Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the mess that I make… the mess that my kids make… the messes we make when we live and enjoy ourselves.  I usually wander around for a while and pick at messes… not actually accomplishing any fixing of said mess, but rather making myself feel badly for letting the mess get to “this point”.  So, instead of trying to tackle it all and having the task be monumental, I just break it down. I set the timer on my stove for 30 minutes and I go!

In thirty minutes it is amazing what you can actually accomplish!! Often, I find that is all it takes for me to feel better about the mess and relax (or just go make another one). On occasion, it has even been enough to kick-start me into gear and I can get the whole thing done in far less time. I just needed to have a reasonable goal: do as much as I can in, only 30 minutes.  Then I can get back to playing and having fun with the kids and, let’s face it, making more mess.

In 30 minutes, I can:
-start a load of laundry
-empty the dishwasher and wash the stragglers on the counter
-tidy up my daughter’s room
-tidy up my son’s room
-wipe the counters and tables in the kitchen
-sweep the kitchen floor
-tidy the living room
AND
-wipe down the bathroom sink

I think parents operate on super-speed and, many times, at super-efficiency. It’s a pretty sweet skill, I think… that super-speed thing. However, let me know how you can get the kids-growing-up thing to slow down.

Monday’s challenge is to try it out and see what you can accomplish in just 30 minutes! Let me know how far you get?

** Don’t forget to enter Lizzie Bits’ Putumayo CD giveaway!!  You have until Thursday night to get your entries in.  You need to create a wordpress account in order to do so, but it’s simple enough to do.  Good luck!!! **

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About your Author | Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Kamloops lifer. Born at RIH, she is happy to be raising her family here. Married with three wonderful children, Elizabeth is a full-time teacher and enjoys working with parents as she learns more about this "Mommy gig". Elizabeth is passionate about parenting and enjoys networking with other parents. She has been running KamloopsParents.Com since March 2010.