Some days, it just feels like too much, doesn't it? Besides your regular job, all those little projects around the house just keep creeping up on you from behind. Before you know it, you've got a honey-do list with over 20 items on it. How can you possibly get caught up, especially under a tight budget? Take a deep breath. You don't have to do everything at once, and you don't have to break the bank hiring professionals to do the job for you! Does the baby's room need a new paint job? Do your gutters need to be cleaned out before Spring arrives? My advice to you is to start small, picking one or two projects to start with.Then, gather up the rest of the family or a few good friends and make a play date out of it!
I had a friend once whose kitchen caught on fire. Instead of hiring a professional to clean up the smoke damage, she threw a "painting party." I thought this was a genius idea. Each person brought one paintbrush or scrub brush and together they finished the job in just under two hours! Plus, it only cost her one bucket of paint and a Saturday afternoon!
A few "project party" ideas:
* Painting Party - Does your daughter want to paint her bedroom hot pink? Invite her friends over to help her do it so you don't have to! Ask your best friend to help you repaint the dining room, offer to make her dinner after the project is complete. Then, suggest doing the same for her dining room.
* Outdoor Extravaganzas - Gather up your friends to help you mow, weed, clear gutters, pressure wash the outside of the house, then be sure to offer to help them do theirs! Or, ask the local neighborhood kids if they want to earn a few bucks, it's much cheaper than hiring a gardener, and it encourages them to work for their money.
* Fashion Show - Do you need to purge your children's closets to make way for the bigger sizes? Have a Fashion Show! Invite your children's friends over to play along. Ask your son or daughter to try on their outfits, modeling them down the hallway. Determine if the clothing is "keep" or "donate". This way, your children are involved in their clothing decisions and feel a sense of ownership.And, you get to clean that closet out!
* Wash 'n Dry - Need that car washed? Don't go to a car wash company, ask your family to help you out! Tag team this project: On small pieces of paper, write down a different area of the vehicle, mix them all together and ask each family member to draw one. For example: "Inside Back Seat", "Outside Side Doors", etc. Then, have a race to see who can finish their section first. This encourages bonding with your family and teaches your children responsibility.
* Neighborhood Meeting - Gather your neighbors together for an afternoon bar-be-que. Ask each of them, either individually or together, what they enjoy doing. Does the woman that lives across the street enjoy gardening? Ask her to plant a flower box for you, and in return do a small project for her that you enjoy doing. Do you have a friend that enjoys sewing? Offer to scrapbook her latest vacation in return for a few hemming projects.
Around the house projects don't have to be an expensive nuisance. Consider the importance of community, friendship, and bartering! That honey-do list will dwindle down in no time, which I'm sure will make your husband very happy. :)
Brandi Lee
Personal Attache
Helping Professional Women Achieve Work Life Balance