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Jessica Garrett's avatar

I just want to tell you how much I love this substack. It’s inspiring and encouraging. I’ve learned a lot. I think you strike an incredible balance between convicting housewives to work diligently in their calling and offering grace and understanding that sometimes changing diapers is a big accomplishment worthy of crossing off the to do list.

My husband left for a work trip this morning and my 3 year old woke up with a fever. Changing the baby’s diapers might be one of my 3 items.

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Nia in Wonderland's avatar

Came here to say this. I can definitely implement a 3 item to do list.

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Jessica Garrett's avatar

That's what I love. So many advice substacks are difficult to implement and impractical for a lot of people. Every post here is doable. Planning to do a 3 item to do list today.

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Linda Leigh's avatar

The 3 item to do list has been inundating me from all directions! I guess that means I should listen and adhere to that rule! Today’s 3 are: Dishes, Laundry, Bake bread

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Carrley's avatar

I needed to read this today!

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Jolynne Weaver's avatar

Thank you so much! I feel like a write things on my list and many days don't get them all accomplished. I needed this idea!

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CoffeeFroth's avatar

A general type process question Aunty Leila - suppose I try and do a certain task each day of the week (Eg bathrooms on a Tuesday) but something happens and it doesn’t get done that particular day. In your experience, is it better to:

A) stay up late that night and do it,

B) leave it and do extra the following Tuesday, or

C) try and catch up doing a little on the bathroom each day until you are back on track?

I realise a lot depends on context etc, but just wondering if you had any thoughts around what to do when a key weekly household task is missed? Thank you in advance!!

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Leila Marie Lawler's avatar

Yes, a lot depends on context. I would say this question shows how important it is not to over-schedule!

If you have flexibility built into your week, you can catch up without too much stress.

Also, if you avoid the boom and bust mentality, but keep at it more or less in a cycle, you will find you can do a quick blitz at night before bed and then catch it up later without disaster.

In other words, if the bathroom is left until it's dire, then yes, having to postpone is fatal. But if you've been keeping up with a good reasonable clean most of the time, you can get away with the two-minute spit-and-shine, temporarily.

In the bathroom, it's interesting how quickly you can bring it back to a reasonable state by cleaning the toilet and sink and then wiping things down with the hand towel, which you then replace. I always think it will take so long! But then it doesn't.

Another key thing is to have the cleaning things right there, under the sink or in a basket. If I have to go somewhere to get what I need, it's much less likely to happen.

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CoffeeFroth's avatar

Thank you! <3

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Elizabeth Crawford's avatar

Thank you so much for this post today. I needed this advice yesterday, but I will take it today!!! :)

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