I am finally combatting my most evil enemy...the laundry. With 5 people in the house, at least 10 clothing changes, towels, sheets and cleaning implements, it seems laundry is a neverending struggle. It's very difficult to get into my laundry area. We have narrow, winding steps down into the cold basement. Our house is built on top of a spring, so the floor is very cold in the winter, and if it rains, the spring bubbles up through the drains in the basement. Do you have any idea how cold spring water is? On weeks like this, the water freezes, creating an ice skating rink right next to the washer and dryer. The foundation of this house is over 100 years old, and was built with the spring in mind, so I don't sorry about structural but I do dread walking down into the basement, awkwardly carrying my baskets, only to stand in my crocs in water, and do laundry.  I had hoped and prayed (and I still haven't given up belief) that I could move my laundry room upstairs, but with my unemployment, it just isn't in the budget.

Since I know this is my defeatist monster, it has been my goal to get it under control.  I hate that we weren't able to shut our bathroom closet door, and that the kids' upstairs bath has no flooring...it's just covered in clothes! I knew if I could conquer this, I would be able to handle the rest of the house.

So for the last 3 weeks, I've struggled with organizing laundry. And I have done very well, I believe.

1.  I do not do laundry on the weekends. That is family time and I will not be stressed. I can catch up during the week.

2.  I do 2 loads on Monday and Tuesday. That typically catches me up from the weekend.  I focus on mine and Darren's laundry (which is downstairs and conceivably seen by drop in company). I supplement light baskets with kids clothes from upstairs.

3. I am finished with laundry by 3:00.  I fold and hang and put away mine and Darren's laundry. I fold and hang the kids' clothes, sheets and towels on my bed, and hang the hang up clothes on doors in my room; Emily's on the office door, Matt's on Darren's closet door, and Mikey's on my closet door. When they come home from school, they know to put away their clothes.

4.  On Wednesday, I focus on the kids' clothes. In the morning, before school, they make sure all of their laundry is in their hamper.  Matt brings the hamper downstairs. In the afternoon, when the laundry is clean, Mikey takes it back upstairs and puts it in the closet.

5.  On Thursday, I finish clothes.

6.  On Fridays, I do sheets and towels. They bring them downstairs, and I wash them with mine.

Darren has no idea about the laundry machination that I've developed. He has noticed, though, that he always has clean socks, and that his shirts are hung so he doesn't have to hunt for them. The laundry stress level has decreased dramatically in our home.