Tidy Zones

Today, I want to begin a talk about something I learned from two women called the "Slob Sisters." Back in the late 1970's, I read and reread a book by Pam Young and Peggy Jones, entitled "Sidetracked Home Executives." They later wrote another book, "Get Your Act Together," with a more streamlined approach to their same system of organization. This is where I was introduced to the concept of Zones and a Weekly Plan.
The Amish worked up the singsong limerick that kept them washing on Monday and ironing on Tuesday, etc. In other words, a weekly plan. They said, "Think of a weekly plan as a disposable guide to focusing your life for seven days at a time: In a typical week, you will need to devote a certain amount of time to do housework, play, be with your family, rest, run errands, and do paperwork."
So, our weekly plan should include the following: A Play Day, A Desk Day, A Full Cleaning Day, A half Cleaning Day, A Go-FER Day, A Family Work Day, and A Family Play Day. Traditionally, certain "women's chores" were assigned a day of the week. You might be stitching a set of dish towels (I have a set I'm working on right now) or making a "sampler" of a cute kitty doing the chores, and so on.

Here is a list of the "traditional" chores.
Monday - Washing
Tuesday - Ironing
Wednesday - Mending
Thursday - Marketing
Friday - Baking
Saturday - Cleaning
Sunday - Day of Worship

And here is another one from many years ago:
Washing on Monday
Ironing and Mending on Tuesday
Kitchen storeroom, dairy on Wednesdays
Bedrooms on Thursday
Living rooms on Friday
Kitchen only, cleaning silver, changing beds, Saturday
Sunday was traditionally a day of rest. No one would dream of doing anything but the barest necessities. The maids used to say that if you sewed on Sunday, you would have to unpick the stitches with your nose in Hell, after you died. No doubt, they believed it! (Yikes!)

"Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." In days gone by, this was the motto of a good housewife. Seems like a good one for today, as well. Confusion as to what to do concerning house-cleaning and when, nearly always arises from lack of a system, and no preparations have been made for when the dreaded day arrives.

Stay tuned for more about Tidy Zones