The guilt we feel when we feed our families our stash and dash meal planning results, not only wreaks havoc with the health of our children but that guilt causes us to feel like we are not good mothers. We want to be the perfect mother but then that perfectionism gets in the way because we don’t think we have time.

We have time we just don’t know it yet! It all starts with that sink! This sink greets us first thing in the morning with that guilt of dirty dishes and mystery water. We can change that by going to bed with your sink shining. When you walk into your kitchen the next morning you are going to smile. That smile is just the beginning.

So how do you stop the bomb from going off in your kitchen when you do decide to cookfi That bomb and the time it takes to clear the collateral damage is one of the reasons that you don’t think you have time to cook! Having a plan is half the battle. Implementing that plan as part of your basic weekly plan, before bed routine, morning routine and afternoon routine. Here is how you stop the damage before it starts.

* 5 minute on a Wednesday write down your menus for next week.

* 10 minutes make out a grocery list from your menus

* 5 minutes clean out the refrigerator making groceries put away easy

* 30 minutes to grocery shop when you have a list

* 5 minute to put groceries away

* 1 minute each evening move frozen food from freezer to refrigerator *+ Start the day with an empty dishwasher and an empty trash can.

* 5 minutes to check your menu plan or start a slow cooker

* Pick a time to start cooking; Don’t wait till meal time to start.

* Pizza is not on the menu!

* Walk into the kitchen, fill your sink full of hot soapy water and give yourself 15 minutes in the afternoon to start cooking

* Clean up after yourself as you go

* Don’t multitask. This is when we burn food. SHEs don’t cook on high! Do not get in a hurry!

* Stay in the kitchen. Children’s homework is done at the table. *+ Delegate the table being set, salad being made, and ice in glasses

You can do this! As you dirty up a dish, spoon or pan; place it in the hot soapy water. As food starts cooking, clean as you go. When you reach into the hot water the utensils will practically be clean. Clean up is a breeze because food residue has not dried and caked on. Before you sit down to eat make sure all prep tools are washed up and drying, ingredients are put back in refrigerator and trash is in the garbage can.

After dinner all you will have to do is put away washed dishes, clear the table and put dishes in dishwater or dishwasher and do them. Make it a habit to go to bed each evening with your sink shining.

Nothing says “I love you” like that sink full of hot soapy water, your clean kitchen and that shiny sink!

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For more help getting rid of your CHAOS; check out her website and join her free life coaching at www.FlyLady.net, listen to her channel http://www.blogtalkradio.com/channels/flylady show or read her books, Sink Reflections published by Bantam and her New York Times Best Selling book, Body Clutter published by Fireside. Copyright 2008 Marla Cilley Used by permission in this publication.

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I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. – Harlan Miller