I’m as far from a type A personality as possible.  Maybe there is a type Z personality?  I tend to be more of a free spirit when it comes to life and keeping my house clean.  Tidy, maybe  between the hours of 9pm-6am when all the littles are sleeping, but never constantly clean.

My husband and I came up with a game that has been rocking our world in terms of cleaning & productivity and this little free spirit is enjoying all its benefits.

Here’s how our game works.  Of course, I play it with Michael, but it could also be played with a friend, too.

• Our game lasts 3 months.  We set a cash prize for the winner which will motivate both parties to earn points.
• Each night before bed or first thing in the morning, we send each other a text with 3 to-dos for the next day. (Most of the items are cleaning related, but some are for personal development too.  Example of items that have been chosen: vacuum the basement, hang light in entry way, dust, organize bathroom closet, scrub bathroom floor, fix mailbox, wash counters, organize pantry.)
• For each of the three tasks completed, the person gets one point.

The person with the most points wins.

I’m currently in the lead by 4 points. Yeah, me!  But since we need to make a way for the score to be even again so Michael can stay motivated, we’ve come up with this plan: The person behind can request an additional ‘task’ to catch them up (The task will require more effort than just the 3 regular daily tasks–i.e. an item on my honey-do list).  Once they complete the extra task, the person behind can earn an extra point. Only people trailing can request an ‘additional task’ point from the other person.

I know it’s simple.  But, it’s been revolutionary for Michael and me.  We’ve been playing this game for almost a month and the results thus far have been enjoyed by both. We are loving the game!  Our house, too, is thanking us for all the work that’s being done. Yeah for progress!

We’ve used the game for cleaning/house projects mostly, but it could most definitely be used for life’s to-dos also and holding each other accountable.  Have fun playing the Three Things Game!

I preface this by saying that any time I find out something new, I quickly find out that the rest of the world has known for years!  No worries–that won’t stop me from posting this little helpful hint.  Somewhere out there SOMEONE will want to refer to me as Heloise from hereafter!

Few things in life annoy me to the point that I can’t take it any longer–I’m generally pretty easygoing, and laid back.  One thing however, drives me crazy after it goes unfixed–perhaps more appropriately I should say, “It grates on my nerves.”  It’s the noise that is made when you pull the shower curtain back–metal on metal… You see, I have decorative metal hooks and over time, they wear on the metal shower rod, making it hard to pull and creating an annoying shrill sound.  

I’ve got something that fixes this little annoyance (as well as metal hangers on metal clothes racks), and today, I thought, “I REALLY SHOULD XANGA THAT.”  ( I know…too much time on my hands, I agree.) So, wad up sheet of wax paper, and rub it along the metal shower rod.  No longer will you have this irritating issue.  This is one of the perks from my employment at Ann Taylor Loft several years ago… Go try it…you’ll appreciate the results. AND the next time you hear that noise, you have two choices:  now you can either go fix the problem, or you can think, “Maren hates that…” every time pull back the curtain and experience that annoying shrill noise.  The choice, my friend, is yours.

Okay… hit me with the, “Duh, Maren, I learned that when I was 2, comments.”  I’m armed and ready. 🙂  

HAPPY LONG MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, FOLKS!