 10-15 minute intervals throughout the day until this area is clean. Try to keep it clean throughout the day by cleaning the dishes instead of just laying them in the sink. If that's not possible, then set aside your 10-15 minutes after each meal to do a quick clean up. Before bed take another 5 minutes to do a quick clean up and wipe down the sink as well.

In your bedroom, make your bed. Yes, it's that simple. Try to do this as soon as you crawl out of bed. If hubby is still in it, or a child or two, then try to have it made up before noon. It's amazing how much better a room looks with a well made bed.