Coach Mom Newsletter - Apr 2013
I’ve noticed the last
few years every time that I clean out and
organize a space I almost always discover at
least one surprise item I didn’t remember I
had or could not find.
Spring
Break that proved to be true as six of us
blitzed the house, clearing out clutter from
rooms, closets, drawers, cabinets, and
bookcases. I found everything from an extra
set of iPhone earphones new in the box I had
never used, to my sunglasses that I thought
I had lost forever. So many hidden
treasures!
The progress we made
that week in our home was a personal best
for the Stulls. Working a few hours for six
days, we got more done than just organizing.
We washed windows inside and out. We cleaned
out the shed, cleaned out extra stuff from
the attic, and hoed up weeds around stepping
stones. We tilled the garden and planted
tomato plants then mowed, trimmed the yard
and fertilized. We wiped down fixtures and
replaced lightbulbs and made minor home
repairs. (I can see you now, feeling so bad
for my children…really, we got it done and
had fun along the way!) Then we wrapped up
the week with a huge yard sale. It felt
great to see hundreds of people carry off
all the things we no longer wanted or
needed, and also to raise money for my next
trip to Africa.
Do you want to feel
some “Spring Cleaning Love” with your
family? You most likely don’t have one week
to dedicate to it, but you might be
surprised at what your family can accomplish
in just one day if you are working together.
Tips for a
successful day:
-
Break projects into
manageable tasks.
-
Set a time limit
goal and try to honor it.
-
When possible, work
together to keep morale up and make the
time go faster.
-
Get involved,
especially with younger children. Work
alongside them to help them complete
their tasks.
-
Build in rewards
along the way. (It’s amazing how even
something like a “best scrubber” ribbon
award made out of construction paper can
delight a young helper!)
-
Plan fun activities
to celebrate the progress.
-
Praise
accomplishments. Remind each person of
the gifts that they bring that
strengthen the team.
Benefits:
-
It bonds you
together as a family.
-
It teaches your
children the value of hard work.
-
Everyone enjoys the
satisfaction of a job well done.
-
Your children gain
confidence in expanding their abilities.
-
You as a mom have a
good attitude in those hard jobs because
you are getting help!
-
You get done the
things that need to get done.
Are you ready
to start a treasure hunt at your house?
Get your family started on organizing and
you might be surprised and excited about the
things you find. In the end, one of the
greatest treasures is a peaceful and orderly
home.
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Dawn
dishwashing soap and a squeegee with sponge
for window washing – Put a
quarter-sized dollop of Dawn dishwashing
liquid in a bucket and add hot water. Use a
squeegee sponge to scrub windows, then
squeegee it off. Wipe the rubber blade with
a clean cloth between each swipe, then wipe
the base of the window if water has pooled.
Mr. Clean Magic
Eraser pads to remove scuffs and dirt
– With rubber gloves on to protect
hands from the chemicals, wet a Mr. Clean
eraser with water and wipe off scuffs from
walls, cabinets, baseboards, doors,
cabinets, and walls. This really works like
magic! (These erasing pads are also
available in most store brands, sold in the
cleaning aisle.)
OxiClean powder
mixed with water for tile grout cleaning
– This oxygen-based stain fighter is
chlorine-free and color safe, yet gets out
some of the most stubborn dirt and organic
stains. I was amazed how this cleaned the
grout tile in my bathroom of our 50-year-old
home. It looks like new. It isn’t a quick
process (I applied the cleaner and let it
soak overnight), but the results were
amazing and well worth it.
I also used it to clean
the smoke stains off of the white stone on
my fireplace. No other cleaner had even
touched the smoke stain.
We also used it to
clean our natural wood deck. We poured it
on, let it sit for an hour, then scrubbed it
off.
For helpful
information about oxygenated bleaches, see
http://www.oxyboost.com/utilityPages/oxygenBleach.html.
You can buy the
products mentioned above at Target, Walmart,
or grocery stores.
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 In
keeping with our feature article on
the family working together on household
jobs, this month I am giving away a copy of
Handy-Dandy Helpful Hal: A Book About
Helpfulness. This is a clever book written
in rhyming form and drives home the message
of the importance of teamwork within the
family. To win this book, email this
newsletter to three friends and email brenna
at brennastull dot com with “teamwork book”
in the subject line.
Congratulations to Stephanie Tyson, winner
of last month’s book giveaway, You Can Do
Great Things, by Michele Steinhauser.
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So thankful for a mom
who always held steady and persevered with
her strong-willed daughter. In honor of my
mom's birthday...
Wringing Out my Wrongs: Things My Mom Did
Right
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