Today we begin our Heart and Home Momma Olympics!

Here are the game rules: Grab a pad and paper and add up the points you earn for each item listed below. You score points for general housework and for Simple Daily Challenges posted throughout Momma-Olympics. Our focus for this event is Heart and Home with a dash of Back To School. Share your daily total in the comments or on Facebook if you like.

How many points can you earn each day during the Momma Olympics? As many as your heart desires and time allows!

• Make a bed — 10 points
• Quick bathroom clean (sink, toilet bowl quick-clean, wipe countertop) — 25 points.
• Load of dishes — 25 points
• Load of laundry — 25 points
• Vacuum, sweep, or mop a floor — 25 points
• Take out trash — 5 points per bag or can
• Plan and make breakfast or lunch — 10 points
• Plan and make dinner — 25 points
• Clutter: donate or toss an item — 1 point per item (favorite!)
• Clean kitchen sink and wipe counters — 25 points
• Home office management (finances, meal planning, scheduling) — 100 points for 15 minutes
• Healthy you — 25 points for daily exercise or movement and 25 points for daily meal tracking
• Simple Daily Challenges — up to three per day, 100 points each

Tally these challenges daily, then total them at the end of the Momma Olympic Challenge to see your progress.

The Heart of the Home

Many people call the kitchen the heart of the home, but truly the heart is the person who cares for the household: the one who nurtures the children, supports their partner, and takes small daily actions to make life more peaceful and beautiful.

Often this caregiver—frequently a mom—is so busy meeting everyone else’s needs that she neglects her own physical and mental well-being.

Look at it like this:

When you choose apples at the market, you pick the unbruised, wholesome fruit. You wouldn’t give your child a bruised or spoiled apple. In the same way, you are the “apple” for your family. To nurture them well, you must be healthy, rested, and cared for.

Making your own health a daily priority helps you stay patient, energized, and present so you can give your family the best of you.

Today’s Simple Daily Challenge:

Spend quiet time reflecting on goals for this week, this month, the next six months, and the coming year. Write one simple weekly goal that gives you momentum. If time allows, note a goal for the month as well.

• Example (short-term): Eat fewer fried foods and add more green vegetables; exercise four days this week.
• Example (longer-term): Walk three miles, three times per week.

-100 points for completing this challenge, in addition to any points earned from your daily routines above.

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

― Eleanor Brownn