Y’all, the countdown is ON. Hockey season kicks off in about a month with evaluations and it’s time to get all those ducks lined up in a row. And that means it’s the perfect time for a little pre-season cleaning. Woo hoo.
Back in the spring, I had intended on a post season cleaning spree but for a variety of reasons, it didn’t happen. August is different. Not only do I have two weeks of vacation time scheduled, but the entire month is free of schedule demands. All three boys are home and all are at an age where they are capable of helping.
And help they will. In the interest of starting the season off on the right foot, the house is going to get a thorough purge and clean.
Where to Start?
So, where to start? Well, it depends on what you want to achieve with your efforts. For me, I had a chance to do a solid purge and organizing of most of my house back in May so that means I am going to focus my energies on the things I didn’t get the chance to tackle then and get a few meals into the freezer for those crazy, hectic hockey days.
Thankfully, I’m not starting completely at square one. Over the past few months, I have implemented two things that have helped keep the chaos at bay. Even in the middle of repairs to two rentals we are selling. Even in the middle of the chaos that was my April. I don’t do well if my house is a mess so a clean house means that I’m far more productive. Or at minimum happier.
Two Things That Help Me Maintain Order in the Chaos
The first was to follow Clean Mama’s weekly cleaning routine when I could. Emphasis here on when I could. Because there are some days and weeks where it just isn’t going to happen. And I have made peace with that. But on the days I can, I refer to the Clean Mama Instagram page to get the task of the day. It’s not foolproof but my house is certainly tidy more than it was. And I don’t have to decide between the lesser of chore evil.
The second thing that’s helped was to be more intentional about organizing my week in my bullet journal. I’m a long way off from creating something as beautiful as Kara at Boho Berry, but I enjoy that I can plan my week and have my endless lists available to me in one book. Efficiency, it’s my love language.
Introducing the HockeyMom’s Pre-Season Cleaning Binge
In the vein of lists, I created a check list for me to follow for the next month as I work through the things I want to get done. For those of you that want to join me, you can download the list using the link at the bottom of this post.
Keep in mind, people, this isn’t just for hockey moms. I think I made mention of hockey gear once or twice in the checklist but other than that, this applies to any parent with kids starting back to school. So click on the link and grab the printable. Free, just for you, dear readers.
I promise, it’s not complicated, but it will take some time over the course of the month. I figured since I can bake 2000 cookies in about six weeks by rigorous scheduling and a stubborn streak, I can do the same to get the House of Hockey set up in advance of the season. When it comes to managing the hectic pace that is parenting, I’ve learned that anything is possible if you break the task into small enough chunks.
Coincidentally, this is another place where the Bullet Journal works well. I can keep a list of the steps I need to take to finish a job. Having that step by step in front of me helps me focus when squirrel brain gets the better of me.
Give this girl enough time to plan and she can take over the world.
So, who’s with me? Download the link right here: Pre-Season Cleaning Checklist
And if you want to check out my progress, head over to the Hockey Mom Chronicles Facebook page. I’ll be checking in there with my progress and encourage you to share your own successes.
One more month to go!
See you at the rink,
Leave a Reply