Every fall I look forward to getting things organized and cleaned up around our home as the holidays are just around the corner. I like to set aside one full weekend in early October just for our fall cleaning.

As a housewife, I don’t tackle this job myself. There is no reason why your spouse and children can’t do their fair share of the work… after all, they live in the house too.

Here are a few important tips to help things go smoothly.

1. If you can afford it, do a few takeout meals during the weekend. This will save you time plus it acts as a family reward for your cleaning participants.

2. Make the weekend fun. Play music, joke around with the family and keep it light-hearted. Don’t run around barking orders and rushing to get things done.

3. As a family, sit down before your cleaning starts and decide what the family reward will be. We always picked things like a new television, stereo, comfy chair, trampoline for the backyard, etc. Your family reward can be something inexpensive or expensive… but it should be something that the entire family can enjoy.

4. Have a prepared list of chores that you want to get done. Have each family member select a few of those items that he/she can complete. Try to equally split up the tasks. Smaller children can assist the older children or parents. Cross off each task on the list as it is completed.

5. If you need cleaning or home repair supplies, purchase them ahead of time. You don’t want to waste time during your weekend running around shopping for supplies, when your time should be spent on completing your tasks.

If you start when your children are young and make this a family event, over the years this will become a regular fall routine. Our daughter knew that the weekend was approaching and would keep her schedule free. This ‘routine’ saved us a lot of stress as every family member knew what was expected from them ahead of time.

The most important thing to remember is… be prepared and be organized. If you preplan your family cleaning weekend, you will find that things will be a lot less stressful for everyone involved
Do not flush signs – Golden Group Do Not Flush Restroom Sign – Lady Poster [LP4000] – Excellent product to display your companies desire not to have Personal Hygiene Items flushed down the toilet. Small poster is printed on 80lb cover and has a gloss finish. Large poster is printed on 70lb cover and also has a gloss finish.

Summer’s here and school’s out! Need some ideas for fun? It doesn’t take much time or money to make a day memorable for you and your friends.

Here are some simple ideas to sprinkle throughout the summer:

1.Plant flowers. You don’t have to plant an entire flower garden. A few seeds sprinkled into a flower pot will add color to a window sill. An old boot makes a good planter, too. Be sure to water your plant every day and watch for new sprouts!

2.Play in the sprinkler. Get out those cut-off shorts and bathing suits and cool off.

3.Collect leaves and transform them into art. Gather leaves. Lay a piece of white paper over them. Hold firmly in place and color over the top of the leaf. Remove the leaf and create a frame around the edge of the paper. Tada! Instant art.

4.Feed the birds. Cover a pine cone with peanut butter and roll in bird seed. Tie a string around the pine cone and hang it from a tree. The birds will love it!

5.Catch fireflies at night. Have your parents put a few small holes in the top of a plastic jar. Catch fireflies and place them in the jar. It’s a homemade lantern! (Be sure to let the fireflies go before you go to bed.)

6.Make snow cones. Most refrigerators now have icemakers that shave the ice. Fill a glass with shaved ice and add juice or Kool-Aid for a homemade snow cone! You can make your own snow cone holder out of a piece of cardboard, coffee filters, and tape. Cut the cardboard and coffee filters in a big triangle. Lay the coffee filter on top of the cardboard and roll it up with the cardboard on the outside. Tape edges closed.

7.Make rock pets. Use different size rocks to shape turtles, frogs, or other animals. For added fun, paint them.

8.Make seashell paintings. Paint pictures or designs on the inside of medium-sized seashells. (Paint shouldn’t be too thin or the colors will run.)

9.Make a summer hideout. Hang sheets from a clothesline to make a tent. Add chairs, boxes, or anything you want to make furniture.

10.Play basketball. Use a mop pail or bucket if you don’t have a hoop.

It doesn’t matter which activities you choose as long as you have fun!