Classic Housekeeping: Rituals, Sayings, and Traditions.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My personal favorite is "Only boring women have clean houses." :lol::lol::lol:

 

I'm extremely exciting then! :willy_nilly:

[Nakia]

:glare: So what are ya tryin to say?:glare:

 

JK:D

 

 

 

I'm extremely exciting then! :willy_nilly:

 

 

I'm with Jean! I am the most exciting woman in the world!! :D

[Mejane]

Around here it's "Company's coming. Grab a mop!" :D

[Pink Fairy]

"Poor planning on your part does not make an emergency on my part." This is usually related to belongings (ballet tights, wallets, shoes) or school books not being put away properly, with panic ensuing when said items cannot be found. Seriously, people, we homeschool. How can you lose one or the other school book every other day? And where are all the dang pencils? And your coat?

 

It drives me slightly crazy, so now I refuse to participate in the hunt, and just repeat that little saying.

[fairfarmhand]

I do this, too, and DH hates it. It's funny, but nightwear that wouldn't embarrass me in front of the firefighters (or on the 6 a.m. news!) isn't what he considers appealing. :lol:

 

Keep the cars cleaned out, too. You never know when someone's going to say "toss me your keys and I'll move your car".

 

 

My dh doesn't like my granny gowns or my flannel pjs. He says it's like I've hung a sign around my neck saying "DO NOT TOUCH ME!"

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

Regarding square corners: I once had a boss who spoke of another employee as having square corners. When I asked what he meant he said that she was thorough and didn't take short cuts when doing her work, sort of like when you vacuum into the corners instead of rounding them. That was over 25 years ago and I've never forgotten that!

 

 

Reading this made me think of "square corners" when making a bed the old fashioned way before fitted sheets. I remember a nurse making a huge deal of this when I was training to be a nursing assistant.

 

Do I get a prize? :D

[Jean in Newcastle]

Reading this made me think of "square corners" when making a bed the old fashioned way before fitted sheets. I remember a nurse making a huge deal of this when I was training to be a nursing assistant.

 

Do I get a prize? :D

 

Yes, you get to come and make the beds in my house! Congratulations!:D

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

Yes, you get to come and make the beds in my house! Congratulations!:D

 

 

:scared::scared::scared:

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I heard this one on this board many years ago:

 

"Don't let the corners get round."

 

I don't know who said it, but I've always loved that one.

 

 

I have no idea what that could possibly mean? :confused:

 

nm, it was 'splained.

Edited May 20, 2010 by ThatCyndiGirl

[Kirch]

I heard this one on this board many years ago:

 

"Don't let the corners get round."

 

I don't know who said it, but I've always loved that one.

 

The first mental image that came to me when I read this was corners in certain public restrooms I've seen (esp. gas stations). They definitely looked round.:ack2:

 

Mine's not really a saying, just how things seem to get done around here: have company over at least once a week. :D

[lollie010]

"Poor planning on your part does not make an emergency on my part." This is usually related to belongings (ballet tights, wallets, shoes) or school books not being put away properly, with panic ensuing when said items cannot be found. Seriously, people, we homeschool. How can you lose one or the other school book every other day? And where are all the dang pencils? And your coat?

 

It drives me slightly crazy, so now I refuse to participate in the hunt, and just repeat that little saying.

 

I am going to get a lot of leverage out of this one. THANKS.

[mrssnow]

Here's one:

A place for everything and everything in it's place.

 

 

This is my mom's favorite. Drove us nutty last time she was here she repeated it so many times LOL

[mrssnow]

my mom always told me to wash the light fixtures every time you change a bulb, so that the nastiness doesn't build up.

 

Not sure this can apply anymore with the CFL's lasting so long. We haven't changed a light bulb in a long time so the nastiness would build up for sure if we waited for when we have to change them.

[mrssnow]

and sleep in decent attire in case of a fire.

 

and in case of earthquakes, learned this the hard way recently. We had a 5.8 here and it was at 1 am :sleep: all I had on was a T-shirt no pants :eek: :blushing:. Unfortunately I don't have full PJ's because I am used to just using shirts (it is hot here even at night) but after this experience I have PJ's on my shopping list soon ;)

[Evergreen State Sue]

My mom always said, "If you have your beds made and the dishes done, the rest of the house won't look so bad!"

[Sugarfoot]

My Grandma loved to say,

 

"If I knew you were comin', I'd have baked a cake!"

 

Sort of house-keeping related... The funny thing is that she baked pretty much constantly! (And now, so do I...;))

[AndyJoy]

My family was very much a "mess it up, clean it up" kind of family. The house didn't stay neat for long--we cleaned like crazy before people came over. One of our family jokes was to ask someone else, "Cleaning out a drawer, huh?" if they were dawdling or doing something seemingly unimportant when we were supposed to be cleaning. Apparently when my parents were first married my mom was rushing around to get the house ready for company and couldn't figure out where my dad went. She found him in the kitchen meticulously organizing the junk drawer :lol: !

[momof2girls]

Whoever kills it, fills it. -- applies to the coffee pot, milk jug, etc.

 

Many hands make light work.

 

:001_smile:

[momof2girls]

I *think* it means don't stash and pile the stuff to the point where dust collects. But, I'm not sure (just thinking about the round corners in ds's room).

 

Definitely means sweep often to avoid that dust build up... I've got to do that here. :iagree::lol:

[unsinkable]

Give it a lick and a promise and call it done.

 

Use thusly: "I was running out of time so I gave the dusting a lick and a promise and called it done."

 

It means do a fast job and promise to get back to it or do better next time, then move on.

[bookfiend]

Give it a lick and a promise and call it done.

 

Use thusly: "I was running out of time so I gave the dusting a lick and a promise and called it done."

 

It means do a fast job and promise to get back to it or do better next time, then move on.

 

 

My furniture regularly calls me a liar!

[wulfbourne]

My house is clean enough to be healthy,

and messy enough to be happy.

 

 

My MIL has this in a cross stitch hanging in her house :)

[Jean in Wisc]

Don't make work!!!!

 

Translated: Don't set your cup on the counter when you can put it in the dishwasher because it just gives mom another job--you do not need to make more tasks for her; she has quite enough already in the basic needs of the family--cleaning the bathroom, doing the laundry, making meals and such. Don't put your socks in the laundry in a wad. Don't toss your clothing into the basket inside out. Don't track dirt into the house without sweeping it up. Don't scatter the newspapers across the floor and leave them there. DON'T MAKE WORK!

[Joyfullyblessed]

Well, I always tell my family & my childcare children...

 

If you make the mess, you clean it up. We also use the Barney song quite often. :001_smile:

 

I want these little guys to learn that we can play and have fun, but we want to clean up and keep things nice and neat too.

 

I also like the idea of "a home for everything". It just makes things so much easier to put away and find if needed.

 

My mom always told me to make my bed first and then clean everything else in my room afterwards. It did seem like the room was neater just by making my bed, so I have always done it before clearing other clutter that may be in the room.

[mrssnow]

My mom always said, "If you have your beds made and the dishes done, the rest of the house won't look so bad!"

 

 

Sounds like a Flylady :001_smile:

[BikeBookBread]

Finish what you start

Don't bite off more than you can chew.

Never start a major cleaning project after 5:00 at night.

Don't jump around.

Don't start a new job before you finish the first.

 

These were all from my Mom...she could tell that I was already Type A, compulsive and perfectionistic even when I was little! :lol:

[coop]

You kill it, you fill it...

 

We use that around here for refilling the toilet paper or paper towel rolls.

[secular_mom]

Don't make work!!!!

 

Translated: Don't set your cup on the counter when you can put it in the dishwasher because it just gives mom another job--you do not need to make more tasks for her; she has quite enough already in the basic needs of the family--cleaning the bathroom, doing the laundry, making meals and such. Don't put your socks in the laundry in a wad. Don't toss your clothing into the basket inside out. Don't track dirt into the house without sweeping it up. Don't scatter the newspapers across the floor and leave them there. DON'T MAKE WORK!

 

I do believe this is my favorite- simple and to the point.

[Perry]

I have Dear Abby's "House Rules" on my refrigerator. Here is a copy of the article. Since it's a picture, I can't copy it.

[Mama Anna]

The only unique one I brought from my childhood was . . .

 

"DON'T BLEED ON THE CARPET!!"

 

It was usually yelled from some part of the house while Mom finished whatever she was doing and then came to find what was wrong.

 

:D

 

Mama Anna

[Entropymama]

Nature stays in nature.

 

That's for my horde of children who love to collect pine cones, sticks and bugs. :)

 

Also, "A little laundry every day keeps the naked bums away." I think that was my grandmother.

[ciyates]

My mom used to say" Don't let anyone ever sweep under your feet or you won't get married" I think the point was to get up and work no one wants a lazy wife more than superstition.

[Lilymax]

I'm loving this thread!

 

How about this one?

 

"You never hear of a husband being shot by his wife while he is doing the dishes."

 

I'm so NOT-dull, that when I tell the kids it's time to clean up, they inevitably ask, "Why? Who's coming over?" :lol:

 

I used to keep a pretty clean house. Then I had kids. And it's been a struggle ever since!

[Violet Crown]

Our standard laundry rhyme:

 

They that wash on Monday

Have all the week to dry.

They that wash on Tuesday

Are not so much awry.

They that wash on Wednesday

Are not so much to blame.

They that wash on Thursday,

Wash for shame.

They that wash on Friday,

Wash in need.

And they that wash on Saturday,

Oh ! they're sluts indeed.

 

Admittedly the last line is, these days, subject to ambiguity.

 

Some days, I just find myself shouting instead, "I'm doing laundry!!" Those are the same days when loading the dishwasher is accompanied by cries of "Spoooooon!" But I didn't learn those from a human person. :D

[Purpledaizy]

My family was very much a "mess it up, clean it up" kind of family. The house didn't stay neat for long--we cleaned like crazy before people came over. One of our family jokes was to ask someone else, "Cleaning out a drawer, huh?" if they were dawdling or doing something seemingly unimportant when we were supposed to be cleaning. Apparently when my parents were first married my mom was rushing around to get the house ready for company and couldn't figure out where my dad went. She found him in the kitchen meticulously organizing the junk drawer :lol: !

 

 

LOL!! :lol: OMgosh, this is a serious issue between me and dh!! That and hurry we need to pick-up!!! so he goes up stairs and starts folding laundry :001_huh:

[myfatherslily]

When someone can't find what they're looking for, I say: Look with your hands! And that person usually then finds what they were looking for...

:)

 

No wonder I could never find anything at home when I was a kid! Whenever we were at a store, my mom told me, "Look with your eyes, not with your hands!" because I would touch everything I saw. Never fear, though, I can find anything now. I get LOTS of practice.

 

I'm so NOT-dull, that when I tell the kids it's time to clean up, they inevitably ask, "Why? Who's coming over?" :lol:

 

Sometimes I'll clean a room up really well while my kids are spending the night with their daddy. When they get home, DD always exclaims, "Mommy! I didn't know you cleaned the livingroom!!!"

 

My mom cross stitched this one:

 

Altho you'll find our house a mess

come in - sit down

converse

It doesn't always look like this

Sometimes - it's even worse

[Entropymama]

"Poor planning on your part does not make an emergency on my part." This is usually related to belongings (ballet tights, wallets, shoes) or school books not being put away properly, with panic ensuing when said items cannot be found. Seriously, people, we homeschool. How can you lose one or the other school book every other day? And where are all the dang pencils? And your coat?

 

It drives me slightly crazy, so now I refuse to participate in the hunt, and just repeat that little saying.

 

Yes! Where do the pencils go?! My dd8 loses her assignment sheet everyday. I mean, it has to be in the school room!

[TXMomof4]

 

My mom cross stitched this one:

 

Altho you'll find our house a mess

come in - sit down

converse

It doesn't always look like this

Sometimes - it's even worse

 

We have that one beside our door.